Go for HP or Lenovo.
There are a few good laptops for running Windows Vista. Samsung have produced some laptops which work very well with Vista. Acer and Compaq are also two very good brands on which to run Vista.
Yes, in 2011 some standard laptops still had Windows XP installed onto them. According to Windows, they will no longer be loading the Windows XP software onto computers, and tablets in year 2016.
You can find a great selection of Windows 7 laptops from a variety of manufacturers on Affordablekey. They offer a great selection at up to 80% off with coupon code AFFOR30. Some of the manufacturers that have Windows 7 laptops available on Affordablekey include HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, Toshiba, and ASUS. You can find great deals on these laptops, with prices starting from just $99. There's also a range of models and configurations to choose from, so you can find the perfect laptop for your needs.
Some come with Windows 7, others with upgrade options, and even some with degrade options.
No, Some of the laptops come with their own OS like Macintosh(Mac) OS used in all Apple's laptop. Rest all the laptops can run with Windows XP regardless of the hardware used.
No, Linux and windows both work fine
There isn't any Windows 7.8, but if you were referring to Windows Phone 7.8, it cannot be updated to Windows Phone 8 (note that I did not say Windows 8 because Windows 8 is for laptops, desktops and some tablets).
AlienWare laptops
On average Lenovo laptops have good reviews. Some of the complaints users have are that it overheats and has bad battery life. Some of the positive features are that these laptops are good for gaming.
The cost of the Windows 8 laptop varies greatly depending on the laptop model and version that you purchase. Some of these laptops cost about $400 and some range upward to about $1200.
Most personal computers, and especially laptops, are not advertised as being compatible with Windows server products, since they are not intended for the same purposes. In practice, most computers that can run Windows XP should be compatible with Windows Server 2003, but some things like power management (especially important in laptops) may not work correctly.
Sony Vaio laptops are know for their really good performance. Vaio laptops have a lot of ram which means they are very fast.