We generally like the Windows 7 operating system and recommend it for new computers.  However, upgrading an existing computer to Windows 7 is not necessarily a good idea. 

Computers with Windows XP (or earlier versions of Windows)

We generally recommend against upgrading any computer with a Windows XP or older operating system to Windows 7.  Most are simply not compatible.  Newer computers with a sticker saying that they are Vista compatible are usually compatible with Windows 7.  Upgrading from XP to Windows 7 involves a full reinstall of the operating system.  This means that all of your programs will need to be reinstalled as well as your data transferred.  In addition, upgrading to Windows 7 may cause the computer to become sluggish. 

Computers with Vista

For several months before the introduction of Windows 7, computers with Vista came with an upgrade certificate.  In these cases we recommend that client take advantage of the option and upgrade their computer.  For earlier Vista machines we've had mixed results.  In some cases the upgrade seemed to slow the computer down or cause occasional lockups while other clients experienced no problems.