I like rusted screwdrivers; they are made of better steel than the cheap chinese imports that are available today…
I guess the urgency of the need to change is somewhat based upon how well what you’ve got works. We had a family business that ran DOS 6.2x and related apps quite successfully until 2003. What we had worked well and there was really no compelling business reason to shell out the money for new software and hardware. The coolness factor of windows (and life using a mouse) was there but at the end of the day, everything ran just fine - accounting, engineering, payroll.
That said, Windows 7 looks good and we’ll definitely be using it.
@JM, EBGreen, and others…
You can install Windows 7 (upgrade edition) from Windows XP without formatting your disk. It will just move your Windows, Program Files, and Users directories into a new “Windows.old” folder. Then you can take whatever you want from there.
Of course backing up your stuff is always a good idea before any OS upgrade, but moving stuff to a different drive or formatting isn’t strictly necessary.
Hey, If you read it on the internet then it’s got to be true!
Hey Dom; “Say it ain’t so…”
While I’m still using Windows XP until the non-RC version of Windows 7 comes out, I can say that Win7RC is very nice software. Looks like Vista, but actually works the way you’d expect. Is crazy fast. I still prefer to use MacOS, but if they can get the cost of Win7 Ultimate down below $200, I might be convinced to keep it.
Jeff,
Thanks for this posting. I have a request to make, if you don’t mind. I’m requesting that when Windows 7 is officially released and you start using it if you wouldn’t mind posting your opinions on the good (and if there’s anything you don’t like, that too please) things in Windows 7. In particular, what I would love to read is your opinions about the developer environment. That, and things like the issue which recently burned you with the version of Vista and the amount of memory supported on your server. I would like to hear some more about the versioning software, visual studio, filesystem performance, cpu usage, developers’ tools, etc.
As a Linux user, I don’t use Windows myself but I do value your opinion on all things Microsoft. You strike me as a “call them as you see them” kind of guy. I especially enjoyed reading your postings on version control software.
I’m sure no one is going to read this, and it has already been stated above BUT
the reason its windows 6.1 instead of 7 is due program installations. They did not want programs to fail installing because of a windows version check failure.
Either the retail verion will be windows 7.0.xxxx or it will keep being 6.1
Awww Jeff, really? You glossed over something that I’ve been using heavily for 7 months and came up with little of interest. Thanks for starting another 2 bit, incorrect phrase that’ll echo around the internet for months to come. Did you come up with that “Vista is bad” thing too?
Seriously, I you haven’t given Win7 rc a try, don’t try to convince other people that your choice to stay with XP is the best.
I’ve been using RC for quite sometime and I shudder at the thought of installing XP or Vista on any of my systems. Only where the drivers for a specific/necessary piece of hardware is needed, do I revert to the old. - I do have a p3 with windows 2000 running my printer servers. lol
“A world where people regularly use 9 year old operating systems is not a healthy computing ecosystem”
Jeff - How do you justify this statement? Surely an OS lives or dies by the hardware drivers and software applications that it runs. XP has drivers for the most modern of hardware, and the most ancient. And XP can run the most modern and ancient of software. XP is a fine example of a modern general purpose operating system that allows us to get real work done. How is this not healthy?
XP is just fine for me.
If I want a vista look and feel, i just download a few themes available on the web legally, for free, made by creative samaritans.
For real security of personal documents I use TrueCrypt and I write down passwords on a paper and put it in a place that holds my other personal sensitive paperwork.
Sometimes I use Windows inside VirtualBox under Linux.
But you are free to use whatever OS you want or need to use.
Vista seems to be an improvement in some ways, going by many expert opinions. And 7 would be even more so, I guess.
Not sarcasm, I’ve never used either since I can afford to purchase only one expensive piece of software.
Hello my names AJ, and I’m an XP user.
My computer is not riddled with spyware / viruses.
I prefer a UI that isn’t so flashy that it distracts me from my task.
I also own a netbook that runs beautifully with XP.
I use great free tools such as Launchy and XYPlorer to make me even more productive.
Please Microsoft, I’m sorry for using a 9 year old OS but if you gave me a real reason to upgrade to Vista / 7 I’d do it tomorrow.
In the meantime I’d love to give you $200 just to have the latest flashy toy, but I can’t quite justify it right now.
I am open to upgrading my OS, you just show/give me something I can’t refuse.
i have used vista for near on 2 years now
would never contemplate going back to XP as vista does lots of things better
will admit that XP does somethings vista makes more difficult
have tried windows 7 on a virtual machine and it is very vistaísh
will go to windows 7 some time in future
xp users-move on
try windows 7 and you may find out xp is old hat now
@Dinesh Gajjar
Right between the eyes!
In addition, OS X can not be installed on this Dell I have in here. How is OS X a competitor to Win7? Simply, it is not.
Apple took BSD dress it like a whore, and shackle it down. It is free no more. You can buy her favors by paying a steep sum to the pimp; Apple.
According to the latest data, 43% of our users are on IE6. There’s almost 1M of them, and they actually do their work on the site. So, yeah, we would love to be able to drop support of IE6, but we can’t.
Oh, yeah, and I don’t see a particular problem with XP either.
“Can windows 7 be installed on a machine with a 400mhz cpu and 64mB ram? If it can, will it run at least as good as windows XP?”
I’m going to say “No.”
Hell, Windows XP supports 64MB of RAM as its bare minimum (Source: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314865 ). In fact, we’ll call a system with 64MB RAM “Windows XP Capable” since it can run the OS and nothing else.
"@EBGreen
Have in mind that you will need to pay for two licenses, one for Win 7 and one for XP in order to use virtualization.
So now you company have to buy 3000 Win 7 licenses in top of the 3000 XP ones. Upgrade all the hardware. Oh!! and don’t forget: It is 3000 clean installs!!! I love to see all the missing documents these users will have.
And all of this for what? What makes this a good business decision to upgrade?
Ric C. on July 27, 2009 10:20 AM"
It should be pointed out that Windows 7 will ship with a fully licensed copy of windows xp sp3. You’ll only need to pay for the windows 7 license.
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/07/17/windows-7-sold-out/
211 comments, all of them like an astronaut farting in space. I don’t like Gabba, shall we all debate that ad-infinitum?
Is Windows a Virus
No, Windows is not a virus. Here’s what viruses do:
1.They replicate quickly - okay, Windows does that.
2.Viruses use up valuable system resources, slowing down the system as they do so - okay, Windows does that.
3.Viruses will, from time to time, trash your hard disk - okay, Windows does that too.
4.Viruses are usually carried, unknown to the user, along with valuable programs and systems. - Sigh… Windows does that, too.
5.Viruses will occasionally make the user suspect their system is too slow (see 2) and the user will buy new hardware. - Yup, Windows does that, too.
Until now it seems Windows is a virus but there are fundamental differences: Viruses are well supported by their authors, are running on most systems, their program code is fast, compact and efficient and they tend to become more sophisticated as they mature.
So Windows is not a virus.
It’s a bug.
What is exactly wrong with XP? Why should I upgrade? Why replace something finally working? Noone can answer.