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Same thing I say

Joe_Raby 13th Jan 2010

I usually tell clients the following:

If they're coming from XP, Windows 7 is a big switch. They should probably buy it with new hardware on their desktop fleet because systems that came with XP probably won't run it that well (unless they were Vista licenses that were downgraded to XP).

If they're coming from Vista, and they think that Windows 7 will change everything drastically, someone needs to give their head a shake. If their Vista machines are slow and clunky, it's more than likely the configuration, not Vista itself. Windows 7 won't magically change every woe that they blame on Vista just because it's new. The only upside with Windows 7 upgrades from Vista compatibility problems is XP Mode, but then they probably already decided to stick with XP just for that reason anyway.

If they want to upgrade to Windows 7, and have compatibility problems with legacy software and Vista, my recommendation is to wait until their upgrade cycle and buy new AMD hardware with Windows 7 Pro, take advantage of native 64-bit for all their normal applications like Office, and run XP Mode for their legacy applications (XP Mode is 32-bit too).

Generally speaking, if an application hasn't been tested enough to work on 64-bit, it probably runs like crap on Vista or Windows 7 anyway. Software and hardware that isn't compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Vista/7 should be avoided like the plague because those vendors are bad news for strategic IT adopters. They'll keep you behind the curve. XP Mode is a temporary software compatibility solution. AMD's platforms with VT support are a lot cheaper than Intel's offerings though, and that's why I recommend them. XP Mode is one of those last-mile compatibility options for businesses wanting to upgrade, and it's a 32-bit environment, so it can allow those old applications to run, regardless of the host environment. It's a crutch though. Get your software vendors to update their wares.

FYI: Hardware that is WHQL "Certified for Windows" has to pass driver tests for both 32-bit and 64-bit support. Hardware vendors that still haven't written drivers for Vista 64-bit are WAAAAY behind. There really isn't much reason for anybody to stick with a 32-bit platform anymore now that Windows 7 includes XP Mode. Even USB devices are supported. I use Windows 7 Pro x64 with XP Mode for compatibility with my Dymo DiscPainter. I have the the device disabled in the host OS Device Manager, but it works in XP Mode because Dymo doesn't write their own drivers, and the contract development company they use sucks big time.