Why Upgrade to Vista?

So let's get on with it, shall we? Here are my hints for handling the shift from Windows XP to Vista without buying a new computer. Not only will you save some money, but afterward you can put a system-upgrade notch on your geek badge and talk some tech trash to the kids.

Get Ready

First of all, don't over-spec the hardware or software you need.

What will be shocking for most of us who have lived in Microsoft's one-tech-fits-all world is that Bill Gates is actually trying to serve different niches with the new Vista operating system.

Vista system requirements start at 800 MHz for the processor. (Right-click on the computer icon and select "Properties" to find out what your machine has under the hood.) With Vista, you can get by on a crusty old 800 MHz processor running 512 MB of system memory. (That's late 1990s Pentium 3 territory.) And the OS can exploit super-fast 64-bit, 1-GHz processors running 1 GB, if not more, of RAM.

But don't get sucked into the big hardware allure. Assuming you are doing basic computing, your early-millennium, 1 GHz Pentium 4 computer will work just fine -- as long as you kick in some fresh RAM and a new video card.

The eVGA GeForce 5200 or the 3DFuzion 6200, which start at about $35, or the ATI Xpert at $65 if you want to splurge, are more than enough for basic work. Crucial.com or Kingston.com are the places for memory. If you're feeling magnanimous, double that RAM minimum to 2 GB. The extra $100 you spend will be well worth it.

If you want to be extra careful, call up your original vendor. Dell (DELL Quote) or H-P will be more than happy to sell you RAM and video cards. I have found their prices reasonable and they know your machine, which is a nice plus.

And don't get more Vista than you need. The Home Basic upgrade starts at $99 for a perfectly fine operating system. If you want more connectivity options and media functions, spring for the $159 Home Premium edition.

But that's really all you need, unless you want more powerful features. Those are wasted on older computers, though, so don't bother.