Windows 8 is out and everywhere around the intertubes people seem to be scrambling to upgrade.

But why? Are there real operational advantages to be had? Are these worth the cost of the upgrade?

When operating a business, we strive for consistency and predictability. An operating system upgrade can be a massively disruptive to operational continuity.

Before you rush out and upgrade. I’d strongly advise caution. And due consideration of your intentions. Are you upgrading because it’ll be fun and interesting? What technology challenges are you faced with at the moment? Will they be fixed or (more likely) exacerbated by an upgrade?

And if you do upgrade, is Windows 8 what you need given the teething problems that inevitably come with every new version? Windows 7 might be a safer bet given it has now had time to mature and stabilize.

Personally I have never upgraded an operating system ever in the last 13 years. I stick with the factory-provided OS once I have a machine running well - and keep it running well by staying current with patches, and not frivolously installing apps. Every 4-5 years, I get a newer OS with the purchase of a new computer. Skipping an entire OS version is fine by me - I moved from Windows XP service pack 3 to Windows 7 service pack 1 only last year. And I always wait until after the first service patch is out before buying. At this stage, the next new OS for me will probably be Windows 9 service pack 1. I depend on my machines to make a living. The cost of being on the bleeding edge is too high.