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January 26, 2007
Ready for a New Day? A New Vista Ahead!
Dear Larry,
I understand that the new version of Windows is coming out
at the end of this month. Is it worth installing? What about the new Word that
comes with it?
R. K.
Dear R. K.,
That’s right, Windows Vista will be here soon. Indeed, it will
be everywhere soon!
Anyone purchasing a new computer after the official release
date will get the new operating system preinstalled. However, when it comes to
upgrading an existing computer, my advice would be to wait. Despite the fact
that Microsoft has had hundreds of thousands of people test the new software
(myself included), there’s bound to be some issues that will arise along with a
plethora of hardware incompatibility problems. So I suggest you let everyone
else act as pioneers.
That said, if you’re the type of person who insists on being
first in line for anything new, take heed…
If the computer you’re planning to upgrade is older than a
year, don’t even bother. Vista expects a lot of horsepower under the hood. If
you attempt to force it down the throat of an older, outdated computer, you may
very well regret the decision.
Assuming you meet this requirement, I would still recommend
you have a professional like me handle the upgrade for you. The path from XP to
Vista is filled with potholes and pitfalls. Having to call in a professional to
repair an installation gone bad could ultimately be a lot more problematic and
expensive.
If, in spite of my words of caution, you elect to forge ahead,
keep reading. A total backup of your current hard drive is called for before you
proceed. You absolutely need to have an escape route if things run askew.
You’ll then need to decide which version of Windows Vista to
install. That’s right; whereas there were originally two versions of Windows to
choose from back in 2001 (Home and Professional), there will be a minimum of
four versions of Vista, each with different features and price points.
Will it be hard to learn? All things considered, probably not.
While the look and feel will be dramatically improved, the core concepts of
clicking, dragging, icons, and the “start button” (a.k.a. the “Pearl”) will
remain unchanged. No doubt you’ll be able to pick up all the other cool features
as you use the new operating system on a daily basis.
As far as Word is concerned, you’re making a common mistake.
Word, and for that matter, the Microsoft Office suite (including Word, Excel,
Outlook, etc.) has never been part of the Windows operating system. It’s a
completely separate software package…and worthy of its own column debating the
finer points of upgrading or not. You can expect that the vast majority of my
columns in the months ahead will deal with the changes and additions that
Microsoft has in store for all of us. More fun to come!
This is Larry Schneider, logging off.
