I’m probably the last expert on the planet to comment on Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 7. But I doubt if anyone is more of a fan.
After installing, configuring and testing software on 4 new computers, which I designed for one of my clients, and after installing these PCs at their site, networking them and transferring everything from their old computers – I’m at last ready to comment on Windows 7.
It’s just great!
Just as each new version should be, Windows 7 is the best operating system Microsoft has ever produced:
- It runs multiple programs faster than ever before - most reviewers missed that
- You’ll be more productive with Windows 7, it’s better organized and more intuitive
- It had fewer bugs than any other Microsoft operating system – 2 by my research
- One issue, Microsoft and I couldn’t replicate is likely just hardware
- The other is a minor thing
- The new Intel i7 CPU and Intel X58 motherboard chipset have Windows 7 features
- Intel Hyperthreading makes quad core CPUs behave much like 8 cores
- Speed, power and startup time are amazing on a good motherboard
- It’s very pretty – without sacrificing power.
- I installed and old software (Office 2000, QuickBooks Pro 2007) without problems
- The only hardware which wouldn’t install was a discontinued 2001 scanner
As good as a Mac?
In this reviewer’s opinion, Microsoft has now caught up to Apple in operating system power, ease-of-use and looks – the only exception I see is that Apple’s “Dock” is somewhat better than the new Windows 7 “Taskbar”.
Windows 7 issues?
During my whole recent project, not one of the 4 Windows 7 personal computers I designed, specified, configured, installed and networked had a single glitch or hesitation from Windows 7 – let alone a crash. I’m not a long time Windows 7 user, but did log several hours in installing, configuring and checking out Windows 7.
One of the 4 computers did have a hardware problem – nothing to do with Windows 7. By the way, I no longer assemble PCs for my clients, only for my own use, so I had a local assembler put then together for us.
I encountered only three issues:
First, the Windows 7 “Easy Transfer Wizard” transfers everything from your old computer to your new one (happily, it can use your LAN or other methods – no special cable or software required). But the Easy Transfer Wizard does not let you control what is transferred. For example, it will change your carefully configured new Windows 7 desktop to look as close as possible to your old desktop. And, if your old windows login was as a user, rather than an administrator, you must then continue to login as that user, in order to access your new desktop and any programs installed for only that user.
Second, the Windows 7 “Group” networking feature might make it easier for novices to setup a small office or home network for the first time, but it caused problems when I setup each computer individually on my own office network first – before moving them to my client’s offices and networking them there.
That’s because each computer became the main or “HomeGroup” computer as I set each one up individually. Since only one computer on a network can be the main one, this caused networking problems when I had set up all 4 PCs at my client’s offices.
But since network groups don’t work with older version of Windows, and my client had a mobile laptop PC with Windows Vista installed, I just ignored the new network groups feature and setup the network in the traditional way. It then connected itself all up and worked with just one setup mouse click! Windows 7 is like that. Compared to what we computer consultants used to have to do to install hardware, setup networks and gain access to the Internet, Windows 7 is so very simple it makes me wonder about my job security!
Third, Windows 7 continues Microsoft’s tradition of including more features everyone needs – so you can get by with fewer 3rd party products. Of course, they also have a tradition of offering somewhat crippled versions – so as not to overly offend their software company friends and partners.
This time around, Microsoft includes an image backup program. If you’ve read my other posts, you know that an image backup is the only way to go – since it allows you to recover your whole computer installation (not just your work product) in the event of a disaster.
Unfortunately, (unlike Acronis ‘True Image’ backup software) the new Windows 7 backup feature doesn’t let you restore files or folders from your image backup files! To do that and still have the protection of an image backup, you have to make two backups each time – one file-by-file backup (for restoring files or folders) and one image backup (for restoring Windows, your programs, settings, etc.). I’ll continue to recommend the superior Acronis product – you can check it out from this link: Acronis ‘True Image’ backup.
That’s all for now.
Feel free to comment below…
_jim coe
Tags: Easy Transfer Wizard, HomeGroup, network group, Windows 7
