Anyone installed the full release Windows 7 yet?

[JSR]

Re: Anyone installed the full release Windows 7 yet?

Now you believe XP was a better OS than Vista, that is not my experience.

While I admit that my experience of Vista is limited (the laptop with which I installed Vista, saw no improvement - just more disk space used up and a slower machine, so I put XP back on it), Microsoft themselves have all but admitted that Vista was a flop. Maybe that's because of Vista's bloat and because it wasn't happy with older equipment, but I don't see how Windows 7 with its even bigger bloat is going to correct that.

Never has my PC blue screened, by laptop did once due to me upgrading over XP, after a clean install it also never blue screened. It did what it claimed and is very easy to use, when you got to know it. The XP on my net-book feels awkward and clunky after using Vista so much.

I don't get blue screens on my XP netbook. Maybe that has more to do with not installing much software, as I use the portable versions where possible, than to do with the OS, I don't know. Logically, the more an OS tries to do, the more opportunity there is for something going wrong simply because there are more lines of code to bug-fix.

They have learned from Vista and advise a clean install when upgrading XP machines.

Wise advice. When replacing an OS, I've always clean installed ever since Windows 98.

Vista has some nice touches, one I noticed from the start was to do with projection. I do talks at camera clubs, when I take my Laptop and connect to the digital projector it automatically adjusts the resolution and view to suit the projector, and returns back again when disconnected. At times with XP I have had terrible trouble getting the projector and laptop to communicate, let alone exchange resolution info.

Maybe that's more a driver issue than an OS issue. I don't have a projector, but whenever I connect an external monitor into my XP netbook, it happily adjusts to the correct resolution - whether it's my 19" LCD screen (1280x1024) or my 32" TV (1920x1080), and it happily goes back to 1024x600 when going back to the netbook's own screen. The Intel driver handles that, not Windows.

There would be nothing to prevent Microsoft from selling a "bells and whistles" version of Windows next to a base version for those who wanted to spend more or who have more powerful machines to accomodate the bloat.

On the subject of drivers, I don't see that it needs multiple Gigabytes just to have a bunch of drivers at the ready. When the core of Linux supports additional hardware, they just issue a new kernel which is presently 58MB. Even if Windows had ten times the drivers of Linux, it should still weigh in at under 1GB.

For third-party hardware, I almost never use the drivers Windows recommends. I always go the manufacturer - either the supplied CD, or their website. The drivers available with Windows or from the Microsoft website are invariably either out of date or wrong.

Its bloated state reflects the many things being asked of it, not every one shars your view of using SD cards I for one could not be bothered to keep changing them around I like my stuff there on the machine and ready to go.

What do you mean "keep changing them around"? The SD card stays in the slot in the netbook and is there and ready to go. It only comes out either (i) when I'm leaving the netbook behind and I take the SD card with me to ensure no personal details are left on the netbook in the event it gets stolen, or (ii) in the event of the computer breaking or Windows having a day off, in which case the SD card goes straight into another computer and I carry on with no downtime. There is no "keep changing around" about it.

I think I haven't explained myself very well.

Incidental putting your old out of date and useless hardware in land fill is not the thing to do there are valuable metals in computer components, put then on the discarded electrical goods pile at the tip so they can be recycled.

Being able to continue using machines that still work without having to get rid of them and pay again would be an even better option. It's bad enough allowing old hard drives to be recycled just because Windows has grown too bloated to be installed on it, only to see documentaries on TV about hard drives being shipped to the third world with people recovering your previously "deleted" data and stealing your identity. In the case of running from an SD card, when and if it needs replacing, it can be chucked on the fire. No chance of anyone recovering your personal details from that.

[Ian]

[JSR]

Re: Windows 7 after a few days use

There is less waiting around with the busy symbol,

With both machines having 2GHz processors and 3GB RAM, I should hope that there's not much of a "busy symbol" with any OS.

Overall, I think it's great - but only you can decide if it's worth the upgrade cost.

As Patrick and I have been discussing in this thread, in my case if I decided Windows 7 was worth the cost, Microsoft have already decided for me that I can't use it because it's too bloated to put on my 4GB primary SSD on a computer bought barely one year ago - despite them saying that Windows 7 would be "netbook friendly".

[Ian]

Re: Windows 7 after a few days use

With both machines having 2GHz processors and 3GB RAM, I should hope that there's not much of a "busy symbol" with any OS.


As Patrick and I have been discussing in this thread, in my case if I decided Windows 7 was worth the cost, Microsoft have already decided for me that I can't use it because it's too bloated to put on my 4GB primary SSD on a computer bought barely one year ago - despite them saying that Windows 7 would be "netbook friendly".

You know full well that a 2GHz single core notebook processor is no longer a generous luxury spec. Even a dual core AMD CPU at 2GHz is considered adequate rather than fast these days. In notebook spec these CPUs sometimes rarely run at full speed (indeed if my HP laptop is on battery power the System BIOS limits the CPU to 1.6GHz, even on maximum performance setting).

Anyway, I was comparing the feel of the OS compared to Vista on the same hardware.

And of course there are netbooks and there are netbooks. A 4GB SSD netbook is quite rare and rather bargain basement. Most netbooks still run hard drives anyway. 16GB SSDs are increasingly common and Windows 7 will install OK on such a system.

Ian

[JSR]

Re: Windows 7 after a few days use

Well, I don't feel I need to repeat what I've already said. At the end of the day the general market always buy the "latest and greatest" because they feel they have to and they believe the hype. That's why the concept of the netbook was lost - because of the need to accomodate the ever burgeoning Windows. It's sad, really.

[Ian]

Re: Windows 7 after a few days use

How can it be sad? I can do far more now with my current hardware than I could do with my previous one (circa 2002).

I'm happy that we have technological progress. And what's more, if you don't want it, you don't have to have it, and you're living proof of that.

Ian

[JSR]

Re: Windows 7 after a few days use

How can it be sad? I can do far more now with my current hardware than I could do with my previous one (circa 2002).

I'm happy that we have technological progress. And what's more, if you don't want it, you don't have to have it, and you're living proof of that.

Ian

It's sad because, for a short while, the netbook showed us that we only need what we need - not what some greedy corporates tell us we should have.

If I wished, I could switch over to my desktop PC with it's huge hard drives, space for plenty of RAM, and 3GHz processor just so I could buy Windows 7. However, in these environmentally-aware times my conscience won't allow me to run a 130W desktop PC for 14 hours a day when a 15W netbook (running on battery for half of those 14 hours) will do the job just as well.

It's sad, because very few people seem to see that - and Windows 7 appears to continue the trend of "bigger and faster hardware" for what amounts to running an operating system. If you need to run power-hungry software, then that's one thing. But it shouldn't be for the operating system to dictate that you need over-the-top hardware just to do the basics.

[Patrick]

Re: Windows 7 after a few days use

Well, I don't feel I need to repeat what I've already said. At the end of the day the general market always buy the "latest and greatest" because they feel they have to and they believe the hype. That's why the concept of the netbook was lost - because of the need to accomodate the ever burgeoning Windows. It's sad, really.

Can't agree, the whole point of a net-book is the small compact size, my Asus Eee is just that, lightweight and easy to carry.

It can however with its 160gig H/D run Office, CS4 & Lightroom, and other applications there is plenty of room. Now this is great for me I can take the net-book to do my photo talks they are permanently loaded, I can do Photoshop workshops, with its 1.6 processor it matches my last but one Laptop which had a 1.6 processor. The Graphics card can support 1024x 768 dpi which is the norm for projection, but can also support the new generation of projectors using higher dpi. I also take it out with me for work to email my orders back to my principles. Money well spent in my book. A little gem.
I may eventually load 7, you see I like it, bloat and all.

Patrick

[JSR]

Re: Windows 7 after a few days use

Can't agree, the whole point of a net-book is the small compact size, my Asus Eee is just that, lightweight and easy to carry.

It can however with its 160gig H/D run Office, CS4 & Lightroom, and other applications there is plenty of room. Now this is great for me I can take the net-book to do my photo talks they are permanently loaded, I can do Photoshop workshops, with its 1.6 processor it matches my last but one Laptop which had a 1.6 processor. The Graphics card can support 1024x 768 dpi which is the norm for projection, but can also support the new generation of projectors using higher dpi. I also take it out with me for work to email my orders back to my principles. Money well spent in my book. A little gem.
I may eventually load 7, you see I like it, bloat and all.

Patrick

Very well summarised!

Thanks for an interesting discussion. It's good to read alternative viewpoints.

[Mike Parr]

Re: Windows 7 after a few days use

This has been a very intresting entertaining thread that I have followed daily, two very strong points of view debated by informed sets of people makes for a lively thread.
Between you all, you have not only answered many questions I had but I suspect raised a few questions for others on here.
I build all my pc's from scratch to the spec I need, Im loathed to move on from XP, although im due to replace this PC next year so I have plenty of time to digest your thoughts

Mike

[Ian]

Re: Windows 7 after a few days use

This has been a very intresting entertaining thread that I have followed daily, two very strong points of view debated by informed sets of people makes for a lively thread.
Between you all, you have not only answered many questions I had but I suspect raised a few questions for others on here.
I build all my pc's from scratch to the spec I need, Im loathed to move on from XP, although im due to replace this PC next year so I have plenty of time to digest your thoughts

Mike

I run two XP laptops and two XP desktops. Our main laptops are now running Windows 7. One of the XP laptops is very slow and even struggles running XP. It's one of the kids' PCs. My office desktop runs XP, mainly because I think it's important to run an XP machine as well as the latest OS.

Apart from that, and cost, I can't think of a reason not to have Windows 7 no. If you go for Pro, it has an XP compatibility mode.

Ian

[magicaxeman]

Re: Windows 7 after a few days use

Home premium also has the xp compatibility mode.

I have found when installing older software, especially if you are now using a 64 bit version of win7 its best to right click the setup icon for the software you want to install and choose "troubleshoot compatibility.
This will often roll the installation back to win XP and allow the software to work.

[Ian]

Re: Windows 7 after a few days use

Home premium also has the xp compatibility mode.

I have found when installing older software, especially if you are now using a 64 bit version of win7 its best to right click the setup icon for the software you want to install and choose "troubleshoot compatibility.
This will often roll the installation back to win XP and allow the software to work.

XP compatibility mode - mmmm, Win 7 Pro or Ultimate but not Home Premium according to this:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/features/windows-xp-mode.aspx

Ian

[fluffy]

Re: Windows 7 after a few days use

XP compatibility mode - mmmm, Win 7 Pro or Ultimate but not Home Premium according to this:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/features/windows-xp-mode.aspx

Ian

As you may know, we're a Mac house, but we both have a need for Windows on a fairly regular basis. I run Windows Home Premium on the newest iMac under Fusion and it's like running it on a dedicated machine. I must admit I like Windows 7. My wife runs XP (not XP Pro) on a recent MacBook laptop which has easily enough horsepower. She uses it mostly for her quilt design software which doesn't yet run on Win 7. It's nice to run Win in a window and drag compatible files from one OS to the other.

[magicaxeman]

Re: Windows 7 after a few days use

XP compatibility mode - mmmm, Win 7 Pro or Ultimate but not Home Premium according to this:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/features/windows-xp-mode.aspx

Ian

Yes it is different Ian, XP mode is a full virtual machine residing on the desktop where as compatibility mode is just rolling back certain settings so that win7 's functionality corresponds to that of XP service pack 2.

It does help a lot though, especially when installing older software on the 64 bit version.
On mine I also have two different sets of program files folders, one standard that houses 64 bit programs and another marked "Program files (x86)" that seems to hold all older 32 bit programs.
I don't know about the 32 bit version as I don't have a 32 bit win7 machine.