Four reasons to delay a Windows 7 upgrade

Last week’s column looked at Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system, how it stood up against the previous Vista program and what businesses should do about incorporating it into their networks.
For businesses in need of a computer upgrade the question is how soon should you dive into adopting the new system. Generally it’s best to hold off for awhile and not rush into things. There are four reasons for this:

There will be bugs
Every operating system has some hiccups and while Windows 7 is probably the most tested program ever, there will still be the odd problem. Let the early adopters tear out their hair while sorting out the issues.

The earlier adopter premium
Early adopters are a key profit centre for the tech industry. If you want the latest mobile phone, computer or operating system you will pay dearly for the privilege to be the first on your street. Wait a few weeks and you’ll find prices will drop.

Christmas sales
Windows 7’s release date is deliberate. By having it on the shelves by the end of October, it means the latest systems are available for the Christmas sales rush. Expect to see some good deals in the run up to Christmas.

Price wars
It’s been a pretty torrid 12 months for PC manufacturers as the Global Financial Crisis has hit computer sales hard. To make things worse, Acer, Dell and HP are all in a race for market share. So you can expect some good prices on new systems as the big boys fight it out.

If you’re planning on buying a system for home or the kids, it’s worthwhile waiting a month or so. So take it easy and shop around for some good deals.

For business, you want to be a bit more cautious and a full upgrade of your office is probably best planned for sometime next year. In the meantime, buying a couple of test systems is a good first step to see where the traps and tricks lie.

As always with technology, you’ll always pay for being the first on the block with the shiny new toys. For most businesses computers are just tools for getting work done, so don’t rush into the hype.

Paul Wallbank is a speaker, writer and broadcaster on technology and business. He grew PC Rescue into a national IT company and set up the IT Queries website. Paul has a regular ABC spot on technology matters.

For more Business Tech Talk blogs, click here.