Since the consumer launch of Windows Vista, everyone and thier dogs have been chattering about Windows Vista and how it needs a super powerful computer to run and so on and so forth. Don't be misled by all these myths. I came across a very interesting article on Tech Republic, debunking the myths about Windows Vista. Its definitely worth a read.
One thing that I would like to add regarding the pricing of Windows Vista is that if you are a student and your school has a MSDN Academic Alliance subscription, you are entitled to a licence of Windows Vista (and other select Microsoft products) free of cost even for your personal usage. Ofcourse, you are paying tuition fees to your school so it is not entirely free. How would you find out if your university/school has a MSDNAA subscription ? Well, the answer is easy. Navigate to the MSDNAA member search page and find out !
PS: My friends in Dalhousie Electrical Engineering, here is the login site for our MSDNAA subscription.