October 22, 2009 -- If you are reading this article and haven't yet heard of Microsoft Windows 7, I presume you must have been vacationing somewhere off the planet. In the past several months there has been lots of hype surrounding the official release today of Microsoft's new Operating System called Windows 7. This replaces the sturdy but aging Windows XP which the majority of computer users still use (since 2001), or the less than popular Windows Vista released three years ago.
The real question now for most of you is "Do I NEED to upgrade?". The general answer is no for home computer users. That is, if you have a computer more than a couple years old or if you are running Windows XP, then stick with this until your next computer purchase. New consumer PCs (with the exception of some netbooks for a while longer) will come with Windows 7 installed. Vista will be gone.
Even if you want to upgrade, if you are running Windows XP, you will still want to avoid it. To upgrade to Windows 7 from XP you must do a clean install -- that is, backup all your data files, wipe your hard drive clean, install Windows 7, and then re-install any and all software you need (hopefully you have saved all your original Office CDs and made a complete inventory of the programs you use). Not a job for the faint-hearted. If you are still an Outlook Express user, this program is no longer supported, so this will need a change to your email program also.
If you are running Windows Vista, the upgrade to Windows 7 could be quite easy as you can usually upgrade in place, with Windows 7 recognising all of your installed programs. Aside from any work involved to upgrade, there is also the cost factor. Windows 7 isn't free, nor cheap.
If you are running a small business and about to purchase a computer, for the most part your options will be much the same as home users. Your new computer will come with Windows 7. I wouldn't be too concerned with that unless you are running some very specific software that might only run with Windows XP. Even then, as long as you purchase the Windows 7 Professional version (of 6 versions available) or higher, you will be able to run your programs in a special XP Mode if needed.
If you are running a larger business with many computers you will still have the option of purchasing volume licensing of Windows XP. If however your applications are typical Office products (email, word processing, spreadsheets, internet browsing), I believe the benefits of migrating to Windows 7 as you purchase new computers will be worthwhile. Again, it is unlikely that you would want to do a massive update of existing computers.
If you really want to know more about the new Windows 7, then do some reading to find out what all the chatter is about. Click the Bookmark button at this end of this article and Bookmark Windows 7 In the News -- your daily source for business and technology news relating to Windows 7. For more technical in-depth articles, Google is a good place to start or visit Microsoft's website.
If you are contemplating a new computer, and have concerns about what Windows 7 means to you, either at home or in your business, then again, follow the daily posts on this site. Try to ignore all the hype and scaremongering. For most users, Windows 7 will come as a welcome upgrade.
And don't worry if you are not yet ready for a new computer. If your existing computer is running well, whether with Windows XP or Vista, then there is no urgency to switch to Windows 7. If on the other hand you like to have the latest toys, Windows 7 will feed some of that need.
-- MLJ
