Microsoft: Windows 7 is the fastest selling OS in history, over 90 million licenses sold

[captaincranky]

I tried to talk my wife into letting me upgrade her PC from XP to 7, but she would have none of it unless there was some sort of "classic" mode that looked just like XP. She was just used to it, since it was what she has used at home and work for the last several years. She had used my PC with 7 a little, but not enough to become familiar with it. But, she recently got a laptop with 7, and has been frustrated that there are things she can do with it that don't work with XP (like Windows Movie Maker not working with MPEG-2 on XP because of licensing issues), so I may have to ask again soon.

Well, Windows 7 (Pro and above) will run M$ "Virtual PC". Addfitionally, they offer , "XP Mode" which is a licensed copy of Win XP Pro, SP-3...! (These are both free with Windows validation)! You just install them both, and run XP to your hearts content. You can even install XP programs in the virtual machine. That's the point of the whole endeavor , so please accept my apologies for stating the obvious.So, you can not only make it look like XP, it IS XP..!

However, in another post, you mention having to install XP, to run a particular game. You might be able to run this inside "XP Mode" also. I don't however know, if any speed would be lost within the virtual environment. That said, Win 7 Pro, is only 30 dollars* more than "Windows 7 Home Premium", and that sounds like a strong bargaining position to me!

(*) The quoted $30.00 dollar difference is with OEM copies, IDK about the retail version(s).

 

[SNGX1275]

There were 100 replies as I'm writing this, so I didn't read them all.

I think the reason for the fastest selling OS in history is pretty much a given. There are more computers being used than in any other time in history, and a majority of them are Windows machines. Combine that with what a lot of people are saying about needing to upgrade XP (and skipping Vista) and you get the fastest selling OS. If Windows 8 would be delayed until 2015 or further I bet it would become the fastest selling OS ever.

 

[captaincranky]

Combine that with what a lot of people are saying about needing to upgrade XP (and skipping Vista) and you get the fastest selling OS.

XP is a this point in time, well behind the hardware "curve". The issue of drivers for SATA devices being the most glaring. With Win 7, if you want "ACHI" all you have to do is ask, no more floppy disc BS to contend with.

Although I would like to add, the issue with Vista was interesting, it seems that Vista was designed to provide a mechanism for causing you to your head against a wall, then Windows 7 was introduced to entice you to stop!

(Am I serious about this? Damned if I know).