Information Technology (IT) is an exciting field to be in. I have always loved to play with new gadgets and take things apart and hopefully put back together using all the parts.

Many of us have an older computer that we use at home or at work. We sometimes think "it works so there is no need to get a new computer", well I happen to disagree with that theory and here is why.

At any given time all over the world, there are ill-intentioned people that spend an enormous amount of time attempting to break into home and business computer systems. If you have an old operating system that isn't being supported anymore this could leave you wide open to the risk of being attacked.

With always advancing computer technology, people do need to be concerned about the life span of their operating system. For example, as of January 31, 2009, Windows XP is no longer being sold. Windows XP patches for security problems are going to be available until April 2014. You might think 2014 is a long way away, but Windows XP did come out 8 years ago and that is a long time for a company to support a product that is no longer contributing to its bottom line.

Windows 7 is a great operating system! If you are a home user and you are looking at getting a new computer with this operating system, I think you will be very happy with it. Business users always seem to struggle with operating system upgrades with respect to the compatibility of proprietary software that they need to run their business. It is always wise to check with your software vendors to make sure the latest and greatest operating system is supported before you upgrade. Windows 7 does have some nice built in security features, but of course the best defense is to always be careful on the internet with your private information.

Scott Berbrich, Information Technology Specialist