Ask the Expert Q1: What is Vista, and should I upgrade?

A: Microsoft Windows Vista is Microsoft’s latest Operating System, the replacement for Windows XP which has been on sale since October 25 2001. Vista ships in 4 forms: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business & Ultimate with prices ranging from $385 to $751 for a brand new copy (upgrades from Licensed copy of XP are cheaper).

The Home Basic version’s biggest push has been towards fixing security issues, but only time will tell if it really is more secure. The more expensive versions build on this with the new “Aero desktop experience” with glass-like menu bars and Live Thumbnails, as well as Media Centre functionality, expanded backup, Drive encryption, DVD Maker and New Games!

Should I upgrade? The answer is probably not on your existing hardware. Vista needs quite a powerful machine, so unless you were also intending to upgrade your existing hardware, especially in terms of memory and graphics processing, it might be better to wait until it is time to buy a new machine and have Vista pre-installed.

For more information, to upgrade or buy a new machine: contact the Tech Doctor Network on 1300 TECH DR or www.techdoctor.com.au

re-printed with permission from Leader Newspapers