Microsoft has released their new operating system, Windows Vista. This operating system comes in Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate.

Computers that you purchase from a retail store will automatically come with Windows Vista installed on them. JewelCode’s recommendation is that care managers do not purchase machines with Windows Vista on them, at this time. The reason for this is that there are various hardware drivers and software on the market that are not compatible with Windows Vista. Some major name network and VPN routers do not work with Vista at this time and the manufacturers are unsure of when they will be compatible.

We have observed three situations where care managers purchased Vista and their IT consultants were unable to get the network connections to configure. These care managers returned their computers to the retailers where they purchased them and then went to Dell. At Dell, under the Small Business section, you are able to purchase Dell Latitude Laptops with Windows XP and you are able to purchase Dell Optiplex desktops with Windows XP.

It has been our experience that purchasing a Vista machine and trying to take it back to XP creates issues with the hardware because the computer drivers are designed for Vista.

To clarify, if Windows Vista Business will work with your network and your IT person tells you that they are able to make it work on your network, then the CareComplete software will work on it. We have several customers using Vista with CareComplete. The database that we use has made adjustments to be compatible with Vista and we have implemented it in several client locations. You must have a minimum of Vista Business to use JewelCode and your computer must have 2 GB of RAM. Support for QuickBooks on Vista is currently limited to QuickBooks Pro 2007 and 2008. It's always good to talk to the vendors of your business essential software to find out any other things you should know about Vista. Please feel free to discuss this with us before purchasing your new computer. You will need to have your IT person add the new computer to your network before we will schedule the JewelCode installation. If the computer will be a synchronizing machine on your network, then the advanced notice will allow us to upgrade your server to the Vista compatible database version of our software first and then we will be able to configure the client machine.

It is always a good idea to discuss a computer purchase with your IT support and with JewelCode, prior to purchase, to mitigate future configuration issues. As always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask us at support@jewelcode.com.