It is fairly simple...once you understand it all! It used to be that you had to type in DOS commands and couldn't click on anything on the screen: that was simple, but not very much fun. It sounds like you are trying to teach yourself to do things by clicking and guessing, and by assuming it will be the same as previous. You can do that, but in my experience you never know what you don't know, and you waste a lot of time. For example, how much time have you spent on this one issue? My suggestion is -- and don't be insulted -- that you need to buy yourself the book "Windows 7 for Dummies." The Dummies series are very helpful books (I've used them myself) that walk you step-by-step through how to make things work. The version that I've linked to below even comes with a DVD that gives you a couple of hours of hands-on instruction. Here is a link that might be useful: Windows 7 for Dummies

It's called Windows Mail in Vista. Look in "all programs" after you hit start and click on it. You'll have to set it up with your new internet provider according to their instructions. I use Yahoo mail and Hotmail and Windows Mail, each serves a different audience when I communicate, one for friends, one for junk and Windows Mail as the default mail program in Vista (cause it won't let me use the others.) I have Vista Home Premium, so Pro may be a little different, but probably not too much. MSFT just came out with SP1 for Vista, so if you have all the right drivers, it will download as an update when you get online. All Vista is, is Win XP with a pretty dress on. As you learn it, you'll see. It's not really different at all, just better looking and things have new names to confuse us. The tutorial that comes with it is good as is the info at the link below. Also, when you get your internet connection, just put any questions you have into a google search and you'll get all the help you need. Here is a link that might be useful: Microsoft Vista Site

My knowledge is limited so take the following with a grain of salt. I'm going to throw out some thoughts based on a hunch that could be wrong. Hopefully others will help direct the conversation. I think your issue is a router issue and not a Windows one. It's software question not a hardware one. Not all routers have the firmware to host a printer. Maybe the printer has it? I don't know for sure. If your router can handle the job, and if so it would need some installation steps and be unlikely to be plug and play, the printer becomes visible as a Network Printer to other PCs on the network. Just the same as if the printer were connected to a PC and you designate it as a Network Printer and not a Local Printer through the Printer Setup Wizard. The PC stations on a physical network need not be "networked" in a MS sharing system or group sense to use a Network Printer. If your connection (software setting wise) is effective, using the "Connect to Network Printer" option in the Printer Wizard on each PC will show this new printer as an option. Each PC may need to have printer drivers for it to work. A printer connected to a PC can always be shared, and the mix of Windows versions is a non-issue in my experience with the same setup. But, the PC the printer is connected to needs to be on for the printing to work. If it's off, the queue is held until it's turned on. Thoughts from others?

PM2 - I just want to clarify that the reason my husband may not be able to get XP drivers for his laptop is not because Microsoft is not supporting XP. They continue to support XP and constantly issue new updates. The issue is that there might not be XP drivers that are compatible with other things in his laptop. Now I don't know enough to know what those things are - is it hardware on the laptop, other software they've installed that doesn't have XP drivers. I don't fully comprehend the problem, but it's not that Microsoft isn't supporting XP. I hope somebody more knowledgeable will correct me if I'm wrong. I don't want to give prairiemoon2 incorrect information. I share your frustration that Microsoft would issue software that is so problematic that they even write documentation on ways to deal with the problems. I'm also frustrated when I have to get software fixes from other companies to deal with Microsoft problems. (I just had lots of trouble updating XP on an old computer of my daughters. The updates would not install - and nothing on Microsoft site - or from my computer tech guy's discussions with Microsoft turned up a solution. The solution came from third-party software - recommended to me here on this forum.) Lynn.