Windows Vista™ has arrived and with it the inevitable question. To upgrade or not to upgrade—that is the question. The computer afficionado contemplating a new computer purchase only has to answer this: Why not? But for others its not so simple a decision.
Corporations are among those with far more to consider when contemplating operating system upgrades. Questions to be answered include: Can we run Vista now or will the company have to invest in major equipment upgrades? What are the advantages of upgrading to Vista? What could go wrong? What will the learning curve be like?
With its advanced search features and file thumbnails, Vista is designed for greater ease of use. And these may prove advantageous in a corporate setting. Simplified file backup could also provide an edge. I know from long experience in technical support that many problems stem from users not knowing where they put things and not backing those things up. But, the skeptic in me doubts if greater simplicity is ultimately as useful as better user training.
What are the upgrade advantages for the average consumer? A new version of Media Player? Ho, hum. What about enhanced editing for photos and home videos? If you’re already editing photos and videos, you probably have programs like Photoshop® or Premier®). If you don’t do photo editing now, will you do so with Vista?
How about Aero? No real advantage here. It’s just eye candy. And not every graphics card supports it. One way to find out is to run the Windows Vista™ Upgrade Advisor, a six megabyte program available on the Vista home page. I discovered that several of my frequently used programs may have issues when running under Vista. Another point, many people prefer the Classic Windows menu to the XP menu, and the Classic Control Panel view to the XP view. So much for newfangled eye candy. Not everyone needs or wants it.
Since Vista ships in several editions, feature comparison is crucial to purchasing the edition that’s right for you. Buy right so you don’t forfeit features that your edition of XP currently provides.
The best reason to upgrade? Enhanced security. No operating system ever devised has received more security patches than XP. Worms and viruses have never been a greater concern for technicians and users. Any, even moderate, improvement to Windows security is a compelling argument for upgrading.