With the Windows 7 Release Candidate already leaked to the public, and the the official bits coming May 5, there's been a lot of hype surrounding Windows 7, with generally positive reviews from the community. Windows 7 is everything Vista wasn't... and some of what it should of been. If you're using XP or Vista, there's no excuse not to upgrade to Windows 7. In no particular order, here are my top 10 reasons why:
Virtual XP Mode:
Many users and businesses have been reluctant to upgrade past Windows XP, and who can blame them? Microsoft had to keep extending support for Windows XP for this reason.
Enter Virtual XP Mode, the problem solver for those who have been reluctant to upgrade past XP. Did certain programs work better in XP? No problem. Virtual XP mode should take care of that.
A fast install time, faster boot up, and snappier UI:
I've done a clean install of both the beta the RC of Windows 7. The install time? Roughly 15 minutes from beginning to end from experience. The boot time is faster than both XP and Vista, and the UI is snappier as well, even with all my programs and files in place.
Netbook support:
Netbooks have been all the rage lately due to their portability with low power consumption. Netbook support is already planned, and we're surely to see improvements with Netbooks in the future.
Removal of IE 8 and other Windows Components:
For years we've been hearing complaints of Internet Explorer not being fully removable from Windows. Not anymore. IE 8 and other components like Windows Media Player are now optional (Note: The core components of IE are not removed since other programs rely on it, but the actual exe itself and any references to it are). So, for example, do you use another web browser instead of IE, and never use IE? No problem, turn it off.
Better driver and program support:
I remember when I first installed Vista, most of my devices appeared as "Unknown device", and I had to install the drivers manually. Windows 7 installed all my drivers right out of the box, and all the programs that I regularly used work with no problems. Pretty much any driver or program that worked with Vista should work with Windows 7 just fine.
Updates to programs like Calculator, Paint, and Wordpad:
Finally, Microsoft decided to upgrade several program including Calculator, Paint, and Wordpad. These interface improvements are very nice and very welcoming.
Less Bloat:
Not counting the usual bloat that comes from OEMs, Windows Vista came with its own bloat. Windows 7 fixes that problem by making a lot of these included programs an optional download. The result? Less footprint both on install and on the system after install.
Better UAC control:
User Account Control in Windows Vista was so annoying, I had to turn it off. Not anymore in Windows 7. It's been improved greatly, and now I leave it on.
New Aero features:
Windows 7 comes with some new Aero features like Aero Snap, Aero Peek, and Aero Shake. All three are very useful for comparing two windows side by side and taking a quick look at an inactive window or desktop with minimizing everything respectively.
Problem Steps Recorder:
Ever have a problem with your computer and try to get a person on the phone, e-mail, IM, etc to help you out and they keep asking you to accurately describe the problem because they can't see what's on your screen?
Enter Problem Steps Recorder. The handy little tool lets you record steps on how the problem occurs, publishes it to an HTML file, and zips it, ready for you to send to the other person. Say goodbye to "Can you describe exactly how the problem occurs?"
Windows 7 is shaping up to be the best Windows release yet! What do you think, Neowin? Any reasons you have as to why users of XP and Vista should upgrade to 7?
I think he's saying he's impressed that Windows 7 only uses 5 GBs of disk space (after he cleaned up the hiberfil.sys file and moved the pagefile to another drive I'm sure)
I guess you better do that then, if you think that would be best.
I am sorry, that must have been painful.
I guess there is nothing better than a public backslash to put them back on track. Windows 7 seems to be Vista done right. Looking forward to it
Upgraded a Vista x64 install, though, and it worked beautifully.
Uninstall youre antivirus and then try again. I had the same exact issue upgrading to vista from XP.
Vista was always intended to be an interim build between the old COM model and .NET. The driver model was also something of a dog's breakfast, because they had one foot in each of two models while OEMs and developers moved to the new platform.
Now that most of them HAVE made that move, it's easier for MS to cut away a lot of legacy crap. Having XP mode helps, too.
'A fast install time, faster boot up, and snappier UI' -> Similar to Vista
'Updates to programs like Calculator, Paint, and Wordpad' -> Who cares when we have notepad++, ooffice, paint.net ...
The XP mode, component removal and revamped aero features make it a tempting product.
Personally, I won't even touch Open Office or Paint.net, considering how enjoyable Word is. I use Photoshop and such for anything else. Notepad++ is very nice, but if I'll use Dreamweaver pretty much for anything more complicated than what I simply use Notepad for. (though, with Win7, I may be putting those StickyNotes to use as it saves me from saving a small .txt with just a little bit of info)
I love you man! I had never even seen the Sticky Notes feature in Windows 7, didnt even know it was there. Thank you so much, thats going to br awesome for the office. I'm forever opening up a notepad to just down a reminder note, or a phone number, or whatever.
Sticky notes are in Vista, too.
Infact I tested Windows Vista on my friends computer and it actually allocated all my available memory leaving basically none unallocated. If I have done my maths right, and I believe I have, allocating lots of available memory would indeed be bad.
Enter Windows 7. With its entering into the enter space we will enter 2x as often as usual in any given news article.
They say/post what gets page hits.
The say/post the news.
Infact I tested Windows Vista on my friends computer and it actually allocated all my available memory leaving basically none unallocated. If I have done my maths right, and I believe I have, allocating lots of available memory would indeed be bad.
Enter Windows 7. With its entering into the enter space we will enter 2x as often as usual in any given news article.
Huh? Is that sarcasm or what? I really can't tell. As far the second part...unused memory is wasted memory. Third...if I read this correctly you're trying to say that just switching to windows 7 will make a person read faster? Or what? Really..I'm still not sure if your entire post is sarcasm or what.
Cool, thanks for pirating software dude!!! woot!
It's only "pirating" when someone's losing revenue.
http://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/...edbackID=415654
Last edited by Chad Moran on 28 Apr 2009 - 14:43
*grumble*
this throws a wrench in my upgrade plan.
http://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/...edbackID=415654
Why its good to develop in VPC's
LINQ to SQL is NOT dead. I have a write-up on it here. http://www.chadmoran.com/blog/2009/4/4/lin...-haz-dataz.html
Though Microsoft has said they were going to not actively develop it due to community feedback about the subject and ADO.NET EF's Vote of No confidence there are currently 5 active developers on LINQ to SQL.
I use a VC6 VPC for a particular project, and it works fine.
Better driver and program support
-Means that the "Virtual XP Mode" (one of your top reasons) won't even be touched by most users.
For years we've been hearing complaints of Internet Explorer not being fully removable from Windows.
And it's still not. But who cares? Only the incompetent make a big stink about this. IE is an integrated part of Windows, period. You never have to see or use it if you have a problem with it but that's been true for many years.
Less Bloat
Since when is Windows bloated? It's not made by Symantec.
Better driver and program support
-Means that the "Virtual XP Mode" (one of your top reasons) won't even be touched by most users.
For years we've been hearing complaints of Internet Explorer not being fully removable from Windows.
And it's still not. But who cares? Only the incompetent make a big stink about this. IE is an integrated part of Windows, period. You never have to see or use it if you have a problem with it but that's been true for many years.
Less Bloat
Since when is Windows bloated? It's not made by Symantec.
The first is obviously still valid. What a silly assertion. He said "drivers" as well as programs, y'know.
The second is still valid. I don't see why not. It satisfies more people.
The third is still valid. The removed programs aren't used by everyone, and by making them available outside Win7, they can update more easily, and give users more choice.
So, uh, all are valid.
I have been wanting to go with Windows7 for a while now but would feel urged to re-install after every beta release, but i just dont see the point in doing that outside of a testing enviroment so i've been holding off.
I may go for this now if it's going to be something solid we can use for along time?
Finally, Microsoft decided to upgrade several program including Calculator, Paint, and Wordpad. These interface improvements are very nice and very welcoming.
Yeah, that's sure to win people over and be one of the reasons to upgrade.
And why exactly can't it be a part of those reasons?
Nobody said these were all equal reasons. Nobody cares if you don't use them.
#Virtual XP Mode:
I already have XP in my system with full virtualized hardware support and access to USB2 support and accelerated video.
#A fast install time, faster boot up, and snappier UI:
This is nice, but it is little more than trick by simply reclassifying start up properties and reducing the number of service running at boot.
#Netbook support:
Atom processors will get faster, internal storage will get bigger as well. I foresee dual atom processor books with at least 256gigs of storage and five to eight hour battery life within a year or so for less than $300.
#Removal of IE 8 and other Windows
Not really deleting it as stated above in clarifying statement. There are a number of tools and security audits that can restrict user access to these programs. Little space is saved by deleting them.
#Better driver and program support:
This will benefit Vista as well.
#Updates to programs like Calculator, Paint, and Wordpad:
Wow... I could care less. I think there are so many third party programs that are better than these that I will not even mention them. Is installing Paint.net really that much work? As for a calculator, I like an emulated Ti series (legal).
Less Bloat:
#As a default install, this is true.
Better UAC control:
#Better support to modify the UAC from a number of third party tools.
New Aero features:
#Nice, but simply still behind the times. The Superbar looks nice, but...
Problem Steps Recorder:
#Interesting... really...
The RC is pretty fast, but XP is still working great for me. Aero isn't that special, the UAC is bullsh*t really.
I'm not sold yet. It is not faster than XP, and it doesn't use less resources, and i can't find a real advantage so far that makes it worth upgrading from XP. And doesn't MS still have to support XP if they plan to keep virtual xp mode in 7?
If i would get 4gb and have to use a 64 bit version i might upgrade, but only because i have to, because the 64bit version of XP has issues.
#Virtual XP Mode:
I already have XP in my system with full virtualized hardware support and access to USB2 support and accelerated video.
#A fast install time, faster boot up, and snappier UI:
This is nice, but it is little more than trick by simply reclassifying start up properties and reducing the number of service running at boot.
#Netbook support:
Atom processors will get faster, internal storage will get bigger as well. I foresee dual atom processor books with at least 256gigs of storage and five to eight hour battery life within a year or so for less than $300.
#Removal of IE 8 and other Windows
Not really deleting it as stated above in clarifying statement. There are a number of tools and security audits that can restrict user access to these programs. Little space is saved by deleting them.
#Better driver and program support:
This will benefit Vista as well.
#Updates to programs like Calculator, Paint, and Wordpad:
Wow... I could care less. I think there are so many third party programs that are better than these that I will not even mention them. Is installing Paint.net really that much work? As for a calculator, I like an emulated Ti series (legal).
Less Bloat:
#As a default install, this is true.
Better UAC control:
#Better support to modify the UAC from a number of third party tools.
New Aero features:
#Nice, but simply still behind the times. The Superbar looks nice, but...
Problem Steps Recorder:
#Interesting... really...
So let's have a look at these.
1. Not everyone has or wants two PCs, or wants to boot to a different OS.
2. So what if it's a "trick". It's still true.
3. Yes, PCs get better over time. And? This point makes Win7 better on CURRENT hardware.
4. However, afaik there are benefits to group policies by the changes, and it still better satisfies users.
5. This is reasonably fair.
6. Not everyone likes to install more programs.
7. -
8. Again, not everyone likes to install extra programs. And seriously, what? Your response to UAC being improved is that there were programs that changed settings for you in Vista? Do you even know what changes there were?
9. But what?
10. Perhaps for you it's not that interesting, but what if you want to help out a family member?
The RC is pretty fast, but XP is still working great for me. Aero isn't that special, the UAC is bullsh*t really.
I'm not sold yet. It is not faster than XP, and it doesn't use less resources, and i can't find a real advantage so far that makes it worth upgrading from XP. And doesn't MS still have to support XP if they plan to keep virtual xp mode in 7?
If i would get 4gb and have to use a 64 bit version i might upgrade, but only because i have to, because the 64bit version of XP has issues.
A lot of the benefits are really hard to *sell*
I've been using Win7 Beta (7000) since January and it is painful to go back to work and have to use XP all day. There are so many little nuances to the Win7 interface that, individually doesn't seem like much, but really the whole is more than just the sum of the parts.
Wow... I could care less. I think there are so many third party programs that are better than these that I will not even mention them. Is installing Paint.net really that much work? As for a calculator, I like an emulated Ti series (legal).
The term is "couldn't care less" not "could care less". Also improvements to built in programs are always welcome. Not everyone wants to install an unnecessary third party application just to crop a picture, convert a BMP to a JPG, add a title to an image etc.
Wow... I could care less. I think there are so many third party programs that are better than these that I will not even mention them. Is installing Paint.net really that much work? As for a calculator, I like an emulated Ti series (legal).
The term is "couldn't care less" not "could care less". Also improvements to built in programs are always welcome. Not everyone wants to install an unnecessary third party application just to crop a picture, convert a BMP to a JPG, add a title to an image etc.
I don't really care.
Far too many people make that mistake.
The RC is pretty fast, but XP is still working great for me. Aero isn't that special, the UAC is bullsh*t really.
I'm not sold yet. It is not faster than XP, and it doesn't use less resources, and i can't find a real advantage so far that makes it worth upgrading from XP. And doesn't MS still have to support XP if they plan to keep virtual xp mode in 7?
If i would get 4gb and have to use a 64 bit version i might upgrade, but only because i have to, because the 64bit version of XP has issues.
Of course isn't not faster than XP. You're running an eight year old OS. Windows 98 also uses less resources.
Of course, a lot of us know that Vista isn't SO bad anymore, and most of the 'bad things' have been patched up or simply don't exist.
Windows 7 will be a breath of fresh air for me however, since I can overcome their objections very easily. At the moment it's always a losing battle when trying to convince people that Vista is superior to XP.
Actually, eMachines still ships some desktop systems with XP. We sell one or two models at Walmart.
The store I work in sell one eMachines PC - and it's a low-spec Linux PC. But absolutely everything else other than Netbooks and Nettops run Windows Vista. :o
It takes a bit of getting used too at first (I'm trying to let go of up arrowing out of folders), but is an overall improvement in the way we work. Saving time by being able to do small tasks quicker, or even some of the more complicated procedures at the click of a button makes up for the "lacking performance gain", which is something benchmarks and such cannot measure.
Overall, we're looking at being able to have more features with our OS, improving the time it takes to do tasks, and overall being able to use a more simpler operating system that's designed to do what you want it to do. Less worrying about drivers and so forth, trying to explain any problem you have (which may very well not be with the OS at that) to those responsible, worrying about compatibility with your business, and... well, I could go on, but as you can see, if these aren't good enough reasons for you, they're certainly good enough reasons for others.
Time = money, and that's the most important factor I can see here. For those not at work though, spending less time fooling with your computer means you can have more time to... well, enjoy yourself.
I remember when I first installed Vista, most of my devices appeared as "Unknown device", and I had to install the drivers manually. Windows 7 installed all my drivers right out of the box, and all the programs that I regularly used work with no problems. Pretty much any driver or program that worked with Vista should work with Windows 7 just fine.
Honestly the same could've been said for Vista if you popped it on a computer that was a couple years old when Vista came out and didn't have any recent hardware of the time. Good chance a year after Win 7 is out and new video cards are out, new sound cards, etc, that you do a fresh install and they will be "unknown devices" or smiliar situation where they do not have the right driver. Just because it can detect all the hardware properly on one system does not mean it will on another. I have a USB to Serial adapter Windows 7 does not install the drivers for automatically, so there's some proof there that you will still need drivers out of the box for some computers right when Windows 7 drops. Heck very good chance that the DirectX 11 cards will just be "Standard VGA" in device manager when Windows 7 launches.
I mean he has some great points but popping Win7 on an older system will more than likely net all drivers installed, at least MS ones, they may not be fully accelerated graphics drivers.
I remember when I first installed Vista, most of my devices appeared as "Unknown device", and I had to install the drivers manually. Windows 7 installed all my drivers right out of the box, and all the programs that I regularly used work with no problems. Pretty much any driver or program that worked with Vista should work with Windows 7 just fine.
Honestly the same could've been said for Vista if you popped it on a computer that was a couple years old when Vista came out and didn't have any recent hardware of the time. Good chance a year after Win 7 is out and new video cards are out, new sound cards, etc, that you do a fresh install and they will be "unknown devices" or smiliar situation where they do not have the right driver. Just because it can detect all the hardware properly on one system does not mean it will on another. I have a USB to Serial adapter Windows 7 does not install the drivers for automatically, so there's some proof there that you will still need drivers out of the box for some computers right when Windows 7 drops. Heck very good chance that the DirectX 11 cards will just be "Standard VGA" in device manager when Windows 7 launches.
I mean he has some great points but popping Win7 on an older system will more than likely net all drivers installed, at least MS ones, they may not be fully accelerated graphics drivers.
It's the *heard elsewhere* comments about Vista that have always irked me. I pointed out (when Vista went RTM) that my then three-year-old hardware was better supported in Vista than XP, and I was looked at as if I had three heads.
1. My networking hardware (onboard Intel PRO/1000CT) was something I had to look to my motherboard driver disk to with XP (even after installing Service Pack 2 from CD); Vista includes drivers for it.
2. ATI AIW 9700 Pro was *not* supported directly by XP (the X1650PRO AGP that replaced it wasn't, either); both were supported by Vista directly.
3. The Logitech Communicate STX is another driver CD I had to hunt for with XP (but didn't with Vista); this hardware makes the trip to 7 RC (64-bit) with the same update-automagically ease that it has in Vista.
In fact, the *only* drivers I've had to hunt for (with either Vista or 7) with my current hardware mix are for my X-Fi XtremeGamer, and that is because it's audio acceleration (most onboard audio solutions, including the one built into my nForce 6 series chipset, are supported in Vista and 7 directly). As far as DX11 cards go, it depends on if such a critter will actually exist when 7 ships; cards that support DX10+, in most cases, have basic [WDDM 1.1] functionality now.
Offcourse the biggest reason for me to switch is simply the fact that it's the Vista that was supposed to be, and I really liked Vista once SP1 came out.
Last edited by AnthoWin on 28 Apr 2009 - 23:07
I remember when I first installed Vista, most of my devices appeared as "Unknown device", and I had to install the drivers manually. Windows 7 installed all my drivers right out of the box, and all the programs that I regularly used work with no problems. Pretty much any driver or program that worked with Vista should work with Windows 7 just fine.....................
Hope they fixed this for Windows 7 RC1. Have had a few driver issue's with 7 and not Vista. Webcam and thermal printer doesn't work in 7. And I'm so over XP, not sure how much use I'd get out of a virtual XP
UAC can be turned off in Vista; why would anyone want to uninstall IE8 - it works much better than IE7. Nope! These are not good enough reasons for me!
artful**, you moran, I did not say anything about XP now did I! I currently run Windows Vista, and I simply stated that basically I am happy with this operating system, and I see no reason to upgrade. Now what part did you not understand? "til you die", what is that supposed to mean?
What limitations (if any) exist in the RC version? Why are they releasing it to the public to download for free? What is the catch? Is it worth downloading it etc... And recommendations between 32bit and 64bit regarding compatability issues with common applications like Steam Games, Adobe Products, Quake Live, and others would be handy. Thanks
What limitations (if any) exist in the RC version? Why are they releasing it to the public to download for free? What is the catch? Is it worth downloading it etc... And recommendations between 32bit and 64bit regarding compatability issues with common applications like Steam Games, Adobe Products, Quake Live, and others would be handy. Thanks
It simply means that it is a possible candidate of one or more versions of operating system that will be released at a later date. It can also mean that the very same version (RC) can be released, but defined in terms of tweaking.
is that a reason? At all?
I would install 7 because I can uninstall IE8?
Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows-8-A...-7-106498.shtml
I know like many others, shelling out money every two to three years is starting to get old, and I am ready to settle down with an operating system that will work for at least five years, minimum.
Cause the drivers in the RC build are crap.
Cause the drivers in the RC build are crap.
The X1K and older cards have moved to an *every other version* Catalyst driver release (they are not supported in Catalyst 9.4, which is a unified Vista/7 driver suite). That actually makes sense, as these cards only support (at best) DX9c (my Mom has my old X1650PRO AGP). If you want to run modern DX10/10+ games, move beyond X1K and older hardware (yes; such is available even for AGP).
Wait for a few updates and fixes and the boot time will slow down back to normal.
I'm not saying 7 isn't going to be wonderful, just that this list is a little underwhelming.
Did Neowin publish a similar list of reasons to upgrade from XP to Vista, when Vista reached RC stage a few years back? Is it still online? Would be interesting now to look back at that list and compare/contrast with this one (e.g. was UAC then put forward as a positive reason to upgrade to Vista?)
I wont upgrade, i rather use Linux of something else enough with microsoft abusing their OS monopoly.
Linux, doesnt have much Programs, and Microsoft isn't in a Os Monopoly..
im happy i run windows because i don't have to fuss what Linux distro i have to use.
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