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Wouldn't you like to know the answer to this time-honored question. Well, fortunately, a Computer World expert took several Windows systems and tried to upgrade them to Windows 7 Ultimate. Just for you. The results? Interesting, to say the least.

With Windows XP, there was no easy way to upgrade. The only way to do is what Microsoft calls "custom install." Long story short, you must allow Windows 7 installation DVD delete everything on your hard drive.

According to most Fort Lauderdale computer repair experts, Microsoft provides a tool, Windows Easy Transfer, on the DVD that will let you transfer files and settings to an external drive.

This is a pain, but does work.

What it doesn't do, however, is transfer programs, fonts, or drivers. So, once Windows 7 was set up, you have ti re-install every application, font and driver.

For Linux, upgrading from Ubuntu 8.10 to 9.04 was a very stark contrast, in that Ubuntu was easy to upgrade. There was simply no comparison.

Linux has the reputation, which is largely unwarranted, of being hard to use. The fact of the matter is upgrading Windows for the average and even above-average user is far more difficult.

Windows, not Linux, is the difficult to use operating system.

In addition to Linux, Mac OS X Snow Leopard is also an easy upgrade. Just like Ubuntu Linux, all you really need to do to upgrade Snow Leopard is put in the DVD, make a few mouse clicks, and go eat lunch. Seriously. And that's how it should be.

Once installed, Snow Leopard and Ubuntu ran perfectly. Windows 7? Mmm... not so much. After installing it, old Vista networking problems with working with NAS (networked attached storage) were still present.

Linux took less time to install than Mac OS X, but there was no difference between Snow Panther and Ubuntu 9.04 in their ease of installation.

So, when it comes to being easy to install, it's looking like a dead heat between Mac OS X and Linux. Windows? It's bringing up the rear. The distant rear.