Another Day With My PC

Despite the fact that Windows Vista is just a quarter of a year away from celebrating its first anniversary, many IT experts and analysts still insist that there are no compelling reasons yet for people to embrace it. Even Microsoft would seem to suggest the same, having announced a few months ago that it is extending support for Windows XP.

While many are still using XP, products that are specially made for Vista are exponentially increasing. While many of those would also be able to function under the old OS, the former’s manufacturers will most likely insist on using Vista to avoid compatibility problems.

The Irony

Several months ago, compatibility problems usually refer to situations wherein hardware or software could not run under Vista. Aside from being expensive and a resource-hog, one of the main reasons why many opted to sport a wait-and-see attitude on the new OS is due to compatibility dilemmas.

This problem that separates XP and Vista still exists, albeit differently. The fortunes of the two operating systems have already been reversed. When one talks about compatibility problems today, they most probably refer to the apprehensions or consequences of installing a Vista-marked program or peripheral on a PC that runs on XP.

Interpreters

The success of Windows Vista could be attributed to the availability of various drivers that allow software or hardware which antedates the said OS to be able to function on it. Many people dared to make the early shift due to assurances that Vista drivers are already abundant even before the release of XP’s successor.

By analogy, it could also be contended that the survival of XP could or would be brought about by the availability of drivers that will allow Vista-labeled products to work on old operating systems. Indeed, the fortunes of XP and Vista have been stirred. It would not be surprising if Vista driver providers, such as RadarSync, would soon offer XP drivers.

Customer Support

Even if Vista applications and hardware could run on XP, problems would most likely still arise in the future. Customer service agents are now gradually being trained to troubleshoot problems under the setting of the new operating system. Hence, it would not be far fetched for troubleshooting problems to pop up due to the differences in the functions or options between XP and Vista. Solving the dilemma is not as simple as correlating the procedures or finding the Vista option’s counterpart in XP. Take note that Vista has many features that its predecessor does not have.

Magazines and Journals

XP users will not find solace in IT publications, either. Go to a bookstore and try to go through recent PC magazines or manuals and you will be rudely awaken to the fact that 95% of all OS articles are about Vista. Every sign now seems to point to XP’s successor. The shift is inevitable. Even die-hard XP fans know that. The only thing that’s uncertain is the ripe date to take the plunge. But believe me, it’s not that far away.

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