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Thursday, October 22, 2009

This is my first post from Windows 7...

5:58 PM / Technology / 4 Comments

...which was released today. I received my download link first thing this morning and was ready to begin the install process within about 20 minutes. Because I was going from Windows Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional (a pox on Microsoft and their completely pointless "editions"), I had to perform a full reinstall rather than simply upgrading my existing installation, which meant that it took me slightly longer to get up and running again. Still, the whole process was incredibly painless, and I've yet to run into a single incompatibility. My biggest fear was that I wouldn't be able to get my USB TV stick to work, since dedicated Windows 7 drivers haven't yet been made available, but in the end it accepted my Vista drivers without a problem.

This in itself is quite telling, and should serve as an indication of how little difference there is between the two operating systems. Indeed, beyond the retooled taskbar and some minimal tweaks to the interface, I haven't noticed a single significant difference. Which is fine: I was happy with Vista on the whole and upgraded simply to stay current, and because the $30/£30 student upgrade offer seemed too good to pass up. Those who already own Vista and have paid full price for Windows 7, however, may feel rather let down by the distinct lack of meaningful change. That said, as the saying goes, don't fix what ain't broke. Vista was a PR disaster for Microsoft mainly thanks to ill-informed word of mouth by those who never actually used the operating system, so Windows 7 can be seen as an opportunity for them to wipe the slate clean and clear up a few existing bugs and annoyances, rather than an attempt to re-invent the wheel. Windows 7 has been heralded as the second coming by many of the same people who poo-pooed Vista, but in reality it feels more like an incremental refinement of the same basic framework than a completely new operating system.

My advice? If you're still using Windows XP, it may be time to consider an upgrade. Likewise, if you're using Vista and can take advantage of the student discount, go for it: it's an absolute steal and the upgrade process is completely painless. However, if you're already on Vista but would have to pay full price for Windows 7, there's little to be gained by upgrading now.

Windows 7: it's like Vista, only just the same.

Nice wallpaper, though.

4 Comments

 
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