Upgrades to Computer Hardware and Software - why bother?

As far as hardware is concerned, the decision to upgrade a computer usually comes down to a couple of reasons:   The equipment is failing or a new application won't run on the current hardware.

When deciding on whether to upgrade a computer or purchase a new system, ask the following questions:

1.  Is the cost of the upgrade more than 50% of the cost of a new system?  Take into account all of the costs to do the upgrade: parts, labour and possibly file transfer/support after the upgrade.

2.  Will the upgrade give the computer a longer, more useful life?  Don't throw your money away.

3.  What is the maximum upgrade path available for the computer?  Check with the PC Manufacturer.

With newer systems, it is usually possible to upgrade the disk, RAM and the processor and get a substantial increase in performance.  With older systems, such as the 486 and early Pentium class processors, the upgrade cost could almost equal the price of a new system, without providing much of a performance boost.

Software upgrades pose a different dilemma.  If the software is working, why upgrade to a newer version?  The answer to this question becomes one of "pay me now or pay me later".  As the product evolves, whether it is an application or operating system, new features are added, bugs are fixed and performance is improved.  There should be a compelling reason to pay for the upgrade but if the new version offers nothing you need, it is hard to justify the expense.

However, if the product has moved through several versions by the time you need to do the upgrade, it may suddenly become apparent that there is no upgrade path from the version you are using to the latest one.  Another scenario would have you do each upgrade individually from one version to the next until you were at the current release.  With major software vendors, the upgrade path is usually quite easy to follow and there are no major surprises.  But be aware that support for earlier versions may become non-existent or scattered across the net on various knowledge bases that will require a lot of digging to find.

 

The bottom line:  Chemong Computer Services will help you evaluate your hardware and software upgrade requirements, give you a quote with no hidden costs and perform the work to your satisfaction.

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