After a long-announced transition, 30 June marks the end of an era at Microsoft that of Windows XP.
Thousands of Dell users have contacted a user forum to call for PCs to be shipped with a Linux operating system and the OpenOffice application suite.
Intel will roll out Vista internally only once the first service pack of the operating system has been released, and Dell is likely to do the same.
Dell has won a AU$2 million contract to replace the standard operating environment servers in two Queensland Government departments.
Australians won't be able to pre-order PCs with Windows XP installed until the software's official launch date, however, local PC maker Dell looks set to beat its competitors off the mark.
So, it seems the WOW -- for Microsoft's Windows Vista -- is not now, but sometime in the future, maybe.
The only people who won't eventually move to Windows Vista are the Linux and Mac enthusiasts.
Even though Microsoft, in conjunction with hardware vendors, tries to produce solid drivers, sometimes new drivers cause more problems than they fix.
Is recently released Mac OS X Jaguar just a catch-up to Windows XP features, or is there more to Apple's latest operating system than meets the eye.
The deals to ship Sun's Java technology in all the PC makers' machines are a poke in the eye for Microsoft, which has been lacklustre in its support for the software.
The Inspiron 9100 is probably one of the best notebooks around that can truly replace the desktop PC, offering speed and excellent 3D graphics performance.
Not ready for a Vista laptop? Simply want to stick to good old XP? Here are your options on the market.
Apple makes a bid for a larger slice of the browser market with a version of Safari for Windows, XP, and Vista.
The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 is a prime example of the netbook form factor, and the best 8.9-inch one available.
If you took a tank and a tablet notebook, and they had a child, the product would be the NEC ShieldPro N22A. It's just like a tablet, except big, heavy, black and armoured.
Dell's Latitude E6400 is a full featured business laptop that delivers on performance, battery life and price in one neat bundle.
The Mini 1210's upgraded processor and shift to Windows XP does remove some of the original model's biggest issues, but it's still not a netbook that we'd buy.
The Latitude 2100 is an interesting answer to customising for the needs of schools. As a by-product, Dell has created a robust little netbook that can just as easily be tossed around by any techie who likes to work roughly.
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