With all the hype about the consumer launch of Windows Vista, many of you may be wondering about upgrading to Vista.
At this point in time I'm recommending that all clients hold off on upgrading to Vista until the first service pack is released, unless you buy a new computer with Vista pre-installed on it.
The primary improvements of Vista over XP are the visual enhancements, integrated search capabilities, and much improved security management. However, if you have an older computer, you won't be able to take advantage of the visual enhancements. The security enhancements are worthwhile, however the same level of security is available with Windows XP with the proper set of programs running (antivirus, antispyware, firewall, Windows XP Service Pack 2).
Currently, I wouldn't recommend upgrading unless your computer meets the minimum following system specs:
Pentium 4 2.4GHz or higher
1GB DDR or DDR2 RAM
256MB Video Card
Anything less, and you'll actually take a performance hit versus running Windows XP.
If you want to upgrade, there are a few things to consider. The most important being the compatibility and availability of drivers for your existing hardware. You'll want to make sure that there are Vista approved drivers for your printers, cameras, scanners, video card, modem and other peripherals prior to upgrade. Your manufacturers website should have the information you need to find out if there are Vista drivers available. You'll also want to make sure that your programs are compatible with Windows XP. If you use old versions of Word Perfect, publishing software, or accounting software, you should make sure that they are compatible with Vista, or that you download any updates available to make the software Vista compatible. You can also check Microsoft's website at: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/default.aspx
Windows Vista upgrades can be purchased online at the Microsoft site, but you'll need to have a DVD burner to burn the installation DVD.
It's also very important to consider upgrading versus fresh install. If you upgrade to Windows Vista from XP, you will have to reinstall XP, then reinstall the Vista upgrade if your system crashes. For this reason, I advise against purchasing a Vista upgrade. I do recommend purchasing a full installation of Vista. For most users the Vista Home Premium will be the best fit for your needs. Users of XP Professional however, will want to upgrade to the Vista Ultimate version. Avoid Vista Home Basic at all costs - it doesn't contain most of the improvements that were made to the other versions of Vista.
You can compare the features of each version of Vista here.
If you are interesting in ugprading to Vista, I can also order copies of Vista. The prices range quite a bit depending on the version you want. Please contact me for a quote.
Until Next Time,
Ben
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
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