Here is someone who has a very different opinion: http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/sasha/archive/2009/07/27/windows-7-is-not-a-vista-service-pack.aspx
What a surprise, a bunch of Microsoft developers harping about how a 12gb bloatware os isn’t a big deal. How they harp on about the superiority of Windows 7 without qualifying it.
Quickly, lets go back to arguing about whether we’re Engineers or Craftsmen!
Embarrassing.
So you still use Internet Explorer 6, I take it?
Believe it or not, the company where I work puts IE6 in all our boxes, allegedly due to compatibility issues with in-house developed software.
yuck!
@Thras I built a completely new computer, on Vista compatible hardware. Even under these circumstances Vista’s driver support was very touch-and-go.
An operating system is only as good as its driver support. If Linux doesn’t work with a person’s wifi card, do they blame the manufacturer? No, they blame Linux. When Ubuntu works out of the box on my PC but Vista needs constant hand-holding, I blame Vista. It sucks.
That is not at all uncommon.
First Quote: “As for personal use: I wish they would make a completely stripped down version of W7 - get rid of all the messaging/office/etc and just give me the components required for windows games. That’s the only thing I use my XP anyways.”
Reply: "Oh no, let’s not have that mess again… It’s both insane AND mental to have different “versions” of the same operating system. It’s confusing and guarantees your shop-bought PC will come with the wrong version for your needs, meaning you have to buy another copy just to have the installer twiddle a few bits in a config file to switch it from “home” to “business”.
Let’s just have “Windows 7” so that all the non-IT literate people can wander into their local PC shop and say “I have a laptop, it’s got Windows 7 on it and I want a webcam that’ll work with it”, or you take your store-bought laptop into work and it connects to the company domain without needing a total reinstall because it contains the “home” edition."
Sounds to me you don’t know the difference between an operating system and application software. It’s “insane and mental” to believe that messenger/office/etc. is and/or should be a part of the OS. The sane thing is to realize that these are application software parts that run ON TOP of the operating system, and shouldn’t be forced on end users so that maybe they don’t NEED the 12GB install of the “OS”.
I 'm willing to use Windows 7, but our company stil use Windows XP and it seem there’s no plan for upgrading:(
It seems there’s no plan to use Windows7 in our offce:(
First Quote: “As for personal use: I wish they would make a completely stripped down version of W7 - get rid of all the messaging/office/etc and just give me the components required for windows games. That’s the only thing I use my XP anyways.”
I think what this guy needs is an Xbox.
our company stil use Windows XP and it seem there’s no plan for upgrading:(
Sorry, I’m not seeing what the problem is here…
Just buy latest and best hardware your money can buy
And you would happy running Windows 7 or even Vista, which i did
just to throw in some points:
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XPs design is inherently and insecure. Say what you want about UAC, but in XP, everyone is working with admin privileges. I cant count how often I had to wipe my girlfriends box. After she bought a new Laptop with Vista SP1 it-just-works.
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In XP, everything ends up in My Documents or on the Desktop.
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I wouldn’t want to run XP on a System with less than 2gigs of RAM nowadays too. All those browser have become a bloatfest that let Vista seem conservative.
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All this ranting happend back then when XP was new. “Oooooh what a piece of crap, i want win2000 back”.
The real WTF was not Vista. The Engineers did a great job. The Marketingfucks who forced vista on every new Notebook with 1GB shared RAM are to blame for the shitstorm that followed.
I think the real version number is hidden in the built number 7600.
Because If you check the Windows 2008 Server version
It’s Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6001]
Vista is Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
If your calculations are correct there is only 0.0.0001 of difference.
7 is Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
I don’t think It’s about 0.1.1598 difference in versioning.
4gigs of RAM, new and better graphics card, better read/write speeds fro hdd. Its not about upgrading your OS, but to find the best OS for your needs. For me, with this config, I have to go for Windows. Linux and Mac, hell no, simply cuz I am a gamer, and not even fucking interested in playing stupid games in linux.
If I ever have a system with very low config, I would rather opt for netbook version of any Linux Distro, but for my main PC, windows is the only option. Can any of Linux or Apple fanboy suggest me anything else, to play crysis???
Jeff, really, this post has severely disappointed me. You’re usually so reasonable and pragmatic. This time, however, you sound like a marketing drone.
What happened to “Don’t fix what ain’t broken?”. What can Vista or W7 offer that my perfectly smooth XP experience lacks?
Sure, I may find a thing or two in the undoubtedly big feature list of W7 that I may seem to miss, but let’s face it: XP has accompanied me for so long, and it did everything I wanted it to. It din’t stop doing so just because W7 is out. My computers didn’t suddenly start crashing because W7 is out. Why should XP not make me as happy as before just because W7 is out?
XP is still at the bottom of the bathtub curve of software reliability, and its artificial end-of-life does not have technological reasons. Its architecture still does the job nicely, its UI is as middle-class as it ever was. Do you remember the W9x days? THAT were the days you really /needed/ the new OS version(s).
XP is not a rusty screwdriver. It is the trusty old tool you’d never throw away, because it is proven – including it’s quirks, but lacking any real deficiencies. Let it be ugly, compared to the Apple and Linux folks. But it didn’t get uglier just because W7 is there.
Moreover, a large number of (novice) users couldn’t care less about the OS, as long as it doesn’t get in the way. After all, for them the OS is just a way to launch MS Word.
I have no problems having W7 shipped with new machines, I guess it will be shiny and full of eye candy, and I guess I will like it. But what the hell (to use your own inadequate language) makes you claim that suddenly, XP is no longer enough? It is.
At least people are debating XP vs. Vista vs. 7 and not saying we all need to use that “Ubuntu” junk.
Couldn’t agree more Jeff: let’s get off XP
Microsoft blew it.
Windows users wondering if you’ll be able to pop in a shiny new Windows 7 disc, push the Install button, and watch as your computer is upgraded while leaving your data and programs in place, rejoice; Microsoft has released the official list of supported Windows 7 upgrade paths. Here are the highlights:
* Windows XP and below users are out of luck. You must have Windows Vista SP1 or newer to upgrade to Windows 7.
http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/07/28/microsoft-reveals-upgrade-paths-for-windows-7/
XP is sticking around a while.
You “XP people” crack me up. Do you seriously see yourself using XP for rest of your lifetime as a computer user?
The “why upgrade?” argument is lame. If there’s no point in ever upgrading because what you have “works fine” then why isn’t everyone still using Win98 (or 95, or 3.11 for that matter) those all “worked just fine” at the time when that’s all we had and knew.
When XP first came out (and probably until SP1) plenty of people we’re doggin’ it calling it "Fisher-Price, toyish, and unprofessional and a resource-hog. Sound familiar?
Ten years from now when we’re running “Windows 2020” or something we’ll say, “Damn, XP, Vista, and 7 all sucked, what were we thinking!?”.
I’ve been using Windows 7 since the RC and I’m f’ing loving it!