Windows Views

>>The debut of Microsoft's new Windows Vista and Office 2007 made headlines with promises of new and improved capabilities, but business owners should think twice before running out and buying the recently released operating system and software package, local computer consultants say.

Windows Vista and Office 2007 could require a bigger investment than anticipated, including new computers, upgrades to existing ones and training. As a result, companies that have not budgeted for these needs this year might want to wait before buying it, because there are inevitable kinks when systems are changed.

"It's not just the cost in dollars [of the new system]. There is a cost in training, time and frustration with having to learn new things," says Mike Peterson, owner of Computer Medics, a support and service company in Fort Myers.

Peterson recommends that people wait until they need a new computer to switch to the Vista system.

Since the new system looks so different from Windows XP, Vista's five-year-old predecessor, it could require additional computer training. Microsoft has tossed out familiar menus and buttons, and replaced them with a "ribbon" of settings that change according to a user's

specific task.

"There is going to be a large learning curve," Peterson says. "It's more like the Macintosh system. It's closer-looking to Macintosh than Windows XP."

The Office 2007 features might also be eye-opening to the average business owner, says Elaine Levidow, whose Fort Myers company, The Training Domain Inc., provides computer classes and consulting. Office 2007 users will be taken aback at how different the new Office looks from previous versions.

"It's going to be a surprise for people," she says. "I was saying to myself, 'Where are the menus? Where are the menus?' And I'm very well trained."

This is the first time since 1995 that Microsoft has simultaneously released new versions of Windows and Office, the software package that includes Word and Excel. The software maker is touting Vista's improved security and parental control, but software vendors have complained that Vista's vaunted security features are locking them out. Critics say a number of Vista features and bundled applications also are available on Windows XP.

Computer makers say Vista, which has more graphics capabilities, will require more processing power and memory than is typical of today's mainstream machines. This could mean a business owner might be forced to buy a new computer or upgrade the existing one.

Even Kent Technologies, a Microsoft Gold Partner firm, advises business owners who don't plan to buy new computers to wait before switching to Vista.

"We've been privy to [Vista] for about a year, and [Microsoft] keeps coming out with the latest revisions," says Marc Farron, vice president of the Bonita Springs computer sales and consulting company. Also, he adds, "to run it really well, you need two gigabytes of RAM."

Those planning to buy new computers should consider switching to Vista, with this caveat: Make sure a company's programs are compatible with the Vista system.

"Our advice is to do a software check for compatibility with unique programs, not [just] basic programs that everyone has heard of," he says.

Vista can handle 98 percent of business programs, but a company might have one, such as a minor real estate program, that won't operate with Vista, he says. "It might be some particular private network software you bought, which you rely on every day, that might not be Vista-compatible yet."

Farron emphasizes that Vista has great benefits. "There are millions of advantages. Microsoft did a very good job with this. It's a beautiful operating system," he says. "It's much easier [to use], it's much faster, and it's much more secure."

However, any new operating system and software program will have kinks at first, which might be good reason to wait before purchasing the new system. "They'll come out with another version in a month or two; it will be far better and far more stable," Farron says.

Regardless of whether a business decides to go with Vista right now, Farron recommends that it seriously consider installing Office 2007. Windows XP can handle this package.

"We've been running it for a while; it's very stable," he says. "It has a little bit of a new interface that you need to get used to. It has a lot of nice features."

Levidow agrees that Vista has advantages for businesses, but the additional memory it needs is a distinct disadvantage. "It does have increased security built in," she says. "It does have an easier user interface. It's more graphic-oriented and it would be, from a visual respect, a bit more simplified. But [the drawback is] really the power behind it."