Able to run? Yeah, your computer meets the minimum requirements. It is what is called "Windows Vista Capable". Will it perform well? As others have said, upgrade your CPU prior to Vista. Also, 2 Gig memory is lean for that machine - double it.
Vista will run on 512 memory but (and this is a big but) it won't run well. Dell and other OEM's recommend 2 Gig but that too is 'lean'.
One reason: SuperFetch fetches applications and data and feeds them into RAM to make Vista run quicker. This means Vista systems are cache intensive. More RAM means more caching. When you shop for your Dual core CPU pay attention to cache sizes. Intel processors need bigger L2 cache and AMD processors need bigger L1.
David Short (IBM consultant) said, "4Gig may be Vista's sweet spot," in a Computerworld report:
Quote:
Microsoft's on-the-box minimum RAM requirement "really isn't realistic," according to David Short, an IBM consultant who works in its company's Global Services Division. He says users should consider 4GB of RAM if they really want optimum Vista performance. With 512MB of RAM, Vista will deliver performance that's "sub-XP," he warned.
If it were me? I'd hang on to XP for awhile and build a new box on a budget, part by part, with an eye toward having a great Vista box running in 6 months. Better than an okay box today, but that's just me.
~Granps
