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February 2, 2007
Dear CNET members,
Happy February! With Windows Vista finally being available to us now, Ruth's question this week couldn't have come at a better time. I'm sure there are many of us still running older Windows operating systems, and because of the big buzz around Vista, we're contemplating the move to a newer Windows OS. If you're like Ruth and are thinking about upgrading to Vista, pay special attention to advice given from our members this week. There are a lot of determining factors such as hardware requirements to make a big move like this one, and you may very well be unlikely to do so. However, there is always the option to move to Windows XP, which can be achieved without too much fuss, but then again, it's all about meeting the OS requirements. So without further delay, I'll start you off with the winning answer from Miguel, who gives you the ins and outs of what is expected of your system before such an upgrade can be accomplished. There was a lot of advice given to this question, so read through it all. In addition, CNET has its own Vista Upgrade Advisor a pretty sweet tool that allows you to check to see if your system meets the Vista requirements and makes recommendations so that you can jump on to the latest from Microsoft. Give it a run and see where you stand. Have a great weekend, folks! And by the way, thank you all for the parenting advice for my daughter's thumb-sucking habit. I've read all of your posts and you guys and gals are awesome! Thanks again!
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Member Question of the Week
I'm running Windows 98 on my Compaq Presario desktop, but I
have been thinking about upgrading. Some people have suggested
I upgrade to Windows XP, while others have said to wait for
Vista to come out and then get that. Which do you suggest I
do? Will I have problems when I do an upgrade? Will the
programs I have on my current computer not run or become
problems when I upgrade? Thanks!
Submitted by:
Ruth B.
Hi Ruth, The first thing that came to mind upon reading your question was Why now? What made you start "thinking about upgrading" at this particular juncture in time? Was it all the hype surrounding the release of Windows Vista? Or have you been experiencing performance and/or security issues with your Presario that led you to entertain the possibility of an upgrade?
Regardless of what triggered your interest in upgrading your computer, you need to ask yourself several questions: Does my hardware meet the minimum system requirements for installing Windows XP or Windows Vista?
Unless your Presario is less than five years old and Windows 98 is in it because of personal preference, it is safe to assume that either your operating system came installed in your desktop at the time of purchase, or that you upgraded a Windows 95 machine to Windows 98. In either case, your hardware might be the determining factor on whether or not you will be able to upgrade to a newer operating system. And you might have less of a choice than you might suspect.
Submitted by:
Miguel K. of Columbus, Ohio
For
Miguel's
efforts, we're sending him his choice of any
CNET Learning CD.
Community Buzz
 Each week we take a look at topics discussed in the forums.
Have fun and enjoy!
More from the forums
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Check out next week's question:
Question for the community: Given the mixed reviews for the new Windows Vista and the increasing popularity of open-source software, I started wondering about free operating systems. How realistic is it for the average Windows user to install and use a Linux-based OS such as Ubuntu? I bought a Toshiba Satellite laptop last fall, and I'm wondering if it's possible to use Ubuntu on that machine instead of Windows XP. If it is a good OS for those of us with no Linux experience, what are the pros and cons of such a system? And can I totally get rid of Windows XP? Thanks!
--Submitted by:
Patti H.
If you have the answer,
e-mail us at messageboards@cnet.com.
If we choose your response, you'll get a
free CNET Learning CD.
Have a question?
• Multimedia
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• PC Upgrading
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In order for me to upgrade to Vista, I will have to do this to my PC:
(Please click on button to vote) |
 Upgrade to a faster CPU
Upgrade to a better graphics card
Upgrade to a larger hard drive
Add more RAM (how much more?)
Add a DVD-ROM or better
Two or more of the above
Dump it and get a whole new computer
Nothing at all. I'm Vista ready!
No Vista for me! (why not?)
Others (what is it?)
Simple question, simple answer
Help your fellow members
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Click here to see full answer
