Why use Windows 7? Because others will use it, and they will want software that works with it. Period. I think Windows 7 is cool. Yes XP works pretty good for now, but I don’t see a problem with switching. It’s extremely stable and feels a lot fresher.
Honestly, people are afraid of change/unwilling to change/unwilling to simply try new things/have some beef with Microsoft for absolutely no reason.
Craig, I don’t think win98 worked just fine. LOL
But I agree with you on everything else. I’m so tired of hearing people complaining about vista. They even complain about all the updates…I guess they would rather have a locked down system that nobody can do anything with… If macs had the percentage of users that windows had, it would be just as insecure. Imagine their winning if windows looked and felt as lame as any Linux OS… If your not ready to upgrade your hardware, then don’t add a newer OS. Just seems like common sense to me.
Jeff I simply don’t get any of your logic. You are making statements without giving reasoning. For instance, I could say “A world that celebrates Christmas is terrible”.
Right… without context or reasoning that statement is - in and of itself - meaningless. But that’s exactly what you have done.
For instance:
“It’s important to me not because I am an operating system fanboy, but mostly because I want the world to get the hell off Windows XP.”
It’s so strange to hear such strong words for an internet devloper. In what serious way does the OS matter for you??? But what’s more important, your explanation is a “want”, which isn’t a reason. I want people to buy my software. Why? because because it will make me rich… THAT’S a reason!!!
“A world where people regularly use 9 year old operating systems is not a healthy computing ecosystem.”
??? and how do you arrive at that conclusion ??? I would argue the opposite:
“A world where people regularly use 9 year old operating systems is proof of a solid OS that stands the test of time and is great value for money.”
Obviously you don’t agree, so where do you draw the line? Should people install new OSes the day of the release - spending time and money upgrading as frequently as possible? No? So somewhere in between? Where is your line in the sand and WHY?
Imagine an operating system so dynamic, so well tuned and so flexible that it could be placed on any hardware and automatically optismise itself to work as efficiently as is possible. To me this would be a PERFECT situation, and I wouldn’t care how hold the OS was. But it seems that even in this perfect world the OS would need to be replaced after a nubmer of years or the software ecosystem would suffer???
I just don’t get the logic.
There is nothing wrong with XP. All the software I want to run, I can run flawlessly on XP. The only draw to upgrading is being able to run DirectX 10.
Oh Jeff, c’mon!
You are dare enough to call IE 6 a tool? Or you want to compare a browser with an OS?
And why do you think that XP is a rusty screwdriver. It does what is expected from an OS. It runs software and it does not fail (not more than any other Windows OS).
So please, be fair. And it’s not a shame that you are an OS fanboy 
Total bullshit… This is brand new OS, with major changes in kernel, UI and scalabillity… All you looking is for version number???
Windows 7 is fine but windows xp is cheap, compatible and with the classic toolbar.
My god, so many fuckin idiots…
I love the way commenters argue that “W7 is better than Vista”.
… sure, but shouldn’t you really be comparing W7 against XP, which is the real comparison people and companies will be making. “Better than a turd” is not an achievement to strive for.
That being said, I am fairly confident my Windows work machine will be running W7 once the company ditches XP. If they still try to offer me Vista, I’ll just have to live with developing in different environment than the rest of the team, namely some KDE Linux variant.
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.
Will Windows 7 be the last OS MS does based off this “same” codebase? Will they finally start something from scratch for the next one. There’s only so much you can do to polish a “turd” so to speak…
I think its time to start anew…
12Gb for doing what kind of new things? Does it deserve buying a new computer?
Will I wrap my car with a marvellous but heavy 12 Ton lead bodywork, and then buy a new engine for moving it (because old one can’t) just for going to work every morning, driving the same kilometers, and do the same things I did yesterday?
You say that complaining is the same as using Internet Explorer 6 forever; however, wrapping your OS with pretty growing lead layers is a “healthy computing ecosystem”. Sure it is, for those who earn money selling pc’s!!
Spending money and resources in new computers just for carrying heavy visual enhancements is not my definition of “healty”. It’s rather the sign of an ill society, obsessed with appearances, and an ill economy, based on the endless wheel of always-consuming.
Please don’t pander to the fanboys! Windows Vista was a solid OS and probably the most stable Windows OS I’ve ever used. I might buck the trend and stick with Vista for a while longer, at least until I replace my current system.
“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.”
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.
I’m getting tempted with all the good press I’m hearing, but Microsoft has priced it out of my market.
The Ultimate version, which is the only one that will do everything I want, costs nearly as much as I spend on the hardware in a new PC. Really doesn’t seem worth it.
I downloaded the RC with the intention to install on the computer. I tried it on VirtualBox just because I have no DVD-R now… and I will not install this thing on my comp not. It takes 10GB to run the notepad and calculator and… he… some cards game. It takes 650MB of RAM to show a empty desktop. It heats a lot of CPU cycles idle. Is a piece of garbage. XP is also bad (It need 64MB doing nothing) but is x10 times less a piece of garbage than “Vista 7”
I don’t feel any difference at all. None. I don’t see why I should pay so much for a shinier startup experience, really.
The whole thing seems to be one big marketing stunt to get over the Vista PR disaster.
Your whole argument against Windows XP is that its minimum requirements are low. That’s ridiculous.
@ Alberto
“Honestly, people are afraid of change/unwilling to change/unwilling to simply try new things/have some beef with Microsoft for absolutely no reason.”
No, we’re unwilling to fork out cash for new hardware + new OS just for the sake of it. I use XP for gaming and it works. That’s it. I have no need to upgrade. Even if there was some really revolutionary tech in W7 that would change the way I do computing I wouldn’t upgrade. Would I be curious? Sure! Would I upgrade? No. I’m waiting for the minimum of the first service pack before I think about moving. Then I’ll know what the issues are, what real world spec my machine needs to be to run the thing and whether or not the software I already own will run.
Vista is cool in core, but stupid and useless when working with.
XP is complete, all i need is there and my productivity won’t increase with 7.
So why bother and get the new OS?
My PC is not broken, it works fine, I can run all the programs I need to and any new ones seem to work fine … on XP
Why should I upgrade? To do so I would need to :
Buy Win7
Buy a New PC (Or severely upgrade my current one)
Learn how to use Win7
Learn the eccentricities of Win7
Find the workarounds and trick to get work done …
It comes down to the old adage, if you can remember what operating system you are using then it is the wrong one because it is getting in the way. A PC is for running applications, not for running the operating system …