Upgrades
Don't forget though that people don't automatically partition their hard disk into an operating system volume, an application volume and data volume - I do now but I haven't always done so in the past - This makes identification of your data files, if you have lots of them, difficult - for backup/ coping. Thus people are tempted to install a new operating sys, (I include XP SP2, and XP3 as new -Argument developing) as an upgrade instead of a complete new start, e.g. Vista to Win 7. Remember ther's no direct way of upgrading to win 7 from XP and this is a big impediment. I have not used win 7 yet - my kit base is, with two exeptions, not upto it.
I imagine most MS vista applcations will run well under win 7 but its the non MS apps that we all tend to accrue over time, Nero anyone, and gradual tweeks that make our systems effective to use. Win 7 native support for SATA is a big bonus, as is better memory addressing, but the gotya's will be in Anti virus / anti Malware applications - Backup (although I suspect that Win 7 has an improved algorithm) and sound/video cards. Remember XP virtual M/C is only avalable if your processor can support it and aif you are using one of the more expensive versions of Win 7.
For now is XP SP3 and Ubuntu 9.04 for me.
Addendium: Apersonal got'ya on Ubuntu Azus one netbook - The latest fix seems to cause Grub loader to stop working properly - On first boot after installing the update on a XP / Ubuntu PC you can only select Ubuntu from the boot menu and not any other option. On an XP dual boot use the grub editor to tell grub to set XP as the default option and grub will work properly on re starting. Has anyone else seen this little prob.
CAT III.