To Upgrade to Vista or Not?


I have been asked this question over the past few months by various people. The answer that I usually give is no. Although new technology and software that make our life easier to use is a good thing, there can be some draw backs. The upgrade to Microsoft Vista is something that I would recommend that a user do not do on an existing computer. If you are purchasing a new computer then feel free to purchase it with Vista, but with a caveat.

That caveat is: the new machine should have the following minimum specifications:

• 2 GB RAM
• An independent graphic sub-system.
• 15.4 inch display
  
• Core 2 Duo

Some people may say that the specifications are overkill, but the recommendation that I give is for a system that is usable day-in and day-out, not one that will simply boot Vista. The argument stands that do effectively use an operating system that will be housed within .5 to 1 GB of memory, you need an additional 1 GB for the applications that may run.

If your PC or laptop comes with it, then upgrade. If they do not then stay with Windows XP until there is a need to upgrade your machine.