Well, if you’re really determined to do this — which I wouldn’t recommend to a client, so I don’t recommend it to you — your best alternative is this: buy a new laptop with Windows7 and make sure it has lots of memory. Download VirtualBox (free) and install and run XP in a virtual machine.
Get a Mac Book Pro.
Since you seem bound and determined to stick with the obsolete virus magnet that is WinXP, I would suggest getting another old, used laptop off of Craigslist or eBay, or maybe a local garage sale.
Get a Linux Pro.
If you aren’t going to do work on it, and only want to surf the web, get a tablet. If you want to maybe do some work on it, I switched to a MacBook Air and am really happy. Solid state drives, boots in ten seconds. Haven’t really bought much extra software for it.
Bump to see the hilarity as the OS wars ensue.
My 4+ year old Toshiba Satellite runs XP and Firefox, but I also have Chrome installed.
It has slowed down quite a bit and has numerous problems such as audio stuttering. I am too old and stupid to know how to fix it, despite running all the normal maintenance and cleanup programs.
I just bought a used Toshiba, from a distressed expat, for my 18 month old boy to watch his U-tube kiddie spots. He already knows how to turn it on and work the up/down keys.
It runs Windows 7, which is a pain for me.
I have been in the computer business for over 25 years... And I understand the appeal of relative simple operating nature of Win XP. But one cannot go with a no longer supported operating system forever. However, for home / personal / casual use the over done high handed - difficult to overcome security levels of Win 7 are preposterous. For Corporate / Enterprise use what Microsoft has done with Win7 for security is appropriate - but for personal use most of it should simply be allowed to turn it off with a few clicks in a setup routine. I don’t want to run my home systems like an Enterprise network... I want to easily connect to other computers on a two-three station private LAN... But Win7 turns simple computing at home into a pain in the BUTT. I don’t want work - I want ease. This is one reason people strive to stick with XP. And about being a virus magnet... I have used dozens of XP computers in personal and business environments and having a top grade Anti-Virus software installed prevents 99% of all such problems. And some of these A/V Apps are free.
You might check ebay. XP is going away.
I had that situation when Vista first came out and I needed a new laptop that ran XP for my work software (I’d been told Vista would *never* be supported). Could not buy a Windows XP machine anywhere. I bought a MacBook Pro and installed Parallels, which allowed mt create a virtual computer running XP.
The rig worked fine. The guy upthread wasn’t joking you about “Buy a Mac.”
I finally went from XP to Win7 late last year.
The problem you will find with XP is that websites keep adding more and more of the lastest coding. My XP’s struggled with some web pages and wouldn’t even load others.
Go with a Win7. Top of the line processors are 3rd generation Intel I7 is the fastest, I5 next, I3 next. Also, Win7 handles more memory beyond what XP was limited to.
Panasonic Toughbooks are legendary for longevity. I’m sure you can pick up a good one off of ebay that still works well and has XP on it, and for not too much money. You should research the models and make sure you get one of the newest models that still has XP on it, as there will be tons of very old Toughbooks on ebay.
A few things to consider: First and foremost - the only way you’re going to be running XP is in a virtual machine on another platform. The last six months have really left XP behind in terms of drivers. There are a few geek clubs out there who are dedicated to making XP compatible drivers available, but the time investment to do that seems silly.
Next, we’re nearing the good old Black Friday sales - stock is rotating in for preparation for those sales, and prices aren’t going down until they can discount it for the holiday season. There’s some great deals on referbs right now, but a new laptop right now is a financially bad exercise. If they can stick it to a few parents to get them to overpay for old technology for kids, they’ll do it.
And especially since your budget is running the floor, every dollar counts. A $400 machine discounted to $300 during Black Friday can be twice to three times the machine that same $300 buys today.
So my advice: hold off on buying a replacement for the moment, extend the effort into learning W7 rather than spending fruitless hours trying to find XP drivers, and then pick up a great deal in November.
For myself, 90% of my browsing is now done on my Nexus 7 tablet, most of my streaming goes to my television, and my laptop can sit for days without use.
If you really want one, there are plenty of used XP laptops for about $300 on Amazon.
At that price I would probably just replace or zero the existing laptop hard drive and install Linux Mint 13. That's what I did with an old Dell laptop that a friend gave me. Replaced the hard drive, bought a new power supply, and it has been a great second laptop, responsive and fairly easy to use. Linux still requires a bit of extra work, but nothing like the bad old days.
Get whichever one you like and download and run: “Windows XP Compatible Mode” which you can get for free here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx
Off topic,
Just toured the hill country with thoughts of moving there. How is dsl service in kerrville, fredericksburg, Bourne?
I’m retired but wife needs fast dsl for job as researcher/writer.