Windows Vista

Windows Vista finally made its debut in late January 2007 and is now the standard version you will find on almost all new PC's.  The question is: "Is Vista really right for me?"

If you are buying a new computer, you don't have a lot of choices unless you buy from a custom computer builder because all of the large computer makers have made the switch over to Vista except on their business or gaming models.  So why are Dell, HP, and some of the other big companies still offering XP on their business and gaming computers?  The answer is simple: Windows XP is more stable and more compatible with existing programs.

While Vista does have a prettier interface, and adds some convenient features, it still has a lot of problems to be worked out.

• First of all, Windows Vista requires a much more powerful computer to just get the same speed that Windows XP was running at.  In other words, if you upgrade your computer, which is a couple of years old, to Windows Vista, it's going to run slower than it did previously.

• Second, some of the programs which you used on your old computer may not work with Vista, and you may have to buy new programs.

• Third, your old computer's hardware may not even work with Vista because it requires new drivers to work properly, and many companies are not willing to come out with new drivers for old hardware because of the cost to develop them.

Many of the big companies are still trying to produce low cost computers while switching over to Windows Vista.  This is a bad idea!  The computers out there for less than $700 are generally not powerful enough to run Windows Vista with any efficiency.  Chances are that your new computer will be as slow or maybe slower than your old one, and you may not be able to use your old printer, scanner, or other external devices.

So, what's the answer to this problem?  It's really simple.  If you must buy a new computer that has Windows Vista, make sure it has the following things:

• AT LEAST 1 GB of RAM (memory)

• A separate video card (not one built into the motherboard)

• Software that is guaranteed to be compatible with Windows Vista.

• A printer that will work with Windows Vista.

There is, however, another answer:

• You can buy a new computer from a custom builder, such as Home Grown PC Repair, that will come with Windows XP.

• We can build you a computer that will be faster, more stable, and more compatible than the new Vista computers that you'll find in most places.

• If you want to upgrade to Vista at a later time, we can make sure that your computer is powerful enough for the upgrade, or that the computer will be easily upgradeable at that point.

• This will allow you to purchase a less expensive computer now and upgrade it later in order to run Windows Vista at a later time.

• If you desire to have Windows Vista now, Home Grown PC Repair can build you a system with Windows Vista installed, but be prepared for less performance than similar Windows XP machines.

In conclusion, I would strongly recommend avoiding Windows Vista for at least 6 months.  This will give Microsoft time to work out some of the bugs and hardware manufacturers more time to come out with compatible drivers for the computers.

There is a reason that businesses are not upgrading to Vista immediately.  Home Grown PC Repair is included in this group.  Even though we are not using Vista on our business computer, you can rest assured that we can handle any problems that may arise on your new Vista computer. 

If you find that you do need help with Vista, or you decide that you'd like a new computer with or without Vista installed, please give us a call and let us help you.