I can't advise you as to whether you should do it. I can say that it is a constant topic on medical transcription forums as many MT employers (MTSOs) require Win XP and Word 2003 for work-at-home employees. Because of this I know that refurbished XP machines are readily available at Micro Center, Tiger Direct, and elsewhere. (I've even heard that Dell has them, if you ask nicely.)

Unfortunately, older refurbs often only come with 40 Gb drives and 1 or 2 Gb RAM. If you go this route, be certain of what you are getting before you plonk down cash. Or you can take a chance on buying the OS on ebay or elsewhere and installing it on a newer machine in which you can install more memory and much larger drives.

I also recall that machines running Vista Business came with a downgrade license to XP Pro. You may still be able to find a few of those about.

Consider your needs carefully and look around.

HTH,

Richard


"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."