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Few questions about Vista, Java updates.... and HP laptops, in general.?

I've grown up with PCs. I know some of the Command tricks, I know where to look when something goes wrong. Now, ever since I got Vista Home Premium (came reinstalled) I have not been a happy camper. In a few months I'm going to purchase a new laptop, and I'm trying to decide whether I should switch to Mac or not. To me, it seems that each time updates download on my mom's iBook, she doesn't have to spend minutes waiting idly for the things to get installed. It looks like when Apple apps update, they replace the old with the new.... but with Windows I feel like I'm just adding on all this space-hogging patches to fix the big thing- which doesn't work that great to begin with. I have CCCleaner and I use AVG. I empty my cookies and cache regularly, and I run a scan every other day. I use primarily Mozilla, iTunes, MSword, Yahoo!Messenger, MSN, Adobe (multiple), Corel Painter... I have a 140GB hard-drive, where I store the programs and about 52.18GBs of music. I keep all my photography and files on an external 500GB which I plug in whenever I need to access the files. Despite my best attempts to keep the harddrive uncluttered, and not opening more than 5 programs at a time, it seems my computer gets really slow. Part of me thinks, that there are programs installed on my computer (that I don't need) that can be removed. I guess that was the intro.... so here are the questions: 1) Are there any superfluous programs I can remove from Vista without making it crash? I don't use the sidebar, for example. 2) What are all these Microsoft programs installed? Can I remove any? 3) My computer is HP, so there is a whole load of stuff I do not use, can I delete any of their programs without risking killing my computer? 4) Java(TM) Update.... I have 6, 14...SE Runtime... Are these necessary... I mean, can't I just keep the latest version? I know there are differences, like software to make the program run, and then the drivers and stuff... My installed programs only takes up 2.33 GBs apparently.... and yet, I barely have 26 GB of free space left. So I guess, if someone could explain to me how to deal with all these updates and point me in the direction of a site, or explain to me why the heck I need to install 20 "important" updates, and 45 "suggested" updates by Microsoft every few weeks... I'd greately appreciate it. I just want this thing to work, fast and efficiently. Yeah, also, I've heard of Linux in passing, but I know nothing of it. >>

Public Comments

1. Screw Vista, you don't need to buy another computer, look into Ubuntu which is a very popular user friendly and secure linux distro. new version is coming in a couple weeks, I would wait and read and get to learn it. www.ubuntu.com
2. Click "Start" and then "Control Panel" and then "Programs and Features". This is where you can uninstall programs. If you have not made Recovery Discs, I suggest you do that now. (You can easily find how to create Recovery Discs online by searching.) So back to the Control Panel; you can uninstall anything that you don't recognize as long as it doesn't say Windows or Microsoft. I uninstalled a Microsoft modem accidentally, and now I ONLY have Wi-fi internet capabilities. Stay away from anything made by Microsoft. You can uninstall anything else and be fine. If for some reason you brick your PC (unlikely), use the Recovery Discs to fix your PC. Oh, and about Java updates, They are replaced as they are updated, but the installer usually remains. You can uninstall them, but they are very small. About getting a new computer, I do not recommend getting a Mac. Mac's are usually faster, but less programs support them. It is much harder to find quality programs for a Mac, so I always buy PC's.