Jim You know more than me so I would look at the test score for encoding and other tests.But I have ben doing some reading.I dunno if makes difference with Windows media center or WMP)but my IT buddy told me but you lighten your RAM needs opening tham especially for video so a ndual core would conceivably work better and faster.
Recently a 15 laptop with Win7 incredible deal was posted on CNET (look at CNET Cheapskate)for low end dual cores from Toshiba and Compaq with lower end dual cores,3G Ram,lightscribe multi drive that comes loaded with 7 and HDMI.If you didn't buy a (sucky) Vista machine with free upgrade it could get you deck for about twice the price of just the 7 software and serve as a great stand alone music laptop with an extra HD added.I think that many IT/computer reviewers are saying Vista was like ME should never have come out.7 uses much less takes less RAM to operate than Vista which will mean more resources for music (light demands) and Video where it will make more of difference.
Now if one could get a HD graphic card in and a Blu-Ray Drive for $400 or $500 I would stop toying with idea of building a horizontal HTPC (needs much less bleeding edge tech than gaming so can use good integrated HDMI graphics).Some say 7 is improvement but aren't all that blown away but most say it's what XP die hards should jump on and learn the new curve because it's worth it.That is if you don't want to use Mini Mac or better Apple buyt that's another kettle of fish.For some reasonm I thought you were Maccie.
7 should work better then again if your happy now with XP running WMP/MCE than buy it for other reasons.But given next computer I get (unles I go with trendy crown and get Netbook which I find too $$$) my next desktop or HTPC or laptop I wouldn't think of saving money on a Vista model.Now to your question.If your casual user might not be worth $180 for 7 but than again it will be around for a while,is better than Vista and you'll have it for current or future machine (you could build a new one with a bare bones kit and you'd have the 7.As you can tell I have been thinking about every angle of this myself after getting HD ready 24" and can't run it full rez so I am thinking about which way to smartly use my $$ to get what I want.Maybe I am wrong but for music not much difference (and most here seem to be Mac users for even if not using Itunes to play FLAC etc).I think 7 bought strategically for A/V and other uses might make sense.You have to work the angles out like me.But I dove on that $400 Laptop I might just swap the 7 out into a he man media machine I had built for me like the ones from HP,Gateway etc that are "media canter built but do it from scratch.But whoe knows I might like 7 and then want to buy it for main machine and wonder what I bought latop for.But $400????
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-10377584-58.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=TheCheapskate
The Toshiba might not be one to get see comments for Compaq deal at Staples if all this nonsense interests you.You know my ADD and one I get going.I put in link for M300 Athlon Chip.Looking forward to full review of it and seeing what other pony up now with 7.And like one guys say's "For that $120 Netbook".BT even with some problems working out file paths for everything am loving the Jriver.Might pay the (Gulp) $50 for full version.
Cheers
Chazz
Recently a 15 laptop with Win7 incredible deal was posted on CNET (look at CNET Cheapskate)for low end dual cores from Toshiba and Compaq with lower end dual cores,3G Ram,lightscribe multi drive that comes loaded with 7 and HDMI.If you didn't buy a (sucky) Vista machine with free upgrade it could get you deck for about twice the price of just the 7 software and serve as a great stand alone music laptop with an extra HD added.I think that many IT/computer reviewers are saying Vista was like ME should never have come out.7 uses much less takes less RAM to operate than Vista which will mean more resources for music (light demands) and Video where it will make more of difference.
Now if one could get a HD graphic card in and a Blu-Ray Drive for $400 or $500 I would stop toying with idea of building a horizontal HTPC (needs much less bleeding edge tech than gaming so can use good integrated HDMI graphics).Some say 7 is improvement but aren't all that blown away but most say it's what XP die hards should jump on and learn the new curve because it's worth it.That is if you don't want to use Mini Mac or better Apple buyt that's another kettle of fish.For some reasonm I thought you were Maccie.
7 should work better then again if your happy now with XP running WMP/MCE than buy it for other reasons.But given next computer I get (unles I go with trendy crown and get Netbook which I find too $$$) my next desktop or HTPC or laptop I wouldn't think of saving money on a Vista model.Now to your question.If your casual user might not be worth $180 for 7 but than again it will be around for a while,is better than Vista and you'll have it for current or future machine (you could build a new one with a bare bones kit and you'd have the 7.As you can tell I have been thinking about every angle of this myself after getting HD ready 24" and can't run it full rez so I am thinking about which way to smartly use my $$ to get what I want.Maybe I am wrong but for music not much difference (and most here seem to be Mac users for even if not using Itunes to play FLAC etc).I think 7 bought strategically for A/V and other uses might make sense.You have to work the angles out like me.But I dove on that $400 Laptop I might just swap the 7 out into a he man media machine I had built for me like the ones from HP,Gateway etc that are "media canter built but do it from scratch.But whoe knows I might like 7 and then want to buy it for main machine and wonder what I bought latop for.But $400????
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-10377584-58.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=TheCheapskate
The Toshiba might not be one to get see comments for Compaq deal at Staples if all this nonsense interests you.You know my ADD and one I get going.I put in link for M300 Athlon Chip.Looking forward to full review of it and seeing what other pony up now with 7.And like one guys say's "For that $120 Netbook".BT even with some problems working out file paths for everything am loving the Jriver.Might pay the (Gulp) $50 for full version.
Cheers
Chazz