Now that Windows 7 is out, we are getting a lot of emails and phone calls wondering if people should upgrade to windows 7 from their current operating system. Let’s get a few things out of the way by answering some quick questions.

I am happy with everything the way it is for the most part, I just like having the newest stuff. Should I upgrade to Windows 7?

No. In our opinion, there are not enough new and exciting features to justify the cash you will have to spend to upgrade your operating system. Especially in the event that you might have to upgrade your computer’s RAM or other hardware.

When buying a new computer, should I get it loaded with Windows Vista or Windows 7?

If I were buying a new computer, providing it came with all the necessary hardware, I would go for the new operating system. The nice thing about windows 7 is they made sure anything that worked on XP will work on Windows 7. As a side note, if you run some sort of really old software, or something proprietary, you should check with your vendors before making the call.

I like neat stuff, but I have been disappointed before by Windows Upgrades. Is this one worth it?

Actually, we have been happy with most windows updates, with the exception of Windows ME. We are more patient than most, however, we realize there were a lot of issues with Vista. For most people, if you are running XP on a pretty decent machine, an upgrade to Windows 7 should be worth your money.

I am not totally sure if I want to upgrade to Windows 7. Should I just go for it?

Absolutely not. The worst reason to upgrade something as important as your operating system is “just because”. Make sure you want it, or need it. The reason is simply this, if the upgrade is something you want or need, the little hiccups will be way more tolerable. If you’re happy now, the way things are, it’s totally OK to leave well enough alone.

To us, Windows 7 seems really great in early tests. It seems very efficient and does pretty much what it says it does. They really should have just called it the productivity update. This is because there are a lot of great features that help increase the overall productivity of your computing experience by adding great new features and integrating things like never before. Microsoft has a pretty nice list to check out here.

We know this isn’t 100% of the scenarios that you might be facing, but it is easily the top three we get asked. Remember, you can always post a comment below. Just let us know your situation, and we will respond to you by letting you know what the team here thinks at Be Your Own IT.

Some useful Links:
Windows 7 Resource Center

Windows 7 Upgrade Information From Microsoft