Justification for upgrading the operating system?

Question

Lets say i plan to upgrade my OS, it doesnt matter which OS i have, but if you were planning on doing the same, why would you do so and what would you look out for?

Answer 1

If you are talking about Windows then each system has a specific predetermined lifecycle after which they will not be supported;

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/products/lifecycle

It does not mean that they will stop working though, just no more security updates etc, so more problems are likely on the older systems as time elapses. Problems are also likely on newly released systems as no one tests them as thoroughly as Joe public in its teeming millions, so wait at least a few months after its release until the major bugs have been ironed out.

A business has different requirements, but as a private user I would not change until the system that I use became unbearably slow or otherwise inefficient compared to a newer version that was available for sensible money, or I wanted it to do new things that the older one could not do properly.

Newer is usually better and more secure in the long run though.

Regards, Bert.

Answer 2

I was at a Linux User Group meeting last night where I was telling people informally that I use the testing version of slackware -- which has updates weekly and every few months you have essentially a new OS -- because 1. the malware writers are always finding new exploits in applications (like samba) so I want the latest security updates and 2. the current stable version is 13.37. Look up LEET in the Wikipedia and you will understand that is a Geek joke I don't want any part of being anti-elitist. But the first half of that is true and it is relevant to your question. The "Macintosh" vulnerability is a JAVA vulnerability.

Answer 3

Adding to what the previous person has said, you would have to look out for compatibility issues with your current hardware - is your current hardware good enough to run the newer OS well? Does it meet the minimum requirements?

Answer 4

any new software will almost always be made primarily for the newest OS available on the market

Answer 5

Greater productivity, better visuals, better security, better compatibility for new programs.