Is it possible to ask Dell to pre-install XP?

I'm planning to order the M1330 near the end of the year with a 2.5Ghz T9300 Penryn processor. I was wondering if I could ask Dell to pre-install XP SP3 and if installing that instead of Vista would lower the price. I'm just such a freak on productivity and I feel that even with a Penryn processor, XP would always perform better and faster than Vista.

Also, would it be possible to ask them install an LG screen instead of a Samsung screen (which I heard had grain issues)?

Comments, suggestions and violent reactions are welcome.

 

You can have XP installed, but I think you need to pay a little extra for it.

I wont be able to request which parts you would like just yet.

 

okay thanks.

with a processor like that, do you think it's still worth going XP or should I stick with Vista?

 

I think you can only get XP on the Latitude and Vostro systems and not on the consumer ones (ie XPS, Inspiron, etc)

 

Haha

With that computer, the performance difference between Vista and XP is so minimal, you probably wouldn't notice it. In fact, by using some of the Vista Tweaks and other guides on this forum, Vista can be faster than XP in some instances.

 

hmmm... interesting... well i do hope that the performance difference is minimal, coz i was thinking of installing xp and just using WindowBlinds 5 to make it look like Vista.. it's the configuration I have now on my desktop pc and it works fast and flawlessly.

 

With the latest updates and some smart tweaks, Vista runs faster for me than XP did (although my hardware now is significantly better). Also, it's been much more stable (no BSOD so far) than XP was for me. Plus, it looks better than XP

I'd recommend giving Vista a try until you familiarize yourself with it and you may find (as many here did) that you like it more than XP.

Oh and in response to the screen question: You can't request a specific model, and even if you could request it, there is no guarantee that it would actually translate into them putting it in. They use whatever is in stock at the moment, so it is really a luck of the draw. If your screen is bad when you receive it, you can always ask for a replacement, but you can't ask/request up front.

 

I agree with Crash.
I installed Vista and didnt like it at first, but after getting used to it, Id never go back to XP.
Vista is great for the home user, but not quite there for larger networks yet.
Anyways, Vista eats more of your resources etc, but it puts them to better use. OK, XP uses less RAM when running, but what sthe point of having so much RAM sitting there unused?! TBH, people keep saying Vista is buggy etc, but Ive yet to experience one of these bugs, its been perfectly fine for me, even when playing games, and Im completely happy with it.

 

I'm in the same boat as crash and ifti, I just got my 1330 with Vista. It's the first time I've actually used Vista and find it quite likeable. Yes it's got some security quirks (ala Mac commercial LOL), but that's pretty much the only PITA part to get used to. It will take a few hrs to figure where things are now, but after that it's really not much different.

Here's a good article explaining Vista's ram useage and how to think about it from a technical perspective http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000688.html And yeah, what's the point of me having 4gb of ram if it's never being used???? In my normal day to day useage of Vista I usually hover around .9-1.3GB of ram in use.

 

I think you can only do it on the Vostro

 

Thank you for your replies.

As I've said, I've used Vista for quite some time on my desktop PC before switching back to XP. I liked Vista a lot, but perhaps since my PCs specs are nearly 2 years old, it still tends to like XP more.

How I wish Windows Vienna was here already so I wouldn't have to decide between these 2 OSs