If you are a company big or small and want to see how not to release a product (and support information), go no further than the Windows 7 upgrade chart. What should be a rather simple affair with a chart that is pretty well laid out and easy to read ends up looking like an eye raping ordeal. As one can see form the shot above, the upgrade path is rather hairy with just about any upgrade path you choose meaning you’re going to have a lousy several hours the day you decide to do the upgrade/switcheroo. Just to get the point across, all of those little blue boxes that say “custom install” mean you will have to first back up your data, wipe your hard drive, and then continue to install Windows 7 — hardly what I’d call an “upgrade”. It’s pretty much like any other OS re-install and it sucks. Why Microsoft would choose to make the XP/Vista -> 7 move so much of a pain in the ass when they’re still even going to offer XP for downgrade through 2011 is beyond me. Oh well. At least once you get it installed it’s actually pretty sweet and worthwhile (this coming from a Mac guy!) Are you looking at the chart above and cringing in pain with the job you have set out before you? IT admins, are you ready to end your lives right now over the nightmare that is sure to ensue? Boy do I want to know what you’re thinking…..
Source: Engadget
