Should I Upgrade to Windows Vista?
The simple answer is no, not right now. If you are the type of person who has
to be on the cutting edge and have the latest and greatest as soon as it
comes out, then you've already bought Vista. This article is not for you.
But if you are the average computer user who is wondering if Vista will finally
be the operating system that will make you quit cursing Microsoft, well, stay away for now!
In short, many software programs will not run on Vista. After upgrading your operating system
you will find yourself running back to CompUSA to purchase upgrades on many of your favorite software
packages. And some of them still don't have a version that will run on Vista. I use Pinnacle's Studio for
my video editing. Their website has a statement on the front page telling their customers that they are doing everything
possible to crank out a version that will run on Vista. I had to buy and learn new video editing software!
Microsoft has a wonderful utility software program that you can download and
then run on your XP computer to see if it is "Vista ready"; and if not,
exactly what upgrades must be made to your computer to get that way. Nice
idea, only it doesn't work! My computer passed with flying colors; the program
said my computer was compatible and ready for Vista. After upgrading I had no video. I purchased a
new graphics card ($150) that promised to be Vista compatible. With this new card, I could now see the
error message Vista was displaying: "A VIDEO CARD THAT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH VISTA HAS BEEN DISABLED."
I went to the manufacturer's website and downloaded what they claimed was the new Vista driver, but the
card still wouldn't work with Vista.
Then there is my HP Photosmart printer. It would not work with Vista. HP does not
have the driver; however, they suggest using an alternate driver that will "work" for now. It doesn't.
Thank God my HP Laser printer works with Vista. Anyone want to buy a fairly new color printer?
I've been down this road before with Microsoft and their operating systems. It was half a decade ago. I waited almost
a year and then upgraded from Windows 2000 Professional to XP Pro. I figured a year was long enough for everything to work.
HP still didn't have the driver for my printer back then. If history is any indication, then it could take a couple years
for all the manufacturers and developers to come up with drivers and software to run on Vista.
Don't get me wrong; Vista is nice. The new Aero windows are kind of cool, but not very funcitonal. Sure, you can see all your open
windows at an angle, and spin them around your desktop like a carousel ride at the fair. Gee Whiz! You can't click and drag them around.
Once you click on one of the angled windows, it immediately gets the focus and becomes a full window. I always thought you'd be able
to drag the windows around like they were a deck of cards. And the Aero windows don't even come with the Vista Home Basic version. And maybe
you should be happy about this; Aero windows require at least 1 GB of memory and hog resources. Is the gee whiz worth it?
Vista must have a hundred subtle changes that cause it to be a more functional and stable operating system, but what's that worth
when nothing else works with it? In time everyone else will catch up and then Vista will be the way to go, but for now, I would
stay with XP. Everything works with it and it will be here for a long time.
Here's my damage:
- Vista Ultimate Upgrade: $250
- New Video graphics card: $150
- New Software (old wouldn't work on Vista): $300
- Printer won't work (buy new one?):$200
- Extra 1 GB memory (total 2 GB): $100
GRAND TOTAL OF UPGRADE: $1,000
My $250 upgrade ended up costing me $1,000. Are you ready to upgrade to Vista?
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