I have been trying to figure out what to say about Windows Vista. It has certainly gotten a (somewhat undeserved) bad rap since its release. The real problem with Vista isn’t anything about the Operating System(OS) itself, the problem is Windows XP.  XP is pretty good, pretty stable, and works with most hardware and software. Vista on the other hand, doesn’t work with older hardware, some software, and didn’t bring any more stability to the table. Vista does have new gee-whiz features but they really don’t add to its underlying functionality, and an upgrade incurs significant costs for hardware and software upgrades.

However over time, you do have to upgrade to newer versions of the OS in order to keep up with new technological innovations, to fix bugs, and to maintain security. But you won’t need to upgrade to Vista to do this. Microsoft has just released its latest beta (test) version of the Version of windows that will follow Vista. Its currently called “Windows 7″ Microsoft has indicated that it may be out in as early as a year from now. The reviews I read indicate that it fixes a lot of the complaints that people had with Vista. So since something better is on the horizon, wait to upgrade. 

If you have to buy a new PC go ahead and buy a vista one (there’s no reason to pay extra for an XP downgrade.) You’ll have to make sure your software and peripheral hardware (printers, scanners, cameras, etc) are compatible, but Vista won’t disappoint you.