Vista: Why Most of Us Should (and Will) Wait

Mon Jan 22, 2007 6:33PM EST

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There is nothing I have read about Vista yet that makes me want to run out and upgrade our current computers with Microsoft's long-awaited new operating system. And I'm sure I'm not alone.

Why? Because like many consumers, I'm not in the immediate market for a new computer, and even though my Dell Inspiron laptop is just about a year old, all signs point to waiting. Chris Null advises against installing Vista on current, even new computers, no matter how appealing the upgrade coupons and deals. And if your computer is more than a year old, he says it's strongly recommended you wait and buy a new computer with Vista preinstalled.

If you're still sure you want to upgrade your existing computer, even if it has all the Vista requirements, wait. You know there will be kinks and flaws that Microsoft will need to work through. It's no fun being a guinea pig, especially one that ends up spending hours installing a huge operating system onto a computer, which is not something many of us do, ever.

Even if you've got the recommended up-to-date processor (minimum: 800MHz 32-bit [x86] or 64-bit [x64] CPU), 1GB of RAM, and 15GB of free space on your hard drive, the common wisdom seems to be upgrading to Vista from Windows XP will not be smooth going. Stephen Wildstrom writes in BusinessWeek, "Based on the troubles I've had in tests, I'd warn against upgrading if you have old accessories, such as printers, or if you run any custom or obscure business software."

Just as many businesses won't upgrade to Vista until they buy new hardware, home computer users probably should do the same. Wait. For the kinks to be worked out, then, when you're in the market, buy a computer with Vista preloaded.

The New York Times' David Pogue points to a SoftChoice survey that says only 6 percent of existing corporate PCs have enough power to run Vista. At home, you'll also need a powerful graphics card in addition to the other requirements. "Moving to Vista means hunting for updated drivers for your printer, audio card and so on, not to mention troubleshooting incompatible programs," Pogue writes.

I don't have time for that.

Walt Mossberg at the Wall Street Journal also says the full benefits of Vista, including its new look and interface (called "Aero) can be experienced only on "a hefty, new computer." He writes in his review, "The vast majority of existing Windows PCs won't be able to use all of Vista's features without major hardware upgrades. They will be able to run only a stripped-down version, and even then may run very slowly."

That's plenty of expert advice for me. I'm waiting until we upgrade to a new computer. What about you?

Related links: 

Vista: Buy a PC Preinstalled or Upgrade Yourself? 
Vista: To Upgrade or Hold? 

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Comments on Vista: Why Most of Us Should (and Will) Wait

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  • 26 Posted by fullmanator on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    Wow, what a load of fear, uncertainty and doubt this post contains! "Hunting for drivers" in a forest of confusion, only 6 percent of [corporate] (read, not home) computers will "run Vista". Mr. Null is very misinformed if he believes computers even a year old can't run Vista well. My year and a half old Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop runs Vista with the premium features/Aero perfectly... in fact, I didn't have to find any drivers, Vista had all of them by default. Microsoft Update patched up the display adapter on the first run... seamlessly. Geez, I wonder how technology can ever evolve if most of us "wait" and worry. Despite what those new Mac commercials say, upgrading to Vista is *not* "major surgery." Sorry Dory, not buying the FUD. Hopefully not many will, but the damage is already done.

  • 27 Posted by stantonrc2002 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    Avoid this whole mess and save money to boot by moving to Linux! It runs faster and does almost everything Windows products can do. Plus, no virus worries and no security patches to download and install, ever! Windows Vista is the same old Windows 95 but with "enhancements" to slow down your computer and make you think you need to buy a new one. Get off this insane Merry-go-Round that Microsoft has been using to make themselves rich and keep you the user under the gun.

  • 28 Posted by scdemarc on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:07PM EDT Report Abuse

    I second scottwouw. I run Fedora Core and love it. No crashes, no viruses, no adware, no spyware. If you need WIndows, intall vmware on linux, setup windows in a virtual session, install your apps, then lock it down as non-persistant. Any changes wont stick. It's the only reasonable way to run windows. Free your computer. Run Linux. Ice-walkers!!! Nothing can stop them.

  • 29 Posted by doobiejbl on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    I HAVE A FULL VERSION final copy of vista i got from my university, and installed it on my computer and believe it or not vista is running smooth. Now if you have any hardware that is more than at least a year old then you def need to buy newer hardware. i got lucky an just built a very fast PC with new hardware so everything is working driver wise except my lexmark printer an logitech cam, but both companies now offer hardware for vista. So in thelong run its probably wise to wait to install vista unless you have a very new computer within 3 months old. If sogo ahead an try it. For me it works great. Another tip is you can dual boot xp an vista. if you have 2 harddrives in your computer install vista on the secondary an dual boot to see if you like it or works fine with your computer. I would also suggest to have no less than 2 gigs of ram. with 1 gig you are cutting it close. as far as processor speed im running all 64 bit dual core so i doubt an 800 mhz processor would run smooth on vista, get at least 2.4nhz for speed.

  • 30 Posted by clangermusic on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows XP, now Windows Vista... Ever noticed how every three years the wheel gets reinvented?!!! That's the pay off to all the 3rd party software companies. Every three years they are guaranteed that new hardware and software will be mandatory because nothing old will be compatible with the new Microsoft OS!! Honestly folks... do yourself, your stress and your pocketbook a favor. Take a serious look at a MAC. MAC can run XP better than most PC's and you just don't go through this game every 2-3 years with Microsoft!

  • 31 Posted by xxelliot on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    what an advertisement for both microsoft and the computer hardware industry **rolls eyes**

  • 32 Posted by gannond@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    What is the current satus of the new operating system for Windows with the working title "Longhorn"? What will it do that XP PRO won't do. When is the release date? Anybody clued in on this thing

  • 33 Posted by gplynas on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:11PM EDT Report Abuse

    In almost all the benchmark test that I've read about, Vista ran slower than XP. Why "upgrade" to a slower computer?

  • 34 Posted by philraysmith on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought a brand-new "Vista-Ready" Dell computer in October. I got a Beta copy of Vista and installed it. The result was disasterous. Many of my collegues have had the same experience. I ended up wiping my hard drive and installing XP Pro instead. I spent approx 120 hours trying to make Vista work. I contacted Dell tech support without a successful result. They got frustrated and told me to quit trying and use XP Pro instead. Unless you're a pro with a lot of time on your hands I would wait.

  • 35 Posted by pstansb on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:20PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is a fairly lopsided review. There are plenty of folks that can spin the opposite side that discusses that Vista will likely run just fine on many older PC's. Check out www.WinSuperSite.com for a great 8-part review of Vista, including debunking common myths (like hardware requirements). I've been using Vista as my main OS for over 3 months now and won't consider going back. There are MANY great (and some subtle) improvements in Vista (I particularly find the new Explorer shell useful) worth upgrading for.

  • 36 Posted by bnhd2005 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    Personaly, i have a 4 year old computer and so far my computer is up to date on hardware.. althought at the time i got it, it was the highest end gaming custom biuld on the market.. now it would be consitered a mediam end gaming computer.. but i did the Vista RC2 and it worked fine, and actualy the only problem i had was ATI didnt have the right drivers for the Radeon 9800pro256mb out yet.. other then that everything fit into place and i had it dual booted meaning i hot windows xp still installed and vista and a secondary..

  • 37 Posted by ipowerone on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:24PM EDT Report Abuse

    Wait a while on getting 'Vista', or follow the example of millions. At a time when seious OS upgrades are needed and Vista is not yet that dependable, millions are looking at cheaper & more powerful operating systems such as Linux and FreeBSD. In particular, distros like PCLinuxOS, Xandros, and Linspire...all offer lower costs, stability, security that far exceeds MicroSoft, plus tons of software that MicroSoft would gladly charge you extra for; like office programs, photo/image , VoIP, Cad, programming tools and tons more. And most distros of Linux (524 different ones at the present) are a free download. Save the "ISO" to a folder, burn it to a CD or DVD, then just follow the prompts to install it to your hard-drive. You can do a clean install after a format or set up a dual-boot system & have "2" OS's on your system, and run either one any time yu want. For further reference on this and more check out these 2 websites; www.desktoplinux.org or http://distrowatch.com

  • 38 Posted by db_bruceca on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    Get a Mac! I switched close to two years ago....and i have no regrets. OSX Tiger simply....works...pretty much flawlessly. And when OSX Leopard is out this Spring/Summer....it'll blow anything else out of the water. And with the Intel duo core processors....and the ability to run Windows....why not get an operating system...that works!! The Mac route is not for everyone, I understand and respect that. However, if you have thought of switching to the Mac platform, all I can honestly tell you is that, having experience with both Macs and PCs, I would never go back to the PC environment. Hope this helps! If not....I hope Vista works for ya!!

  • 39 Posted by planetshadow on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    MAC? Speaking of MAC commercials, if its such a great machine, why do they have to make cheap jabs and name call to market thier product? Thats something 8 year olds do. I do not want an 8 year old kind of computer. Kind of reminds me of Pepsi always bashing Coke. Its like all thats left to do when you are in Second place its insult the one on top.

  • 40 Posted by fuzzies_99 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    Running Vista RC2 for almost 3 months on a year old Compaq with gig of ram and x200 integrated graphics. Runs just fine. Games just fine. Never crashed once. Hasn't given me the networking problems that xp does. Great parental controls for limiting the kids on what they view and do. I am in the IT industry and yes they are nervous about the upgrade and rightfully so. Microsoft hasn't given us a reason to trust them yet so why should we now? I do agree that MS needs to prove itself and I think they are finally coming around. Linux users need to come to the realization that the average person isn't going to sit down and read a 500 page manual to use it. They want it to work easily and unfortunatly Windows provides that. Mac is great for the entertainment industry and geeks alike but not for the average user. Software that's readily available for Mac and Linux just isn't there. What average family on this planet wants to sit down and compile a Linux kernal? None that I know of. Installing programs on Linux can be tough for the average user as well. Vista was an easy install, it works like it should, and yes I have to admit against all better judgement I like it. I will probably make the switch soon to the rest of my PC's. Accept for the one that runs Gentoo.

  • 42 Posted by bnhd2005 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    gannond@sbcglobal.net, longhorn changed its name to vista..

  • 43 Posted by jklinck on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:36PM EDT Report Abuse

    While the hardware is certainly an issue, don't underestimate the problems with many of the special drivers and software programs that have built up on your systems over the years and on which you rely. Early adopts should expect to find a lot of time solving problems or finding alternatives to these.

  • 45 Posted by janiejiffy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    My XP didn't work in a stable way until Service Pack 2 was installed- which meant about 2 years of an unstable operating system. I don't want to go through that again, and I won't be buying Vista- XP finally works well and I don't see any compelling reason to spend the money on Vista.

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