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Should You Upgrade to Vista?
By now, I'm sure everyone has heard that the new Windows operating system, Vista', is available for purchase. While Vista has been available for corporate licensing since late last year, the full rollout for individual PCs didn't become available until Jan. 30.
The question is: Should you upgrade your machine with this new system?
New Protection Features
Certainly, Windows Vista offers a lot of advantages. It has improved security features, including Windows Defender, which helps prevent spyware installations on your PC as well as better control over your software, and an improved Windows firewall, which restricts other components of Windows from behaving in an unexpected manner if it is attacked.
Windows Vista also provides improved business-networking connectivity, better protects your data from loss if the machine is stolen and can restore your complete machine environment should the hardware fail.
It also includes improved methods for making DVDs, including high-definition DVDs, an improved environment for entertainment options, and makes it easier to locate files or e-mails on your PC with a new component called Instant Search.
Just like the Windows XP rollout, Windows Vista comes in a number of different configurations: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate. Lawyers should use either Business or Ultimate, as those editions contain the necessary features needed to protect and grow your practice. To find out all of the differences between the different versions, go to Microsoft's Web site.
Worth the Cost?
But, of course, there is a cost to all of the added features, both in money and hardware resources. The upgrade cost for Vista Business is $199, and the upgrade price for Vista Ultimate is $259.
But that's not all you may need to buy. Although the minimum RAM configuration for Windows Vista is 512 MB, you really need at least 1 GB of memory to make Vista work efficiently.
Most likely, your current PC has 512 MB or less, so count on spending another $75 to $100 for a memory upgrade.
And while it's true that Windows Vista has a number of software features built into it that previously you may have needed to buy separately, it's most likely that you already have those products on your current machine, so that's not really saving you anything.
In addition, if you have older hardware or peripherals, there is a chance they may not function properly with the new operating system. Manufacturers of hardware, such as printers, scanners or external tape drives, may not have drivers that work with Windows Vista. And if you are using some legacy software applications, there is a possibility those may not run properly under Vista either.
So if you're happy with your current computer's functionality, speed and applications, then now isn't the time to move to a new operating environment. But if you have a computer that is getting long in the tooth, this may be the perfect opportunity (or excuse) to get a new machine loaded with Vista.
As part of the hype surrounding the product, many manufacturers are offering special incentives to purchase new machines, so this may be the time to ditch that four year-old computer and be the first in your office suite to step into the new Vista.
Brian R. Harris is the director of information technology for the ALM Pennsylvania division and the former Editor-in-Chief of LJN's Legal Tech Newsletter's ALM affiliate, The Legal Intelligencer. He can be reached at [email protected].
By now, I'm sure everyone has heard that the new Windows operating system, Vista', is available for purchase. While Vista has been available for corporate licensing since late last year, the full rollout for individual PCs didn't become available until Jan. 30.
The question is: Should you upgrade your machine with this new system?
New Protection Features
Certainly, Windows Vista offers a lot of advantages. It has improved security features, including Windows Defender, which helps prevent spyware installations on your PC as well as better control over your software, and an improved Windows firewall, which restricts other components of Windows from behaving in an unexpected manner if it is attacked.
Windows Vista also provides improved business-networking connectivity, better protects your data from loss if the machine is stolen and can restore your complete machine environment should the hardware fail.
It also includes improved methods for making DVDs, including high-definition DVDs, an improved environment for entertainment options, and makes it easier to locate files or e-mails on your PC with a new component called Instant Search.
Just like the Windows XP rollout, Windows Vista comes in a number of different configurations: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate. Lawyers should use either Business or Ultimate, as those editions contain the necessary features needed to protect and grow your practice. To find out all of the differences between the different versions, go to
Worth the Cost?
But, of course, there is a cost to all of the added features, both in money and hardware resources. The upgrade cost for Vista Business is $199, and the upgrade price for Vista Ultimate is $259.
But that's not all you may need to buy. Although the minimum RAM configuration for Windows Vista is 512 MB, you really need at least 1 GB of memory to make Vista work efficiently.
Most likely, your current PC has 512 MB or less, so count on spending another $75 to $100 for a memory upgrade.
And while it's true that Windows Vista has a number of software features built into it that previously you may have needed to buy separately, it's most likely that you already have those products on your current machine, so that's not really saving you anything.
In addition, if you have older hardware or peripherals, there is a chance they may not function properly with the new operating system. Manufacturers of hardware, such as printers, scanners or external tape drives, may not have drivers that work with Windows Vista. And if you are using some legacy software applications, there is a possibility those may not run properly under Vista either.
So if you're happy with your current computer's functionality, speed and applications, then now isn't the time to move to a new operating environment. But if you have a computer that is getting long in the tooth, this may be the perfect opportunity (or excuse) to get a new machine loaded with Vista.
As part of the hype surrounding the product, many manufacturers are offering special incentives to purchase new machines, so this may be the time to ditch that four year-old computer and be the first in your office suite to step into the new Vista.
Brian R. Harris is the director of information technology for the ALM Pennsylvania division and the former Editor-in-Chief of LJN's Legal Tech Newsletter's ALM affiliate, The Legal Intelligencer. He can be reached at [email protected].
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin
With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws
This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.
'Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P.': A Tutorial On Contract Liability for Real Estate Purchasers
In June 2024, the First Department decided Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P., which resolved a question of liability for a group of condominium apartment buyers and in so doing, touched on a wide range of issues about how contracts can obligate purchasers of real property.
The Article 8 Opt In
The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.