I recently began thinking again about some fairly serious subjects as they relate to our use of technology as a society.

With Windows Version 7 running around on the Internet these days, it seems clear that those of us running Windows XP, or (heaven forbid) Windows Vista may end up looking at the need to upgrade again.

Yet I can't help but wonder how much we really need to upgrade our operating system?

Those of us using Windows XP have stuck with it doggedly, through three service packs, massive numbers of security updates, three ENTIRELY SEPARATE VERSIONS of Internet Explorer (it seems a long time ago when Internet Explorer 6 was new, doesn't it?), and simply dealing with its many quibbles (security and spyware, anyone?).

Yet a lot of us are still tied to XP, for whatever reasons. Vista was a poor excuse to upgrade. It had driver issues, and simply didn't perform well on systems that weren't high-end. There was absolutely nothing to draw the typical customer in except "Ooh, look at the shiny new interface!" The vast majority of us simply decided it wasn't worth the bother.

Yet has that changed since late 2006-early 2007 when Vista was released? Is there a need NOW to upgrade?

I'm curious to hear what everyone out there thinks. When and why do you upgrade your operating system, and why?