core i5 and windows xp

Yes, though neither 32-bit OS will show more than 3.2 G of RAM, and you'll be on your own to find drivers for either OS.

You may have to settle for partial functionality with XP -- that's a 10-year old OS on a brand new computer, after all.

Do not try to install XP on that laptop, go with Windows 7 64-bit. There isn't a reason to run XP. 7 (and Vista) have perfectly fine compatibility modes for older apps if need be.

Do not install XP!

there are some old applications which only run in xp  / 32 bit os

thats  my prob i want latest hardware with old software compatibility !

Make sure your system has a VT-enabled CPU and that you have at least Windows 7 Pro (NOT Home).  Then you can  run the Windows XP mode under WIndows 7 using Virtual PC (free download from Microsoft).

I'm not going to call you a liar but I'll be honest, I don't think that statement is true. Windows 7 will fully run an XP environment within itself giving you the same thing. In fact, if you have a 16-bit app there is a very good possibility you are running in compatibility mode in XP already!

I keep seeing 64-bit mentioned, new version of Windows 7 and Vista come in 32 AND 64-bit versions. Although if your hardware supports it, you should be running 64-bit, no exceptions.

Hardware Virtualization isn't a requirement for XP mode or Windows Virtual PC.

You are correct that it's not officially required - just as you can run Windows 7 itself in a single gig of RAM (32-bit) or 2 (64 bit).  However, if you've tried it without VT, you know it's about as practical as running 7 in a gig of RAM - it's very slow.

You may not officially need VT - but practically speaking, you do.

You can run Windows 7, and Vista on 1GB of RAM fine. The OS itself will perform perfectly fine depending on what you are doing. If you are photo editing or gaming 1GB would not be enough. However, the OS itself will run fine, not great but fine.

My wife's 1501 came with only 1GB running Vista and she was ok with it for a long time until I upgraded it to 2GB. She never complained about it being slow. You'll see more paging, which can obviously have an impact on performance but by no means is it totally unusable.

Nowadays with 64-bit there is no reason not to configure a PC with a minimum of 4GB RAM though.

I'm just curious, what makes you say that? You have experience with this? I've been running virtualization on my desktop, laptops, etc... sometimes server virtualization for quite a while now on hardware that does not have VT.

Seems Microsoft agrees:

Question: Is hardware virtualization a must-have to run Windows XP Mode?

You have a different standard of usability - in 1G Vista or 7 is just about useless once you load a few applications.

Yes, I have used XP mode/Virtual PC.  There's a night and day difference between VT and non-VT for XP mode.  Anyone needing to run apps under 7's XP mode is much better served with a VT-capable CPU than in emulation mode.  And there are other virtualization technologies that perform better than Microsoft's own - and they generally DO require VT support.

Correct, about it being a moot point.  And if you don't mind your system performing slower than a 1988-vintage PC-XT, then yes, 1G is OK with Vista or 7.

It's a moot point, again like I said I'm sure the i5 has support. However, I've run desktop virtualization for a long time before VT was even out, it ran fine.

Like I said, it depends on what you do. 1GB Vista and 7 run fine, if you are browsing and doing light computer use.

Do not try to install XP on that laptop, go with Windows 7 64-bit. There isn't a reason to run XP. 7 (and Vista) have perfectly fine compatibility modes for older apps if need be. Do not install XP!

Microsoft is trying their best to end-of-life Windows XP and because of that there is software that will no longer run on Windows XP. Windows 7 and Vista are both more modern operating systems and as such support newer technology that drivers and other software requires. For instance, nVidia optimus will only run on Vista or 7. As stated previously it would be a good idea to install Windows XP mode inside Windows 7 but it would be a bad idea to reformat and install Windows XP.

I'm an IT tech. I fix and install computers all the time and I have never seen positive come from removing Vista or 7 and installing Windows XP. For software that requires XP, and that's pretty rare, I keep a windows xp laptop or virtual machine handy. Windows XP has been around longer than it should have been.