Microsoft Windows Vista - Why You Should Wait to Buy It!

If you have yet to hear about the new Microsoft Widows Vista, you'll will be hearing a lot about it soon. Another long awaited upgrade to the Windows family, Vista is now in the stores for purchase. Microsoft will be advertising heavily in the days ahead. I'm not attempting to convince anyone that Vista won't end up being the best version of Windows yet. This article will simply put, discuss solid reasons why you should wait to pick up a copy. Don't let Microsoft fool you, this program is not complete! Don't spend your hard earned dollars just yet!

Microsoft Windows Vista is not complete. As Vista heads to the shelves of your local computer superstore, Microsoft is already making plans for it's first service pack! And their asking for input from those who have used the program for what to include in this update. I'm not saying Vista won't end up on your computer down the road. But, there is no sound reason to buy it before the first service pack is out. That probably happen until sometime later this year. Most of us went through enough hell getting XP optimized. It will be worth the wait! On top of that....

Many software and hardware devices on your computer will NOT work with Vista right now. There are still many companies (hardware and software manufacturers) who are not up to speed on this new OS. These include those that make video and sound cards. So until these companies have drivers and updates available, you could end up with a computer that won't function in all capacities. Some of the drivers that are available for the Vista OS are beta 2 drivers, so there not even fully tested and developed yet. I mean it's your money, but I'm not going to go out and blow $99 to $399 for something that doesn't work 100%.

Some of the larger peripheral manufacturers publish a list that gives the current status of Vista drivers. If you must have Vista now, at least take the time to check on their website to make sure a driver is available for that particular device. Creative Labs which produces many sound cards and cameras is one such company. Advanced Micro Devices who makes ATI video cards also has information available on Vista drivers. If you have devices on your PC that come from smaller companies, or those that are old and out of date, you may not be able to get any support at all. Even the bigger companies are not 100% ready for Vista. So it just makes no sense to run right out and buy it just yet!

What about that virus protection software you just paid to renew? Same scenario! Some of these will not work with Windows Vista yet. Another reason to wait on that OS upgrade. As of now, Symantec who makes Norton Internet Security will be ready for Vista. Mcafee has yet to announce their Vista update. Like the peripheral companies, the smaller security companies will tend to take the longest to get up to speed.

With DirectX 10 support, Vista will be a gamers dream. But for now it won't matter much. With graphic cards not all the way there on Vista, and the games themselves dragging behind on availability, gamers won't get the full picture just yet.

Another reason to wait (if you still need to be convinced) is the price. Windows Vista will be offered in 3 different versions for the home PC user. Home Basic, Home Premium, and The Ultimate. Current Windows XP users can upgrade to Vista for $99. That is the most inexpensive way into Vista. Not bad right? Well that is if your satisfied with the cheap version (which will lack some of the coolest benefits). And by going the upgrade (cheap) way, you'll be required to hang on to that Windows XP CD for years to come. Hope you can find it! Plus it will lack the coolest benefits, like the media center and the Aero capabilities. Also with Home Basic, you can't hook up your X-Box peripherals. So when you get Vista, just forget about the Home Basic upgrade.

Home Premium will set you back $239 or $159 (for the upgrade). This is the right pick for those of you who got by well with XP Home. However if you are the kind of person who is using XP Pro and are pretty technical, you'll be lining up for the Ultimate version. The Ultimate version is the Home Premium with all the powerful business features added in. The full version will leave you a whopping $399 lighter in the cash flow department! You can save some money with the upgrade version at $259. That is if you can find that XP CD, and don't mind holding on to it for a while!

These are just a few reasons why Microsoft Windows Vista will be worth waiting for. Believe me there are more, but this should be more than enough ammunition to want to ignore all those Microsoft commercials, about to appear on a TV in your town soon.