Sure, Your Work PC Can Run Windows 7, But is it Really Worth the Upgrade?
Sure, Your Work PC Can Run Windows 7, But is it Really Worth the Upgrade?
Posted 10/15/2009 at 4:55pm
| by Ryan Whitwam
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A survey by Softchoice has found that nearly nine in ten corporate PCs are capable of running Windows 7. This is in stark contrast to just a few years ago when, at the launch of Windows Vista, only 50% of existing corporate PCs were powerful enough for the upgrade. While it may be tempting to just install Window 7 on the existing hardware, many of these PCs are aging quickly.
According to Dean Williams, Services Development Manager for Softchoice, “Around the 42-month mark of a computer's life cycle the support costs shoot up substantially." By that point, any gains from not upgrading are countered by the increased cost of support.
Many machines in the survey were closing in on this 42-month mark. IT departments will have some tough choices to make as far as upgrading goes. While many of these PCs can run Windows 7, it may not be worth the hardware headaches. Softchoice strongly recommends considering replacements for PCs of this age. So in IT, 42 really is the answer to everything.
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thegamepro
October 16, 2009 at 10:56am
I have that gateway laptop in the picture and it's running windows 7 beta right now.
I hate that laptop though, the mouse buttons have snapped, the battery lasts less than an hour while web browsing, the touchpad is flacky, and the right angle power cord torques the jack and it needed to be sent back 3 times because of this.
I need a new laptop, I won't spend any money in my current hardware because new hardware will come with the software upgrade.
praack
October 16, 2009 at 7:08am
my work laptop is a IBM T42 thinkpad with a pentium m running xp- will it run 7? probably good enough for work. Am I getting an upgrade ? yes- why? not because of windows 7 - we don't plan on upgrading until maybe eoy2010. but because office 2007 and sharepoint is a bit over 7 gigs of hard drive space that needs to be installed on my itsy bitsy laptop harddrive and they won't pay for a larger hard drive.
so rather than pay for a larger hard drive they are paying for a complete computer- in a couple of months my T42 will be on the secondary market for around 300-400 bucks.
and I'll get a dell downgrade - that wil cost them only 500 bucks but breaks a lot compared to a thinkpad that has not had a hardware issue since I they gave it to me countless years ago
progress
dj-anon
October 15, 2009 at 11:42pm
While I'm liking 7 a lot more than XP, I find it hard to see any big reason for a business to upgrade.
big_montana
October 16, 2009 at 12:02pm
Security for one. Easier to manage for two. Road warrior support much easier (local printer installation for example, meaning if your firm uses group policies road warriors will actually be able to install local printers without elevated rights) for three. If you want me to continue this list I will, but I could write a book on why Windows 7 is better for business than Win XP.
jechaucer
October 15, 2009 at 6:22pm
If you are using XP and it works for you, then why upgrade? Really, just because it's old doesn't mean it's time to throw it away. XP is a stable OS that can run all kinds of apps without hiccups. MS just wants you to think you need a new OS so they can have your hard earned dollars. Now if you are using Vista, that's a different story. Unless of course Vista is doing a good job for you. Don't keep getting fooled into this upgrade nonsense.
Caboose
October 16, 2009 at 10:21am
XP is an aging OS. Was released in 2002. There have been a lot of hardware advances since then. Windows 7 is built to support new and upcoming technologies. XP isn't. You may have old hardware that works just fine with XP, however old hardware is becoming more expensive to purchase, and more difficult to locate, meaning that you might as well upgrade your hardware and OS now, or begin to, so that you're not stuck in the dark ages.
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
ghot
October 15, 2009 at 5:36pm
...just more BS marketing hype from MS...nothing new there. I wonder if they realize that they are doing more damage to their rep, than they are causing worry or concern among company IT depts.
Pretty soon, the old saying will need changed to: ......and then Microsoft cried wolf, one too many times.
Take an OS, and edit out all the efficiency, and what you have left is a post-XP Microsoft operating system :)
big_montana
October 16, 2009 at 12:04pm
Obviously you do not work in IT as do I, or you would be singing a differen tune. You would be praising the release of WIn 7 as it is much easier to support your mobile workforce on than XP ever was. You must be a Mac fan boy.
Caboose
October 16, 2009 at 10:19am
We, we know you hate Microsoft and anything that isn't XP. Can you point out to us, where it says that this survery was conducted BY Microsoft? Because, it looks more like an indipendent survey to me.
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
Ryan Whitwam
October 15, 2009 at 5:57pm
Well, not to say Microsoft hasn't done things of the sort, but this survey wasn't conducted by Microsoft.
DriZzLe
October 15, 2009 at 5:21pm
...I just put Windows 7 Pro on my father-in-law's P4 2.8, Nvidia 5200 & 2 gigs ram pc & it runs perfectly fine. Every program he wanted installed worked fine.
This is just a ploy to have companies spend unnecessary money. Times are tight & there is no need to buy new machines if the OS works out of the box.
nekollx
October 19, 2009 at 8:11am
you know reading the article might be a good start.
They clearly say "can you install it? Yes. But the hard wear costs will only continue to rise"
And i'm sorry thats just a fact. How much would a new p4 run you? how much for a i5 or core 2? ddr1 vs ddr2/3?
------------------------------
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Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
knexkid
October 15, 2009 at 5:03pm
Thats crazy! That Gateway laptop is the same on that I have that just died like 4 days ago after 1.5 years of use!
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