[al_borland]

> Gotta say that I think the people recommending linux+wine for this are nuts.

Agreed, especially since the vendor is already blaming the laptop. The goal should be hardware and software that is known and reputable, so the vendor can’t pass the buck.

I would shoot to slightly exceed the recommended requirements, rather than the minimum requirements. Assuming that can be within budget. If buying at the minimum, the experience may be sub-par and the next update could move the hardware out of support. If this is for their future job, they need to be able to perform well and not be crippled by the hardware. I haven’t don’t stenography before, but I have taken meeting notes. Slowdowns and latency seem like they would be a frustrating nightmare.