Microsoft Windows 7 (Professional)
Manufacturer: Microsoft Part number: FQC-00129
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- Windows 7 is more than what Vista should have been, it's where Microsoft needed to go. How much damage Vista did and whether Windows 7 is enough for people to finally abandon Windows XP are questions that nobody has the answers to right now.
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CNET editors' review
Microsoft Windows 7 (Professional) price range: $84.99 - $299.99
- Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt
- Reviewed on: 07/31/2009
- Released on: 10/22/2009
The good: Strong design and Microsoft don't always go together, but they do in Windows 7. Users might take a while to get used to the new taskbar and Aero Peek, but they're a pleasure to use.
The bad: Performance is still hit-or-miss in Windows 7. At the ripe age of seven, Windows XP still performs better in some categories.
The bottom line: Windows 7 is more than what Vista should have been, it's where Microsoft needed to go. How much damage Vista did and whether Windows 7 is enough for people to finally abandon Windows XP are questions that nobody has the answers to right now.
Deserved or not, Microsoft had dug itself a cool, deep, dark hole with Windows Vista. Users demanding that Redmond extend the life of Windows XP wasn't exactly something they could be proud of, either. Bombarded by complaints and negative press even after the first service pack was released, the bar had been set high for Vista's successor: Windows 7. This review is based on an official copy of the Windows 7 RTM that Microsoft provided to CNET on July 30, 2009.
Luckily for Microsoft, Windows 7 is more than just spin. It's stable, smooth, and highly polished, introducing new graphical features, a new taskbar that can compete handily with the Mac OS X dock, and device management and security enhancements that make it both easier to use and safer. Importantly, it won't require the hardware upgrades that Vista demanded, partially because the hardware has caught up, and partially because Microsoft has gone to great lengths to make Windows 7 accessible to as many people as possible.
It's important to note that the public testing process for Windows 7 involved one limited-availability beta and one release candidate, and constituted what some have called the largest shareware trial period ever. As buggy and irritating as Vista was, Windows 7 isn't. Instead, it's the successor to Windows XP that Microsoft wishes Vista had been, and finally places it on competitive footing with other major operating systems like OS X and Linux.
Microsoft is offering six versions of Windows 7: Starter, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, OEM, and Enterprise. The three versions that Redmond will be promoting most heavily are Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate, although Starter will also be available to consumers.
Windows 7 will support both 32-bit and 64-bit systems. The bare minimum requirements for the 32-bit include a 1GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB available hard-disk space, and a DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver. 64-bit systems will require at least a 1 GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 20GB of free space on your hard drive, and a DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver. A touch-screen monitor is required to take advantage of the native touch features. Do note that some users have claimed to have limited success running the Windows 7 beta with less than 1GB of RAM, but that's not recommended.
Installation
Microsoft is offering several paths to install Windows 7. People can buy a new computer with the operating system already installed, upgrade from Windows XP or Vista, or do a clean install on a computer the user already owns. The clean installation took us about 30 minutes, but that will vary depending on your computer.
The upgrade procedure is different depending on whether you're running Windows XP or Windows Vista. Vista users merely need to back up their data before choosing the Upgrade option from the install disc. Both XP Home and XP Pro users will have to back up their data, then choose Custom from the install disc. Custom will have the same effect as a clean install, although it'll save your old data in a folder called Windows.old. Once you choose Custom, you'll need to select the partition of your hard drive that contains Windows XP, and then follow the instructions to enter your product key and allow the computer to reboot as needed.
If you're not sure if your current computer can run Windows 7, you can download and run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from Microsoft.
Features: Taskbar and Aero Peek
Although the look of Windows 7 may seem to be nothing more than some polish applied liberally to the Vista Aero theme, make no mistake: This is a full replacement operating system, and more than just "Vista done right." From driver support to multitouch groundwork for the future, from better battery management to the most easy-to-use interface Microsoft has ever had, Windows 7 is hardly half-baked.
The first thing that should stand out is the new taskbar. This is one of the best improvements Microsoft has made--third-party program dock makers are going to have to do some serious innovation when Windows 7 goes public. Besides incorporating the translucent style of Aero, the new taskbar is arguably even better than the Mac OS X dock. It features pinned programs using large, easy-to-see icons. Mouse over one and all windows associated with that program appear in preview. Mouse over one of those preview panes to reveal an X to close the window. Hover over the preview to show a full-size preview of the program, or click on the window to bring it to the front. Because of the button size, people with touch screens should find it especially easy to use.
Jump lists are another new taskbar improvement that make recently opened documents easier to get to. Right-click or left-click and drag on any program icon pinned to the taskbar to see a list of files that you've recently used in that program. In Internet Explorer, this will show recently visited Web sites, although it doesn't yet seem to work in Firefox.
If you've noticed the missing Show Desktop icon, that's because it's been baked into the taskbar itself. Mouse over to the right corner. Hovering over the Show Desktop box reveals the desktop, and then hides it when you mouse away. Click on the box to minimize all your programs.
Resizing programs has been simplified and improved by the capability to drag a window's title bar. Drag a program window to the top of your monitor to expand it to full screen. If you want to work in two windows simultaneously, drag one to the left edge and one to the right edge of your screen, and they'll automatically resize to half the width of your monitor. Dragging a program away from the top or sides will return it to its original size. This is an entirely new feature in Windows 7, but it should prove easy to adopt because it mimics and expands on the maximize/restore button that people have been resizing windows with since Windows 95.
Theme packages also make it much faster to change the look of Windows 7. From the Control Panel, you can change the theme under Appearance and Personalization. Microsoft has created several theme packages to give people a taste for what the feature can do. Click on one to download it, and it instantly changes the color scheme and background--no need to reboot. Users can create their own themes, as well.
Windows Media Player and Device Stage
One of the biggest new features makes Windows Media Player useful again: you can now stream media files from one Windows 7 computer to another, across the Internet and out of network. Even better, the setup procedure is dead simple.
When you open Windows Media Player, there's a new Stream option on the toolbar. Click it, and you're presented with two choices. Both require you to associate your computer with your free Windows Live ID. When you've associated a second Windows 7's WMP with that same ID, you can remotely access the media on the host computer. Windows Media Player's mini mode looks much slicker, emphasizing the album art--sometimes at the expense of clearly seeing the controls, but it's a definite improvement.
The new Device Stage makes managing peripherals significantly easier, combining printers, phones, and portable media players into one window. A large photo of the peripheral summarizes important device stats and makes it easy to identify which devices you're using. Device Stage can also be used to preset common tasks, such as synchronization. Device Stage support for older devices makes one of Windows 7's best features applicable to peripherals and externals that don't need to be upgraded. One annoying change is that Bluetooth driver support no longer comes baked into the operating system. If you need a Bluetooth driver, you'll either need the installation disc on hand or you'll have to go download it.
Search, touch screens, and XP mode
Windows 7's native search feature has been improved. Files added to the hard drive were indexed so fast that they were searchable less than 5 seconds later. Search result snippets now include a longer snippet, and highlight the snippet more clearly. This should appeal specifically to people who juggle large numbers of long documents, but it's a useful feature for anybody who wants to find files faster. However, the search field is available by default only in the Start menu and in Windows Explorer, and cannot be easily added to the taskbar.
Touch-screen features worked surprisingly well. The hardware sometimes misread some of the multitouch gestures, occasionally confusing rotating an image, for example, with zooming in or out of the image. Overall, though, there were few difficulties in performing the basic series of gestures that Microsoft promotes, and this places Windows 7 in an excellent position for the future, as more and more computers are released with multitouch abilities.
Experts and people or companies who hope to use Windows 7 for business situations will appreciate the new XP Mode. It doesn't have much of a practical application for the home consumer, but if you need to access programs designed for Windows XP that have not been upgraded to Windows Vista or 7, XP Mode creates a virtual environment within Windows 7 that should assuage any fears of upgrading without backward compatibility.
It's not easy to set up once you've downloaded the XP Mode installer. You'll need to double-check that you have the right hardware, and can get the right software. Hardware Virtualization Technology, also known as AMD-V, Vanderpool, or VT-d, must be supported for it to work. Motherboards older than two years probably won't work, and even if you do have a newer one you might have to go into your BIOS and activate Hardware Virtualization. CPU-identification utilities are available from Microsoft that can tell you if you're in the clear or not. However, if compatibility is the issue, this hassle will be worth it to you. Users will have full access to peripherals connected to their Windows 7 hardware, including printers, and the clipboard can be used to cut and paste between the virtual operating system and the "real" one.
Security
User Account Control, or UAC, is back in Windows 7. Microsoft has tweaked the feature so that it's less intrusive, but it's not clear whether that means you're actually more or less secure than you were in Vista. UAC was one of the biggest changes in Vista. It tightened program access, but did it in such a way as to frustrate many owners of single-user computers. Windows 7 provides more options for user customization of UAC.
The default setting is to notify users only when programs try to make changes to the computer, one step below the most restrictive setting of Always Notify. Under Always Notify, anytime a program tries to access the Internet, or you try to make changes to the computer, Windows 7 will require user confirmation. The second-least restrictive option doesn't dim the desktop when UAC is activated, and will only notify the user when programs try to make changes to the computer. When the desktop dims, Windows 7 is locking it down and preventing access. Never Notify is the most relaxed option, and is only recommended by Microsoft for programs that aren't compatible with UAC.
UAC also displays a blue banner when confronted with a program from a known publisher versus a yellow banner and exclamation point when the program is from an unknown publisher. The number of clicks it should take to use UAC safely has been reduced, However, it's important to note that it's a less aggressive default posture by UAC.
A less glitzy, but no less important, change to how removable drives are handled also can affect your media. Unlike Windows XP and Windows Vista, Windows 7 will no longer AutoRun external hard drives and USB keys when they're connected. This kills off a risky vector for malware infections that has been the bane of many security experts.
Although Microsoft is working on a revamp of its antivirus and antimalware program, now called Microsoft Security Essentials, it won't be bundled with Windows 7. Users are still required to download a third-party antivirus and antimalware program, although the Windows Firewall remains intact. As with many features in Windows 7 that have been carried over from Windows Vista, people will notice there's far more granular settings control than before. Features like filtering outbound traffic, which were available in Vista but not exposed, are easier to access in Windows 7.
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Performance
Windows 7 feels faster than Windows XP and Vista, but it turns out that's not always the case--sometimes, it's the slowest out of the three operating systems. CNET Labs tested four 32-bit Windows operating systems: Windows 7 RTM build 7600, Windows 7 Release Candidate build 7100, Windows Vista with Service Pack 2, and Windows XP SP3, all on an Inspiron Desktop 530 Mini Tower running an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E4500 at 2.20 GHz, with a 128MB NVIDIA 8300 GS graphics card, 4GB of RAM, and two 320GB SATA 7,200rpm hard drives.
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User reviews
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Here Comes Windows 7
by HumphreyOS on February 28, 2011
Pros: + Fast startup and performance
+ Stable
+ Nice aesthetic and functional changes to the desktop
+ Improved networking, power management & security
+ 32-bit & 64-bit versions included
+ Windows Media Center
+ Windows XP ModeCons: - User Account Control still annoying
- Upgrade can be challenging
- ExpensiveSummary: Here comes Windows 7, nearly three years after Windows Vista and eight years after Windows XP. By most accounts, Windows 7 is what Vista should have been. Do we finally ...
Summary: Here comes Windows 7, nearly three years after Windows Vista and eight years after Windows XP. By most accounts, Windows 7 is what Vista should have been. Do we finally have a worthy successor to XP?
There are only two Microsoft operating systems I've personally skipped since DOS 6.x-- Windows ME and Windows Vista. Windows ME was so terrible that PC World coined it the "Mistake Edition." Vista, when initially released, was considered to be bloated, relying on higher hardware requirements than XP, while being outperformed by XP on identical hardware. With Microsoft fast-tracking Windows 7, I decided to skip Vista altogether and upgrade to 7. This review briefly touches upon some of the key features and enhancements of Microsoft's latest OS.
PERFORMANCE & STABILITY
One of the welcome enhancements Microsoft made was start-up time. The shutdown time has been improved as well. Also, in my non-benchmarked experience, Windows 7 has been at least as fast as XP if not faster. The kernel changes and ability to run the 64-bit version probably has a lot to do with that. Most benchmarks from around the Internet seem to support my observations.
64-BIT
I am elated to finally upgrade to a 64-bit operating system in order to take advantage of more memory support and modern processors. I have Intel Core 2 Duo processors in both my systems with 4GB of physical RAM but XP only allowed 3.25GB for system use.
LIBRARIES
Windows 7 introduces a new feature called libraries. Previously, your system had shortcuts to My Documents, My Music, My Pictures, etc. which had files residing in only those specific folders. Files can now reside anywhere on your system and be organized inside libraries. It's similar to how many music and photo applications organize files.
NETWORKING
Even as good as XP was, networking was cumbersome. Windows 7 makes connecting two or more Windows 7 systems together easy, using HomeGroup. This enables easy sharing of files and devices. One downside is that HomeGroup is only supported between Windows 7 systems. File transfer performance between computers has been vastly improved and connecting to a wireless network has never been easier on a Windows machine.
SECURITY
Security in Windows 7 is good and comes with Windows Firewall and Defender. Still, you'll probably want to invest in a more comprehensive Internet security suite, like Norton Internet Security 2010. User Account Control (UAC) has been tweaked in order to give user accounts more flexibility in controlling their own security as well as providing more detailed information so the user can make better decisions about whether to allow certain actions. Coming from XP however, it is still annoying and I choose to turn it off. Also, in Windows 7 Ultimate, you can encrypt entire hard drives as well as external portable storage devices, like USB thumb drives. Though this is a welcome integrated feature, much of the functionality can be found in a popular open-source program called TrueCrypt. If you want encryption but not multi-language support, you could just get Windows 7 Professional and use TrueCrypt.
POWER MANAGEMENT
Power management has been improved overall and you should be able to squeeze more battery life out of your laptop, even when using your DVD drive. Sleep and resume has also been improved. XP wasn't always consistent when entering or resuming from sleep mode, but Windows 7 has been perfect.
RECOMMENDATIONS
If you're an XP holdout, like I was, I recommend upgrading. Vista SP2 users may have less reason to upgrade but might want to just for the changes to the taskbar and the UAC improvements. For users who don't need to use their computers in a corporate environment, then Windows 7 Home Premium edition is a good choice. I'm guessing most power users will choose Professional, which adds XP Mode and Domain Join. Ultimate also adds drive encryption and multi-language support. I suggest a clean install for best results. If you're a Mac OS X user, there is probably nothing in Windows 7 compelling enough for you to consider switching.
SUMMARY
Windows 7 is the premium Microsoft OS that Windows users have been waiting for. It's fast, secure, stable, visually appealing and fun to use. Windows 7 will make your old system feel fresh and new again. New system owners with Windows 7 pre-loaded can feel confident that they're getting the best Windows OS ever produced.
*** P.S. If you will buy this Windows 7 Professional I suggest you have a compare price before you decide at: www.amazon.com/gp/*************?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Foffer-listing%2FB002DHLVII%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Ddp_olp_new%26qid%3D1298965339%26sr%3D1-1%26condition%3Dnew&tag=***************&********=ur2&camp=1789&creative=39095731 out of 32 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Going past just good enough...
by jessiethe3rd on July 31, 2009
Pros: Responsive
Clear
Friendly
Inviting
Less clutter
SEARCH that doesn't eat up CPU cycles needlesslyCons: 64bit Drivers (not everything is quite ready)
Some minor dislikes around Power ProfilesSummary: Let's face it, Vista got a bad rap. Call it rushed to market, or call it, somewhat of a shifting point, or just plain poor support on launch, Microsoft ...
Summary: Let's face it, Vista got a bad rap. Call it rushed to market, or call it, somewhat of a shifting point, or just plain poor support on launch, Microsoft had a lot to prove in this version of Windows. One of the challenging things for an OS of its market breadth is trying to be as much as possible to all the people that the OS serves. For the Windows XP users Windows 7 represents a true current gen operating system. From the ClearType font support to the responsive changes in the TaskBar, this version of Windows screams improvements. All the rage see the blogsphere seems to be things like Chrome OS and the always stylish OSX. I am typing this here on my MacBook Pro with Windows 7 RTM installed and I must say I see no need to go back and forth between OSX and Windows - I am happy to say I am a Windows user once again and throughly happy with this product. With things like Aero Peek, Jump Lists, DirectAccess, and much improved desktop search I am really digging this OS. The smaller design tweaks are more impressive to me however. The Action Center, reduced clutter TaskBar, and things like transitioning wallpaper make the experience equally and in some ways better then the OSX... that partion is getting smaller and smaller :-).
I am still running Windows 7 (since Beta actually) and I am pretty darn impressed. I am not getting that whole "okay you've been running me for sometime so its now time to slow down" bogged down feel.
A lot has been said about the competition out there in relation to a cloud OS. Today nothing Google could put out could rival the fantastic experience of this OS. I imagine it will be hard for anyone to put out a web OS that will match the slickness of this OS.
So bottom-line - this is a worthy upgrade for all the Windows XP users (the experience is like night and day.) For those Vista users still sitting on the fence you might as well jump-in because to be honest, the speed at which this OS operates is impressive. Less resources, better memory management, tweaked UI... Windows 7 is a fanastic OS.
Updated on Apr 23, 2010
I read some of the comments below and can see that there's always the doubters and people who just have a bur under their skin. I think they should continue using what makes them happy and if they want to yell from the mountain how great their OS is - no worries - it's a free world.
I still do not believe that a WebOS could match the capabilities of Windows 7... with that said I can see as we work closer and closer in a web app world the time will come when there will be a shift point in the technology. Will that happen soon? Don't think so.
As far as tech support for Windows it is there - all around you - forums communities and the like.
As far as Vista... I ran it as a main OS on my business machine for years - it ran fine once the right hardware was put into place42 out of 72 users found this user opinion helpful.
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MultiTouch Shines
by Azelis on July 26, 2009
Pros: - Several applications, including the on screen touch keyboard have multitouch support.
- All Windows GUI windows, including Internet Explorer, support drag style scrolling and several support pinch style zoomCons: - Hardly the fault of Microsoft, but getting ahold of the N-Trig Windows 7 driver for my Hp TX2 laptop was a royal pain.
- Occasinally the touch screen will stop responding and only the pen will work.Summary: A year ago I was finally forced to admit, grudgingly, that the iPhone was the best smartphone out there, for things like the application support and network integration, but what ...
Summary: A year ago I was finally forced to admit, grudgingly, that the iPhone was the best smartphone out there, for things like the application support and network integration, but what really sold me on it was the multitouch screen. Now I can finally say that my laptop has one-upped my phone.
Microsoft has brought multitouch support in flying colors to Windows 7. Having expected good things due to the development of the Microsoft Surface, when I made my tablet choice I went with one that supported multitouch in hopes of seeing it in Windows 7. I have to admit HP's own software emulation of multitouch in Vista were lackluster, slow, and unreliable. Windows 7 has completely blown them out of the water.
The first test of multitouch was honestly getting the driver installed. N-Trig has made this an extremely unfriendly process, going so far as to change the user/pass you need to download the driver from their corporate support site from what they say it is. However once I got it installed I did what Microsoft recommended; I started MS Paint. It's hard to express how utterly useless, yet entertaining it is to be able to paint with 4 separate fingers at the same time, but it did well to demonstrate the ability and response speed of multitouch. Users of a multitouch screen in Vista will be happy to know that the actual multitouch sensitivity is much greater than the software they're used to. Two fingers touching each other will indeed yield two different points on the screen.
From there I launched into Internet Explorer where I found that iPhone style grab and scroll works beautifully, far better than pen flicks did in Vista (pen flicks still make an appearance and I suspect this may be more intuitive when using just the pen, however the touchscreen is too fun to pass up). Pinch style scrolling is also fairly responsive, if not quite as fluid. However browser tweaks that I suspect make heavier use of my graphics hardware have definitely sped up the process. Two finger style rotate has also been implemented in photo viewer, however it's not quite the photo gallery effect of the Surface videos some of us were so taken with.
Of course I could hardly surf the tablet internet without bringing up the on screen keyboard. As I said it now supports multitouch as well. I was able to ctrl+shift+arrow key select text even. Keys light up and then fade as you press them (except when entering a password) but I do feel that aural feedback is lacking. Call me spoiled but the tick sound that the keyboard on my iPhone makes greatly aids in on screen typing accuracy somehow.
The new task bar did take me some time to get used to, but it's definitely an improvement and I fully agree that they have brought a strong GUI contender against OSX. For one thing the larger buttons are a touch improvement making it easier to select things with a finger, especially on 12.1 inch tablet laptops such as mine. Once I began to understand the functionality of it by playing around I found it so incredibly intuitive that it was the first time in years I uttered the phrase, "Now why didn't I think of that?" The touch and drag context menu works beautifully and once I discovered that clicking a program group brings up real time previews of each window in that group it was incredibly easy and intuitive. And perhaps a small but well designed improvement, downloads now show up minimized as the "e" program group icon with a progress bar gradient filling it as the download proceeds. In fact aside from my Google desktop button and the date/time, the task bar no longer has any text on it. Daunting at first but surprisingly easy to get used to.
While Vista touch users may miss the on screen mouse that made moving and right clicking a little easier to the touch savvy, it's honestly not needed anymore. Moving the mouse without clicking something is still hard to do, however right clicking now has two faces. One is the traditional hold and wait for the circle to complete, however multitouch users now can hold on what they want to right-click and tap a second finger nearby to get the right click menu. And if people simply find this old tool too hard to part with, it can be turned back on.
I think the research Microsoft did with Surface definitely shines through in Windows 7 and in fact I expect we'll be seeing those coffee table computers in wide distribution before long. Even in the beta version it's inredibly polished and intuitive, enough that I find myself working in screen only mode more than laptop mode just for the shear usability it now offers. I haven't even talked about the surprisingly increased graphics responsiveness but if you've got a multitouch capable monitor/laptop, Windows 7 will not disappoint.17 out of 24 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fast, Slick and a Genuine Pleasure to Use.
by weedmonk on July 31, 2009
Pros: -Performance(works on old hardware as well as XP)
-Aesthetics (Glass Transparency is Gorgeous)
-Superbar (Multi-Window Management)
- Boot Time (30-40secs w/AV and misc programs)Cons: -Gadget Selection
-IE8 is decent but not a testament to MS
-Event Viewer needs to be more user friendly
-PriceSummary: Windows 7 has to potential to be the new XP or 95 in terms of longevity and consumer adoption. People will love the UI enhancement and subtle changes that make ...
Summary: Windows 7 has to potential to be the new XP or 95 in terms of longevity and consumer adoption. People will love the UI enhancement and subtle changes that make tasks easier and actually fun to do. Simple window management tricks itself are Godsend.
Microsft hit it out the ball part on this one. Everyone says they do their best work when their backs are against the wall and I guess it's true. Trashing vista rightly or wrongly fueled this release which is phenomenal.10 out of 13 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fantastic, Well worth the wait.
by GUARDIANANGEL822 on July 28, 2009
Pros: Ease of operation is superb. It is reassuring to know that after living with the flaws inherited with Vista, Windows 7 will lead the way with dramactic improvements for both the novice as well as the advance computer users.
Cons: There is just one very small concern, that being for those who prefer to leave their computers running, sometimes you must restart to make a certain program run effectively, other than that, no problems
Summary: Fast and resourceful and full of help features that guild you in layman terms to identify a problem and fix it quickly. the compatibility mode is a great plus for ...
Summary: Fast and resourceful and full of help features that guild you in layman terms to identify a problem and fix it quickly. the compatibility mode is a great plus for software and programs that are not yet up to Windows 7 Specifications. I am anxious to try the touch screen feature, if not just for the trill of having a new toy to play with. I am still concerned with Internet Explorer functionality. It still need a little tweeking to get it to perform smoothly like that of Mozilla/Firefox. I find that even having a large physical memory, it still needs to have an enhanced program, such as smart defrag and Smart ram, offered by Windows Advance System Care to keep the performance at it's peak. [ For those who like to keep their computers on and have extended times between screen saver activation ] There are moment, even though they may be few, the small icons that represent the programs in use, do not always appear during a reboot or restart. It seems that if you do a complete shutdown and then reboot, all the program icons will appear in your task bar. One other small glitch is still the sound feature. If you are running to different sound programs, you still must click your primary sound program to make it the default. I have Realtec HD audio Manager, which by the way is Super, and I also have SRS Audio Soundbox, and if I do not set the default for Realtek the sound quality is slightly compromised. Still can live with it. I like to be able to still interact with a computer and have a little manual control. That what make having a computer such fun. The day it starts thinking on it's own is the day I will cut it off. Much success to Microsoft's Windows 7 RTM and Brother Bill Gates....
8 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Vista 1.2 forget what the review says.
by Jeremy Chappell on August 5, 2009
Pros: Actually "another Vista" is exactly the right choice. Vista was too much change all at once, more change isn't what's needed. Windows 7 has some new features (though unless you're buying a new system touch is pointless) but it's basically Vista.
Cons: If you're on Vista already - well Windows 7 is "meh". If not, well many of the bumps have been addressed (mostly by the vendors of the products that got bumped) so now might be the right time to move.
Summary: If you're hoping for something other than a new Vista, forget it. Microsoft's future is here, and they aren't changing course. Is this "just Vista" well no, ...
Summary: If you're hoping for something other than a new Vista, forget it. Microsoft's future is here, and they aren't changing course. Is this "just Vista" well no, it's got some new features, and some elements have got some extra polish. But actually Vista has done the hard work for Windows 7 - most things now work, because the original developer has changed their product to work WITH Vista and my extension Windows 7.
While a lot of responses have said "he knows nothing" I think the review stands up pretty well. I still think Vista got a bad rap, and the "success" of Windows 7 is actually more about the industry getting (belatedly) up to speed with Vista. I've yet to see anything run on Windows 7 (without the aid of "XP Mode") that doesn't run on Vista.
If you tried Vista and found lots of the stuff you needed didn't work, well probably those issues have been addressed, not by Windows changing but by the products being more compatible. Now might be the right time, and Windows 7 may make sense now.
Of course, if the things causing you problems were "in-house" or no longer supported, things could be different. Here you're going to have the face the painful truth - XP is going away, you'll either have to get with Windows Vista/7 or get off Windows altogether, sticking isn't an option long term.
Now the Ultimate version has a kind of "XP compatibility mode" but you may find your PC can't handle that - this isn't a "sure kill" for your particular issue. While it sounds great, I'm not convinced that for the majority of users it's going to be especially helpful. The system requirements are steep.
What are the chances for Windows 7? Well mixed I'd say. The hype around Windows 7 is off the chart, and actually that's not even (entirely) Microsoft's fault, no product can live up to the expectations that Windows 7 has. However, the world has moved on since Vista shipped, and Windows 7 is much more likely to "work" for you now that Vista was when it shipped. Microsoft's inability to understand that all the different SKUs are stupid still astounds me and that is unlikely to get much love from customers. The expectations of the "XP compatibility layer" won't be met by the vast majority of PCs already out there. But this seems like a solid release of Windows, the new plans for Europe might actually fly (Windows 7E seemed like a suicide note) and the world is much more ready for Windows 7 that it was for Vista.
My advice;
If you're on XP, you're on notice, you need to think seriously about where you want to go. If you're sticking with Windows, well Windows 7 IS the right choice, staying where you are isn't going to be an option long term.
If you're on Vista, well you might have some pressing need for something in Windows 7 that I'm not seeing, but probably you're fine as you are. When you replace your PC, Windows 7 should be really easy for you (you've already done the hard part!)
If you're on Vista and qualify for a free upgrade, you should take it - maybe wait a month after release to make sure it's as solid as it seems, but really there is no real reason not to go.
If you've switched away from Windows? Well it probably doesn't matter how good Windows 7 is, if you're happy in your new home - enjoy. Windows 7 is still Windows (albeit the best version ever). Forget the comparisons with Mac OS X, or Linux - Windows 7 isn't going to kill either of those.
So in summary, Windows 7 IS the best version of Windows Microsoft has ever shipped, but it IS still Windows. Will Windows 7 live up to the hype? Nope - but that's a criticism of the hype not Windows 7 (and actually I'm not even sure I'd blame Microsoft for it). Will Windows 7 fail? Nope, this is the Windows juggernaut, Microsoft haven't fundamentally broken it, Windows 7 is a solid release, the best so far. Does Windows 7 represent something important? Probably not, it's a nice upgrade to Vista but not revolutionary, as more and more of a users activity concentrates on the browser the OS becomes less important.
So what is important for Microsoft? Well they need Windows 7 to do well, and I think it will - mostly on the back of the pain that Vista endured. More than that they need the next version of Office and the Office ecosystem to be compelling, that could be harder.
Updated on Jul 11, 2010
I still support a couple of Vista boxes, and mostly they are no problem. We have an application that means they can't make it to 64bit - but outside that most things work.
I tried to stress in the review that I thought Windows 7 had more to offer users who'd not moved to Vista, and not so much for those already on that platform - I still think that's true.
I don't know why people worry about Snow Leopard when talking about Windows 7 - though conversely Windows 7 now runs just fine on the Mac. Mac OS X is irrelevant to PC users. The marks given to Win7 were because I don't think it offers much to Vista users (upgraders from XP would do better).18 out of 38 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Windows 7 is Totally AWESOME!!!
by Nivekv on July 31, 2009
Pros: Windows 7 is _______ than XP.
Faster
Better
Smaller
more Efficient
more Reliable
Easier
more Customizable
and much much more!Cons: There are still 3-4 very small glitches in the Release Candidate, but the RTM will be devoid of issues.
Summary: In summary, Windows 7 will be worth every penny! Anyone who decides to stay with XP or Vista is totally insane, with the one exception of people using hardware more ...
Summary: In summary, Windows 7 will be worth every penny! Anyone who decides to stay with XP or Vista is totally insane, with the one exception of people using hardware more than 10 (Yes, TEN!) years old. Anything newer will run Windows 7 faster, and better, than XP. (Trust me, I've been using Windows 7 RC as my ONLY Operating System for 3 months, and Windows 7 Beta for the 3 months prior to that and I'm using a bottom of the line, three year old laptop!)
In a phrase: "Better than Vista & XP in EVERY way!!!"6 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Simply Spectacular
by solicitehere on August 1, 2009
Pros: Generally faster than Vista, more robust and useful than XP. Best of both worlds for sure. Vista had a bad rap, thanks to particularly below the belt advertising by Mac, but has since rebounded with useful college kids buying computers.
Cons: Pricey!!! Going away from security UAC isn't the answer, they put it in because they had to and were basically doing what the consumers wanted. However, you can't have both, the robust dynamic easy to use system AND tight security with 95%target size
Summary: Let's face it, OS X, Windows, Linux, it comes to functionality with a hint of brand preference. I've used all three in work and home environments. I used ...
Summary: Let's face it, OS X, Windows, Linux, it comes to functionality with a hint of brand preference. I've used all three in work and home environments. I used to hate mac's little time bomb before I even witnessed my first blue screen of death. I've recieved viruses on os 7 by mac when they said they didn't "get viruses". Photoshop works better on Windows based on my experience as well, let's get away from what's tabeau. Face facts, it's an amazing feat that windows can keep a robust secure environment with the giant target on their backs. Windows 7 appears to balance everything quite effectively, ease of use, security, functionality, innovation, etc... A very good product overall. Much more useful than Mac OS X, but Mac has a ways to go to catch up with the experiences Microsoft has gained with their enourmously popular, and widely used product. OS X is functional, but not up to par yet. They'll get there though one day if they keep aggressively persuing their business model.
Bottom line, Windows 7 is the everyone operating system, I can't wait to see how they adapt to their environment.4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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this was a terrific, concise article
by edlit on July 28, 2009
Pros: this article really helped me to understand a lot of what to expect from windows 7. Having pre-purchased an upgrade already, I am happy to read a good review.
Cons: I don't really have any cons to speak of
4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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EDITOR SHOULD REVIEW THE 64-BIT EDITION OF 7 NOT 32-BIT
by shellcodes_coder on July 31, 2009
Pros: Better performance, UI, security, multi-touch
Cons: So many editions of Windows 7
Summary: Why have the editors reviewed 32-bit edition of 7, when you guys should be reviewing 64-bit edition of Windows 7 which outperforms the 32-bit edition of 7.
This is the ...Summary: Why have the editors reviewed 32-bit edition of 7, when you guys should be reviewing 64-bit edition of Windows 7 which outperforms the 32-bit edition of 7.
This is the best OS out there. Plays games much better than both XP and Vista did and outperforms both in performance & security5 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Microsoft
- Part number: FQC-00129
- Description: With Windows 7 Professional, fewer walls stand between you and your success. You can run many Windows XP productivity programs in Windows XP Mode and recover data easily with automatic backups to your home or business network. You can also connect to company networks effortlessly and more securely with Domain Join. With all the exciting entertainment features of Windows Home Premium, it's a great choice for home and for business.
General
- Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
- License pricing Standard
Operating System
- License Type Complete package
- License Qty 1 PC
- License Pricing Standard
- Media DVD-ROM
- Licensing Details 32/64-bit
- Package Type Retail
System Requirements
- Min Processor Type 1 GHz,
1 GHz - Min RAM Size 1 GB
- Min Hard Drive Space 16 GB
- Peripheral / Interface Devices DirectX 9.0 compatible graphics card
Product series
-
Microsoft Windows 7 (Home Premium)
Manufacturer: Microsoft
Specs: 1 PC,
Complete package,
16 GB,
DirectX 9.0 compatible graphics card,
1 GB -
Microsoft Windows 7 (Professional)
Manufacturer: Microsoft
Specs: 1 PC,
Complete package,
16 GB,
DirectX 9.0 compatible graphics card,
1 GB -
Microsoft Windows 7 (Ultimate)
Manufacturer: Microsoft
Specs: 1 PC,
Complete package,
16 GB,
DirectX 9.0 compatible graphics card,
1 GB
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Microsoft products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Microsoft
- Address:
One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052 - Phone: 1-425-882-8080
- Fax: 1-425-706-7329
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