Dear Bruce: I have friends advising me to get Windows XP when I get a new PC. Is this possible and why? With Vista out of the way, I thought Windows 7 was now the way to go. -- Perplexed in Chagrin

Dear Perplexed: I’ve recently seen new computers packaged with Vista, or for $100 more you can “downgrade” to XP Pro with the option to upgrade to Windows 7 later. It’s a curious comment on the relative values of the three operating systems.

Think of a computer operating system as a domestic house staff from the old days. The staff should ideally be unseen and unheard unless absolutely necessary. The butlers and maids are there to keep the house running smoothly with minimal intrusion into the lives of the rich people living there. The butler shouldn’t pop into your study every five minutes to let you know that the furnace is now calling for more gas. The maid shouldn’t take up your time each morning by blocking off access to the whole mansion while she checks them for orderliness. The staff should be invisible.

Microsoft’s Vista operating system was like having a whole new, inexperienced staff, with poor judgment. They were trained in the culture and habits of some foreign country. It was confusing. Your mansion would function, albeit slowly, and you had to keep your pajamas on at all times, as you never knew who would pop in with some inane message.

Windows XP (and XP Pro is the best version) came before Vista. After years of work, this house staff was extremely experienced; that is, XP had been around long enough that many of the bugs and security problems had been fixed. The problems that hadn’t been fixed, well, there’s always room for a beloved, eccentric butler or two.

Windows 7, the new one, has potential, and is likely very good. However, it’s been around for only a few months. Microsoft doesn’t have a good record of releasing well-thought-out, de-bugged software on the first release. The public seems to be their testing system. As time goes on and errors are reported, Windows 7 will be fine-tuned and improved, through regular online updates. Given a choice, I’d wait until some of the staff has been trained. Otherwise, hang on to your hat and keep your pajamas on.