Hi Brittlejester,
Vista has still quite a few bugs to sort out
I'm afraid you are right - anyone who really relies on their PC would be sensible to continue with XP at the moment. Vista is still for the person who must have the latest gizmo - even if it doesn't work properly!!
I suppose it depends on how much you are paying and what you will use the BX297XP for.
Have a look at the
FULL BX297XP SPECIFICATIONS before you decide.
My observations are that it doesn't have the very latest Processor/Graphics Chip/Installed Software but has excellent professional features like XP Pro/Massive Storage/Professional Security/High Resilution Screen/Fingerprint Recognition. It is designed for a business user who uses Spreadsheets/Word Processing/Outlook, wants to connect to a business Domain and for general personal use. For this is looks good value. It may not be the best bet if you want to play games or other graphics or processor hungry applications.
This seems to be about the going rate for a new BX297XP at the moment -
VGN-BX297XP For Sale