Hi Scott:

Just before I left the music store, lots of customers with problems with Midi, USB as devise (T2 and PC), etc...issues that I thinkg they got to far with the "built in Obsolecense"....to pressure users to buy EVERYTHING new.....
I did purchased a Laptop (the first one) with Vistas, NOTHING of my hardware periferals was compatible nor the manufactures of those periferals made drivers for Vista (at least at the time).....so, I returned, and I was lucky in off, that in the Sam's Club near me, at the time still have 2 Un-open Laptops with XP....so, I got one, NO problems at all, go for the XP.
Also, a few months before that, I got also an Imac, the BEST move I ever made....I wish I would have done it before. I got the 20 Inch with 2.4 Ghz just Beautiful, I also purchased the Office for Mac, it was in sale at the time.
But to keep myself in Both plataforms, that is why I got the Laptop.