Buy Windows 7 Or Buy A New PC? ^_^

Now that Windows 7 is out, some of you may be debating whether you should buy Windows 7, or if you would be better off just buying a new computer. With computer prices at an all time low, now is a great time to pick up a decent spec machine for very good value. What’s more, lots of the PC manufactures released new machines to add to their line up when Windows 7 was released which gives you, the consumer even more choice.

Courtesy Techtree.com

Even better than that,if you buy a new PC, with Windows 7 pre installed , you don’t have to go through all that stress of upgrading your current PC to Windows 7. While some users may not be put back by the challenge of updating an OS, I know many people who just wouldn’t be up to it. And the chances are if your thinking of getting a new machine, your running Windows XP, and the upgrade process to Windows 7 is a long and tedious process. But if your up for the challenge have a look at our guide here. If your updating from Windows Vista this process is easier but it does take quite a while.

And even if you have decided to stick with your current computer and update it with Windows 7, there is still the question – Clean Install Or In Place Upgrade? You need to weigh up the various advantages and disadvantages, luckily we have yet another guide for that, see it here

But wait! Have you decided which version of Windows 7 that you want to install onto your machine? Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate? There is different features in each, you can compare them all by seeing our post here

And finally, have you decided where you are going to buy Windows 7? Unfortunately you can’t avail of the special pre-order offers any more, but if you shop around you may find that some places are giving discounts. Try the likes of Amazon, Play.com and Microsoft’s website.

Personally, I would buy a new computer if my current machine wasn’t 64 bit compatible. Why? Well 64 bit computing is starting to become the standard for computers. Yes I know the majority of computers out there are still running 32 bit OS’s but Microsoft and Apple have both started pushing 64 bit with Windows 7 and Snow Leopard respectively. 64 bit has its benefits and disadvantages but if your buying a new computer running 64 bit Windows 7 you will have little or no problems as your machine is already configured for 64 bit. To find out a bit more about 64 bit computing see this post from Jason

Or even if your buying a new computer running a 32 bit version of Windows 7, see if it’s 64 bit compatible as you may decide to change some time in the future. Ideally your looking for a machine with a Intel Core 2 Duo or Quad-core or higher processor, or AMD’s line of 64 bit processors. If your current machine hasn’t got one of these 64 bit compatible processors I’d recommend buying a new 64 bit PC with Windows 7 pre installed, because this will hopefully give your computer an extended lifespan and it won’t become out of date so quickly. And also you don’t have to be worrying about how you are going to install Windows 7.

While Windows 7 has been receiving high praise for its ability to run on low spec machines better than Vista, I still think it would be better to get an average spec machine and you can fully enjoy the benefits Windows 7 has to offer. I’m not saying you have to buy a new machine just to run Windows 7, in fact it’s quite the opposite. But look at it this way, Windows 7 costs from $120 -$220, for an extra few hundred you can buy a decent spec machine and get Windows 7 included.

But of course if your current machine is already quite powerful or relatively new, then upgrading to Windows 7 will probably suffice. And don’t forget that if you purchased your computer after 26th June 09 you may well be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 7 so don’t forget to look into that first.