Don't let the title fool you, there's no "upgrade" from XP to Windows 7--a clean install is required, as is a complete reinstall/testing of all your essential programs, and a migration of your data. This process, as noted in my previous IT Bulletin entitled "Win 7 Redux" is tremendously time consuming and costly. In spite of these obstacles, we are strongly recommending adoption of Windows 7 within Q1 2010 for all of our clients using Windows XP.

One key question that has arisen is "Should I upgrade my old desktop/laptop or buy a new one with Win 7 pre-installed?":

The following article is directily excerpted from "Free Software Magazine" and was written by Ryan Cartwright from Equitas IT in the UK. Ryan concisely voices a position I have held for well over a decade. It represents what should be the nail in Microsoft's coffin.

We're two weeks into Window 7 and the most significant feedback indicates that the upgrade process from XP is a spectacular pain in the ass.Essentially, it is what we IT Pros would call a parallel or sideways install. This type of install is a complete, new install that once in place necessitates a move of the users data from the old system to the new. While this approach is good in the sense that it avoids the problem of "upgrading" possibly corrupt XP files, it can be an arduous process.