Finding the right hardware platform

Upgrading to Windows 7 for Small and Midsize Businesses, especially if you are considering a migration from Vista or XP.

Fortunately, there are some options for small businesses, particularly when it comes to the notebook, including the Dell Vostro, Toshiba Satellite Pro, and the HP ProBook. For the netbook we are leaning towards the Samsung N150, or the HP Mini 210 (although we will have Windows 7 Starter Edition to contend with). The all-in-one is proving to be the most interesting so far as we have a mix of machines available, all running Windows 7 Home Premium including the HP Touchsmart, Dell Inspiron One, Sony Vaio L Series, and the Packard Bell oneTwo. One thing to remember is that the Windows 7 Anytime upgrade from Home Premium to Professional is around 100 (]and the same for the netbook Starter to Professional).

Next time we will look at regular backups and how to get our data back in case of disaster. We'll also tackle how we go about networking the machines whilst ensuring our data is safe.

Jason Slater is a columnist for IT PRO and has just set up his own company.

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