Jump to content

Worth switching to 7?


amdphr3@kXP

Recommended Posts

I have been hanging on to XP for a long time now, in the utter disgust that I had with my (VERY SHORT) experiences with vista.

Is it worth the switch? It is an absolute pain in the a$$ to reformat, as I have alot of devices and software to reinstall.

What is the hardware/software compatibility like? Vista i know from experience was absolutely $h!thouse.

Even though its a little long in the tooth now as far as gaming goes now, my machine should be up to the task of running it.

Its an athlon 64 X2 4200+, 4Gb DDR2 800, Radeon 4670 (1GB), and ample storage space.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I am aware of the clean install issue, I just dont want to make the move and find that its a POS like vista was, thanks for your input lost packet. Some more input would be appreciated before i make the decision to wipe and install.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was another person to hate Vista, I had problems after problems with it, not to mention the crap performance with it. Windows 7 however I loved from day one of using the Beta. You can just see how crap Vista was by how GOOD 7 is.

Havent had any problems with it at all. Running 64bit Home Premium at home, and 32bit Professional at work on both PC and Laptop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was also burned by Vista, I got it at launch intending for it to replace XP (primarily for it's DX10 support). As I had 4Gb of memory I installed the 64-bit version. I struggled with it for about 2 months battling regular blue screens caused by the infamous nvlddmkm.sys before giving it up as a bad job. Up until 2 months ago I was still on XP but decided to make the switch to Windows 7. I'd already preordered a copy as it was being sold at a discount to U.K. residents for a limited time.

My experience thus far with it has been an utter joy to be honest. Windows 7 is everything Vista should have been, i now have a fast, stable 64-bit O.S. with no complaints at all. The UAC is left on it's default setting and is a far far better implementation than the it's overly paranoid Vista brother. I've had no problems running any of the apps I used in XP. In short Microsoft have got it right, even if it did take just under another 3 years to do it.

As -X- said if you aren't too sure, download the 90 day trial and see what you think.

I'll admit that I was skeptical about Windows 7 at first, the old addage of once bitten twice shy hung over it, but I am happy to say it has so far proved itself in every way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its only worth switching to Windows 7 if there is a need to do it. Basically only if you have a program that requires something that 7 offers that XP doesn't. Off the top of my head, I can only think maybe DirectX 10+.

If you have no specific requirements to get Windows 7, then its purely a judgement call. The only thing you are going to run into is learning the GUI differences between it and XP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Windows 7 doesn't have any real new feature.

Well, I'd sure want Vista's many new features, but Win7 has plenty of them too.

There's plenty of fairly major features like the new taskbar (with jump lists and all), aero snap (and new keyboard shortcuts), homegroup, libraries, multitouch (monitors for it are coming), XP compat mode, plenty under-the-hood changes like support for SSD TRIM, etc. And there's plenty of very nice minor ones too, like desktop slideshow, gadgets can be anywhere, improved start menu, the uncluttered systray area, out-of-the-box DirectX 11/IE8/WMP12, the improved media center, new IIS, improved firewall, improved apps like calc/paint and so on. It all adds up pretty quickly. It's a fairly decent upgrade from Vista, mind you I never had any problems with Vista either. But hey, you can try to downplay it all, and say none of this is worthy, just like loads of people said about Vista vs XP.

The only thing you are going to run into is learning the GUI differences between it and XP.

There's much more to it than just that. Win 7 isn't just some GUI changes. There's a unbelievable amount of new features over XP, even in Vista. I'd never want to go back! It's a modern 64 bit platform with a bright future too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I finally bit the bullet and made the switch. I am no noob by any means, I have been in the IT game for a long time, was just jubious about switching till i got some ideas on what the majority though. The company i work for still uses XP for the very reasons I was hesitant. I have been using it for over 3 hours now, and so far I like what I see. The only thing that p***ed me off was getting the BSOD when I tried to load the drivers for my soundcard (A Soundblaster 5.1 VX). I attempted to install the vista drivers as I did not want to download and wait, expecting them to be compatible with win7, and failed miserably, so now have downloaded some windows 7 compliant drivers. Will give this a try.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, Success, I now have sound and 7 seems stable as. I am impressed with the speed difference. I expected a drop in performance, rather load times for windows and also programs have improved markedly. I am liking what i see so far.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's plenty of fairly major features like the new taskbar (with jump lists and all), aero snap (and new keyboard shortcuts), homegroup, libraries, multitouch (monitors for it are coming), XP compat mode, plenty under-the-hood changes like support for SSD TRIM, etc. And there's plenty of very nice minor ones too, like desktop slideshow, gadgets can be anywhere, improved start menu, the uncluttered systray area, out-of-the-box DirectX 11/IE8/WMP12, the improved media center, new IIS, improved firewall, improved apps like calc/paint and so on.

those are only minor things, no "must have" features which you can't live without. Windows 7 only has 1 "killer feature" which is DirectAccess, but 99% of the people will never use it.

Only if you plan to buy a new Intel i5/7 (Core parking feature) or try to use 2 different graphics cards (this is only possible with WDDM1.1, 1.0 let you only use 2 cards which use the same graphics driver) at the same time, you have to use Windows 7. The rest is only GUI changes and tricks to get the people away from XP to Vista, even if it is now named Windows 7 instead of Vista R2 (see Mojave Experiment, people love Vista features, but don't like the name).

But several important things (blocker for me) are not fixed in Windows 7 (still no SP slipstream, no generic update mechanism for all applications, no included app virtualization, no offline installation of MSI Installer files, still no chance to change the view of Windows (you still need uxtheme patch and several bitmaps are placed in signed DLLs and exe files, which makes it impossible to change them), still UI inconsistence in several OS parts, (only Windows 7) complete useless UAC, still no EASY (not the COM DLL plugin hell we have now) way to create extension and themes for IE). I can continue this list.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

still no SP slipstream
That one is indeed a pain, although I'm hoping it's fixed with 8. Given the servicing engine, I don't see how they can make this happen for Vista and 7 though, which I guess was a tradeoff of getting a more modern servicing engine out the door with Vista. I think if MS made the SP integrated ISOs available to everyone as they do with trial server OS ISOs, this would be less of a problem.
no generic update mechanism for all applications
While that would be nice, there are legal hurdles to this. Not to mention getting other vendors to actually buy in and lose control of their crapware distribution systems.
no included app virtualization
Again, I hope they fix this for Win8, although it would probably eat into installs of App-V and MED-V, so until the risk outweighs the reward I'm guessing no.
no offline installation of MSI Installer files
Given the MSI engine's requirements for file scanning, I'm not sure this is possible yet. I know it's something we'd all want, but again, due to the design of the MSI engine it really (currently) has to be online. Maybe if more packages conformed to CBS and the MSU standard rather than MSIs? That'd work.
still no chance to change the view of Windows (you still need uxtheme patch and several bitmaps are placed in signed DLLs and exe files, which makes it impossible to change them)
Given how many times this is filed on connect and rejected, I doubt we'll see this anytime soon. Silly, but if you're waiting for Win<version> for this to change you'll be waiting a long time ;)...
still UI inconsistence in several OS parts
True, although this is less an issue than the rest you posted. I wish they'd spend more time on the UI as well, although it's gotten fairly close to really good in most places.
(only Windows 7) complete useless UAC
While I would counter-argue that it can be made the same with one click of a slider, and the default settings are pretty good, I think the neutering of UAC to be less invasive will be a wait and see if it was a good idea or not. It might be OK, but if not we can thank the whiners for reducing security for convenience (which is what they usually want anyway).
still no EASY (not the COM DLL plugin hell we have now) way to create extension and themes for IE)
Given the architecture of IE, this isn't likely to change ever either. Accelerators are pretty interesting, and running a WPF app in silverlight is also really interesting, but neither are true plug-ins the way an activex control is. And, given the path of previous and current versions, I don't see a plug-in architecture above and beyond what we've currently got for v.next either, for better or worse.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

still no SP slipstream
That one is indeed a pain, although I'm hoping it's fixed with 8. Given the servicing engine, I don't see how they can make this happen for Vista and 7 though, which I guess was a tradeoff of getting a more modern servicing engine out the door with Vista.

it may be possible. The cause is the delayed execution of the servicing engine. When the update can't replace the hardlinks from WinSxS to destination folder (file is in use), the action and all later operations are pending and will be updated at next shutdown/boot. The strange thing is, WHY does the servincing thinks, that files are in use and so the hardlinks can't be replaced (NTFS limitation) when you have an offline image. :wacko: This is the thing I don't understand. And this is the cause why MS disabled the SP slipstream. When you use a clean MS DVD with n-1 Sp Level (where n is the Sp Level who want to install), slipstream works fine. But when you slipstream into this self made DVD a new SP, the image is broken. The pending packages are too huge and the servicing comes out of order.

I think if MS made the SP integrated ISOs available to everyone as they do with trial server OS ISOs, this would be less of a problem.

yeah, this would be the best.

no included app virtualization
Again, I hope they fix this for Win8, although it would probably eat into installs of App-V and MED-V, so until the risk outweighs the reward I'm guessing no.

I know of App-V. But who uses this? Only SA customers. No, Ms must provide a client version to all editions (easy drap & drop msi files to a special location and the app is being virtualizied. And higher editions (prof, ent, ultimate) could get the apps from a AppV server. This would be cool.

no offline installation of MSI Installer files
Given the MSI engine's requirements for file scanning, I'm not sure this is possible yet. I know it's something we'd all want, but again, due to the design of the MSI engine it really (currently) has to be online.

yesterday I had a case. I've tried the latest TortoiseSVN 1.6 nightly and after reboot, I had a Black Screen of Death. So booting a LiveCD and renaming the TSVN folder made my Windows working again. So it would be nice to have offline MSI support to remove/install MSI packages.

still no chance to change the view of Windows (you still need uxtheme patch and several bitmaps are placed in signed DLLs and exe files, which makes it impossible to change them)
Given how many times this is filed on connect and rejected, I doubt we'll see this anytime soon. Silly, but if you're waiting for Win<version> for this to change you'll be waiting a long time ;)...

I gave this up. This will never happen :realmad:

still no EASY (not the COM DLL plugin hell we have now) way to create extension and themes for IE)
Given the architecture of IE, this isn't likely to change ever either.

and this is the DEATH of IE. Till 2012 when IE9 is out, no one is using IE. This is the main cause why people switch to Firefox and maybe now Google Chrome (which gets themes and extensions with the latest builds and the website is now online with new extensions). People want to have the browser with the function THEY want and the look THEY want.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

still no chance to change the view of Windows (you still need uxtheme patch and several bitmaps are placed in signed DLLs and exe files, which makes it impossible to change them)

I no longer longer longer look at that ugghllllyyyARE$$ 7 boot, login, shutdown background. May see it a bit during install but after that I haven't seen it.(work in progress)

But as far as the original ?, yeah 7 is definite not a POS. Faster and mo sweeter than Vista was. Maybe because they unloaded all the graphical stuff Vista was. A litle more duller but kicka$$.

Then you can remove junk different way's.

Cluberti answered the rest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...