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What I Love About Windows 7Posted Friday, November 13, 2009, at 7:15 PM
1. The ability to scale the display without changing the resolution. In all the years that I have touched other people's computers one common theme seems to emerge. No one can read the letters on the screen when the video adapter is set at the monitor's native (and best looking) resolution. To me, nothing looks worse than a 22" widescreen set on 1024x768. Now with Windows 7 we can have the best of both worlds, because the ability to scale the desktop is built in. This feature is especially handy if you are using your high definition television as your display. From my couch, websites are too hard to read and icons look tiny compared to the huge amounts of white space when browsing the internet. Scale that screen size and fonts are not only large and readable, but now they are crisp and clear as well. 2. I love the wallpapers and sounds included with Windows 7. I also really like the icon sets. My webcam icon is actually a picture of the webcam (I don't know why this impresses me, but it does). The taskbar and window manager can be colored to match any wallpaper you throw at it as well, if you are into that sort of thing. 3. Speed! Windows 7 is super fast. I was expecting something slightly faster than Vista, but nothing like this. My first experiment with Windows 7 was on an older laptop. Nothing special, just a basic single core Centrino 1.6 ghz, 512MB RAM Thinkpad. Vista would have made this computer move like honey on a 33 degree day. Not Windows 7, it was running like I had installed XP except every piece of hardware in the thing worked from the first startup. If you currently own Vista, you will want Windows 7 because of reason 3 alone. 4. Everything works. Granted there are going to be those users out there with special devices, manufactured by small companies that help you embroider shirts or operate some other rare device that Windows 7 will not support out of the box. You should call the manufacturer and ask prior to installing a new operating system (or any other update for that matter). For the everyday surfer and e-mailer you should be able to perform an installation of Windows 7 yourself or with the help of your teenage nephew that would love to try for you. Just make sure you backup anything important first to a CD or a USB flash drive, and verify that your files are on it using another computer to be extra sure. I installed Windows 7 on my newer laptop and everything worked on it from the first startup. Even the fingerprint reader worked, something that Vista failed at. I didn't have to insert driver disks or install third party software that may be buried in a restore CD that I refuse to use. My point is that Windows 7 works. 5. Compatibility was no trouble. This is always a major worry when you change to a new operating system (especially on Macs). Does this mean you should go and upgrade all of your computers in your office to Windows 7? No, I would not recommend it. Buy one new PC, configure it for your work environment and test it for a while. If you are running Vista at work, you should think about upgrading soon. I have yet to find any program, excluding antivirus software, that refused to work on Windows 7. I am sure that there are programs that I do not use that are not compatible, but I have not found any myself. If you know of some, please share them if you have time. Ok, so that should just about do it. I would love to hear your experiences with Windows 7 and your Vista horror stories. :) Next time I might talk about what I don't like about Windows 7 and perhaps what version of Windows 7 is right for you. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
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Thanks for the heads up! I'm still running XP on an old Dell 8600 and have been waiting to upgrade for a while...but not to Vista!!!
Looks like the time has come.
Good article Nathan. I am hearing a lot of good things about Windows 7 and I am considering an upgrade from my Vista Home Premium. However, for this and other Windows O/S's, you may need to do what Microsoft calls a "clean install" which involves transferring certain files to an external hardrive and then putting putting them back into place once Windows 7 has been installed.
All depends on which O/S you are now running and which edition of Windows 7 you want to install. For complete details go here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows... You can also download the Upgrade Advisor for guidance according to your specific computer
Yes, clean install is the only way I would recommend "upgrading" to a new os. Thanks for the link.
What's the price range of Windows7? I have an older model DELL latitude that's working real well with the XP home edition. Is there a possible discount for grumpy old men?
I have Windows 7 and I absolutely love it and have had no problems with it so far. It is so easy to use and I would recommend it to anyone!
Why do they have different versions and what are the differences?
Our company has been holding on to our XP computers for years now and even buy older computers just so we did not have to change to Vista. We have some software that is just fine the way it is, don't need, nor would use the upgrades but are afraid the operating system changes will eventually force the issue.
Last time we upgraded this, they changed versions of a Pervasive Workgroup and it conflicted with our accounting software that had a newer version. The pain it caused now dictates that we will not run the two softwares on the same computer, which is another pain it itself.
PS: If grumpy old men can get a discount, I qualify for TWO when it comes to software and OS.
Tattoos and scars go here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/def...
stevemills go here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows... XP programs will work with Windows 7 Professional, but you will probably have to to that with a "custom (clean)install" From the Microsoft website:
What What does custom clean mean?
A custom (clean) installation erases the contents of your PC's hard drive. Your files, settings, and programs will not be transferred to Windows 7. That means that to install Windows 7, you'll need to:
* Backup all the files and settings you want to keep
* Install Windows 7
* Reinstall all your files
* Reinstall all the programs you want to use.
hese four steps take time, some technical skill and Windows Easy Transfer can help. However, If you're not comfortable with this process, please consider having the installation done by a local service provider.
Here is the link for more details: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows...
Tattoo and Scars stevenmills, they might give you a discount if you ask. The worst they can do is tell you no. You have not because you ask not! Ha ha biblical principles apply to all kinds of situations. I have developed the habit of asking for discounts. Sometimes I get them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes they ask you why do you want a discount? Answer honestly, and you may be surprised. I once answered "just because I want a discount" and was given a small discount. You never know.
stevnmills, your discount may come in the form of being able to license several computers.
Tattoo and Scars, who knows, maybe they do offer senior citizens discounts. Like I say, you never know until you ask. Good luck!
What's the price range of Windows7? I have an older model DELL latitude that's working real well with the XP home edition. Is there a possible discount for grumpy old men?
-- Posted by Tattoos & Scars on Sat, Nov 14, 2009, at 12:38 AM
What is the model number of your Dell laptop T&S?
I have a HP that i purchased in 2002, best buy told me that it would cheaper to buy a new computer
Yeah you would be better off buying a new computer.
This is all too confuzzlating for me.
I got some software that said "For (then current version of Windows) or better".
My husband noted my birthday wishlist said "something Red Hat" so he got me that OS with the cute penguin instead of a bonnet or purple boa.
So far,Linux HAS been better for my purposes in that I have fewer glitches and it seems a lot less complicated for those who are still looking for the any key.
I got a glimpse of the new Windows recently.
The Vista could do some amazing things - when it felt like it.
Windows 7 seems like a significant improvement but,again,the questions we're seeing here and the constant interruptions for upgrades haven't tempted me back to Microsoft.
Windows still seems to be the gold standard and I'm glad it can still satisfy and excite its customers.
But,I'm not enough of a tech maven to know why I should prefer the newest Windows to something like Ubuntu that can work with open source and seems less vulnerable to hacking.
(Then,I'm one who wonders if pouring green tea and Cipro into a CPU would alleviate a computer virus.)
Linux is a great operating system for a home user, so long as your needs do not go beyond what a Linux desktop flavor can provide. The greatest limitation to Linux is third party support. Third party applications like Flash have been a big roadblock for the Linux home user with version releases lagging behind Windows for years. Flash has also been an issue on Mac OS X as well, frustrating users with dreadfully slow applications compared to their Windows counterparts that run much faster.
Not being able to go to Wal-mart and pick up a copy of Quickbooks or the latest, greatest video game is the primary reason why Linux use is not more wide spread. This is a problem not caused by the OS, but is a problem nonetheless.
Another problem with Linux is what to do when something goes wrong. There are many pro computer repair people that lack Linux skills. Today Linux is much easier to use than when I first installed RedHat 5 on my work computer in 1996, but a misconfigured Linux install or upgrading video cards be a real challenge for some. My personal favorite Linux distro is Gentoo Linux. Compiled from source and configured at the most basic of levels to perform the specific task you need performed, it is certainly not for the faint of heart.
www.gentoo.org
A multi-computer discount would be nice.
Will Windows 7 work on the same hardware requirements as XP or does one need to upgrade.
I have tried them all. Downloaded 7 early in its birth, and I have to say that I did not even encounter any problem with the beta. I'm now using the Windows Seven Professional version final release. I have to say that in my opinion, this is the best thing Microsoft has done. It runs all my software with no problem and the 64 bit version is decidedly faster. And Steve, before I built my new Sooper Sys, I ran it on a five year old PC that was running XP Home.
Hi Nathan, informative article. I've been eyeing Windows 7 for a few weeks now. My mother and uncle were given a free copy as a promotional incentive during their "launch party," and both say it's fabulous.
I have no major complaints of my Vista-64 aside from the norm, but it can truly be a hassle at times due to "freeze-outs." My question is do you know of any issues running Photoshop CS4 Master under 7? How about compatibility issues with the new Canon 5D Mark II?
My brother designs video gaming and film effects for Sony in Southern California and is continually trying to convert me to the "MAC" side. I am a graphic designer and animation artist by trade and MAC tends to lead in this area, do you think Windows 7 evens the playing field for us? I ask because I've been considering the switch to MAC but really do like alot of the PC aspects and compatibility and hate to make a switch if Windows 7 can bring me back into the game, so to speak.
Thanks for any advice/assistance you can offer.
Shawna, any software that won't run under Seven can be run in a XP compatibility mode. Matter of fact it looks just like XP when running in this mode.
Steve,
There is a Family Pack of Windows 7 Home Premium. 3 licenses for 149.00
149.00 is not bad for three computers. This blog is making it tempting.
If you have an EDU address you can get it for 30 bucks for the Home Premium or Professional version.
Hi Shawna,
Both Photoshop and your camera are compatible with Windows 7. No need for compatibility mode.
http://www.adobe.com/support/OScompatibi...
I have always been puzzled by the notion that Macs are better at graphic design than a PC; especially now considering that the hardware that a Mac uses is identical to the hardware that a PC uses. For years I have used Photoshop on PCs and Macs and have seen zero difference in performance and usability. I talked to a friend that graduated from UNC in graphic design, and she said that her instructors indicated that Macs are better for graphic design. But when asked why, the answer sounds more like a just because than a real reason. For me using a PC makes more sense because all the other tools that I use to develop programs and websites are Windows based. One thing that I hate about Macs that may have already been addressed (not in OS 10.4 and earlier) was how OS X sorted folders (The number 2 should be next to 1 not the number 10, if you follow what I am saying), and frequent spinning death wheel lockups are frustrating among other problems I experience. I never have problems with Photoshop on my PC btw. I hope someone here can provide a real answer as to why paying three times the price for a Mac makes it superior than a PC. In my experience this idea is a myth perpetuated by those that just have to be different, which is basically the ad campaign that Macs have been running with for ages.
A couple of notes: (1) Windows 7 can be installed as a 32-bit system and will run everything you're running now. (2) If installed on a 64-bit machine as a 64-bit system, a download of XP Mode will allow everything to run except possible the anti-virus programs and some others.
RAM: My understanding is that one needs a Gig for a 32-bit system and two for a 64-bit.
I'm running XP and will need to do a "clean install" which means I'll loose some stuff as I don't have the "Keys" to re-install them (the companies no longer exist). So, I'll probably stick to XP
nathan,
Before 2003, Macs used several threads of processes in certain applications; now most computers are using the same technology anyways. Their old OSes were less bloated; mostly due to the fact that there was hardly any software that ran on them. I am glad that the competition is coming to a close.
Evil Monkey, multithreading was first introduced for Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 and Windows 95 way back in good old 1995.
You are referring to Kernel level implementation; I am referring to User level.
I am referring to one-to-one multithreading that maps a user thread to a corresponding kernel thread. It is the same threading system used in Linux, Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, and XP. I may have been half asleep that day in class, but for some reason I seem to remember this being the case.
For anyone interested, Windows 7 utilizes a newer type of threading called Hybrid Threading. It is called hybrid threading because it is a blend of different kinds of scheduling. Some types of scheduling work well for some tasks, while other types of scheduling work better for totally different tasks.
I like Windows 7, especially after Vista.
Everyone is praising the jump lists. I forced myself go to microsoft.com's Windows 7 site. I watched two videos about the desktop.
I guess four years of Vista has made me somewhat dim, but I just don't see how I would use it.
The taskbar / pin-stuff-on-it bar also has me scratching my head. I think it is nice to be able to pin much-used programs, and even documents, but I am noticing programs I pin there lose their icons. Not pretty. Especially if one is kind of OCD about their desktop.
I have seen icon loss in the start menu.
Does anyone know of a really comprehensive Windows 7 site that might clear these things up for me? Microsoft's videos were geared towards selling it, of course.
Thanks in advance.
Nik
I have not experienced any icon loss on the start menu or the quick launch toolbar.
I have to say that I'm one jerk of a critic when it comes to things. When XP first arrived, I sent it to the garbage because it just could not beat Windows 2000 Pro. But after SP2, it became the norm in this place. What's amazing(and sad) is that it has been the leader until Windows 7. To me Vista was a reminder of Windows Me because it was terrrrrible. Talk about lack of compatibility, bugs galore, and poorly designed. Microsoft usually only hits a homerun once per decade. This decade it has been Windows 7 Ultimate. I finally installed it clean. It took about a day to get all my hardware and software programs completely functional, thanks to manufacturers poorly designed drivers, otherwise it would have taken less time. But it has finally worked out. Not a bad thing since I needed that day to get used to the new navigation. I have been a big fan of the classic interface for years. I am impressed by this new one and you just cannot compare it to Vista other than similar appearance. Not the same thing at all. Some of my hardware installed automatically, unlike with XP. So a quick creation of an image backup ensures that I will always have Windows 7 all ready to go in minutes without a full reinstallation. Good deal. I like the speed. Its a big plus.
Windows Vista has broken me of purchasing a newer OS.
Besides, with new computers with 2GB of ram and 500GB of Disk Space with Windows 7 already installed, starting as low as $298.00 at your local Walmart..., that seems to be the way to go and not have to worry about losing your life's work. That is only about twice, maybe less, than what a new OS would cost and leave you worry free. My kind of computing!
I half way like my Vista but still have files that just up and disappear on me. And when I copy files to a disc or another folder it takes forever. It copies instantly but takes forever to paste.
I have only lost one Hard Drive in my life and it was with Vista. I lost everything on hard drive. Good thing I saved important stuff on Discs.
I have been using Macs as a my personal choice at home since 1987. I have always been forced into one or another iteration of Windows at work, and run Windows via Parallels in my current iMac. My main occupations with my computers have been technical writing, developing training materials, and data base development. Almost all of my work reaches my clients ready for use in their Windows environment.
I have owned 12 Macs in those years; and been an early adopter of each new Apple operating system. I have run a home network and used the internet since 1989. I hope this helps to establish some credibility as I share my opinions.
the first thing you mention is the cost of Apple equipment. There have been numerous comparisons over the years. For the last 15years or so, when Macs are compared, feature for feature, to other platforms, it is usually even money. Sometimes they cost a bit more, sometimes a bit less.
Automatic scaling...I get it. My eyesight, even with glasses, has a bit of trouble. On my iMac control+scroll wheel, zooms my screen instantly. In Safari, I just pinch out or in on my track pad and the open window scales up. Two finger drag scrolls the scaled text just fine.
Wallpapers, sounds, complete desktop modification has available on the Mac since before Windows was really Mac like. Speed has been a little short, until recently, on intense graphics needed for gaming; but to get the speed on a Windows machine economy is sacrificed in the cost of that hot graphics card.
I have never plugged anything into any Mac, made by Apple or a third party, that did not just work. Just like Windows, I sometimes had to acquire the correct driver, but driver installation has always been simpler than Windows, until recently. Microsoft did not invent plug and play.
My computers run all day every day. In all the years and all the Macs, I have experienced less than 10 days of down time. One of my Macs, the old Blue and White tower, did get a bit squirrely; but turned out to have a bad third party memory stik. I wish I could say that about the Windows I have used at work. I will add though that, when a machine goes bad, even a Mac, it seems to do so at the worst possible time.
I have experienced both the spinning death wheel, that Nathan mentioned and the blue screen of death, that he did not. My area of computer expertise is not graphic design. I do know that Mac is often preferred by designers. Like Nathan, I would like to know why. It is interesting to me that, Mac may be as much as 50% of market share in Music and Film. In both industries you will usually find a mix of both platforms, because each does some things better than the other.
We all have our preferences, and we all love our tools. In computers, I prefer Apples. My choice. I just can't figure why it is so popular to take shots at Apple, usually by someone who doesn't have any real experience using Macs. Just gets my hackles up and makes me go all talkative...like a Mac fanboy.
My grandfather's handmade wooden plane could pull up a hair fine curl off the edge of an ash board, if the blade was really sharp. Any computer also requires care to keep it in fighting trim. After that it is a simply matter of taste.