I know that a lot of you out there are still using Windows XP instead of Vista. In fact, I would absolutely recommend XP over Vista.

Windows Vista has proven to be complicated and unstable. I have seen numerous reports of problems with the power saving features. Hibernating or Suspending a Vista system is taking a complete gamble on whether it will crash or resume. Even if the system seems to resume correctly, you may have some minor problems until the next time you reboot. Minor problems such as networking ceasing to function. Another well documented problem is that playing audio causes your network speed to drop. Driver availability is also still a big issue. I've talked to several people who recently tried upgrading to Vista only to discover that their printer, camera, or scanner did not have drivers for Vista.

Ordinarily, I always recommend that people wait for the first Service Pack before adopting a new version of Windows. SP1 for Vista is out now, and I can't say that it makes me any more likely to recommend a switch to Vista. First of all, for "reliability" reasons, SP1 disables some common Antivirus and Security software including Trend Micro's Internet Security, BitDefender AV, and Zone Alarm Security Suite. Fujitsu's Shock Sensor utility which detects sudden shocks and suspends drive activity to protect hard drives from damage also gets blocked after the install of SP1. Microsoft also states, "A Program may experience a loss of functionality after you install Windows Vista SP1." http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935796/en-us [4]

Vista SP1 also is not available or fails to install on machines using "incompatible" device drivers. We are not talking about the driver from that no name webcam that was made in China and sold on e-bay for $0.30. We are talking about drivers for devices from Intel, Realtek, Nvidia and other mainstream manufacturers.

With all of these problems, I strongly recommend waiting at least until the next Service Pack, although I think it likely that in the end it may be best to miss Vista altogether.

For those of you in the market for a new computer - you still have a few options. My first recommendation would be that buy a Mac. Apple makes some very reliable products and great software. Second recommendation would be Linux. The install for distributions like Ubuntu [5] is actually pretty easy, and they even setup the installation cd so that you can boot your computer from it and run it to test everything and get familiar with it before you ever install anything on your computer. There are a number of computer companies that sell systems with Linux pre-installed, including Dell. You can also talk to your local computer guru about having them install Linux for you. Of course, since I have always been a supporter of Linux, I offer this service.

If you wish to stick with Windows, then XP is pretty much your only choice, and you need to buy soon because time is running out. As of June 30, 2008 PC manufacturers will no longer be able to sell computers with XP installed. For those of you living in the US this still gives you a fair amount of time to make a decision. However, for my readers living in Mazatlan who may wish to buy a computer in the US, this means that time is getting short for making arrangements to purchase a computer and find a way to get it to Mazatlan. The reality is that some manufacturers will still have XP systems available after June 30, 2008, but this will mostly be smaller vendors and it will only be while supplies last. On Jan 31, 2009 you will no longer be able to buy a copy of XP at all. If you wish to continue running XP you will want to make absolutely certain that you have a working XP disk by then for any repair or reinstallations that may be necessary in the future. On April 14, 2009 Microsoft will move XP to extended support only. This means that the only updates that will be released will be strictly security fixes. It also means the end of any free or warranty support. On April 8, 2014 all support for XP comes to an end.

There is still a lot of life left in Windows XP, but it is time to start making plans. Unfortunately Windows Vista is not going away, but XP definitely is. Shop early to avoid the crowds. I said before that some manufacturers may still have XP computers after June 30, 2008. Keep in mind that some of the big manufacturers may also stop ordering and selling XP before that date just to make sure they don't have any old stock leftover.