Vista… To buy or not to buy? That is the UPGRADE
Del.icio.us
Windows Vista, Microsoft’s newest operating system, has a new sleeker look along with some new features. But is that enough reason to upgrade to Vista? If you are currently running Windows XP and it’s working fine, leave it alone! Upgrading to Windows Vista on an older machine may work against you. If your system is not working so great, installing Vista may cause your machine to run worse or not at all. A poorly running computer may have faulty hardware such as moth-erboard, CPU, power supply, memory, hard drive, or video card and should be diagnosed first before attempting an upgrade. Microsoft provides software that will test your computer, and verify that Vista can be installed on your computer. Its available online or you can stop by our store with your thumb drive and we will give you a free copy.
{embed=“elements/box_ad”}
Next you must have the proper driver software in order to run all of your devices such as video cards, network cards, motherboards, etc. Driver software is usually supplied by the manufacturers of the components and must be written for the exact operating system (Windows XP or Vista) that you are using. This is a very delicate process which in most cases installing the wrong driver will corrupt, affect performance, or even crash your computer. Most name brand computers do not come with a list of components and model numbers. So what can you do? One way is to go to the support site of your computer manufacturer and search for updated Windows Vista drivers. If your computer is a custom made computer, you have to go to each of the components manufacturer’s websites and download the updated drivers. Chances are you are more likely to have a hassle free upgrade on a custom made computer than a pre-built name brand computer.
So now with most hardware issues out of the way, we focus on the software. If you have software less than 6 months old and plan to install it on Vista , you might want to check with the software manufacturer for any updates in order for your software to run properly under the new operating system. In a few cases older software will not run under Windows Vista. This all sounds pretty depressing, but in fact, it’s a part of evolution. We all had to break down at some point and put away our trusty skip free 8-tracks players. Did I say 8Track? I meant CD!
So getting back to our question. To BUY or NOT to BUY?
If you plan to purchase a new name brand machine or have a computer custom built for your needs, the answer is ABSOLUTELY! One good reason is that Microsoft has announced Windows XP will no longer be available for sale by the end of 2007. They have also stated that support and updates will cease at the end of 2008. The good news is that so far Vista does work very well with computers built to run on Vista.
{embed=“elements/google_ad336x280”}
So now you’ve decided to build a new Vista machine. First, resist the temptation of using parts from your old computer. SATA Hard Drives have replaced IDE hard drives, DDR2 memory have replaced DDR memory, and PCIe video cards have replaced AGP video cards. Build a system that fits your needs. No different that you would pick a car that suits your needs.
What about storage? It is now more common to have two hard drives installed. The first one strictly for the operating system, where the second one is used for data storage and downloads. You will find that having a separate hard drive for the operating system will keep your computer running faster and smoother, and in the event that you need to re-install your operating system, you do not have worry about any of your personal and important data being lost. Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn on the new computer and all your stuff from the old computer was there? Your desktop icons, documents, pictures, email, contacts, address books, favorite websites. Well it CAN be done. Our experienced technicians can provide you with this service.
So you like to play games? We take Gaming very PERSONAL! How personal? Watch For our future editorial on Gaming Systems from Personal Touch Computers.
Personal Touch Computers, has been providing expert repair of desktops, notebooks, and servers on this beautiful island for over 10 years. We specialize in Data Recovery as well as repair corrupted Operating Systems. Oh yeah! One more thing, we are an Authorized Dell Reseller. I want to personal give a BIG MAHALO and sincere ALOHA to all our customers who have made PTC the number 1 locally owned computer store in Hawaii for 10 Years and counting!
E-mail this story | Print this page |
Comments (0) | Archive | 
| RSS
Most Recent Comment(s):
