Oh, it wasn’t Microsoft’s fault, in fact it wasn’t anyone’s fault. You see, for years I have built my own computers. I started back when PC’s were either IBM PC’s or "Clones". I built clones. I could buy all the components individually and put together a better machine than I could buy from my local computer dealer for a lot less money. And, you could buy MS-DOS and it worked just like IBM DOS. Today though you can go to Best Buy or Circuit City, walk out with a box, go home and be back working on a new machine in no time…and for less money than the cost of the individual components.

The last computer I built was 5 years ago. I loved the old beige box. She has served me well. But, for the last month, her age was beginning to show. She started by singing to me when I woke her up in the morning. Then she started forgetting where she was supposed to be, and sometimes, where she had been. I started researching all the components in preparation of building a new PC. Should I go with AMD or Intel? Should I stay with Windows XP or maybe start out with the new Windows Vista? How much memory? Which graphics card? There are so many questions that need answers in my quest to get a machine that will last another 5 years.

As always, I wanted to wait until my research was complete but the old PC just couldn’t wait. She was going fast. So, I jumped in the car, checkbook in hand, and headed into the city. I needed a replacement now. I decided to buy a ready-to-go box because it was cheaper and more immediate. It was also a better value than the sum of the parts. No more wish lists, no more spreadsheets and I still had choices. Oops, no choice of operating system. Windows Vista was now the official operating system of every store that could supply me with a PC right now.

I brought home a new HP with TV tuner, a big hard drive, dual core processor, tons of memory and all the bells and whistles I could use. It also had Windows Vista which, according to my research, can take my old files and programs and let them run with very few hassles. I’m happy, no thrilled, to report that it’s true. It took quite a while to transfer 150 gigabytes of files and programs from the old box to the new one. The biggest delay was caused by the ongoing problems with the old PC. But, the new PC is running all of my old programs and tools even though some of the applications I use are older than the old box (remember Windows98?). I didn’t lose one photo or document. They all work the same, they just look better because Vista looks great. And, everything is faster, from loading and saving huge graphic or CAD files to testing script changes on a new test web site. The only problem was trying to use my old wireless mouse/keyboard. The old drivers made the mouse cursor act drunk and there were no Vista compatible drivers available.

So, if you’re think about upgrading to Vista and you have a fairly recent computer with lots of memory, do it. If you’ve got an old, used-to-be state of the art PC, just upgrade everything. The experience will be both satisfying and rewarding.

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