I’m frequently asked whether to buy a computer now or wait until Windows 7 is available in late October.
If you buy a Vista computer now that has the hardware I recommend, you will have a fabulous time. It will be speedy and responsive and you’ll have a secure and compatible operating system with some wonderful improvements over Windows XP.
Still, if you’re looking for guidance, my suggestion is: Wait until Windows 7 is released to buy a computer.
Why? It’s easy.
When you tell people you bought a computer with Vista, their shoulders will droop, their eyes will get sad, and their voice will get low and quiet as they say, “Ohhhh. Really? Oh, too bad. I’ve heard it’s awful – nothing works.”
Later this year, when you tell people you’ve bought a computer with Windows 7, their face will light up and they’ll smile and say excitedly, “Cool! I’ve heard it’s great! Do you like it?”
Windows 7 is Vista with a facelift and a new marketing campaign. Does it make a difference what people’s perception is, if it gets your work done? You tell me. I brush off the misperceptions pretty brusquely. I’m buying computers freely, right now.
But don’t underestimate the power of people’s perceptions, divorced from reality. Apple has sold a lot of computers for exactly the same reason. It’s as good a reason to wait as any.
