The federal Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research has flagged plans to replace a desktop computer supply contract held until recently by Dell, as part of a broader move to Windows Vista and Office 2007.
His name synonymous with the PC industry, Michael Dell this week made a fleeting visit to Australia to meet customers, employees and members of the media.
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.
Despite its big push for Vista, Microsoft is quietly allowing PC makers to offer an option that lets users "downgrade" to Windows XP, allowing customers to purchase new PCs but stick with the older operating system.
Bowing to pressure from customers and computer makers, Microsoft plans to keep Windows XP around a little longer.
So, it seems the WOW -- for Microsoft's Windows Vista -- is not now, but sometime in the future, maybe.
Not ready for a Vista laptop? Simply want to stick to good old XP? Here are your options on the market.
Dell has introduced its new Vostro range, aimed at small businesses that require minimal IT support. Here's the full line-up available in Australia at launch.
Early this decade, Microsoft weathered unrelenting criticism over a controversial set of technologies known as Palladium, which the company envisioned as creating a kind of secure vault to store passwords or medical records.
Vista can be a performance hog, but there are many ways you can tweak the OS components to speed it up. See what actions you can take to remove bottlenecks and optimise Vista.
Don't want to take Windows Vista for a test drive until you know what it has to offer? Join Windows expert Deb Shinder for a visual tour of Beta 2 as she points out some of the more dramatic changes and shares her impressions of the new OS.
Apple makes a bid for a larger slice of the browser market with a version of Safari for Windows, XP, and Vista.
Upgraded to Windows Vista, the Dell XPS M1210 is a pricey but powerful system for those who want a smaller laptop with few compromises.
Dell's Latitude E4300 shares many of the exciting features of its larger siblings, but also sacrifices a lot in exchange for portability.
The Dell Inspiron 13 is great for those hampered by a tight budget, but who still want a competent and power-efficient thin-and-light notebook with a decent design.
The Dell Studio 1535 is a good mid-range laptop that fills the gap between premium and mainstream, and offers good quality for the price.
The Dell Inspiron Mini 12 is a good size and features lots of storage, but is hampered by its sluggish performance and inability to stay on your lap.
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