Recapping

The buzz in the trade press  is all about Windows 7. Let's take a moment to recap where WE are.

Most of us have Windows XP, and we don't hate it. Some actually like it. In either case, there is no reason to leave it. Stay with XP. It will be supported by Microsoft until 2014, so if your hardware will last, you are all set for a while. I personally intend to stay with XP on my desktop and my primary laptop.

If you have Vista, I feel for you. You probably don't like it, but I know some of you do like it. If you are happy with Vista, there is no reason to change to Windows 7, although you will probably like Windows 7 more than Vista. If you do not like your Vista environment, than you should consider upgrading your machine to Windows 7. In both cases, I recommend you download, install, and run the Microsoft free program Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Beta by clicking HERE. This program will tell you if your current machine will run Windows 7. It's worth doing this even if you are undecided about what direction you want to take. I have one Vista laptop and I intend to upgrade it to Windows 7, mostly so that I can gain some experience with it and be of help to those of you who may wish to have some assistance with your upgade.

If you are going to buy a new machine soon, keep in mind that after October 22 you will have a difficult time finding a machine with anything but Windows 7. I'd suggest you wait a while if you can, give Windows 7 a couple of months in the hands of millions of others, and then jump in and buy a machine with Windows 7. There will probably be a lot of Christmas season sales promotions, and it may be a very good time to buy.