Hasta la VISTA, baby!

According to Wikipedia, the above Spanish term is translated as "Until the (next) sighting" and means "See you later" and "Goodbye." The phrase has been made famous in our pop culture by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” and also by several musicians.

In this case, it seemed the perfect way to say goodbye to Microsoft’s Windows VISTA operating system.

Microsoft is ceasing support for Windows VISTA on April 11. Using a computer running on Windows VISTA after that date, although functional, will increase your risk exposure especially when connected to the internet as Microsoft will NOT be releasing patches to cover up newly found vulnerabilities.

At this juncture a supported Windows operating system will be Windows 10; most newer Windows systems on the market come with Windows 10 pre-installed. You have other options, such as performing an in-place upgrade, i.e. using the same hardware and just upgrading the operating system to Windows 10 or even Windows 7.

This option may have lost its luster as computers have become commodities. Since Microsoft ended their free upgrade to Windows 10, a license will cost you $120. In doing that, you may also want to plan for possibly replacing hardware components that are too old and by the time you figure in parts and labor, whether you do it yourself or pay someone, it may easily surpass the cost of a new PC that you can find on sale starting at around $400. You may even find a cheaper, Windows 7-based system but Microsoft will again say, “Hasta la vista, baby!” to Windows 7 in early 2020 so keep that in mind. Finally, if budget permits, you can jump ship to an Apple product.

As many of my readers know, I believe the “Power of One” devices, aka tablets and smartphones, can be appropriate replacements. Whereas computers are known to do everything and the kitchen sink, many people may find tablets and smartphones are more intuitive to use for basic tasks like communicating through email and video chat, browsing the internet, reading news and shopping. Even I find myself reaching for a Power of One device 70 percent of the time, while using personal computers for tasks involving creation of documents, spreadsheets and projects for my professional responsibilities.

The most important takeaway is that if you use a personal computer running Windows VISTA, take action before Microsoft says, “Hasta la VISTA, baby!” on April 11 to manage your risk exposure!

Tak Sato

Technology and Organization Strategist with over 25 years of experience. Holds Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Science and Executive MBA from Cleveland State University.

As co-founder of Center for Aging in the Digital World, a nonprofit empowering seniors through technology, and founder of geek with a heart with the service mark "Hand-holding You in the Digital World", Tak helps people utilize appropriate technology in their personal and professional lives.

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Volume 9, Issue 6, Posted 10:11 AM, 03.21.2017