Why you should upgrade your computer

If you are one of the masses that still running Windows XP on an older machine you should really think about upgrading because it’s a huge source of computer stress and hidden expense. I know you probably feel comfortable wrapped in a warm XP blanket on your trusty old machine. So what if your computer takes a few minutes to load a web page. I am sure you also recall the horrors of digging up printer drivers- so you say why bother- you only use it to surf the web and check your emails. Right?

Let’s start with the obvious reason to upgrade… Windows XP is a little over 8 years old! It was first released in October 2001. The same is true of Apple’s OS X which was released in March 2001. In either case, they have seen their days and are likely end-of-life by their respective vendors. Trying to find support for these systems is becoming scarce. Do you even have a coffee maker that is 8 years old?

Another reason to upgrade is because these operating systems can’t take advantage of newer architecture CPUs that are now available. So if you even if you upgrade your computer itself it’s likely that it won’t perform as good as it could. These new style CPUs run MUCH faster than before. You’ll see a huge increase in performance by upgrading both the OS and the computer. Add to this that software is continuously evolving and requires ever more resources from your computer.

Upgrading may make your life a tad bit more pleasant. Computer stress does exist and some of the common causes according to Morton C. Orman, M.D. (http://stresscure.com/hrn/common.html) are from “trying to get by on the cheap” and “unrealistic expectations”. That pretty much says it all. If you are banging your head against the machine you are probably doing it to yourself. You can’t blame your poor old computer and it’s 8 year old OS.

You are not doing yourself or your company any favors by staying on an older machine or running XP. You are behind the times. Don’t think you are savvy by trying to cut some corners. In the long run it will hurt you. Did you think that computers were going to stay the same? Not upgrading isn’t even an option. You will need computers now and you will need them 100 years from now. It’s just a cost of doing business today. Advances in computers and software dictate that every few years you are going to need to do some upgrades. However, if you are 8 years behind this becomes a formidable task, and a larger learning curve. It is far better to continuously upgrade your systems. The expense is the same in the long run but the result is that you will be more productive and ease into incremental training. Ever teach an old dog new tricks? It’s a huge hassle.

You might be concerned about the learning curve and the expense of upgrading your computer but in the long run it’s really going to make everyday a little easier. Websites and programs will fly open and you’ll literally move quicker and easier on the computer. You might even notice that some web pages and programs look and feel differently. You will find new tools to help you complete your tasks. I can tell you from personal experience that upgrading my computer last year really made a difference in the way I worked.