I love that joke..  Seven ate nine..   simple and funny.

With the release of Windows 7, I’m counting on my humor to pull me through.  I purchased a laptop for my self, not my business recently (although I will wind up using it for business, don’t tell me though… I’d like to pretend.) and have the option of upgrading to Windows 7 for free.  Not bad,  I like free stuff.  I’m not sure if I should do it or not.  Microsoft is definately pushing for it with tons of TV ads.

However Apple, bless them, they have been really poking hard at Microsoft and Windows 7 with very funny and biting “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ads.  Why?  Well because they can and they should.  Plus very few of the revisions of Windows – 98, me, 2000, XP, Vista.. were really easy to move to. In fact some times they were the cause of a lot of grief; If you upgraded to them.  I still have mental scars from some of those upgrade sessions (not just one machine, hundreds).

Think about it, if you’re going to take the time to upgrade to Windows 7, why not just get a Mac?  Let’s look at the numbers shall we?

Upgrading to Windows 7 will cost you between $119 to $219 for the software.

Moving to a Mac will run you $599 to “How much you got”…

Most people will look at this and think that one is much more acceptable than the other, and will not venture further.  And fiscally, I agree, one looks better than the other. 

If you go with a Mac instead of moving to Windows 7  you may need to additionally purchase software for your Mac that you have for your Windows computer.  Some people might argue that you really don’t because there is a virtual Windows machine that runs on the Mac.  There, no problems, run your software.  But doesn’t my Windows machine already run Windows software?  What do I do with my current Windows laptop/desktop???

As of this posting, there are compatibility issues with some software that you may choose to run on Windows 7.  In fact Microsoft has been good enough to provide that information here;

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/default.aspx

Granted this isn’t an exhaustive list, for example I couldn’t find Open Office listed (it’s open source, and we know how Microsoft feels about open source, so this wasn’t a surprise).  But it will give you an idea of what you might be facing when considering upgrading.  And then there is a chart, a chart that maps out what kind of upgrade you can do…  It’s messy, but  take a  look yourself;

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/06/official-windows-7-upgrade-chart-is-ridiculous/

Now you won’t find that kind of mess with Apple.  Well, at one point you might have, but I think that was when they moved from OS 9 to OS X.  Not really sure, wasn’t that big of an issue.

Well, either way, you stay with Microsoft and move to Windows 7 one day, or just keep using the current OS – it’s not going to hurt you, your OS doesn’t expire… ( I have a system here that still runs on DOS 6.2.  It didn’t expire. ) OR you move to Mac and experience a whole other level of computing.

I like Macs.  I like PCs…  I have both.  One is expensive and elegant, the others are cheap, fast and do what I need to get done.  I try to be pragmatic, whatever works… it works for me.

So it’s really up to you.  Either way it will be costly as far as time and money goes.  Do the research, take your time, do what works for you.  Even if that means doing nothing.