I’ve been using Windows Vista Premium on this Gateway MX-6455 laptop for a couple of weeks at this point. I must say, Vista is easily the best-ever version of Windows.
One thing that struck me from the start is the overall smoothness of multitasking in Vista. Even when I push the processor and hard drive to the limits, Vista remains responsive. The Start button, along with other open program windows will pop right up when I click on them. In Windows XP, things would often come to a standstill on the same hardware rendering the computer virtually unusable.
I bought an extra 120 gigabyte laptop drive for backup purposes to use in my external USB housing, which powers the drive right from the USB port, no need for an external power source. I used the built-in backup function in Vista for the first time this evening. I must say, of all the backup programs I’ve used in the past, this one gave me the best performance ever. The computer remained completely responsive and usable while the backup was underway. I’m quite impressed.
If you are thinking about buying a new computer with Vista Premium preinstalled, go for it. Vista is is a great operating system.