I have a (previously owned) IBM "ThinkPad" for Amateur Radio use, with Win XP Pro. Only 900 MHz Puntium III processor, but I upgraded the memory to the maximum 512 MB, and it's sufficient for most purposes, particularly with a fast Internet connection. The only additional expense (after 10 years of life of the beast) has been to replace the battery for $49.00. Now, it runs for about two hours on battery power. Not bad for THAT vintage laptop.