Hi all
Updates and "newer" stuff doesn't always mean better.
For example things like NERO are so full of bloat and un-needed features that 90% of the people who used to use this as "The standard" DVD / CD burning application have switched to alternatives -- often cheaper too.
Take also Office 2010 -- now if you used EXCEL 2007 (or 2003 -- probably IMO the BEST version of this product) you used to be able to set a very useful "tagging" feature which would allow you to dynamically retrieve Stock prices etc etc.
This has been dropped in 2010 -- you can if you are an expert in VBA get similar functionality but most users of this type of stuff AREN'T PROGAMMING GURU'S.
For example
Download and Keep Track of Stocks in Excel 2007 - How-To Geek
But those getting 2010 won't get this stuff so easily. It can still be done but it's NOT simple so a typical office user would not normally be able to do it unlike 2007 and 2003 versions.
I am these days very suspicious before upgrading ANYTHING - especially software and always run stuff on Virtual machines to check them out.
I remember a ditty about GM (General Motors) back in the 1970's - It was said if you kept a car longer than 6 months you'd get a warning red light on the dashboard with a caption saying "You're Cheating" and after a further 3 months components would break down according to a well designed "Planned Obsolescence" algorithm.
I'm not ANTI progress -- but just look at the perfectly serviceable hardware being junked just because W7 for example doesn't have proper drivers etc etc.
I just think we should be really suspicious of "upgrade for Upgrades sake"
Many people will still be perfectly happy running XP for the next 20 years if they can --and why shouln't they if thats all their application requirements demand.
Now newer technology such as 3-d, holographic imaging, video / audio streaming / authoring etc DOES require newer OS'es and hardware so I'm not at all against new development -- but we should keep this stuff in check and remember that many many users won't EVER need this stuff.
Cheers
jimbo