Weekend Open Forum: Have you upgraded to Windows 7 yet? What is there to like/not?

[Guest]

Future 1,

One thing your post seems to overlook is what people do to their computers that make them bug or glitch. I download a program and don't realize that it changes x in my system making y uncompatible. My opinion is that the biggest reason people have issues with their systems is that companies like microsoft make computers "easier to use" which means that the low IQ user down the street can pick up a computer and surf the web downloading whatever virus ridden files that take their fancy. It also leaves the OS open for legitimately good programmers to release their pet programs and get known to the general public more easily. And then there are the hackers who just love to bleep with other people and think of it as a challenge. On the other hand I do agree with you about the drawing info of your computer use without your knowledge. It just takes someone with a high level of computer know how to figure something like that out and how to try to circumvent it as best as possible.

 

[Kibaruk]

I had access to windows 7 ultimate RC a long time before everyone thanks to MSDN alliance and my university, then a couple months ago I had access to windows 7 professional, before the oficial release and have loved it ever since!

 

[Guest]

It's version 6.1(goto computer, hit alt, click help then about it's not truely windows 7) but it id the 7th installment, so yeah it's a vista update. I love it though as it's blown the doors off of Vista big time in my opinion.

 

[waterytowers]

I prefer to run Linux so I am probably not the best person to ask about Windows. BUT given that I work in the IT industry I am more or less forced to use Windows so I will probably upgrade after SP1. Windows has proven over the years that it can't release a working OS in its first release. Even though this release is more a patched version of Vista I still have a lack of trust relating to their ability to develop working software. Having said that, I am also finding that Ubuntu is following their lead, and releasing software before it is ready. People who want the latest and potentially buggy software can try the beta versions but when software is released it should work.

 

[Guest]

Installed Windows 7 Professional 32 bit with a custom install from an upgrade over a Vista Home notebook. It all went smoothly with Windows 7 having most of the necessary drivers already in place.After deleting the file "Windows.old" realized how little HD memory the new OS takes up.

 

[InsaneVr6]

I am still running Windows Vista on my main rig (Win 7 will go on when I take the time to back up all of my files), but I have it running on my laptop right now and it is truly fantastic. This definitely is what should make people move away from XP and is what Vista should have been.

Microsoft redeemed themselves. All props to them!

 

[red1776]

SiLeNt1 said:
Windows 7 is microsofts crowning glory, as I believe it is the best OS they have ever made. BUT! you need a rig capable of running it. Please check the minimum system requirements to run it before you choose to upgrade. It needs a lot more than vista, and when it starts up you will see why! The attention to detail is epic! And as soon as your system gets use to running it, it actually takes up less resources than vista. Congrats microsoft!

erm...what?

 

[Guest]

Four and a half years ago I bought myself a spanking new Prescott. Running it till this summer on 3.6GHz, 3Gb memory and Raptor galore. Very satisfied, until I ran into a wall with encoding and editing HD video. It runs Win 7 like a charm though.

Four ago I shredded my XP disk to pieces after it had just taken over an "unused" partition - or Linux as I liked to call it. XP was relatively fast and somewhat stable after a few SPs. I did not like it though, still don't. Better than Vista though, that mastodont torturer. Anyone that says Win7 is a refined Vista is by my standards far off.

So now I have a i7 920, SSD, Raptors, some large disks, 6Gb and a ATI 4770. Very satisfied. I have Win7 Ultimate tryout and have just ordered the retail. Waited for it for three weeks now, but still I know what I get.

Win7 have convinced me to revert from different Linux implementations back to MS, which I have used from DOS 1.0, Win 1.0 through all versions. On loved the fact that I had so many choices depending on my needs, but 64 bit has really been a hassle all up until this year. I will still use Linux for scanning and some programs that are plain better on that platform, but Win7 has fast become my favorite OS.

I do like the new and improved logic of control panel and system properties. I like the quick launch by pressing winkey and then type, compared to win-r. I like all the small, userfriendly tweaks (still don't see what's so exceptional about Aero though).

I dislike that I cannot use my old scanner and XP-mode does not seem to help me there.

 

[racbhat13]

One thing I miss is the Quick Launch Bar that was removed. They replaced it with the "Pin To Taskbar" feature, but this isn't really a replacement. The buttons representing running programs get mixed in with the buttons representing Quick launch options, and it can be a real mess.

Really though, Windows 7 is awesome.

Hey Guest,

I had the same problem with windows 7, but later found out that it is easily fixed by right clicking on the start button and clicking on properties. Under taskbar you can choose "Never combine buttons" or "combine buttons when taskbar is full". This way your all your open windows are labelled in the taskbar while the unopened buttons show only the icons. Plus you dont have the problem of switching between 2 separate types of windows quickly.

Hope that helps your case.

As far as my OS, I have win 7 professional 64 bit which i downloaded from my MSDN account. Apart from some JAVA and Firebird problems, which arose due to the 64-bit vs 32-bit factor, Win 7 is AWESOME!!!

I don't game much so not sure how it is with games, but programming and multimedia tasks are great.

The best feature I find is the fact that my 3 year old laptop suddenly got much faster and might I say "younger". Also that there is no need to install all the drivers afterwards as everything automatically works. On top of that, I've only needed to run windows update a grand total of 3 times since the beginning about (120MB worth of downloading), and no more updates were required since, even on "Check for updates Automatically and ask me when to download and install them", everything works just great.

All in all ---- An AMAZING OS!

 

[gruesomeA]

Windows 7 is definately a step up from both XP and VISTA. I have been suffering from Windows Explorer crashes a lot though. No compatibility issues yet (crosses fingers).

 

[TorturedChaos]

I have a copy of the evaluation 64bit version setup as a dual boot with my xp pro. So far I like it, but I mostly run xp pro still. I really need to sit down and install all my software on the win7 boot so I can get the full experience out of it.

 

[nazartp]

Built my son a computer for his birthday during the summer - a Core i7 system - and instead of reinstalling XP pro installed a 64 bit RC W7. My son was pretty happy with it throughout the trial period. Bought the family 3-pack last week and clean installed on my computers (my son's one, replacing the RC and my Core2Duo E8400). First impression - excellent compatibility so far. Not only it found the display and network drivers (which any system, IMHO, should), it also found, identified and correctly installed with minimum hassle a network laser printer, my photo printer and a scanner.

My favorite feature - sleep feature works amazingly better than Vista. It is, literally, almost instant off and instant on. Least favorite feature - new category view of the Control Panel. Didn't look yet if I can switch to classic view or not.

In addition to our two main computers, we run Ubuntu desktop on my wife's computer, an Ubuntu file server and I work on Mac for the photography classes that I'm taking. First impression - so far feels as the best OS I've used. Some annoying stuff will creep up, I'm sure.

 

[Guest]

I'm just waiting to Chrome OS to be released........that's all I have to say....

 

[TheCosmicFrog]

I've been using Windows 7 Professional x64 for the past three weeks or so. I got it for free as a student through the MDSN AA program in my university. Previous to this I had Windows 7 Home Premium installed on this laptop for one week. I thought Vista was a genuinely awful OS, this coming from an XP user for four years and a Windows 98 user for six years. Windows 7 is an absolute delight to use, especially the updated UI and the new taskbar.