It isn’t a Windows 7 launch party, but it’ll do for now. I picked up a copy of 7 from the University tech store and ordered a new computer online for MrsDoF to put it on. She’ll have an Intel Dual-Core, 2gb, 500gb, and Win7 for total cost about $290 including shipping and tax.
She’s got XP now – we skipped Vista. If she doesn’t like 7 then she’ll be learning Ubuntu.
But assume she’ll like 7; anybody have any thoughts on Microsoft’s new “Security Essentials” suite?
I will skip Windows 7 ( as I did Vista) and go straight to Mac. I don’t care about the price.
That said, is the Intel machine limited to 2GB? If not, I’d pump it up to 4GB and be done with it. Our Dell had only 512MB, and I kept it that way until Sheryl was so frustrated that she begged my to buy any amount of memory I wished … so I did the max.
The Intel machine is limited to 3gb as long as the 32-bit OS is installed. Win7 also comes in a 64-bit flavor with a much higher limit.
But by all reports, 7 runs well in 2gb and Ubuntu certainly does.
I think, though I’m not positive, that the Win 7 DVD will have both 32 and 64Bit versions on it. I’m currently running the 64Bit version of RC1 and I’ve not had a single BSOD since I installed it.
I’ve also been trying out the Microsoft Security Essentials since it was officially released and I’m impressed. It actually found a couple of dormant viruses in my browser cache that Avast had missed. They weren’t active so it wasn’t a problem, but still that was a good sign. It’s got low-overhead and rarely impacts the performance of my system. Overall I’m happy with it.
If you have to pay for it there are free variants out there. My repertoire will have you installing at least 3 apps rather than MS 1. MS integration would a plus too. But if you don’t mind installing a few apps I recommend:
Spybot Search and Destroy
Spywareblaster
Clamwin
Firefox with Adblock Plus plugin
Using this formula I have never had a spyware/malware issue. I got a virus, I think 2 years ago but can’t remember, using AVG. With Clamwin I have not had a single problem. Plus it’s Open Source so it doesn’t have all the bloat.
Some might say that being technically sound I probably don’t get myself into the same predicaments as the regular user. True, but I used to download quite a few torrents and other files from the Internet and still never had an issue.
How did you manage this? $290? Please do tell!
It’ll be $320 after I put a DVD burner in it, since the old one I had has apparently died.
The computer hardware is a “bare-bones” system from Tiger Direct or NewEgg. Add hard drive of your choice, in this case Western Digital 500gb. Install CPU and memory on motherboard, then motherboard and drives in case.
Then the software licensing. I had a Windows XP Professional license from a now-deceased computer, which I put on this new computer. Using that license I installed XP, then Windows 7 upgrade which I bought from the university tech store on a faculty/staff/student license.
(I had misunderstood that the 7 license allowed a clean install. It didn’t, and M$ didn’t exactly help by not putting that relevant fact on the packaging anywhere. But it turned out OK.)
Then Microsoft Security Essentials, which is free, and the usual Open Office (far superior to M$ Office), Firefox, Chrome, Notepad++, XnView, Filezilla, and Thunderbird, which are all free.
I hope you know you’re made of awesome. Especially to someone like me, who would couldn’t assemble a computer with step-by-step instructions and personal directions from a whole squad of geeks. LOL.