Don't Fear The Vista From Your Windows
Today, June 30, Microsoft stops selling Windows XP at retail and major PC vendors, and will stop offering it as an option for consumers who buy new PCs.
By coincidence, this change came three days after Microsoft founder Bill gates retired from his job as Chief Software Architect, but neither Gates nor XP are completely removed from the scene.
Gates will stay on as Microsoft Chairman and - even though it will no longer be sold at retail - large companies can still get Windows XP, and Microsoft will continue to offer XP tech support through April 2014. Vendors of some low power laptops, such as the Asus Eee PC will be able to continue to offer XP for the next two years.
By dropping XP from mainstream PCs, Microsoft is pretty much forcing most consumers who need a new PC to migrate to Windows Vista, and there are some people who simply don't want to make the switch.
Standing in the computer aisle at an electronics store this weekend, I overheard a woman asking the salesperson if she could buy a PC with XP. He said no. I then asked the woman why she wanted XP rather than Vista and she expressed two concerns. The first was that she was already acquainted with XP and didn't want to learn a new operating system. The second was her worry that some of her software or devices wouldn't work with Vista.
Another common concern is that Vista takes up too much computing power and might not work as well or as fast as XP.
Personally, I'm not particularly concerned about any of these issues, and I recommend most people just go with Vista. I've been using it since before it came out and I'm pretty happy with it.
As for the would-be XP-buyer's first concern; I feel her pain. Learning anything new can always be challenging and once someone has gone through the trouble of learning an operating system, I can understand a reluctance to make a change. But, I have good news for XP users thinking about Vista - the user interface is not all that different.
The main difference is a slight re-organization to the Start menu, which actually makes it easier to find the programs you want to run. Just as before, you can find all your software by clicking on "All Programs," but instead of cascading menus you now have a full list of all your programs.
The best change to the user interface is that you no longer have to hunt around to find a program. You can just type its name in the search box and Windows will find it and launch it for you. Search also allows you to find documents by typing in any word likely to be in the document. The same is true for email messages and words in other documents. And because Vista now "indexes" the contents of your drive, search is virtually instantaneous.
There are other visual changes, such as the aero interface that makes Windows translucent and more attractive, but it doesn't really affect the way you use the computer.
There are plenty of books out there (including Microsoft Windows Vista: Peachpit Learning Series, which I co-wrote with Dwight Silverman), but the main advantage to the books is that they help you discover new features. Most people won't need a book just to transition from XP to Vista.
The second concern, about compatibility, was a real issue when Vista first came out. But today there are very few programs and devices that won't work with the new operating system. If you have any doubts, check the websites or technical support phone lines of your software vendors, but unless you have some pretty obscure programs, chances are they will work. Anyone who uses software or a virtual private network from their employer or other organization should definitely check with your IT department before migrating.
Finally, there is the issue of performance. It is true that Vista requires a bit more horsepower than Windows XP, which is one of the reasons I urge caution before upgrading an old PC to Vista, but if you're getting it on a new machine, then the PC maker has already determined that it will work. Fact is, just about any new hardware - at almost any price - is powerful enough to run Vista.
For the home premium edition, Microsoft recommends at least a 1 GHz processor, a gigabyte of memory and at least a 40 gigabyte or larger hard drive. You also need at least 128 MB of graphics memory with hardware that includes "pixel shader 2.0." So, if you want to be sure, make sure your hardware has these requirements. Some of the least expensive systems may come with Windows Home Basic, which has lower requirements, but I still recommend at least a gigabyte of memory - two is better.
There are plenty of things to like about Vista, including that great search feature, much better security and a new and improved photo management program called Windows Photo Gallery. There is also integrated speech recognition software.
There is one company based in Cupertino, California that loves to make fun of Vista. Apple, of course, doesn't want you to abandon XP for Vista, but in favor of its own Macintosh system. The commercials (http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/) are hilarious and - based on Apple's growing market share - apparently somewhat successful, but don't take them too literally.
Yes, Vista users have had their share of problems, but so have some people who use Macintosh's new Leopard operating system (try Googling "problems with Leopard").
In the meantime, Microsoft is working on the next version of Windows, which should be out by the end of next year or early 2010. If you really want to skip Vista, you could try keeping your old XP machine running until then and be on the "bleeding edge" of that new operating system.
Or, you can go with the flow and upgrade. Trust me, it's not that hard and the benefits of Vista, in my opinion, outweigh the hassles.