We writers are lucky in technology compared to some of our friends in advertising or graphic design or web development: we don't have to worry so much about keeping up with the latest version of FinalCut or whatever crazy programs one uses to put more than just word processing skills. However, smart computer owners know to be at least somewhat aware of what updates are available to them, to stay as current as possible. I asked Gina Trafani at Lifehacker how much writers need to worry about whether it truly matters whether they have the 2007 Word Processing Program versus 2006.

She said, "My personal rule of thumb? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I don't upgrade anything unless I run into a problem like file compatibility, or if there's a feature I really need."

Sounds good. What happens though when the new version of Windows comes out? It's okay to do without it as long as you're happy with your current version? "Yes, exactly. I mean, if you're running Windows 98 right now, it's probably time to upgrade. But no need to be the first in the pool with Vista. It's always a good idea to let other people debug big upgrades like that before you do. Almost certainly all files and applications will play nice between XP and Vista."

For the record, I hadn't even heard of Vista until right now. But it looks purty.