Another Day With My PC

Are you still using Windows XP? Chances are is that you’ll be nodding to the question, especially when we’re talking about your PC in the office.

Despite the fact that big companies have the resources to wipe out old programs and replace it with new ones in just a blink of an eye, many of them are holding their horses as far as shifting to Vista is concerned. A recent report has shown that there are still many apprehensions playing in the minds of IT managers with regard to using Vista.

Old Fears

One of the reasons why companies are still reluctant to retire Vista’s predecessor is the former’s reputation of conking out due to compatibility problems. While this issue hounded the new OS during its first month in the market, it’s quite surprising to know that this worry still lingers considering the fact that third-party device driver finders and providers already abound on the Internet. The lack of system utilities for Vista has also already been addressed, with many antivirus and registry cleaner programs having been labeled as “Vista-ready.”

Waiting for SP1

So why are corporations still not taking the plunge despite developments which makes such a move already safe and feasible?

Analysts point to the pending release of the operating system’s first service pack as one of the reasons why potential corporate clients are still playing the waiting game. Vista’s SP1 contains a collection of patches, security applications, and drivers which would greatly enhance the OS’ ability to respond to threats and errors. While there are already many Vista problem-solvers on the market, many are still counting on Microsoft to fix things for free. Until Microsoft releases the pack, big companies would most likely continue to squeeze some extra mileage out of XP.

Still in Life Support

Another reason why big clients are shunning Vista is Redmond’s continued support for XP. Bill Gates probably thought that XP would die a natural death once users start to ditch it for Vista. However, this did not happen, or at least not at the pace at which Microsoft had hoped for.

It has been suggested that in order to convince (or force) users to embrace Vista, it has to cut the air flowing into XP. Microsoft contemplated such a move, but was met by stiff resistance and threats from those who are reluctant to use the new OS until every apprehension with regard to its safety and compatibility has been addressed. The operating system’s maker immediately blinked, probably because it still hasn’t found the answers to many of the problems plaguing Vista.

No Need to Rush

The shift to Vista is inevitable. This event might not take place as quickly as Microsoft wants to, but it will certainly happen. This is the reason why Microsoft is not in a rush to kill its most successful product. As long as it continues to breathe life to XP, it will have ample time to plug the holes that presently turn off big companies in accepting Windows Vista.