| If you have a PC with Windows XP installed, and it | | | | because of an older video card), don't bother with |
| works well enough for what you want to do, leave | | | | Vista; stick with Windows XP. You won't see much |
| it alone. Keep your Windows XP machine updated | | | | benefit -- literally and figuratively. On the other hand, |
| with the latest security patches, as soon as they're | | | | if you want to take advantage of the many, |
| tested and found to be reliable. But don't throw it in | | | | manifest, and truly compelling goodies in Vista, you |
| the trash heap yet. | | | | could consider upgrading in the following cases: |
| Some programs that Microsoft created for Vista run | | | | If you own a fairly modern PC (say, an Intel Pentium |
| just fine on Windows XP. Windows Defender, the | | | | 4 running at 1.8 GHz or so, or an AMD Opteron 144 |
| antispyware product, works on XP. Vista's initial | | | | or higher), with several hundred megabytes of free |
| version of Windows Media Player, WMP 11, runs | | | | disk space. ? If you have 1GB of memory or you're |
| rings around its earlier incarnation, as does Internet | | | | willing to shell out the grub to get it. ? If your video |
| Explorer 7 -- but you can run both on Windows XP. | | | | card can handle the load. Many laptops simply can't |
| Don't pay for Vista if you have an XP system and | | | | run Vista, and video upgrades rate as too expensive |
| you only want the latest versions of Defender, | | | | -- or just plain impossible. |
| WMP, or IE. You have better ways to throw away | | | | I don't recommend that you try to upgrade to Vista |
| your greenbacks. More than that, if the computer | | | | unless you have enough video power to drive the |
| you have only supports Vista Home Basic (Probably | | | | Aero Glass interface. |