A Little History

Windows ‘95 was a new direction for Microsoft and there were serious challenges with it, and then things got fixed with Windows ‘98, especially the Second Edition.

Windows ME was rushed out the door too fast and back then when someone came to me with a computer problem that made no sense, I learned to ask, “Are you running Win ME?”, and they would say yes, and I would tell them to revert back to Win ‘98. Then XP came out, and things got fixed again.

Then it was Vista’s turn, and once again the populace got out their pitchforks. Vista had issues, but I still run it without many problems, and while I think that Windows 7 would be an improvement, I’m not running out for an upgrade. Perhaps you are looking for something new, though, and if so, this post is everything I’ve been able to dig up about what your options are…

Upgrading to Windows 7

There are several ways to buy Windows 7, if you do want an upgrade. The best price you will find is through Microsoft’s Student Offer. If you live in the US, you can get an upgrade for $30, in Canada for $40. Considering that the Canadian Dollar was almost at parity with the US dollar when Win 7 was released, it seems pretty steep to charge an extra 30% just for being Canadian. Not that I’m bitter.

The thing to know about this offer is that you don’t get physical media. You don’t get a CD or a DVD. You just download a program which upgrades your existing installation. From what I read, it can’t be used to do a clean install (deleting everything off the hard drive and starting from scratch with a clean installation). It can only upgrade, which likely means you have to have Vista installed, since an upgrade from XP isn’t possible. It also means you’ll have to stay with 32-bit, and won’t be able to switch to 64-bit, because transitioning your computer requires a clean install.

If your computer crashes or you want to reinstall, you’ll have to reinstall your older version of Windows, and then run the upgrade program again, which may mean having to download it again. The only way you can download it over again is if you still have access to your student email. So, if you’re in your final year, make sure you don’t delete the upgrade program you download. If you lose your student email account on graduation, you may not be able to get access to the upgrade you paid for. This upgrade option is provided by a third-party vendor, you’re not buying directly from Microsoft.

I only know what I’ve read, but some people seem to be suggesting that each download will only install once, meaning that if you need to reinstall, you’ll have to re-download. I don’t know if that’s the case, but if it is, it means that if your computer ever crashes once you graduate and lose your email, you’ll be shopping for new software. $30-40 for the new Operating System is a really good deal, but buyer beware, there are some drawbacks. The offer expires at the end of 2009, so don’t wait too long if you want to take advantage of it.

The Family Pack

The second-least-expensive way to get Windows 7 is through the Family Pack. This gets you three installations of Windows 7 Home Premium for the same household. In Canada, you can find it for $180. In the US, $150. So, not quite so severe a ‘Canada Tax’. Not that I’m bitter.

If you have several Windows machines in your house, and they’re all fairly new, this might be a good option for you. In the US, that’s $50/machine, and in Canada, $60/machine.

Fortunately, Family Pack version of Windows 7 appears to come with both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the program available on the disc, so there’s no need to make a choice when you’re buying the software, you can choose the best option for each of your machines.

Running the 64-bit version if your hardware will handle it has one huge advantage: memory. 32-bit systems have a built in limitation of 4GB of RAM. 64-bit systems are capable of using much more RAM. Your motherboard will have a maximum amount of memory you can install, but even if your motherboard can handle 8 or 16 GB of RAM, if you’re running a 32-bit Operating System, you can’t install more than 4GB.

Some sources seem to be indicating that the Family Pack is a short term program that won’t be around too long. So, don’t wait too long if you want one.

Half Off with a New Machine

Several retailers are authorized to drop the price of an upgrade copy of Windows 7 to half price if you buy a new machine that comes with Windows 7 already installed. If you plan to continue using an older computer alongside your new computer, its often more convenient to have them both running the same system. This is yet another a limited time offer.

University Bookstore

If you’re a student, but want physical media, you can buy a copy of Windows Ultimate from your bookstore. I’m not sure what the prices are like in the US, but here in Canada, it will be around $99. This is the fancier version, which is normally much more expensive. Most people will be happy with the Home Premium version, however, so this probably only makes sense if you’re not in a position to share, you want to make sure you have physical media, or you really want the best possible version of Windows 7. Unlike the other student upgrade offer, this time you’re buying directly from Microsoft, not a third-party vendor.

One is the Loneliest Windows that You’ll Ever Buy

Finally, you have the option to just buy a single upgrade if you’re not a student. The single upgrade is about 2/3 the cost of the Family pack, though, so if you’re upgrading only two computers, the Family Pack is still more cost effective. Who knows, you might find some use for that third install at some point.

If you buy a single copy of Win 7 upgrade, make sure that you check whether it is 64-bit or 32-bit. You can test your machine before you go shopping by downloading the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor for free from www.microsoft.com.

If your computer will handle it, the 64-bit version will allow you to install more memory and run 64-bit programs, which should be much more common in the coming years. 32-bit machines are going to get very rare because the default amount of memory included in a new machine right now is 4GB, and if you aren’t running 64-bit, some of that memory gets wasted. As machines offering 6 or 8 GB of memory become more and more common, 32-bit machines are going to start to look second-rate really quick.

Just a Little Bit

A ‘bit’ is the smallest unit of measurement in a binary system, which a computer uses to communicate internally using only ‘0′ and ‘1′. Early systems started with 8bits ‘01010101′ and have slowly started including more and more bits, to the point where the most current systems operate with 64bits.

• Kilobyte (KB) = 1,024 bytes
• Megabyte (MB) = 1,024 KB
• Gigabyte (GB) = 1,000 MB
• Terrabyte (TB) = 1,000 GB
• Petabyte (PB) = 1,000 TB
• Exabyte (EB) = 1,000 PB
• Zettabyte (ZB) = 1,000 EB
• Yottabyte (YB) = 1,000 ZB

And on and on it goes. Computers, as they get more and more powerful require more and more memory.

Upgrading

RAM is one of the easiest things to upgrade in your computer. It comes in sticks that insert into slots in your computer. Turn the machine off, open up the case, flip open the clips on the slot, pull out the old stuff if you don’t have open slots and gently pop the RAM into place. When you restart the computer it will automatically recognize the new RAM and start using it, as long as it’s the right type.

It is very important to make sure that you have the right type of memory. Memory comes in different speeds, and the wrong speed of RAM won’t be recognized by your computer, although most RAM has the ability to operate at it’s normal speed and one speed lower. Sometimes the higher speed of RAM is cheaper, so buying faster RAM and letting it operate at less than it’s optimal speed might make sense. If you’re unsure, take the computer into the store and the nice people behind the counter will charge you a nominal fee to take care of all the grunt work. Some types of RAM must be installed in pairs.

Discerning Your Limitations

Every computer has a motherboard. It’s a large piece of silicon that everything else plugs into. It’s like the frame of a car. Everything else gets bolted on. Every motherboard has a maximum amount of RAM that it will accept. As a rule of thumb, most computers ship with motherboards that will accept twice the amount of RAM they came with. If your computer comes with 2 Gigs of RAM, it will usually be upgradeable to 4 Gigs. When you’re looking into buying a new computer, check to see what it’s capable of handling.

Slot Me In

Laptops usually come with two slots for RAM. Desktops often come with two, but sometimes come with three or four slots. Having extra slots is a real advantage. If you only have two slots, and both of them are filled with RAM when the computer ships, you’ll need to remove some of the RAM you’ve already paid for to be able to put your new RAM in. If your computer has empty slots you can buy more RAM and not have to take out what you’ve already paid for. Smaller amounts of RAM are less expensive, so it’s usually cheaper to put 4Gigs of RAM in your machine by buying 4 x 1Gig than 2 x 2Gigs. When you’re buying a new computer, check not only how much RAM is included, but also if that RAM is taking up all the available memory slots. It’ll save you money in the long run if you don’t have to toss out memory you’ve already paid for.

32bit or 64bit OS

When computers first came out, they were 8bit systems. This means that the information that the computer uses internally came in 8 digit chunks. Combinations of ‘0′ and ‘1′ that were 8 long, ‘01010101′. Then, 16 bit systems came out. These used binary code that was 16 digits long, ‘0101010101010101′. These systems were more powerful, because they could communicate larger numbers more quickly. 32bit systems replaced those, and we’re now making the transition to 64bit systems.

The reason why this makes a difference for a discussion on RAM, is that 32bit Windows systems cannot use more than 4Gigs of memory (Mac limits are more generous). Because RAM is not the only type of memory on a system, a 32bit Windows system really doesn’t make use of more than 3Gigs of RAM, even if 4Gigs are physically installed on the machine. 3Gigs is still a decent amount of RAM in this day and age, but 64bit computers are already starting to come out with 6 and 8Gigs of RAM installed.

If you buy a 32bit PC today, it is probably going to come with 3 or 4Gigs of RAM installed. It is not possible to upgrade a 32bit system beyond 4 Gigs and there’s no point in putting in more than 3Gigs, but manufacturers aren’t making that clear in their promotional material. 3Gigs of RAM is probably fine for a typical user, but most people buy a computer with the expectation that they will be able to upgrade it, and anyone who buys a 32bit system with that expectation is in for a shock when they go to bump up their RAM. Buyer beware.