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By Ryan Dobb, President, Netquest,
Inc. (Published August 13, 2007)
Since Microsoft released its much-anticipated and much-hyped new
operating system, Vista, earlier this year, reaction within the
business community has been decidedly mixed. Many businesses are
reluctant to buy the system, and even more are hesitant to upgrade
existing systems.
Much of the reticence, in my experience, comes from a simple unwillingness
to change. IT managers and offices have simply gotten comfortable
with their operating systems – whether they’re using
Windows 2000, Windows XP or even the occasional office still attached
to Windows 98. Others find themselves put off by Vista’s tepid
reviews, which, even taking into consideration many plaudits for
graphic advances and relative ease of networking, tend towards adjectives
such as “uninspiring,” “problematic” and
“overly complicated.”
While it’s true that Vista is not without its flaws, it’s
equally true – and more important – that the operating
system is here to stay, and businesses will do better to implement
it sooner rather than later and adjust to it as they have adjusted
to previous operating systems. No business thrives by sticking its
head in the sand and avoiding change, and this is especially true
when it comes to information technology systems. Being the 800-pound
gorilla in the industry, Microsoft has a commitment to Vista and
ensuring that it is going to be with us for the foreseeable future,
whether we like it or not. While adoption rates have not been overwhelming,
they will inevitably increase as time goes on.
From my experience in configuring and implementing Vista, the transition
has been relatively smooth. The operational differences between
Vista and previous Microsoft operating systems are relatively minimal.
To be sure, there are some issues. For example, the primary challenges
in Vista start-up have been in the increase in hardware specifications
required to take advantage of many of Vista’s new features.
While most Desktop PCs purchased after 2002 and laptops purchased
after 2005 will be able to meet the system’s minimum “Windows
Vista Capable” requirements, many laptops and low-end to midrange
desktops with integrated graphics will not be able to meet “Windows
Vista Premium Ready” requirements and will therefore not be
able to run many of the advanced features. In addition, applications
are not yet Vista-qualified, meaning that for at least a few more
months, it will be difficult to find new software that can easily
be downloaded and used on Vista systems. In addition, some people
are finding it difficult to adjust to the program’s new look
– it is a somewhat radical departure from previous Microsoft
operating systems.
Few businesses are making direct upgrades by keeping their hardware
and networks, so in the long run upgrade issues will simply cease
to be problems. Most firms are purchasing the system new, and the
market will soon demand that all new programming is able to be used
on the Vista operating system. I anticipate that later this year
– certainly in time for the holidays – most new programs
will be Vista-compatible because all the business applications we
use will be compatible, and the hardware manufacturers stop selling
us XP. Then, it will be a natural progression to use Vista.
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