Tips from the Windows Pros: Shopping for the Right Hardware and Software

Many people ask how I decide what hardware and software to purchase or discard when preparing for an operating system upgrade such as Windows XP. Here are some personal notes.

When I want to use one of my old utilities or applications for my Windows XP machine, I first check to see whether what I want to do is already covered by some other program. A better mousetrap is always around. Consider zip utilities, for example. I used to use DOS-based zip programs; then I moved on to WinZip. Under Windows 98, I used Windows 98 Plus!, which includes native support for zip in the GUI, so I could zip and unzip right in the Explorer interface. When I upgraded to Windows 2000 Professional and I was wondering what to use, I popped onto the Web and did a search or two and came across Turbo Zip. I think the link said something about working with NT, so I gave it a shot. Now I'm using Turbo Zip. It works fine under NT and Windows 2000 Professional. Although Windows XP has native compression included, like Windows 98 Plus! and Windows Me, you might want to use WinZip or Turbo Zip if you are familiar with them and like them.

As for productivity applications, I'm game to try anything I was using under Windows 98 and Me: Photoshop, Adaptec Easy CD Creator, CoolEdit 96, Excel 97, Word 97, Ulead Media Studio Pro, RealJukebox MP3 player, FrontPage Express, CuteFTP, ThumbsPlus, even some 3.x applications such as Collage Image Capture (for capturing screen shots for this book). I trust that Windows XP will alert me if the application isn't safe to use.

If I hear that a 32-bit version of a previously 16-bit application is available and will run faster (I usually assume it will at least have some nifty new features, such as better Save As and Open dialog boxes, support for more file formats, or something) then I'll spring for it if the price isn't too outrageous or if an upgrade option is available. Many programs will check online to see if there is a newer version and alert me if there is, often doing an effortless download, and I typically don't complain unless they want more money from me, or there are rumors about "spyware" or annoying pop-up ads associated with the upgrade. Newer isn't always better.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm using an extension to IE called NetCaptor for my browser. Very cool program that uses IE under its hood, but adds a feature called "tabbed pages" at the top of the window, letting you have a zillion Web pages open a once and easily switch between them. Way better than having tons of separate IE windows open. You can also create groups of related Web sites (or your favorite group of sites) and open them all at the same time, with a single click. Of course, other browsers such as Opera and Netscape have had tabs for some time now.

Because I have a PocketPC as my PDA, Microsoft got me hooked on Outlook since that's really the only program that thoroughly integrates with PocketPC PDAs.

About a decade ago, after first starting to use Windows 95, it took me several months to get used to using the desktop and the taskbar. But soon I was converted. Anyone upgrading from Windows 3.x will probably go through the same confusion at first. Whereas my home base had been the 3.x Program Manager and File Manager, I quickly became addicted to dropping folders and documents right on the desktop, dragging files to a floppy drive on the desktop, and so forth. The Windows XP interface is better-looking and has more features than the Windows 9x interface also familiar to Windows Me, NT, and 2000 users, and offers even more file-management features. It's getting easier and easier to copy files around, drop them in email, or view a slide show of images from my digital camera using thumbnails in an Explorer window. The need for many of the shell add-ons that I once used in earlier Windows has vaporized.

When it comes to hardware, although I'm an experimenter and always want to try out the latest gizmos, I'm hardcore practical. Got that from my parents, I guess. Trying out new hardware and returning it aren't nearly as easy as deciding not to purchase software after trying the demo for free. As the saying goes, "Learn from other people's mistakes because you won't live long enough to make them all yourself." Too bad you can't try hardware for free; shipping charges, restocking fees, and hassles with sales people are too much for me to worry about. I don't buy new hardware unless it's on the Microsoft Catalog or HCL for the operating system that I'll be using with the system. It's that easy. I have too much weird off-brand hardware sitting in closets around my office or that I've donated to local community groups just because it didn't work with my operating system. Before I purchase, I also look around to see what the most popular item in a niche is, even if it's not the coolest or most powerful. I bought a PalmPilot even though the CE devices have broader functionality, for example. Buying mainstream means I'll have more add-on products, supplies, cables, media, drivers, and online support from users. That support is worth the extra few dollars or loss of bleeding-edge features any day.

And finally, I usually go for version 2.0. If a product catches on and has industry-wide support, I'll go for it, but not until then. I never bought a Sony Beta VCR, an eight-track tape player, or an Atari or Timex-Sinclair computer.