Wytech | Windows 7 Review
To celebrate our 5th birthday we are offering a 10% DISCOUNT! on your next (or first) quotation with us until 14 September 2009. Just contact us before this date and quote the phrase: "Happy Birthday Wytech!" and we will apply the reduction for you.
On top of this, our engineers are writing up 5 reviews, one each week, of the latest business IT products and services. Here's the first from our very own Microsoft Specialist, Dave White.
Review One: Windows 7
Windows 7 is the latest generation of the Windows operating system, building on the massively successful Windows XP (launched in 2001) and the not quite so successful Windows Vista (launched in 2007).
Although not scheduled for official release until October 22nd 2009, I have been using the release candidate of Windows 7 (released by Microsoft for testing purposes) for some time now, and so far I must admit I’m impressed.
From an end-user point of view, Windows 7 appears much faster, easier to work with and less intrusive. Users have for so long now been telling Microsoft what they want from an operating system. That they don’t want to be questioned whether they are sure they want to carry out an action and they don’t need fancy animations whenever they minimise or maximise their windows; they just want an operating system that works. And Windows 7 works. Microsoft, it seems, have listened.
The biggest criticism of Windows Vista from an end-user point of view was its lack of speed in comparison to Windows XP. PCs that appeared to run very well with Windows XP were often found to run painfully slowly after upgrading to Windows Vista.
Windows 7 however (assuming your computer meets the minimum system requirements) is noticeably faster. On my test system (Samsung NC10), from switching my computer on to having a usable desktop ready to go took 48 seconds with Windows XP, 76 seconds with Windows Vista and 49 seconds with Windows 7.
While it has to be said, Windows Vista does have a lot of useful new features, and is visually much easier on the eye than the now aging Windows XP. This speed trade-off is something that has to be taken seriously into account when buying a new computer. With the launch of Windows 7, that headache appears to have been taken away. Windows 7 not only includes all of the nice new features of Windows Vista but also several of its own; and at a comparable speed to Windows XP.
Microsoft were also heavily criticised for the sheer number of different versions (or editions) of Windows Vista on the market. Windows XP was originally launched in two editions; “Home” and “Professional”, with very clear and obvious differentiation between the two. Windows Vista however was launched in 6 editions; “Starter”, “Home Basic”, “Home Premium”, “Business”, “Enterprise” and “Ultimate” with a wide range of different features and abilities.
Unfortunately, Microsoft have done little to improve things on this score with Windows 7, which will be available in a whopping 18 editions! There will be Windows 7 “Starter”, “Home Basic”, “Home Premium”, “Professional”, “Enterprise” and “Ultimate”, in a similar line-up to Windows Vista; however each of these will be available with Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, with just Windows Media Player, or with neither.
So, while Windows 7 does on the whole appear to be a good thing on the horizon for most small and medium businesses; there are still serious questions to be answered. “Will our computers run it?”, “Will our computers run it well?”, “should we get it?” and “what edition should we be buying?” are just a few that immediately spring to mind. This only goes to reinforce the increasing need for businesses to ensure that they have a solid structure of IT support in place with professional advice available to help them make the right choices and investments over the coming years.
Dave White - Wytech Microsoft Specialist
On top of this, our engineers are writing up 5 reviews, one each week, of the latest business IT products and services. Here's the first from our very own Microsoft Specialist, Dave White.
Review One: Windows 7
Windows 7 is the latest generation of the Windows operating system, building on the massively successful Windows XP (launched in 2001) and the not quite so successful Windows Vista (launched in 2007).
Although not scheduled for official release until October 22nd 2009, I have been using the release candidate of Windows 7 (released by Microsoft for testing purposes) for some time now, and so far I must admit I’m impressed.
From an end-user point of view, Windows 7 appears much faster, easier to work with and less intrusive. Users have for so long now been telling Microsoft what they want from an operating system. That they don’t want to be questioned whether they are sure they want to carry out an action and they don’t need fancy animations whenever they minimise or maximise their windows; they just want an operating system that works. And Windows 7 works. Microsoft, it seems, have listened.
The biggest criticism of Windows Vista from an end-user point of view was its lack of speed in comparison to Windows XP. PCs that appeared to run very well with Windows XP were often found to run painfully slowly after upgrading to Windows Vista.
Windows 7 however (assuming your computer meets the minimum system requirements) is noticeably faster. On my test system (Samsung NC10), from switching my computer on to having a usable desktop ready to go took 48 seconds with Windows XP, 76 seconds with Windows Vista and 49 seconds with Windows 7.
While it has to be said, Windows Vista does have a lot of useful new features, and is visually much easier on the eye than the now aging Windows XP. This speed trade-off is something that has to be taken seriously into account when buying a new computer. With the launch of Windows 7, that headache appears to have been taken away. Windows 7 not only includes all of the nice new features of Windows Vista but also several of its own; and at a comparable speed to Windows XP.
Microsoft were also heavily criticised for the sheer number of different versions (or editions) of Windows Vista on the market. Windows XP was originally launched in two editions; “Home” and “Professional”, with very clear and obvious differentiation between the two. Windows Vista however was launched in 6 editions; “Starter”, “Home Basic”, “Home Premium”, “Business”, “Enterprise” and “Ultimate” with a wide range of different features and abilities.
Unfortunately, Microsoft have done little to improve things on this score with Windows 7, which will be available in a whopping 18 editions! There will be Windows 7 “Starter”, “Home Basic”, “Home Premium”, “Professional”, “Enterprise” and “Ultimate”, in a similar line-up to Windows Vista; however each of these will be available with Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, with just Windows Media Player, or with neither.
So, while Windows 7 does on the whole appear to be a good thing on the horizon for most small and medium businesses; there are still serious questions to be answered. “Will our computers run it?”, “Will our computers run it well?”, “should we get it?” and “what edition should we be buying?” are just a few that immediately spring to mind. This only goes to reinforce the increasing need for businesses to ensure that they have a solid structure of IT support in place with professional advice available to help them make the right choices and investments over the coming years.
Dave White - Wytech Microsoft Specialist
posted by Wytech Ltd at
10:09
1 Comments:
I`ve been using windows 7 on 2 PCs … 1 desktop pc and one laptop and what can i say … windows 7 is the best windows ever … it works fine on a 512Mb of RAM PC … looks really nice … and is faster and more stable than the xp version …
Post a Comment
<< Home