I was surfing google tech news and came on an article about the new internet address system. There was a test button to see if your computer would be able to handle the new IPv6 system and it doesn't look like my computer is going to work:(. I understand the need for this and that there is going to be an overlap with the old system. I know that there are some very computer smart guys on this forum and I hope they can answer a few questions I have. 1. Will all our older computers become obsolete when this is fully implemented? 2. I am shopping for a new lap top. How can I be sure it will handle the new system? I'm sorry if this is a dumb question but when it comes to computers and some other things I am pretty dumb.
It would actually be the Operating system you should be concerned with vs the computer. Windows Vista or Windows 7 OS will be IPv6 compatable while XP needs work to be brought up to speed. While an older computer will still work prices should be down enough to take advantage of newer processor and memory speeds and larger hard drive sizes.
You will only need to worry about this if you connect your computer directly to the internet. And even then only if your provider is giving you a public IP address instead of a private one that is behind a NAT. If you are like me and connect your computer to a hardware firewall then you will not need to worry about your PC instead you may need to purchase a newer firewall that supports IP v6.