why should i make the switch to Windows 7?

[evil-in-deed]

only switch on a life or death situation...

[bruisedknee]

Do it because everyone is doing it. 

i'm gonna jump over a cliff now

join in!

[bruisedknee]

to help bill gates out....he's poor

to help bill gates out....he's poor

A lot of people here are giving you false information. Here's what you need to know. Windows 7 uses more resources than windows XP so I don't know why people are saying it boots up faster and faster overall. Your boot time depends on your specific computer and the amount of background programs it needs to load when you boot up; i.e. security software, pal talk, etc. What you need to do is figure out whether or not your internal hardware is powerful enough to run Windows 7 at decent speed. But judging from your initial post, I would say that your desktop/laptop is very old if you started out with windows 2k. I would recommend you stay on XP.

my setup is roughly...2-3 yrs old now

i stuck with win2k for the longest time because it was more stable for me

and i'm just not the type to jump on bandwagons until a product has proven itself worthwhile and reliable

[bruisedknee]

Why not wait for winblows 1000?!  In the mean time, go to a Linux based OS or just do what most people are doing and just get OSX for Mac. 

i'm just not a Mac/Linux person

yet

[kyrie_eleison]

i'm just not a Mac/Linux person

yet

It's the learning curve, huh?

[bruisedknee]

It's the learning curve, huh?

my Linux and Mac classes weren't very interesting to me

and by the time i took them, i'd already been hooked on Windows

damn you Gates!

[kyrie_eleison]

my Linux and Mac classes weren't very interesting to me

and by the time i took them, i'd already been hooked on Windows

damn you Gates!

I know...it's like that.  Mr. Linus and Jobs will do that to you.  They'll make working with the OSX and Linux systems SOOOOO EASY that you don't feel like you're not getting your hands dirty since they already did all the work for you. Now here comes Winblows, Mr. Gates presents an alternative... only problem is, you didn't read the fine print.

"Welcome to the Microsoft Windows GARBAGE Operating System.  You bought this b/c you're an idiot.  My source codes aren't all open OS but many hackers and very bright software writers (even more intelligent than I am) have presented you with the ultimate challenge.  Unfortunately, you'll have to figure it all out as you go along.  Ye be forewarned.  Proceed at your own risk."

[kyrie_eleison]

I was just thinking about this other day; I haven't shut down my macbook air and pro in like...2 months give or take a day.  Just goes into sleep mode and turns back on when I open it up.  

I remember my old HP that ran on XP; goes into sleep mode and never wakes up...practical ly comatosed.  Sort of ridiculous; maybe they got that fixed with windows 7 or 8.  I'm sure by the time Windows 1000 comes around, they'll get that resolved.  

[mrhmoobportland]

i used Win2k Pro for the longest time

been using WinXP Pro SP1/2/3 for maybe a year or 2 now

any compelling reason for me to switch to 7?

There are MANY compelling reasons to switch to Windows 7 or 8.  The biggest one is that Microsoft has already stopped providing "Mainstream Support" for Windows XP as of April 14, 2009 for consumers -- THIS MEANS YOU.  You won't receive regular security updates to protect your PC against viruses and malware, but I'm not surprised.  Most Hmong people I know are using bootlegged software anyway that has the updates disabled, and they're almost always already infected.  This is why I never let them bring a memory card to use on my PC, because I don't want their computer STD.

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

The next reason is that Windows XP is stuck with Internet Explorer 8.  If you want Internet Explorer 9, you'll want to upgrade to Windows 7 or 8.  If you don't use Internet Explorer at all, then you can probably live without that.

The third reason to upgrade is for familiarity.  If you wait too long between generations, you will find it a very steep learning curve to adapt to the new operating system.  The most I would suggest skipping is every other version, but if you wait too long, you'll be the odd one out who doesn't know how to use the latest generation of computers.

The longer you wait, the less point there is to upgrade.  Windows 8 is coming out, so if you don't make the jump soon to Windows 7, you might as well wait until Windows 8 comes out.  Unless you're buying it cheap, it's not worth the investment.  And if you're boot legging anyway, then there was no point asking your question -- stick to your boot legged XP until the cows come home, because either way you have no software support and your PC is walking virus/malware time bomb.

If you plan on installing a new Windows operating system on your existing Windows XP computer, be aware that your computer hardware likely won't be able to keep up with the new software and will give you a very nasty experience.  If you want smooth performance, you'll want to invest in a new PC that has Windows 7 or 8, or build one yourself or through a friend, your choice.  Either way, old hardware will give you a bad experience, even though it might work.  The point is -- the software experience will be severely degraded.