In our continuing series to prepare you for Windows 7, which releases on October 22, we answer that one important question: Should you upgrade to Windows 7. Either by purchasing a new PC or upgrading your existing PC from Vista or XP, it can be a tough decision whether or not to make the move to Windows 7. The question is easier for people who are using XP, but it's a little tougher for Vista users.

Windows 7 is, in our opinion, the best operating system that Microsoft has developed to date. It comes on the back of Windows Vista, which when it was released, hardware manufacturers were unprepared and the experience for some users was very poor. These few bad cases spoiled Vista's whole reputation and it became the "runt" of the Windows operating system series. Microsoft has done a lot of change that, mostly in terms of compatibility and user experience. Windows 7 is a lot more friendlier for users and we will not see any issues arise that will be anywhere near the caliber they were with Vista.

The user interface of the taskbar has been redesigned to work more efficiently and other smaller interface tweaks are abound. However, the biggest change is "under the hood" as Microsoft has cleaned up the Vista codebase to provide a more stable experience. Many programs that had issues running under Vista run perfectly under 7 and for programs that still don't work, Microsoft has created "XP Mode", which lets users run an older software program in a seamless Windows XP experience inside Windows 7's interface.

If you currently are using Windows XP, it will probably be a good idea to purchase a new computer because it's most likely that your computer is older than 5 years. However, if you have upgraded your system since your bought it and if it runs XP and current versions of software in an acceptable fashion, then you may want to consider buying a copy of Windows 7 and installing onto your existing PC. If you want to play 3D games or perform intensive tasks, like video editing, you will probably want to buy a new computer because these tasks require newer hardware altogether. If you just use your computer for simple tasks, like Internet surfing and e-mail, an upgrade to Windows 7 with compatible hardware would be acceptable. We do, however, recommend that all XP users stop using XP in one way or another, either by upgrading to 7 or buying a new computer for two reasons: stability & security. Windows 7 is much more secure mostly because Microsoft has made many security enhancements to Windows 7 over Windows XP and will be supporting 7 for future fixes in the long run. Windows 7 is more stable because it will work with any new hardware that you purchase or put into your computer, where XP may not because many hardware manufacturers are not longer releasing XP drivers for new hardware. It's also less likely to crash or get a virus because of a few security measures in place in 7, like user account control (UAC).

If you do wish to upgrade, these are the system requirements to run Windows 7:

• 1GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

The most important requirement to keep in mind is the RAM and we recommend that you have a minimum of 2GB regardless of 32- or 64-bit CPUs. If your computer doesn't meet these recommendations, then you'll want to buy a new computer or upgrade your system to meet (and ideally, exceed) them.

For users using Windows Vista, the decision is not so clear cut. If you bought a new PC that was certified for Vista and came with Vista installed, you're system will run Windows 7 without a doubt. If you are one of those users frustrated with Vista because of annoying UAC prompts or software incompatibilites, then upgrading to 7 is your best option. If you are currently happy with the way Vista is running on your system, then it would be OK to not upgrade at all or at the moment. You will at least be able to upgrade down the line, whether that's a year from now or longer. Windows 7 does offer more stability and compatibility over even Vista SP2, so we recommend that everyone moves to Windows 7 just for that reason, but the decision is ultimately up to you. You may not gain any significant features that will change the way your use your computer, but at least it will work better.

There are a few new features that would may warrant certain users to upgrade to Windows 7, but that varies on a user-by-user basis. For a full rundown of new features in Windows 7, visit our Windows 7 review.

If you do intend on upgrading your system to Windows 7, you can choose to perform an in-place upgrade or a clean install. We recommend a clean install because that will ensure a fully running installation that will not cause any issues in the future. Windows XP users cannot do an in-place upgrade, so they must erase everything and do a clean install. To find out how to use tools built into Windows 7 to help you backup and move your data to your new installation, visit our Windows 7 upgrade guide.