b/c I'm hoping to get that $40 Windows 8 upgrade, a ~2 TB HDD for the Acer and then dual boot the Acer with Win 7 & Win 8, and I think:

--the Acer will perform better with 16 GB RAM,
--Win 8, I think, will be more demanding hardware-wise (regarding its recommended/optimum system specs for upgrading,
--how I'm planning to do this:
1) partition the new HDD into 2 partitions;
2) install Win 7 on both partitions,
3) install Win 8 on one of the partitions as an upgrade,

--I also want to create DVD movies, and I believe that uses a lot of RAM, probably more than PC games (regarding the rendering process of the movies).

--currently I'm playing around with my new hobby, rendering the scenes in my own DVD movies.

On the contrary, Windows 8 is much LESS demanding hardware-wise. People are installing in on 5 year old laptops and they are running better than they ever did in XP.

Do you have 2 legal unused copies of Windows 7? Did you know you can also upgrade to Windows 8 from XP, so if you have a legal unused key for XP you can upgrade from that too.

For the time being, you can get an upgrade copy of Windows 8 Pro from Newegg for $69.99. I'm not sure when it will up to full price, but it will be $200. They also have System Builder copies of Windows 7 for $99 and you don't need a previous copy of XP, Vista or Windows 7.

Before you spring for the money for Windows 8, do make sure it's what you want. It's nothing like what you're used to in Windows operating system.

What do you mean, Drac, I won't be able to use a traditional mouse/keyboard for that $40 upgrade of win 8 (and even if I did use this $40 upgrade)?

My heart is set on that $40 Win 8 upgrade - easier on my family members' (as well as mine) wallets.

btw, I got curious about this Crucial system scanner, Inland, and I used it to scan my Macbook Pro's hardware, and I've found my mac takes the same kind of RAM modules as the Acer would, but it has only 2 RAM slots, filled with 2 GB of RAM/slot, and it has an Intel Core 2 Duo 3.06 GHz processor - so what would happen if I took the CPU's out of my mac and my Dell laptop (the M1530) and I exchanged them (putting the 3 GHz CPU in the Dell laptop) and (putting the Dell laptop's Intel Core 2 Duo 2.20 GHz CPU in the mac), won't this be valuable experience for me?


b/c these days just about the only thing I use my mac for is going online, and d/l stuff, I use my windows laptops (the Acer and the Dell) for the gaming, the 3D modeling, the movie-making

That's true of almost all laptops. Your Acer having 4 slots is very rare.



It would be a "learning experience" of the worst possible sort. There's a very high probability that neither laptop would ever work again.

Just remember that laptops are very proprietary. The Mac will not work with a processor made to go inside a PC. Macs have a different BIOS/EFI, etc. and processors made for Macs have to be specially prepared to work with them.

And even if you got the M1530 to work with the Mac processor, that processor is hotter than what the M1530 was designed for and the computer would burn out before too long -- assuming you set the heat sink properly in the first place and it worked at all.


That's no reason to destroy both laptops. If you feel the need to swap processors in laptops, buy some cheap $25 laptops where it won't matter if you bust them or not.

You've got to be kidding me... Why are you so determined to destroy thousands of dollars worth of laptops?



You obviously didn't read my post. I said nothing about using or not using mouse and keyboard - I just said the hardware requirements for Windows 8 were not high. I also simply pointed out some pre-order options for Windows 8 at Newegg. If you wait until the release date on October 26, a DOWNLOAD upgrade will be available for $40. It appears you are also not heeding my suggestion that you thoroughly check out what Windows 8 really is because it is nothing like anything you are used to.

I believe you, Drac, that Windows 8 is not very demanding hardware-wise. But I didn't know that $40 upgrade is for a download copy of Win 8. I went on Newegg and I found this upgrade option ***here*** is this the one you're talking about, Drac, for $70?

Yes, I believe you, Drac, when you said in your post that using Win 8 is nothing like what I'm used to/have been using so far - so in what way is it so different (curious)?

I think this $70 upgrade option comes on a disc, doesn't it?

Does Win 8 have an option to use a mouse/keyboard with it?

The offer says I need a Windows Media Center license that I'll have to buy separately - so does this sort of mean that I'll be paying double if I get this upgrade for $70?


I was just curious as to what would happen. It doesn't hurt to ask about this before I went and did it (I didn't), does it?
Isn't this is how I learn about computer tech stuff - by asking questions such as this?



Does checking out Win 8 involve getting the upgrade (I think it involves getting the Consumer's Preview copy, really)?

Ok, I'll make sure that I check Win 8 out using the preview copy now that I have that book I bought from Barnes & Noble.


Ok, Jenny, this is what I'll try to do. I didn't know that I could get cheap laptops for $25. Where do I find these laptops? The goodwill store on the Southside of Pitt is too far for Mom to take me, the thrift store back of our house doesn't usually have such laptops (I asked, notified them well over couple of months ago, no word), and I don't know if the Salvation Army store by the mall would have them, but how do I convince Mom to let me buy them (since I'm living under her roof, I have to obey her rules, or she'll evict me, and I don't want evicted) assuming the Salvation Army store did have them?

Mom did agree to let me take in cheap laptops for free if there's people that want to get rid of them, I asked my friends about 6 months ago to let me know if anyone they know is getting rid of any laptops, that I'd take it off their hands, but I heard no word regarding this from any of my local friends so far.

You can also download the preview version of Windows 8 for free
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/download

Note that you don't have to subscribe to the "Windows 8 News" to download. Just click the Download link for the English version.

Check eBay for cheap laptops. You might also find them at Goodwill.

Good suggestion, Jenny! I forgot all about buying laptops on ebay, given how busy I've been lately (lots of stuff on mind).

Currently installing the Win 8 x86 preview in VMWare Player.

Now have Win 8 preview (x86) set up in a VM, so far, it looks, feels great. Am warming up to it fast, but then again, I like all the OS's (even MS-DOS).

There are many tricks to learn to be able to use the new Modern UI interface and the app tiles. You will need to find the charms bar and see what is available in all the corners of the screen in addition to many other things. There are tons of resources on the internet.

Yes, Windows Media Center is extra. I never use it, so don't need it.

Yes, the $40 upgrade is only available as a download. Remember that these are upgrades, so you sill need a valid unused XP, Vista or Windows 7 OS.