Is it time to upgrade to Windows Vista?
Vista's been on the market for nearly 18 months. As of July 1 Microsoft
and the major PC manufacturers are no longer selling Windows XP. So
it's time to consider if you should move to the new system.
Upgrading an old computer
Our advice is don't. Vista's is a far more demanding
program than Windows XP and the typical older computer will struggle.
More importantly, the four versions of Vista have different upgrade
requirements. For instance you can switch from XP Professional to
Vista Business but not to Vista Home Premium.
All of this is very confusing and means that the only reliable upgrade
is to Vista Ultimate. Ultimate is expensive and it's probably not worth
the cost of the upgrade.
So if you have a system happily running XP, don't bother with the Vista
upgrade.
If your computer isn't happily running XP, then it's time to get a
new system.
Before buying a new system
If you’re buying a new computer, you need to be prepared for Windows
Vista and it’s quirks. While it has had a lot of criticism, on the right
hardware Vista is a good, stable system.
The key with Vista is to not to try and shoehorn older software and
hardware to work on it. The biggest problem with Vista is compatibility
with older products. Until recently most software written for Windows
assumed there were no security restrictions, Vista’s improved security
breaks a lot of these programs.
Prior to buying a Vista machine, you should run Microsoft’s Vista
Upgrade Advisor on your existing computers. This program checks
what’s on your machine and suggests what will work and what won’t.
You may find that older piece of hardware or software simply won’t
work on it. If you are in doubt about the compatibility of anything
important on your computer contact the manufacturer for more information.
Another trap are the plugs on your computer. Serial, SCSI and parallel
ports are rapidly becoming a thing of the past as USB takes over. This
means many older printers, PDAs and mobile phones simply don’t have
anywhere to plug in.
You can buy adapters for these devices but they are slow, unreliable
and often don’t work. The cost can be more than a new, modern device
anyway. So when upgrading be prepared to budget for new software and
printers that are Vista compatible.
Buying a Vista computer
If you follow our recommended computer specifications,
you’ll get a computer that meets Vista’s requirements.
The two critical features are the memory, at least two gigabytes, and
the video card, at least 256Mb VRAM, with these two components you’ll
get the best from Windows Vista.
Types of Vista
The biggest problem with buying a Vista system is the range of versions
available. If you want all the features Vista offers then the Ultimate
edition is the way to go. However it is expensive and rarely comes preinstalled.
Most people will find the Home Premium and Business versions adequate
for their needs.If you are connecting to a corporate network then you
have to choose the Business or Ultimate versions.
Cheaper computers come with Vista Home Basic. This is a severely crippled
version with few features. We don’t recommend it and suggest you steer
clear of the cheaper systems that come with it.
Overall, Vista is a perfectly good operating system for most home and
business users. By making the right hardware and software choices you
can have Vista machine that is a delight to use.
