Should I future-proof with Vista, or go tried'n'true with XP on my Vostro 1400?? Still can't decide..

I know, I know, ANOTHER Vista/XP debate. But I've reviewed the pro's and con's and would really appreciate the help because I still can't decide.

The laptop:
Dell Vostro 1400
C2D 2.0 T7250
2GB RAM
128MB Nvidia 8400

Tomorrow is the last day before it ships to me with Windows Vista Basic, and I'm fretting over whether or not I should call and have this switched to XP. Dell offers them both for the same base price.

I'd like to future proof my laptop, and that makes me think I should accept Vista now, slower or not. I assume that Dell has to support XP on the 1400 now that it is offering it as a config, so I figure downgrading to XP is an option, but am I throwing away a copy a Vista because it doesn't come with a disc? Will it really run slow enough on that system to make me care anyway?

But on the other hand, I love the speed and stability I'm getting with 2GB RAM running XP Pro on my current laptop (inspiron 9300), and I don't want to have to deal with a bunch of Vista "issues". (I've never used Vista, but it doesn't seem very popular.)

If Microsoft is going to be supporting XP for years to come and programmers are still going to write new programs for XP, I don't see a reason to upgrade when I know I like XP. Having to buy a new copy of XP if Vista doesn't work out would REALLY suck.

As far as I know, I'm not really running crucial programs that need XP, so program-compatibility probably isn't an issue for me. Mostly just everyday internet, music, email, and the rare non-hardcore-system-req game that sparks my interest.

It would really suck to need to buy Vista full price in the future.

So: What is the wiser choice?

THANKS,
derek

 

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