Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Operating Systems: A Major Upgrade Is On Its Way

A computer's operating system is extremely important especially whereas business computers are concerned. While it can be extremely inconvenient and even quite troublesome for home users who run into issues or deal with an outdated operating system, businesses who face the same headaches face a number of others as a result. A business utilizing an outdated or irreparable operating system throughout their office or network face an uphill struggle as well as some difficult decisions. The high cost of purchasing a new operating system for one computer is expensive enough but purchasing a large number of licenses for the entire office/network can range from strenuous on a businesses finances to downright impossible when dealing with smaller businesses.

In years past businesses have avoided operating system upgrades not only because of cost but because of compatibility issues and integrating functionality as well. Of course it goes without saying that the majority of businesses utilize some version of Microsoft's popular Windows operating system. While Windows has continued to improve over the years in some aspects functionality, ease-of-use, and compatibility, issues have plagued almost every new release since the release of Windows 2000. This is especially true of Windows Vista which not only wasn't initially compatible with a lot of the things that Windows 2000 and Windows XP were but the operating system required far more resources and power to run than its predecessors did. For this reason alone the vast majority of businesses avoided upgrading to Windows Vista and held on tight to Windows XP until the release of Windows 7.

While Windows 7 is definitely a huge improvement over the lackluster Vista, there are still some businesses utilizing Windows XP. While these businesses may not need the most modern operating system for their networks they do face a number of challenges especially when dealing with the compatibility of new technologies. Introducing networking and business technologies to a network of XP computers can be challenging and in some cases impossible.

Recently however Microsoft placed a heavy focus on its upcoming Windows 8 operating system which promises to be as different from Windows 7 as Windows XP was from Windows 98. At the Consumer Electronics Show of 2012, Microsoft not only showed off some of the features of Windows 8 but proudly announced that all computers built with Windows 7 would be immediately compatible with Windows 8. While there was no mention of how or if XP and Vista computers will be capable of running Windows 8, the fact that Windows 7 machines will have no problem running the new operating system likely means that computers just a few years older than those most likely won't have any problems either.

Windows 8 is the operating system that businesses have been waiting for. Not only are its resource requirements extremely low and not only will they have little to no problem running the new operating system but the operating system itself will be powered by applications much like those found on cell phones and will also be Kinect compatible which will allow users to control a computer with their hands in their voice as well as a mouse and a keyboard. Businesses who have remained apprehensive about upgrading their operating systems, especially those still running Windows XP, should seriously give Windows 8 heavy consideration. It's due out at the end of 2012 which gives business owners plenty of time to plan for and begin budgeting for a major operating system upgrade.

Questions about Windows or another operating system? Need help with an operating system upgrade? Be sure to contact us and that we may be of assistance

TH2 specializes in:

Orange County Data Recovery, Orange County IT Support, and Orange County Computer Services.

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