Pc Industry’s Upgrade Cycle Poses Dilemma

Q. How can we cope with the continuous influx of new software and hardware that drains our pockets? -Eddy Gugliotta, Venezuela

A. If a new computer or a software upgrade costs more than it’s worth to you, don’t buy it. After all, you don’t have to upgrade. Software will run forever and computer hardware will work as long as it is kept in good repair.

Upgrading is often smart because the quality of your tools - whether shovels, snow skis or software - can have a big impact on your effectiveness and enjoyment. Upgrades can be worthwhile. Right now Microsoft is investing heavily to suggest that people upgrade their operating systems but the world won’t end for people who don’t.

I frequently hear from people who are resentful, or at least a little dismayed, by the fast pace at which computer hardware and software improve. Keeping up is expensive, they complain.

“When, if ever, do you think we will find the optimum home computer system?” asked Nik Howarth of the United Kingdom. “Or will we have to carry on with the upgrading of our PCs?”

It’s true that dramatic innovations in computer hardware come at a furious rate and software companies keep pace. But consumers don’t have to upgrade to better products just because they are available.

You may choose to upgrade if you discover that new equipment or software is a lot more pleasant to use or lets you get more done in a day or solves problems. But nothing, except the benefits of new tools, compels you to buy them.

It’s understandable to be shocked by how rapidly computers go out of date. Cars, televisions, stereos and other expensive items don’t improve nearly so fast.

If you stop and think about it, you realize that the rate of innovation in the personal computer industry is great for consumers. Every couple of years work gets easier because tools are so much better. What’s wrong with that?

Hardware and software companies strive to create products so attractive that consumers buy them even though they may already have similar, older products. This makes the upgrade business a powerful force for innovation.

At Microsoft, for example, we knew we had to make Windows 95 dramatically better than Windows 3.1 or we wouldn’t get people to upgrade. We recognize that one of our toughest competitors is often the previous version of a product - in this case, the old version of Windows.

I don’t think the upgrade cycle is going to change dramatically anytime soon. Five years from now you’ll still want the latest tools because they will do so much more for you.

Q. Why is it that you fly in coach class? -Somelameraol.com

A.It sets a good example. It costs less money. You get there just as fast as flying first-class.

And my body fits. If I were really wide or really tall, I might view the issue differently.

Because I travel about 14 weeks out of each year, airlines sometimes bump me up to first class even though I have a coach ticket. I don’t resist when this happens.

Sometimes when I’ve been seated by an airline in the first-class section I wander back to coach to see if I can find a whole row free. If you lie across several seats on a long night flight, coach is wonderful - much better than first class.

Q. I am 12 years old. I love programming and everything related to computing. When did you start developing software? -Claudio J. Alvarez, Chile

A. I started when I was 13. Not many teenagers were programming back then, which made me unusual. But you are younger than I was when I started. I envy you for getting to start at an earlier age, and with far better machines, than I had.

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