Tech Stop: to upgrade or not to upgrade
Let’s be honest, Windows Seven is a re-worked version of Windows Vista, and though the hardware demands may be somewhat less stringent, if you have a computer that came with XP, it’s probably best to simply get Windows Seven with a new machine.
By THOMAS R. WILES
Truckers Connection
11/17/2009
A new version of Windows, so-called “Windows Seven,” is just around the corner. To upgrade, or not to upgrade? That is the question.
In the early days of personal computers, the question of whether to upgrade to a new version of DOS was fairly easy. Most people chose to upgrade, and the upgrade would simply work. It might cause a few incompatibility problems with certain programs, but overall it was an easy choice.
When Windows 3.0 came along, the waters began to become somewhat muddied. Going from 3.0 to Windows 3.1, then to Windows 3.11 and on to Windows 95, things started to become much more unclear. Machines with earlier processors that ran DOS just fine wouldn’t run Windows 95.
The next major release, Windows 98, would run somewhat more slowly on a machine that came with Windows 95. Windows 2000 would work okay on most machines that came with Windows 98. Then came Windows XP, requiring a faster processor and more memory. In most cases, one was better off simply buying a new machine with Windows XP pre-installed than trying to upgrade an existing machine.
More recently, the introduction of Windows Vista was a bit of a disaster. Many people that tried to upgrade existing machines found that Vista was incompatible with much existing hardware and software, and was a bit of a resource hog. Some people skipped Windows Vista entirely, sticking with the now getting long-in-the-tooth Windows XP.
Unlike Vista, the Windows Seven Beta has been generating quite a bit of good press. Nonetheless, people remain wary, and rightfully so.
Let’s be honest, Windows Seven is a re-worked version of Windows Vista, and though the hardware demands may be somewhat less stringent, if you have a computer that came with XP, it’s probably best to simply get Windows Seven with a new machine.
If your machine came with Windows Vista, it’s probably safe to upgrade, but you might wait and see what sort of experience early Windows Seven adopters have and then decide if it’s a step worth taking.
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