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  • Definition?

    I just barely had a call that left me wondering, what exactly constitutes an upgrade?

    The guy kept insisting that he hadn't upgraded to Vista, he had wiped the computer clean of the previous OS, and then installed Vista.

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I thought an upgrade was, replacing an older version with a newer. Or am I just crazy?

  • #2
    The only thing I can think is that some people consider "upgrade" getting a new or better version of the same product / software. And to a lot of people "Windows XP" and "Windows Vista" are not the same product / software. To them that's like replacing Word Perfect with Microsoft Word or something.

    Some people are dumb.
    "The things that I remember best - those are the things I wasn't supposed to do…."

    I'm coming back as a Schooner Wharf Bar dog.

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    • #3
      Actually, if I'm not mistaken, there's 2 versions of Vista. One which is the entire system from scratch, and one that will just upgrade your exsisting XP to Vista. I might be wrong though.

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      • #4
        To me an upgrade would be if you had Adobe CS2 and upgraded to CS3. Same product, newer version. XP and Vista and completely different.
        "If all else fails...blame the dog"

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        • #5
          He's done a clean install of a new OS. It's not an upgrade because it hasn't carried over previous configuration details (e.g. wallpaper), and it the previous OS is irrelevant (e.g. it might have been Linux).
          ludo ergo sum

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          • #6
            Well, Microsoft's "upgrade" are actually the full thing with a extra step to check if you have a previous version of the software. So you can wipe the hard-drive and start over (you do have to provide the CD of older Windows). At least, that what they did with every "Upgrade" up until Vista. So I'm assuming they did the same for Vista.

            However, some companies say "Upgrade" to mean upgrade from even an competitor's products. I call those price breaks.

            However, back to the original question. "Upgrade" means several things, all different depending on the company you're talking to. So, I usually wait for the context, then I figure out which type of "upgrade" the person is speaking of.
            I've lost my mind ages ago. If you find it, please hide it.

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            • #7
              Quoth nekoro View Post
              The guy kept insisting that he hadn't upgraded to Vista, he had wiped the computer clean of the previous OS, and then installed Vista.

              Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I thought an upgrade was, replacing an older version with a newer. Or am I just crazy?
              You are both right.

              Technically it is an upgrade, but not an upgrade in the way the guy is thinking. In terms software, an upgrade is when you have an existing copy of windows and install a new version without removing the old copy beforehand, such that you install over the old version and keeping the old data that's on the machine in tact.

              What he did was a nuke & pave, or, more commonly called a "clean" or "full" install.

              At my company we have two procedures for installing a new version of our software. One is just a flat-out install, in which it just gets rid of everything and installs itself from scratch so it's like it would be you've never used the machine before. The other is an upgrade, in which it replaces the existing version and keeps the necessary/vital data in tact so that it's immediately available upon running.

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              • #8
                Quoth LostMyMind View Post
                Well, Microsoft's "upgrade" are actually the full thing with a extra step to check if you have a previous version of the software. So you can wipe the hard-drive and start over (you do have to provide the CD of older Windows). At least, that what they did with every "Upgrade" up until Vista. So I'm assuming they did the same for Vista.
                Unfortunately, with Vista you have to have the older version of Windows installed to use the upgrade.

                But, there's a way to bypass that....

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                • #9
                  Quoth LostMyMind View Post
                  However, back to the original question. "Upgrade" means several things, all different depending on the company you're talking to. So, I usually wait for the context, then I figure out which type of "upgrade" the person is speaking of.
                  Yes, upgrade means different things to different people. It shouldn't, but it does.

                  We ran an ad some time ago (just like all our other ads) that showed a computer package with a 15" LCD monitor. Below that package listing was a note that said, "Upgrade to a 17" LCD monitor for only $30 more." One guy read that to mean that he could bring in his 7-year-old CRT monitor and trade it for the 17" LCD for $30.

                  Most of the time, though, my customers use the word "upgrade" to mean "update" and sometimes to mean "install." According to my customers:
                  When an anti-virus program downloads new virus definitions, it's not updating, it's "upgrading."
                  Windows can apparently upgrade itself every few days. In some cases, it "upgrades" itself from just a sneakily pirated copy into a non-functioning illegal version.
                  When one puts a new program disc into the computer, they're "upgrading the program," not installing it.

                  I think it's just another one of those terms that people latch onto in order to sound more intelligent than they really are.
                  I suspect that... inside every adult (sometimes not very far inside) is a bratty kid who wants everything his own way.
                  - Bill Watterson

                  My co-workers: They're there when they need me.
                  - IPF

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