Taken from PC World Magazine, April 2011 Edition

Can we talk?  Based on the e-mail I receive every day, I know that a lot of people out there are still using Windows XP.  I can understand why; it’s like a comfortable old shoe.  Plus, XP is bought and paid for.  Windows 7 probably seems stiff and scary in comparison, and it’s not as if Microsoft is handing out free upgrades to the latest version of the OS.

That said, it’s really time to move forward – time to put Windows XP out to pasture.  Out with the old, in with the new.  If you’re an XP holdout, I hope you’ll trust that I’m not shilling for Microsoft here, but rather nudging you toward better overall computing.

Here are five reasons why I think it’s time you switched over to Windows 7.

1 – It will solve your networking headaches: Windows XP can be a major pain when it comes to connecting network PCs.  Windows 7, thanks in part to HomeGroups makes it easy as pie.

2 – It’s significantly more secuure: Windows XP is like a leaky balsa-wood boat floating in a sea of malware.  Windows 7 is more like a battleship.  I say this based on experience; I’m running nothing more than Windows 7 and a couple free third-party security tools.

3 – It makes finding your stuff easer: Thanks to practical features such as Libraries and the ubiquitous Search box, you no longer have to waste (as much) time hunting for your documents, photos, MP#s, and the like.

4 – Windows Media Centre is awsome: And that’s especially true if you pair media=playback software with a TV tuner card.  Seriously, the result is better than a PVR.

5 – It’s just… better!  Remember, all of this is merely my opinion, but Windows 7 is packed with all sorts of little conveniences that can make your computing life easier.  You won’t fully appreciate them until you switch back to an XP-based system and your productivity nose-dives.