IT Professionals

Windows 7 Is Clearly To Be The Best Windows Release In Years

Posted by on Apr 27, 2009 | 3 Comments

For the first time since… well, let’s just say a number of years, I might find myself recommending Windows again if things keep trucking along as well as things have recently with Windows 7. Despite being a long time Linux users (even back in my own Windows days), I cannot help but think that there are a number of things that Microsoft is (finally) doing right with this latest release of the Windows OS.

In this article, we see that there are two things that people are getting pretty excited about. The first and most understandable, is the ability to smoothly run XP Mode within Pro, Enterprise and Ultimate versions of Windows 7. Yes, it sucks that this does little for the casual home user, but considering the money Microsoft is working to get at is from the enterprise, this does have a sense of logic to it.

Then we have the backgrounds. Really? While I think creative backgrounds with any OS are great, these are going to give me nightmares, quite frankly.

For most people, Windows 7 is going to be about speed and if all goes well, compatibility from the drivers down to the legacy applications so many of you have come to rely on. Speaking for myself, I foresee no reason for me to make the switch back. I would, however, be happy to install it on a friend’s PC without the reservations I had when asked to do the same with Vista. Windows 7 just “feels” better, last time I tried one of the beta candidates.

Will it finally win over those XP holdouts? Depends. Those who have not wandered off to use OS X or the power users who, out of disgust, are not using Linux might very well find themselves making the change when it comes time for a new PC. But there is the rub. Even for enterprise users, many of whom I see (banks for example) happily using Windows 2000 Pro still, seeing them spending new funds on the new OS is going to be a tough sell. On the home front, I would suspect this will actually be an easier sale as these folks lack IT departments to get older systems working. Maybe I am wrong, but honestly, I think the enterprise adoption will be mixed at best.

No matter what, despite what I still see lacking in the way of provided software, I think Microsoft has done a good thing here. Let’s hope it sticks this time.

  • Bink Ley

    So… You like Windows 7 because it’s Windows XP? (Or can run XP) and you like it because it has creepy backgrounds? You do know that you can make your own, or heaven forbid download them from the Internets right?

    I’m looking for innovation, perhaps a little backbone from Microsoft, (For example tell the MPAA and RIAA that we the consumers are the customer, not some entity that doesn’t even represent the artists they claim to protect) I’m hoping that they’ll surprise me with a new way of looking at performing work tasks that will help me to work faster, not lock me up with DRM and that awful UAC.

  • http://www.matthartley.com Matt Hartley

    Bink Ley: Like the second part of your comment, well put.

    As for the first part, do not misunderstand tolerate for “like”.

    Generally speaking, if someone likes something, they use it. As stated above, I am not a Windows user anymore. ;)

  • http://www.twitter.com/premedios Pedro Remedios

    Windows 7 RC1 hasn’t given me any problems so far and I’m running alot of apps at the same time! Looks like Microsoft got it right this time! Let’s see if they screw it up with the patches!