You can get one that is over 10 times as powerful as your 8 year old clunker, for about $400. They also transfer all files easily from computer to computer. If your hard drive is still good, you can load it in a spare tray us use it for backup on your new machine. The current machines are awesome with serious graphics/storage performance.
Win. 7 is also a great security based OS. Add the free Security Essentials fire wall and virus program, and you will beat the socks off of Norton or McKafee and not pay another dime on first rate, updated protection. Best of all, you can kiss your “Blue Screen” blues goodbye.
Just a thought......
It's not 8 year old, as stated, it's 3 years old. What's stopping me? I have plenty of rat holes to put money in, and I won't spend $400 on a new machine unless it's necessary. I just bought a new Win7 machine for my wife, as mentioned This machine never slows me down in what I am doing, so it is adequate as far as speed. I'll buy a new Win7 machine if necessary, but I'm not convinced yet that it's necessary. Thanks for the thought though.