It's like a special consumer-tech corollary of Murphy's law: Your PC will inevitably die just before a new Windows OS is about to ship. You need a new laptop immediately, and you can't wait to buy one that comes with the new OS preinstalled.
Or maybe you want to upgrade a component or two to ensure that your system will be compatible with the new operating system. In either case, if you're planning on adopting a new OS, you'll want to get the most out of any new hardware you buy, even if you buy that hardware prior to the operating system's release.
Microsoft has emphasized that systems capable of running
Windows 7 can also run Windows 8. That may be true--but if you need to get new hardware, you should ensure that it not only "works" with Windows 8, but performs optimally with Microsoft's new baby.
In this guide, I'll walk you through several purchasing scenarios, discussing which component upgrades to make in anticipation of Windows 8, and what to look for when buying a new computer that currently runs Windows 7. If you need to buy a new system now, you'll want it to be primed to offer a no-excuses Windows 8 experience down the line.
