Why You Should Upgrade To Windows 7 From XP

Windows 7 still has that brand new smell. For those who want to peel beneath the market hype and unwarranted criticism (and too enthusiastic accolades?), we will give you a few reasons to upgrade to Windows 7 right away… as well as touch on some aspects that might make you want to consider keeping your current version of Windows.

Why You Should Upgrade Now

Originally released in 2001, Windows XP is getting up there in age. Though it is still prevalent in homes and IT environments around the world, technology has evolved considerably since then. All the service packs and regular updates help, but nothing beats a brand new operating system straight out the box.

XP Will Still Be at Your Fingertips

The Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Windows 7 come with support for an XP Mode. It is essentially a fully licensed copy of Windows XP that runs in a virtual environment. The downside is that you need a more powerful piece of hardware that supports AMD-V or Intel V virtualization technology. On the bright side, XP mode lets you run your old programs in the Windows 7 environment right alongside the new applications.

More RAM = More Speed

Most people running Windows XP have the old 32-bit version with limited RAM capacity. In most of the older hardware, you barely get more than 3 GB. This may have been suitable a few years ago but times have changed thanks to more advanced applications and file types. If you’ve got the hardware to support it, Windows 7 can give your files and programs the room they need to breath.

Why You Don’t Have To Upgrade… Yet

Sure, XP might be a little worn and outdated, but that doesn’t mean you have to give it up. This capable OS is deployed in many corporate IT settings and to the dismay of Microsoft, these businesses have refused to let go. Because of this, Microsoft has made the commitment to support XP with critical security patches and updates up through to 2014. If you’re still in a comfort zone with your current version of Windows, you may decide to keep it for a while and avoid the hassle. Rest assured that software vendors are not going to stop supporting the widely used XP just because a new OS is on the block.

You’ll Have to Learn

Windows 7 is a vast improvement over both XP and Vista. This is true from a visual and usability perspective. This could be a major drawback for the millions of users who have been using XP for nearly a decade. Windows 7 offers all the simplicity and user-friendliness Microsoft products are known for, but its new and improved interface will undoubtedly result in a learning curve for some users. This could be a disadvantage for a lot of people who simply want to get on with their computing tasks.

It’ll Cost Ya!

Windows 7 doesn’t come cheap. Money is tight these days, and a new operating system may be something you can pass on. This is especially true if you don’t have the hardware needed to run Windows 7 with the utmost efficiency.

Device Driver-Related Problems

Windows 7 supports more devices than Windows XP. That does not mean to say that you will not encounter unknown device errors or find that previously perfectly running hardware does not want to function. Usually, a simple update to a Windows 7 compatible driver will do but finding them may prove to be tricky because not all hardware manufacturers have Windows 7-camptible drivers out yet.

So there you have it. If you’re still on the edge on whether you should or should not upgrade to Windows 7, consider the above points and see which ones bear more weight for you.

This article was submitted by contributor Jules from PCAuthorities.com