83% of Businesses Won’t Bother with Windows 7

Long Live XP!

With the buzz surrounding 7 It should be a success.

Because everything is broken. There’s no such thing as a perfect system. While it is true that there will be problems, in the end the result is more secure. Even with all of its problems I see about 95% of all people saying that Vista was still more secure than XP at its start (when all the real bugginess was going on).

Depending on what’s needed in the retraining you may or may not need a whole lot. And you can’t stick with XP forever, sooner or later the systems are going to have problems. I believe a better question is not will I have to retrain people but will it be cheaper or better to retrain and upgrade now than it will be later? And that’s a real hard question to answer.

As for hardware many claim to have installed the 7 beta on much older systems than would have been Vista compatible originally so it might be possible to install it on current systems without much trouble and any and all hardware upgrades can happen gradually and as needed rather than all at once. This may be wishful thinking but I’m no expert, what do I know?

Many people still avoid Vista but not because it is such a terrible system but because they only heard it was. While I do not vouch for Vista beyond the fact that I’ve never had a problem with it myself I can honestly say that most of these “droves” of people who avoid Vista are people who either whine a lot or just love the feeling of a bandwagon parade. While many of the rest don’t go to Vista because they feel no need to.

Most software packages have upgraded to be Vista compatible so that should not be a problem anymore. And I still use software that was designed for much earlier systems so there are some compatibility issues that never existed. Many of these issues actually come from programs being designed improperly to begin with that couldn’t adapt to Vista’s new structure. A structure that was designed to give greater security. What do people want? Greater security or outdated software to work like new? There is a trade off.

Again I don’t have any real answers, and I’ve never had a bad experience with Vista so I am biased. I could be wrong and I’d never know it. But this is just how I see it.

Microsoft has made some great improvements in PCs, but has become a dead horse and it is time to learn Linux.

Windows XP pro is the best windows os yet!
at Microsoft they should fix the minor glitches and upgrade it to be compatible with new technology!

If what you say about “7″ is correct, it pretty much confirms what I’ve believed about MS for sometime. Like our State and Federal Governments, they are so out of touch with reality that they will fail without even realizing (or caring) why.

I think you are WRONG!….what will businesses do when Windows XP stops getting support? Tell me, you fool.

You must be an Apple fanatic, again, with personal insecurities.

Thanks for the thoughtful comments.

Intel: If you’ve got a case, make it. Accusing someone of being an Apple fanatic is just plain rude (and you obviously have no idea how wrong you are).

Urban: I’m already there.

Levi: lots of training needed at work – I kid you not. But essentially there’s no NEED to change, at least until other proprietary software dictates it. As you said – it’s a bandwagon thing.

JFK: MS sure hopes so!

[...] [...]

Honestly, Windows 7 thus far does not have too much of a learning curve from XP. I think it is truly time to move on from XP, the operating system is still full of holes, and once Microsoft drops it it leaves those with it in the dark, like those who still use 98.
All new software and hardware depend on the new operating system and the technologies developed in it. The big example is DirectX 10. And, the now OS makes it much easier to develop drivers and software.
I can honestly tell you from my own experience, it is worth it, but I completely understand waiting a year for the upgrade. I personally try to follow that path as well.
As far as a clean install, I agree with Microsoft. One problem I saw many clients have is they forced a upgrade from XP to Vista without considering the effect on their drivers and software, which honestly is not Microsoft fault.
And last, my results of Windows 7 is equal to less boot time than XP, much more secure, less errors from heavy software like Adobe and Autodesk software. Software is able to do more with my system, like utilizing GPU power that is simply can not do in XP (this is coming from the companies as well as my test, so it is not an opinion).
It will take some time, but I am willing to bet many will install it in the future. It is cleaner and simpler OS than what Vista should have been.

[...] Are businesses going to bother with Windows 7? [...]

Companies that make business software will continue to support XP as long as they need to without many problems. The software companies will just go with the flow… if the world moves to 7, software companies will discontinue support for XP and create new and innovative software. If businesses stick to XP, there will be little advancement in business software.

Not to say that I don’t like XP, but 7 is Vista without the errors… what Vista should have been. Just like XP is what ME should have been.

The world screamed when they found out what they would need to run Windows 95… We are at another screaming point people. It is the only way forward. Get used to it.

Acerayl: you haven’t met my coworkers. Glad to hear it’s working for you. Isn’t it still hampered by the `pretty’ Vista interface? That’s some serious wasted resources.

Thanks for the comments!

You may not have problems with Vista, but I sure do.

I bought a new laptop 6 months ago with Vista pre-installed.

My view. It is SLOOOOOWer then XP. Explorer crashes on a regular basis when I watch videos online. And periodically hard drive activity starts for no apparent reason. When that happens I have a good 10 seconds of slow or no keyboard input.

No, Vista is the piece of junk most people talk about. If software could be recalled like automobiles and appliances, Vista should have been recalled a year ago.

Vista sucks. A better Vista will still suck. I stuck with the UAC crap for a long time. “It’s safer”, I said, “I’ll get used to it.” After 6 months, I turned it off. I got tired of having the whole system lock down while I assured that system that the things I do all day long on my XP system were ok to do.

I tried to install, on Vista, the software I use on XP. Some of it works. A lot of it doesn’t. If I update all of the software that I use on XP to something that is compatible with Vista, that will double the cost of a system. …and then it won’t quite work the way I want it to.

In fact, there is no reason for me to move on from XP. I need no new software that only runs on Vista. All of my needs are met, now, by the software I have installed on XP.

Vista changes where things are and how things work and what you can control for no logical reason whatsoever.

The only reason I would move from XP to Vista is because, for some reason, I can no longer secure the XP system.

…but for the first time, the cost of moving to the next Microsoft product looks prohibitive. Considering the learning curve, and the software incompatibilities encountered so far, switching to Linux is looking like it might be the viable alternative.

Just what, by the way, will Office 2010 do better that Office 2000 (which is what I’m using) doesn’t do just as well? The spreadsheets I used in Lotus 1-2-3 did what I wanted to do and since that time, I have no new spreadsheet needs. My business letters in Word require no more sophistication than those I created in Wordstar. I gave up creating databases at about the time that I abandoned DBIII. The specialized and canned database managers that do checking, billing, inventory control, and the like are much more sophisticated that any database application I’m likely to roll. Power Point? Mmmm, I never did get the point. Really, I haven’t yet seen a power point presentation that wouldn’t have been equally well served with 4 or 5 views of the kind of on-screen reports generated by applications. A screen capture of those displayed by AhaView or IrfanView in sequence would be just as good, and free.

The simple fact is that I have everything I need in XP and the software I have installed now. Why would I move to something else? If Microsoft would say that they would continue to support the Microsoft software I have now, I’d pony up $35 a year for a subscription, maybe even $49.99. Multiply that by the number of people willing to stick with what they have in XP now. It’s a viable business.

I can’t help but think that the people who are talking about Vista’s requirements being high are still on Pentium series processors (K series if your an amd man)I admit that there were plenty of things in Vista that certainly make us question Microsoft integrity like urging developers to create games that implicitly required DirectX 10 when it was never necessary i.e. Halo 2, and for the games that offer you a choice there is very little distinguishable difference. Windows Vista however does offer support for a lot of new technology that XP simply doesn’t offer support for anymore such as 64 bit architecture. As mentioned previously, XP will eventually lose support just like ME and hardware/software will become dependent on newer OS’s. The gaming industry despite the poor economy is still making huge strides that almost exceed the available hardware to support it and eventually 64 bit architecture as well as the amount of RAM that exceeds the limitation of 32 bit addressing will be an inevitability at the very least in the gaming world. As far as businesses go, i can first hand tell you that even huge corporation like Walmart could use large strides in advancing hardware and software and the cost of implementation would be far outweighed by the savings of doing faster and more efficient business.

I think if linux would install on just about any PC without hardware conflicts, and the user did not have to search and download drivers for a new systen they didn’t uinderstand, and the user doesn’t need to know Linux or Unix commands, and they don’t need to learn how to get a GUI desktop or learn how to use a console the user would be happy. That is until they discover StarOffice does not respond to Windows commands.

Unless Linux has change a lotI would look at Mac. Upgrades and hardware is backwatd compatible. This means if your get a new upgrade you do not have to replace the printer. And if you need a new printer, it will work just fine with the aging Mac. You don’t necessarily have a ‘clean’ install, Windows viruses, etc., won’t get on a Mac. Offic is a dream on Mac.

It takes 10 minutes or less to unpack and put on line. The only thing you have to do is install new software if you nneed it. It is not necessary to buy new software with upgrade, and it isn’t necessary to upgrade because it is relsased. O have OS 9 programs running on Leopard.

At the end of 6 years if you only upgrade the OS once and replace a $10 battery you have very little money invested in your $1000 aging Mac and lot of production because it just works. The only time a reboot is mandatory is after an upgrade.

That’s my take unpopular as it is. I also have Win7, I’m not having any particular problems, but then I won’t put it on line except for upgrades. And maybe not then.

The common thread here seems to be the lack of backward compatibility.

Like when the TV industry made improvements (color, stereo sound, closed caption) thee all had to be backward compatible. Not until the Feds mandated the shift to DTV was backward compatibility abandoned.

Hey! there’s an idea. Maybe MS should buy-off the government to force adoption of it’s newer, better, faster operation system!

If you don’t know all effects of every instruction and every bit of data that runs on your system, you don’t know you are secure.

As long as your system is connected to any data source that you don’t control, security is a headache.

“I can’t help but think that the people who are talking about Vista’s requirements being high are still on Pentium series processors (K series if your an amd man)…”

Nah, I threw out the “K” series chips last week. You were thinking MMC compatible chips? This box is a Northwood Hyper-Threader at 2.8 gig with 2 gig of RAM. Are you forgetting to denigrate my GPU?

Vista still sucks.

The cost of Vista, for a large amount of the market is, the cost of Vista, plus the cost of Apps, plus the cost of hardware, plus the cost of support, plus the cost of training, plus the cost of the learning curve.

Backward compatibility is a big issue. Dorky “compatibility” buttons, and DOS-box-like apps, are not a good solution.

DirectX should not be part of the OS.

OS DLL’s should not be shared with Apps. There should be no burden, during an uninstall, for the user to know if something else is relying on a DLL.

The OS should report on every user app that interfaces, with all dependencies, and the OS and disallowing the app at the interface should be a mouse click.

The systems have no dashboard. When OS and apps are running, there is no equivalent speedometer, tachometer, oil temp, water temp, ammeter, voltmeter, oil pressure, gas guage keeping track of operating conditions.

All apps or single source suites should operate in a transparent sandbox with common interfaces, say at display level, referreed by the user.

Yet another layer of abstraction for software developers would be an abomination.

The uninstall process should be completely user controlled through a secure OS integrated process and an uninstall should mean that the system is COMPLETELY cleaned of any trace of an app including the uninstall history except for a user accepted and modifiable uninstall history file.

If I wanted to play games, I’d have a (generic) play station.

For pretty much the same reason that I think phones that operate on the electricy supplied by the telco (on copper) are better than having my phone rely on the same network “wire” as my web browser or TV. Though I do watch the solar weather report closely. But that’s another argument where I also argue that the content provider should be disallowed by law to also be the media provider.

Media is a public utility.

“Windows Vista however does offer support for a lot of new technology that XP simply doesn’t offer support for anymore such as 64 bit architecture. ”

Apparently, I don’t need 64 bit architecture unless I’m playing games. In fact, it could be argued that I really only need 16 bit architecture (except that the market won’t provision me); that all depends on how fast they can push a bit-wise path. Why not lust after 256 bit architecture?

“As mentioned previously, XP will eventually lose support just like ME and hardware/software will become dependent on newer OS’s. ”

This is an artificial, source-driven requirement. It has nothing to do with true need and demand in the market. The Wintel giveth; and the Wintel taketh away.

“The gaming industry… [...and...] …Walmart…”

We don’t care how the hell they do it in California.

” … think if linux would install on just about any PC without hardware conflicts, and the user did not have to search and download drivers for a new systen they didn’t uinderstand, and the user doesn’t need to know Linux or Unix commands, and they don’t need to learn how to get a GUI desktop or learn how to use a console the user would be happy. That is until they discover StarOffice does not respond to Windows commands.”

Exactly, suppose you had to deal with the throttle in your next automobile being at your left hand instead of your right foot. Try driving a Ford and then jumping into a Toyota and see if you wouldn’t like them to standardize on the location of a few controls.

Lousy hardware support will get an argument similar to the separation of content and media. One of the reasons that Windows wins out over Linux is hardware support, forward and backward. Wintel took a lot of the burden off of third party hardware suppliers, and even more burden off the end user. This third party dependency relies on market share. AMD is forced to comply. There is no effective Lintel consortium–this will halt market share gain at some level.

The economy took care of that problem. We’ll need new computers and Windows 7. The downturn ate the allocated budget. We’re using it to stay alive.