Windows Upgrade Report - Essay Example

Upgrading to Windows 7 Number Windows XP is the most reliable and used OS. There is a clear separation between the operating system and the application programs in Windows XP. As a result applications which could get into the peripheral openly in the earlier versions could now run through the operating system sequentially to get to the peripherals. Porting of applications like games is not possible in this OSThe OS is a general purpose making it less efficient as compared to custom applications.

This calls for increased memory and faster processor. Later versions of XP required more than 266 MB of Random Access Memory and up to 1GB processor. XP is termed a real operating system capable of working on a separated mode giving maximum benefits in terms of server features for home and office use.WINDOWS 7Windows 7 came to live in 2009 as a replacement for Window XP. The Edition was designed for business, home and desktop use. The graphic features improved those of XP and implored the 3D.

The “super bar” improved the architecture of the task bar with better coding scheme for instant access. In addition to Windows Media player, the new revolutionary Windows Movie Maker and Windows Photo Gallery updated the media segment (Er. Vivek Sharma, 2013).Windows 7 is available in many versions and present different features. Windows 7 is available in Starter, Premium, Enterprise, Professional and Ultimate. A user has a choice of these versions according to their needs. The system adopted higher requirement specifications than those of XP.

Windows 7 is characterized by 64-bit and 32-bit architecture with 64-bit 1 GHz processor. The minimum RAM size mandatory is 2GB with a lowest amount of 20 GB hard disc. The 32-bit architecture has a RAM requisite of 1GB. This is the disadvantage with Windows 7 if the current hardware does not suite the requirements. Another issue is that Windows XP is not easily upgraded to Windows 7. Window 7 Enterprise has a number of features that minimizes cost for the business user. Direct Access is one such feature.

Like the Direct Access, Branch cache is another application in Windows 7 that can be utilized together Windows server 2008 to improve the speed of extracting data from remote locations by caching the information in the intranet or the internet the first time it is requested. Other advancements include VDI, App locker, Federated search and Language Pack (Abraham Silberschatz, 2013).WINDOWS 8Windows 8 was first released for manufacturing on August 2012 and is an extension of the 6.2 version of the Windows NT Kernel.

The new improvements on Windows 8 are geared towards mobile platforms. It features a touch user interface and shell based Metro design language with a new Start screen and dynamically updating applications in the form of tiles. The start screen is a replacement of the start menu. Apart from this, it has a Window Store application that acts as a store for free and commercial applications to be run on the OS.Windows 8 has utilized advanced computing technologies such as USB 3.0, Cloud computing, ARM architecture, near field communication and Advanced Format.

Security features include built-in antivirus capability, digital distribution process, and synchronization of applications between multiple platforms. USB 3.0 allow for speedy data transfer and power management while near field communication allows sharing of information between devicesWindows 8 is ultimately superior to Windows 7 and I recommend a direct upgrade to Windows 8 in order to utilize the features stated herein. According to Microsoft, the improved security features include PIN and picture passwords as well as antivirus advancements for Windows Defender.

Sky Drive is a cloud computing application allowing users to save files directly to the cloud. With improved mobile broadband, the OS can detect the attachment of SIM cards and automatically configure APN, tract and minimize bandwidth use on limited networks (Er. Vivek Sharma, 2013).ReferencesAbraham Silberschatz, P. B. (2013). OPERATING SYSTEM CONCEPTS, 6ED, WINDOWS XP, 7,8. Wiley India Pvt. Limited.Er. Vivek Sharma, E. M. (2013). Design and Implementation of Operating System. Laxmi Publications, Ltd.