Solved: Buying advice on desktop with some atypical questions

I am looking to buy a new desktop, and hope I could get your recommendation as well as ideas for accomplishing a couple of things:

• Good source(s) for buying a desktop in the US. I normally buy on the web, but am wondering if I should give local MicroCenter etc. a try.
• I am junking my old Dell Dimension 8100 desktop as it has too little RAM, but seems like a bad place to sink more money into buying expensive RAM for it. However, I installed a new 180GB hard disk (internal) a couple of years ago. Would like to rescue/reuse that in the new system. What's the best/easiest way to do that? Kind of worried opening the new system as it arrives and possibly nullifying the warranty.
• I have a fair amount of software including XP Professional installed on my old desktop. Some of this software I do not have a CD for and I would like to preserve. Instead of paying for software for the new machine (including Microsoft OS), is there a way to just use my old hard disk for the OS as well as other software.

I'd appreciate any advice you might be able to give me.

Thanks a lot.

kavindra

 

MicroCenter is a decent store, and I'd rather buy a system locally if the option exist.

Ask the store you purchase it from if it will void the warranty. They may offer to install the drive for you for free with purchase.

If you don't have the XP disk and license, then you may not be able to use it on the new machine. For the rest of the software, I'd either use AlohaBob's PC relocator or desktop DNA to move them over to the new machine if your missing the disks.

 

Thanks a lot for both responses. I'll look into AlohaBob and desktop DNA.

Triple6: Nothing in my post suggested that my XP Pro was pirated and it isn't. Indeed, for XP Pro - I even have the CD, and my question there was more as to why I should pay for it again in buying the new hardware.

 

Thanks! I posted a thread with the hijakthis log to see if I could alliviate the virtual memory problem that's prompting me to replacing this system. If that does not lead to a solution - I'm going follow your suggestion and try a local store to see if they can install the OS from my CD or let me buy without the OS installed.

Sorry about the sensitivity on the piracy comment. I realize that you did not accuse me of priating, but was (perhaps over-) sensitive to that even being a possibility. No offense intended.