Microsoft Vista is here. The release date appears to be Tuesday January 30th. Since we all will be faced with decisions about Vista, let's take some time to discuss the logic of buying or upgrading.
The bottom line is that the next PC you buy will probably have Vista instead of XP, so get used to it. Sunday flyers aside, the actual stock of PCs and notebooks in local stores has dwindled to the point where almost nothing is available. This indicates that manufacturing of PCs with XP has ceased, and that at the manufacturers and distributors are just waiting for the final date from Microsoft to re-stock the shelves with Vista PCs.
I do believe that there is a lot of good stuff in Vista and it will become the standard shortly. But what to do now? Here is my take on moving to Vista.
1) If you are currently comfortable with your PC, and there is no compelling reason to upgrade, don't do it. The cost of upgrading the software itself is $150 to $300, plus perhaps a lot of work. The major issue is that there may not be device drivers for your older hardware components, or you may have to scrounge through vendor websites to find them. Your old software may also not run, requiring you to buy expensive updates. An example of this is my video editing software, Adobe Premiere Elements. Adobe has made it very clear that the current version, just released in early October, does not run under Vista, and an updated version is not yet available.
Bottom line: If you have a good working PC that is less than three years old, keep it as-is and enjoy it. When it becomes time to replace it, buy Vista.
1a) You may have a compelling reason NOT to upgrade. I urge business users to carefully look at the both the software and hardware they currently use. You have to be absolutely sure that Vista supports you stuff. If you use proprietary or unique business software, make sure you check with your manufacturer. You may also not want to mix Vista and XP PCs in the same office.
But if you need a new PC now, you may actually have trouble finding a vendor that will still ship a PC with XP. The local stores will almost certainly not be carrying XP, and Dell has not yet announced its strategy. You may still be able to get an XP PC from other online vendors for a while.
Bottom line: If you use PCs in your business, tread very carefully. From my knowledge of the specialized business software in use in our area, there is a significant chance that it may not run correctly under Vista. If necessary, do a trial run before committing your business to Vista.
1b) You may have a compelling reason TO upgrade. There will be new hardware and software coming out eventually that only runs on Vista. For example, you may want the enhanced Vista graphics capabilities using DirectX 10 - especially if you are a gamer. But again the usual caveats apply.
Bottom line: When you purchase new hardware or software, determine if it requires Vista. If it does, start to plan your move, but be sure to check as outlined above on your existing software and peripherals.
2) If you are buying a new PC, buy Vista, unless 1a above says you shouldn't.
3) If you must upgrade, first start with the Vista Upgrade Advisor. Go to www.microsoft.com and search for "Vista Upgrade Advisor" in the search line. Then download and run the program. It will inform you in great detail (but not guaranteed 100% correct) what your current PC will do with Vista.
I ran the advisor recently on my personal PC; it found four hardware components and eight software components that were questionable - in each case the advisor referred me to the product manufacturer for more information.
To sum it all up: if you are a PC adventurer, buy and enjoy it. If you are a business, tread carefully. Otherwise, just keep your seat in the stands and watch the Vista show.
(Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport - Oak Island area. You can visit his Website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail questions or column ideas to him at bsc@bobseidel.com. For specific inquiries, please call Bob Seidel Consulting, LLC at 278-1007.)