Questions about Windows 7 (32-bit)

[morland]

I am just tired and exhausted of trying to find XP drivers for my laptop and I think I will probably go with Windows 7 in a day or so. I know there will be a learning curve since I have been using only XP (32-bit) for the last so many years.

I have a few questions and will appreciate if I can please get help:

1. Does Windows 7 automatically detect all the drivers. Will it? Or do I need to spend a few months trying to find Windows 7 drivers for my laptop (which has only 2 GB RAM)
   
2. Is Windows 7 (32-bit) faster than XP (32-bit). Maybe the answer will be subjective but would like to request views
   
3. I have been using Sygate as my firewall for years and simply love it. I am very familiar with it's interface and details. I think Sygate is no longer available but does anyone know if it will work under Windows 7 (32-bit). For the worst case scenario, I have shortlisted a freeware firewall called COMODO
   
4. I have a few utilities that I probably cannot do without. Amongst these is KeyText 2000 (v2.16). Has anyone used it and will it work under Win 7. Maybe later (not now) I might purchase their latest version. I am actually trying to explore and learn a freeware called AutoHotKey
   

Thanks

[wuhoatu]

1. NO OS can automatically detect ALL drivers but Windows 7 can detect a large number of device. Windows 7 can run smoothly with your 2GB of ram and it support Vista drivers. So don't worry about the driver if your system is compatible with Vista.

2. It depend on your system configuration.

3. and 4. You can try with Windows 7 install on a VMWare.