If you want Vista, you have to be sure the computer you plan to buy is powerful enuf to run Vista. Go to Microsoft's site and check the requirements. Also, most drivers and many programs will have different requirements for vista than XP. So, just because they say you can upgrade doesn't mean you'll want to go to the additional time and expense to do so. I think it would be much easier to spend a little more and get one which is already vista installed and working. Unless ofcourse you plan to just use the xp and not upgrade.

Sounds like a good deal to me. I assume the monitor is a CRT and you have the space. If its an LCD monitor, WOW! GREAT deal. Noting wrong with CRTs other than size.

I have a new Dell desktop that has a "free upgrade" to Vista, I'm not sure yet I will take advantage of it... that could be the subject (or has been) of another post.

You can still find under $400 TV specials. Dell deal is $359 and free shipping on their desktop.

If I were a manufacturer I wouldn't be offering too many deals right after the official release of Vista. Maybe I'd shoot for some Valentines day specials or something.. couple weeks or so later I would have a splash of deals.

Most really haven't had a chance to do full testing yet on the new Vista so any hardware changes they need to make do take some design/manufacturing/procurement time more so than the two months they have had.

I understand that the minimum memory with Vista is 512MB. If it were me, I'd make sure any computer I bought these days had at least 1GB (or more), or that the existing memory could be easily upgraded at a reasonable price. Otherwise it sounds like a good deal.

More than likely, you could add one G on memory yourself for less than $90, the Vista upgrade from the XP OS that the system came with would be $99. So, to get your HP installed with Vista, you are looking at close to $200, plus the time it takes to install the memory module (quite easy, the module will come with instructions) and the time it takes to install Vista, and the fact that if you are going to do a fresh, clean install, you will need to backup any files and reinstall any programs already on your hard drive. Some folks enjoy doing this kind of work (myself included), others find it to be a giant pain. If it's not your cup of tea, you might wait. I am betting that the manufacturers are going to have some great deals comming up in Feb. March, in anticipation of folks wanting to upgrade to Vista. I don't believe Vista will add very much at all to the price preinstalled from manuacturers, as they are paying much less for their Vista lisencing than you would buying Vista out of a box. Even though I think deals will get hotter, I broke down and bought a laptop, but the smart move probably would have been to wait a month or two, IMHO.

It was an LCD monitor. The vista upgrade is fee. The hard drive is 160G not 200G. The memory is upgradable to 2G. I have heard most programs that are running on XP will not run on Vista w/out patches. I only have dial up so that is daugnting at this point. I think I'd be happy with xp...my home pc is only on Win98 now...of course I may have issues porting my software from Win98 to XP anyway. Still, I'd be Vista ready except for needing a gig of memory. I guess I need to check the version of vista theyy will upgrade me to...I understand there are 3!

From an ordinary PC user and here's a nickels worth. There are 4 versions of Vista - Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate that range from small in price to large, respectively, and come in upgrade and full version. The Walmart computer has XP Media Center and my understanding is that the upgrade to Vista would be a comparable upgrade -- to Home Premium. My guess is that most older software from Microsoft that ran on Win 98 will run on Vista, e.g., Word, Excel, etc. Those from other makers are the ones to check if you plan to move them to the newer computer. The software websites may tell you whether they are good to go for Vista. Microsoft's website -- http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/choose.mspx -- shows the differences among the different versions of Vista. My observations at that website shows that the Basic version has few of the "WOW" features that Bill Gates explained. Many of the WOWs appear to start with the Home Premium.

I think I have basically the same system I bought at Costco about a year and a half ago for $899, so it sounds to me like your getting a great deal. Buy it, bring it home, grab yourself a 1G piece of RAM at Bestbuy or someplace and pop it in there, and it will be more than fast enough for almost any day to day stuff. Mine, after I filled the HD about 1/4 full with pics, music and programs, began slowing down. After the mem upgrade, it's flying again...
--John