Last month’s column remains timely, if anything, more so since a month has passed – so we’re doing a summer re-run. If you caught our column last month, check out the articles below. If you didn’t, read on…
Summer’s here, and as often happens, many technology updates get pushed off to the Fall when it seems everyone gets back to business again. That’s typically not a great idea, but it’s a decision without any terrible consequences most of the time. And speaking as the folks doing many of those technology updates, it gives us a bit of a break, too.
However, this summer, that may not be such a good plan. If you’ve been following our updates here, in person, and even in the news, you’re aware that Windows 7 will no longer be supported by Microsoft in January of 2020. Most computers should be upgraded or replaced to run Windows 10 before then. But with six months to accomplish this, there’s plenty of time, right?
Yes, and no. Yes, there’s time on the calendar. No, there’s several items to consider that favor not waiting. First, if you have more than a few computers to upgrade or replace, starting now at least provides time to spread out the financial and organizational impact of the changes. But, it’s more than just that.
The trade war and tariffs, real or expected, are starting to affect the price of computers. It’s hard to predict, but we’re already seeing price increases – and waiting 4 months to upgrade could be a decision that adds 30% to the cost of a replacement PC.
Microsoft is already pushing some updates to Windows 7, that if not applied, may make it impossible to get updates for the rest of the year. Those updates have had some problems of their own, including breaking a computer’s network connection! Windows 10 doesn’t have this problem.
And finally, there’s an Intel chip shortage involving the processors used in the most common business PCs. Supply goes down, price goes up, even without tariffs. Or worse, the usual desktop PC isn’t available at all, forcing the decision of buying more than is needed, or hoping to get by with less than usual power and specs.
All of these point to the conclusion that when it comes to tech upgrades, at least for Windows 7 to 10 upgrades, sooner is better than later. If your upgrades aren’t already underway, talk to us about how to get started.
