For Students, Windows 7 for cheap!

[DevilAlumna]

I can just pop open the back of the laptop and plug in a new RAM "chip" right? (is "chip" or "card" the right word there?)

http://www.crucial.com/store/listpar...l=Dell&cat=RAM

It looks like your computer can handle 2 sets of 1GB RAM, to get to a total of 2GB.

And yes, it's just as easy as opening up the back and pulling the old, plugging in the new.

When you're doing computer maintenance, don't forget to back up important files before beginning, just in case.

I'm a really big fan of the Easy Transfer Wizard (built into Vista and Win7, available for download with WinXP) when upgrading to Win7. Just run Easy Transfer Wizard on the old machine - save the file (it'll be big) to a thumbdrive or external hard drive. When your new machine is set up, run Easy Transfer Wizard again - it'll ask you which file you want to use, so select the file you saved from your old machine. When it's done running, your files will move over, your settings on key programs, your IE settings & favorites, etc. etc.

[Indoor66]

http://www.crucial.com/store/listpar...l=Dell&cat=RAM

It looks like your computer can handle 2 sets of 1GB RAM, to get to a total of 2GB.

And yes, it's just as easy as opening up the back and pulling the old, plugging in the new.

When you're doing computer maintenance, don't forget to back up important files before beginning, just in case.

I'm a really big fan of the Easy Transfer Wizard (built into Vista and Win7, available for download with WinXP) when upgrading to Win7. Just run Easy Transfer Wizard on the old machine - save the file (it'll be big) to a thumbdrive or external hard drive. When your new machine is set up, run Easy Transfer Wizard again - it'll ask you which file you want to use, so select the file you saved from your old machine. When it's done running, your files will move over, your settings on key programs, your IE settings & favorites, etc. etc.

DA - I am running XP on an HP pavillion 9000 with 2 gig of ram. Do I have a problem converting to the new Vista via upgrade?

[DukeUsul]

I can just pop open the back of the laptop and plug in a new RAM "chip" right? (is "chip" or "card" the right word there?)

Maybe. Probably. Depends on the device. Motherboards typically have a maximum amount of RAM they can support. I would expect that unless it's a really old machine, it would be able to support at least 1 GB of RAM.

Some laptops will have one internal RAM slot and one external that's easy to access. Sometimes the laptop will make both slots easy to access. You need to have the same amount of RAM in each slot. So your situation will depend on what's in there. If you have a single 512 MB RAM stick in one slot, you can probably add an second 512 MB RAM stick to the expansion slot. If you have two 256 MB RAM sticks (one in each slot) then in order to expand, you'd need to buy two 512 MB RAM sticks and put one in each... or a single 1 GB stick and put it in the main slot.

The good news, is at the numbers we're talking about, buying that RAM will be really cheap. What will be difficult for you, is that if your laptop has an internal RAM slot that you need to get to. So let's hope you don't have 256 MB in each slot, that's probably the worst case for you. Hopefully, both slots are easily accessible from the back of the laptop.

Edit: OK, never mind, looks like DevilAlumna has already done all the homework you need. :-)

[rthomas]

If you buy 7 with this deal, do you get it now or in October?

[-jk]

I can just pop open the back of the laptop and plug in a new RAM "chip" right? (is "chip" or "card" the right word there?)

There are several types, as a small card. You need to check exactly what sort your laptop takes, and (usually) order a matched pair.

With most laptops, it's simply a matter of opening a cover, pulling the old memory out, installing the new, and closing it up. You want it unplugged and your battery out, of course.

After you turn it back on, it'll probably ask you to confirm the change.

If you need some help, pm me.

-jk

[Indoor66]

I can just pop open the back of the laptop and plug in a new RAM "chip" right? (is "chip" or "card" the right word there?)

You can determine the right module to use here. Crucial gives good service, in my experience.

[DevilAlumna]

DA - I am running XP on an HP pavillion 9000 with 2 gig of ram. Do I have a problem converting to the new Vista via upgrade?

Well, the HP site lists 269 possible models of HP Pavillion 9000, so I can't really tell you for certain. 2GB of ram is fine, but you will need to confirm other metrics yourself.

Somebody already posted the basic requirements above, but here they are again: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...uirements.aspx

Microsoft also has an "Upgrade Advisor" tool that will scan your machine and tell you how fit it is for Windows 7.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...e-advisor.aspx

(I assume you mean Windows 7, rather than Windows Vista (which is not new?) You should also understand you will need to do a clean install from XP to Windows 7, not an upgrade.)

If you buy 7 with this deal, do you get it now or in October?

October.

[Indoor66]

Well, the HP site lists 269 possible models of HP Pavillion 9000, so I can't really tell you for certain. 2GB of ram is fine, but you will need to confirm other metrics yourself.

Somebody already posted the basic requirements above, but here they are again: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...uirements.aspx

Microsoft also has an "Upgrade Advisor" tool that will scan your machine and tell you how fit it is for Windows 7.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...e-advisor.aspx

(I assume you mean Windows 7, rather than Windows Vista (which is not new?) You should also understand you will need to do a clean install from XP to Windows 7, not an upgrade.)



October.

Thanks - I'm running the scan now...

[Indoor66]

DA:

I am using Office 2003. Will that be compatible with "7"?

[DevilAlumna]

DA:

I am using Office 2003. Will that be compatible with "7"?

Yes, it will.

There will be a new version of Office (Office 2010) coming out sometime next summer, that will take advantage of some of the new features of Windows 7, but if you like 2003*, I wouldn't suggest changing just for the sake of change.

(*Office 2007 introduced the "Ribbon," a reorganization/improvement of the common toolbars found across Office, to Word, Excel, Powerpoint. A lot of people who were used to the old commands have found the Ribbon rather frustrating. Office 2010 puts the ribbon on the rest of the Office applications, including Outlook, Visio, and OneNote.)

[DukeUsul]

Yes, it will.

There will be a new version of Office (Office 2010) coming out sometime next summer, that will take advantage of some of the new features of Windows 7, but if you like 2003*, I wouldn't suggest changing just for the sake of change.

(*Office 2007 introduced the "Ribbon," a reorganization/improvement of the common toolbars found across Office, to Word, Excel, Powerpoint. A lot of people who were used to the old commands have found the Ribbon rather frustrating. Office 2010 puts the ribbon on the rest of the Office applications, including Outlook, Visio, and OneNote.)

That being said, I happen to think the ribbon, once I've become used to it, has been one of the best UI innovations Microsoft has made in a long time.

[DevilAlumna]

That being said, I happen to think the ribbon, once I've become used to it, has been one of the best UI innovations Microsoft has made in a long time.

I've seen the user research, both before (the reason for the change) and after. It made a huge difference to the discoverability of about 80% of the features in Word. Excel and PowerPoint had similar increases.

I like it too, and am glad OneNote and Visio have been upgraded (Outlook is still taking me some time to get used to it.) Then again, I think kool-aid is really really tasty.

[YmoBeThere]

I like the ribbon also and am having to take a step back in my new job. And yes, I like Kool-Aid also.