[Leica] OT: buying a Windows laptop for my son

[photo at frozenlight.eu (Nathan Wajsman)]

Since it is now at least 5 years since I bought a Windows laptop,  
things may have changed and so I'd better ask.

Back then, it was normal that when you bought a new PC, whether laptop  
or desktop, you got the XP discs along with the computer. Of course  
the OS was pre-installed on the machine but the discs were useful in  
case one needed to do a total reinstall for whatever reason.

Now my son is buying a new gaming laptop from acerdirect.co.uk. The  
price is good, as are the specs etc.--but no Vista discs are included.  
The stuff is preinstalled on the laptop and that's that. Is that  
normal nowadays? What does one do if the OS needs to be reinstalled?

Sorry for the OT question, but I figure that there must be people here  
who have bought a Windows laptop more recently than I.

Please do NOT turn this into a Mac vs. Windows thread. I am squarely  
in the Mac camp for my own computing needs but my son wants Windows,  
it is his birthday present and his choice (Apple is not a good choice  
for gaming anyway since many of the best games are not available).

TIA,
Nathan

Nathan Wajsman
Alicante, Spain
http://www.frozenlight.eu
http://www.greatpix.eu
http://www.nathanfoto.com

Books: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/search?search=wajsman&x=0&y=0
PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog