Windows Vista – Don’t Let It Leave You Behind

Windows Vista can be ignored by people who use their computer only at home for very limited purposes. Shoot, I think Gary North (a prodigious newsletter writer) still uses an old PC with WordPerfect on MS Dos with a 1983 IBM keyboard.

But if computing is in your career, whether self employed or working for someone else; or if you really want to get the most out of your PC at home, I think you should take a look at Windows Vista. I’m not saying dump XP now and upgrade to Vista immediately, but take note that Vista service pack 1 is due out soon (I hope) and Vista and its technological changes from XP are NOT going away.

My point is that many people put off learning XP because Windows 2000 Pro worked great. I certainly encouraged most of my clients to save their money and stay with W2K Pro for some time. But then the somewhat killer app of Remote Desktop started showing some real value for them and the migration began.

The problem with waiting too long to explore the new Operating System is that when you do decide (or someone decides for you) to upgrade, you feel behind and are playing catch up. That’s no fun.

If you have the chance, load Windows Vista on machine in a dual boot configuration and start taking it for a spin.

A lot of people have written extensively on ways to get Vista on the cheap, so I won’t repeat all of that here.

For those of you in the United States, be warned. Many of your jobs are at risk of going overseas. Don’t encourage your boss to send your job there because training you would cost too much and you would give him/her too much grief. Learn on your own and put yourself at the head of the pack – then get paid accordingly.

If your XP Pro or W2K Pro machine is being updated with all of the latest Microsoft “security” patches, etc, then your PC is likely starting to slow down. Maybe it’s too much patched code, maybe something else. All I know is that it’s become very noticeable.

Just do yourself a favor and don’t fall too far behind on Vista and other coming changes. Your financial wellbeing could depend on it.

After 646-204, many professionals who are not interested in 70-620 or 220-601 instead settle for the much easier 70-649.