<p>What I’ve heard on Windows Blue is that Microsoft is doubling down on the tablet/touch side. They might or might not bring back the start button. You can get almost all of the old functionality back by installing an open source program called Classic Start. I have Windows 8 on an old desktop and it runs fine.</p>
<p>The laptop market continues to evolve and I think that prices will continue to fall due to competition from tablets. Intel has indicated that they are moving to lower-priced parts to get Android tablets using x86 at the $200 price poing and they want Ultrabooks to move down too. Haswell will provide nice improvements but I think that many of these new designs won’t be here until summer or fall. Is that too late for you?</p>
<p>Have you asked around your family networks for PCs? I work with many that have lots of excess equipment. I’ve given some of it away to the local library. Sometimes a relative has a PC that could provide some nice performance with a little work that they’ll give you.</p>