I know there are thousands of reviews out there for Windows 7, but here is yet another one from a lifelong Windows user. Not to say this review is biased in any way. In addition to Windows, I also work with Linux and Macs almost everyday, each of which has it's pros and cons.
Being a member SIU's Information Technology program has some great advantages. One that stands out is our yearly subscription to MSDN (Microsoft Developers Network).
For those who don't know what MSDN is, basically it's a forum for beta testers, developers, and programmers to converge and test various upcoming Microsoft software titles.
On August 6th, 2009, MSDN Released Windows 7 Professional RTM to subscribers.
That very week, I began work on my new desktop. After ordering the parts and assembling the hardware, I was ready to load Windows 7.
Let it be noted this was a fresh instillation on a brand new hard drive. For those planning on upgrading their existing version of Windows, the process is a bit more work.
- For users upgrading from XP, there is no direct transfer process that allows you keep your files and programs as they were before the upgrade. The best method would be to back up your files on an External Hard Drive and copy them over after installing Windows 7. You'll have to reinstall your programs, and there is a chance some of them may not work. Do not fret. Win 7 comes with a copy of XP embedded within it to ensure compatibility.
- The process is a bit easier for Vista users. If you are upgrading to the same CPU-bit version (x86 or x64 a.k.a. 32/64-bit... more on this later..), you can simply install Windows 7 on top of Vista. After the instillation is done, it will remove Vista from your hard drive. If you plan on using more than 3.5 GB of RAM, you need to install a 64-bit version of Windows. This requires a fresh install so you will need to back up your files and programs. Available for download from Microsoft's Website and loaded on the Windows 7 DVD is a utility called "Windows Easy Transfer". This little piece of software replaced the decade old "Files & Settings Transfer Wizard" from Windows 98 through XP. Simply run the program, select the programs and folders you want to transfer, and choose an output folder for the transfer file. Once the process is done, you will have a single (sometimes multiple) file(s) containing all your data. Move these file(s) to some sort of optical media. DVDs or External Hard Drives work just fine. During the Windows 7 Instillation process, it will prompt you to load any saved transfer files. Simply select it and it will place everything where it was before the upgrade.
So we finally get Windows 7 up and running.
The first thing I noticed was the very sleek GUI for Win7. The Aero desktop engine was upgraded from Vista to take full advantage of DirectX11 and modern video cards.
But looks are one thing. What really counts is how Win7 performs as an operating system. We all remember what a debacle the Windows Vista release was. Even those who clung to their XP machines couldn't help but catch wind of the constant criticisms.
After gawking at the visuals for a moment, suddenly the Windows Update box appeared in the lower right hand corner notifying me of pending updates. Turns out Windows Update automatically found drivers for every single one of my pieces of hardware. This included my video card, sound card, CPU, and even my TV tuner. This is a great addition that I first saw in Ubuntu 7 and will save users a lot of time fumbling through Google search results for drivers.
Generally, Vista had 1 main problem which lead to the resulting backlash:
Compatibility. Many users found their hardware devices that they've used for many years suddenly not working on this new and "better" operating system. These are called "legacy devices". The reason this happened was because Windows Vista was written with new programming architecture that differed from XP and past operating systems. This meant hardware manufactures would have to write 2 versions of their driver software, one that was compatible with 98-XP, and one that was compatible with Vista. Many of the big corporations quickly released updated drivers, but many users who bought devices, such as a printer, from off-brand or since defunct corporations, found themselves having to cough up the doe for a newer replacement. Obviously some users weren't very happy about this. "IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT" was their mantra. Rightfully so, there's no reason any Windows OS shouldn't be backwards compatible with the previous.
However, Vista was an exception to this. I like to group Windows' OS into 3 separate phases. The first phase was their legacy operating systems; Windows 1-4.1 NT, which were mainly 16-bit based. The second phase was the perfection of the modern Windows desktop, generally 32-bit; 95-XP. We are now in the 3rd phase of Windows operating systems. This is the transformation to 64-bit processing. Without getting into the hardcore specifics, basically 64-bit processing stands to change the entire face of computing in the next 20 years. Where 32-bit processing only allowed for 3.5 GB of RAM, 64-bit allows for somewhere in the realm of 16 million GBs of RAM.
Microsoft spent millions of dollars for the development of Windows 7. A lot of this funding went into ensuring users hardware would work, regardless of it's legacy. Virtual PC takes care of any device that isn't compatible with Win7. Microsoft has learned this time around that consumers don't take kindly to incompatibility, so they included a nifty utility called "Windows Virtual PC" with Windows 7. Basically it's a copy of XP Pro embedded in Windows 7 that allows you to simultaneously run two operating systems at once. Note that your processor must be compatible to run virtual machines. Most modern ones are, however if your computer is more than 3 years old, check the owners manual or manufacture's website to see if it can run Windows Virtual PC. Another addon of Windows Virtual PC is something called Virtual Applications. This allows the user to open and run a program within the Windows XP virtual machine, but it appears as just another window in the Win7 GUI. Same goes for peripherals. If that old printer won't work on 7, just open Windows XP Mode and print away. (More on Windows Virtual PC later)
A few questions I've received from friends about Win 7:
- But Travis, I love my old school PC games, will they run on Windows 7?
A. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but many older games will be not be compatible with Win 7. But don't fear. You can simply add another hard drive to your desktop and dedicate it to Windows XP. If for some reason that is not an option and you're stuck with 1 hard drive, set up 2 partitions before installing Win 7. Setting up a dual-boot is a painless and simple procedure.
- I hear a lot of people say Windows 7 is just a "Vista face-lift" or "Vista 2.0" and just another way for Microsoft to squeeze more money out of the consumer. Is this true?
A. Absolutely not. Technology moves faster than any economic market can handle. Vista laid the foundation for what was to become Windows 7. While some users may feel jaded for basically being paying beta testers for the past 3 years, they have to realize this is how any type of software works. XP became the greatest Windows operating system around the time of SP2. Remember how buggy and flawed XP was in 2001 and 2002?? Same goes for Vista. However, Win 7 is not just a service pack. There are too many new features for it to be considered one. As time will tell, this was definitely a major release for Microsoft.
I plan on making individual posts breaking down the various new features of Windows 7.
Feel free to comment. I would love to answer any questions you might have about Windows or technology in general.
Travis Wohlrab
PC Harpoon
http://pcharpoon.com
Sunday, November 15, 2009
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