Should you Switch to Vista?
Posted on February 1, 2007
Filed Under Business Computing, Windows |
Windows Vista was officially launched on Tuesday and after five years; Windows XP has survived longer than any other version of Windows has before it. Vista is available on new PCs and a quick look at most of the major manufacturer’s web sites will be evidence of that.
So should you upgrade?
Ask that question to many authorities and you’ll hear the time honored “it’s not a good idea to upgrade to any newly released software, better to wait six months or a year while the bugs are worked out.” I don’t particularly subscribe to that sentiment.
A definite comfort level comes with learning how to use an operating system. Windows XP has been around long enough that, it has become entrenched in our idea of how a computer operating system should look and behave. Vista, while still based on Windows NT technology, breaks that mold and looks and acts quite differently. There will certainly be a learning curve.
Nevertheless, Vista has been in the works for a number of years in various incarnations albeit with no shortage of delayed release dates. Once known as Longhorn, Vista was to be the be all and end all of operating systems that would finally bring Microsoft’s .Net (dot net) strategy to fruition. It hasn’t quite done that but it’s made great strides.
There will certainly be security issues, compatibility problems, and bumps along the road. Microsoft takes a great deal of criticism but it does release updates when problems arise and looking back, was the “wait a year” camp onto something when XP was released? I don’t recall earth shattering problems in the first six months or a year of XP’s release. There were a few bumps, but no real bruises.
So my advice? If you’re a typical computer user with no particularly specialized software to run, and you’re in the market for a new computer, go Vista. If you have specialized software or you’re thinking of upgrading, the answer isn’t so clear.
Most mainstream software should run fine on Vista but before you jump, check with the vendor of any software you’re unsure about or that is vital to your business or well being. A great community driven web site to also check is available at http://www.iexbeta.com/wiki/index.php/Windows_Vista_Software_Compatibility_List
Upgrading an older computer to Vista should be considered carefully and the advice of a computer professional should be sought if you’re at all in doubt. Like all versions of Windows, Vista thrives on RAM memory and while Microsoft suggests 512 MB as a minimum, 1 GB is a more realistic number.
Vista is also graphics intensive compared to other versions of Windows. Vista looks great with 3D graphics effects and sharp clear icons but all that eye candy comes at a hardware cost. If you don’t have a video card with at least 128 MB of onboard memory, consider getting one. The more processing power you can offload to the video card, the better off you’ll be and the better Vista will look.
Last, there are six versions of Windows Vista on the market, five of them available in Canada. If you are in a business environment you will want to install Windows Vista Business or buy it preinstalled at a minimum.
For home users, there is Windows Vista Home Basic and Windows Vista Home Premium. Vista Home Basic lacks too many features and I would recommend the Premium version wherever possible.
Happy computing!
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[…] It was about a year ago that I wrote about Windows Vista’s release and spelled out my belief that while there would be some “bumps on the road”, they would be short lived and likely wouldn’t amount to much. I argued that Windows XP had suffered few problems that I could recall when it was released and that Vista would almost certainly follow suit. You can read my nonconformity at http://www.bowesit.com/blog/2007/02/01/should-you-switch-to-vista/ […]