Windows 7 — It’s like Vista, only less annoying

I'm not spending money on it

I foolishly bought Vista Ultimate to run on my laptop and the only thing about it that's ultimate is the fact that its the ultimate (as in 'last') version of Windows I intend to purchase.

Since its launch, I have read and heard complaints, but also counter-arguments and support for Microsoft's attempt to improve the user experience, enhance security and reliability et al, but my own personal experience has been one of almost unending frustration.

If I were only to use my machine for word processing and browsing the web then undoubtedly it would match the job, but I have had problems with file consistency, performance and have seen more blue screens than ever I did with XP.

It's no exaggeration to say that running Vista (on a laptop that replaced a perfecly reliable XP laptop that was stolen) has cost me frustration and lost time that amounts to several days of lost productivity and, for that reason, I can't say that it was "fit for purpose". Sure enough, SP1 took care of some of the *really* ridiculous problems like taking hours to copy a few files, but that's like buying a car and only having the accelerator fitted at its first service!

I'm no IT idiot, and Microsoft operating systems have run my computer's since the days of DOS 2.0, so I have lived with the foibles of Windows since its rudimentary beginnings in the 80s. I have watched it take over corporate PC networks where (in my opinion) it comes a distant third, fourth or fifth place to Novell eDirectory (a proper, fully functional and completely transparent network directory structure), Linux, etc. in terms of manageability, performance and reliability, but I have grown to accept working with it as part of my job -- on the desktop in fact, I'd say it's not done a bad job since Windows 2000.

This, though, is different. Vista has never grown on me. I have never come to actually like it and, even after two years of using it, curse it on an almost daily basis.

Vista cost me good money, and now I'm supposed to say "ah well, never mind, they made a mistake... the next version is bound to be better." Well bollocks to that: Windows 7 might bring me the things I paid for Vista to bring me, but I'm not going to pay top whack for it again.

You can polish a turd

as many times as you like but it will always remain a turd.

Am I the only one to think that desktop improvements (sic) are yet another p-poor attempt from Microshaft to come up with a UI like Mac OS-X?

The sooner we see the back of a company which resembles its own software (over-blown and bloated) the better!

OK....

"So what's different since January's beta? Aero Peek, which displays a full-screen preview of an application before you switch to it, has been extended to alt-tab switching as well as taskbar thumbnails, so you no longer need the mouse."

Ah, so just like KDE has been able to do for ages? KDE will even show the active window content in the preview. So if you watching a video in a window , the video will continue to play in realtime in the preview pane.

MS, get a clue!

Win7 is good - you haters need to get over yourselves

Been using the beta for several months - runs like a dream on my Samsung NC10 netbook (1.6GHz Atom, 2Gb RAM) so should fly on higher specced machines. Take the visual pleasantries of Vista, chuck in the speed and stability of XP and add new dimensions of intuition and polish, and you have Windows 7.

Don't knock it till you've tried it folks - a lot of you MS haters are going to be eating your words quite soon...

Core competency

That would be games and hardware, then.

Feature??

"Windows 7 also eliminates a Windows Vista *feature* whereby every GDI window was held in memory twice, reducing memory consumption and speeding performance"

I do so hope there was heavy use of sarcasm accompanying the word "feature" in there...

Whingers

I have to laugh at all you "Wot's it do that XP doesn't??" whiners! I bet you all said the same about DOS when Windows 3.0 hit didn't you...?!!

Listen if you don't like the OS then DON'T USE IT. And if you don't already, then why not just shut the fuck up and stop bitching about something you don't use?

@James Whale

Not everybody who posts negative comments about a specific experience with a specific product is a Microsoft hater.

You may not have posted in response to my post, but I sympathise with many of the above comments so please allow me to respond in kind:

I'm very pleased that your experience has been good, and I have seen many a posting not dissimilar about Vista itself, but perhaps it is you who needs to get over the fact that some people are dissatistied and frustrated with good reason.

I am not a Microsoft hater. I am not even a Windows hater, and I am no Mac or Linux fanboy, but whether you dismiss it out of hand or not, my experience with Vista has not just been bad, it has been lamentable.

If this were any organisation but Microsoft, we would allow ourselves to conduct such discussions without always making the assumption that it's to do with our liking or otherwise of its former CEO and representative personality, or because we have a liking for engaging in pub-style banter over which is the undisputed king of corporations, Apple or Microsoft.

I drove a car for a while that had problem after problem. My mate has almost exactly the same model but had no such problems: he couldn't deny that I was experiencing tribulations that would rightly make me think twice about buying from the same manufacturer again, even if he wasn't.

I'm not suggesting that there won't be anything good about Windows 7, but rather was making the point about having spent money on an OS that was basically shit and having to spend money again on its replacement.

@ Tony Paulazzo

Tony,

Not to sound like a fan boi, but give Ubuntu a try.

-Mines the one sitting next to the ancient (by current standards) laptop that runs Slackware 12.2 faster than my new one runs XP...

Copying files...

I wonder if this Windows release still does that infuriating thing when you're copying a large folder tree to a new location, and one bad file is found and the whole process is stopped - there's no 'Skip this file?' dialog box.

Still, I didn't buy Vista, and I doubt I'll buy this. XP does everything I need from an OS at the moment.

@James Whale

Sure, I'll try it. You going to give me the £160? Thought not.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

all this MS bashing does get very dull and repetitive if you don't like it don't use it don't bore us all with how brilliant every other OS is the fact of the matter is if MS products where really that bad they wouldn't have got as far as they have it’s easy to use does the job it’s asked of maybe not brilliantly but well enough to be usable Linux maybe perceived as the best thing since sliced bread. But for joe public Ms just works and 99% of all software works on it to some degree or another. Most of the time it’s 3rd party software that is the route of the problem not MS. Personally I’m indifferent to all OS’s as I don’t really care what brand it is so long as it runs my software library, which windows does. Linux on the other hand is just a ball ach to get most software running. I have more interesting things to do in my life than sit down and learn a 20 page code just to install a media player. Once Linux gets to the point where its point and click then I’ll revise my position on it. And by point and click I mean 5 clicks and its done not 2 click type some weird shit and then maybe just maybe it’ll work without me have a degree in computer engineering. Apple I just hate full stop over priced crap that it all style and no substance

The only downside..

The only downside of Vista and W7 over XP, is the "flavours". I liked the simple Home, and Professional editions, instead of hundreds of different things. No doubt W7 Ultimate will cost a fortune like Vista Ultimate did, which a lot of people simply can't afford. XP Pro never cost that much, and "migration" to W7 will be very slow, so it would be beneficial to reduce the price to something reasonable.

Re: Dont knock it til you tried it

Why should I even try it ? £150 when Mandriva comes for £0. Virtual desktops ? None, yet Mandriva has those. Don't think I need more reasons.

corporate customers ......

.....Just want to run their core applications as has been pointed out elsewhere here. Allegedly "cool" visual tweaks that require double the graphical hardware cost will acheive little beyond annoying the beancounters, and would do so regardless of a recession. Is it me or have they now completely lost their occasionally flakey connection with reality at Redmond.

Running word processors, spreadsheets and databse clients really shouldn't require a business to spend a pile on graphical hardware, and when a lower footprint alternative exists, why should they pay for even 2, let alone 3 or 4 gigs of RAM in every box ?

XP, legacy Win 2000 licenses and even embracing the penguin for those without legacy apps to support, is likely to be seen as a better business bet. According to the Beast of course, these enterprises should all have divested themselves of 2000 in favour of XP, XP in favour of Vista and now, before the bugs have all been rounded up in Vista they should do the same again and make the jump to 7......?

They are aware that cash is tight right now ? Hello ? anybody there ?

Wakey fscking wakey !

MSDN Down

Blah blah Windows sucks... except RC1 just got posted and the MSDN site is now totalled... swamped with requests.. looks like they've disabled logins.. ho ho. Amazing that they still cant handle this kind of event ..maybe Windows 2012 Server will? :-)

@michael

No you are not the only one. First thing I do on XP is switch desktop to Classic scheme, then disable the stoopid desktop cleanup to get rid of annoying popups. Stuff I haven't used in 90 days is exactly what I NEED shortcuts to - you don't use it often enough to remember. Then I switch the taskbar to classic mode, delete all the MS crap from the Start menu, drag an Explorer link out from its burial plot in Start/Programs/Accessories and place it directly in the Start menu where its actually usable, then configure it with a "/e,C:\" option so it actually opens somewhere useful (yep, me too @AC). Then you spend half an hour trying to disable all the crap new Explorer options, bring back the Attributes column in details view and finally click on Reset All Folders" and "Apply to All Folders" 4-5 times before it sticks. :( Now log out and you have a 50/50 chance that all your changes stick. As long as you didn't install any patches.

If W7's big "improvement" is all about hiding all that "complicated configuration" then its an epic fail to me. And why the hell do I want to waste processing power drawing color transitions, roll down windows and transparent title bars when my goal is to actually get some work done, as quickly as possible? Stop with the eye candy MS and realize a computer is a work tool, not a cosmetic accessory.

i like win7

I've been using Win7 Beta for few months now on my home PC and it's actually pretty good. Runs great on old hardware with 512MB.

I love some users when they compare it to XP... well next time when virus hits don't blame wndows. Vista/Win7 significantly improved kernel. I have Vista on my latop (new latop with 3GB ram) and it really asks to ACCEPT changes only when I install or upgrade new software, I don't see this to be annoying at all. The system runs very smooth.

What does it have over XP?

People keep asking what Windows 7 will have over XP. Well for one thing it will allow the use of more than 3GB of RAM which for graphics editing and video editing is a must. Same goes for the 2TB hard disk partition limit. There are already 2TB hard disks out there and even larger RAID arrays. XP is problematic with partitions over 2TB requiring a lot of messing about to get it to recognise over that amount correctly.

I'm guessing only the 64bit version of Windows 7 will support more than 3GB of RAM fully though?

Win7 bits

Couple of points: current RC [well, build 7077....] *does* show you a live preview, providing the window is not minimised - so you do get live video etc with the preview thumbnail and Peek. If the window is minimised, you get a snapshot of what it looked like last, but it's not animated [tested this with youtube...]

Also, you can pick up a Q6600, 2gb ram and a decent quality mobo for £350 - see here -

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BU-158-OK

- providing your PSU and chassis are up to it, you slot in a cheap PCI-E GPU and you have a stonking fast machine for well under £400. A Q6600 is nothing special. But it is bloody fast - I can get my one stable at 3.4Ghz with a £25 cooler, and plan to get a bit more than that with a £50 one.

I've been running Win 7-7077 for the last week on a Q6600/P5Q/8Gb RAM/HD4850 and it's really not bad - I haven't even got round to installing Ubuntu 64Bit edition again yet [I put too many partitions on the HD for Windows to handle...].

Will I use it day to day? Probably not.

Will it do for Windows only apps and DX10 games? A damned site better than Vista does, that's for sure.

7077 is much nicer than 7000 [the beta released a few months ago] as an actual gelled experience - it has a very smooth feel, in the same way OS X 10.5 does, and Ubuntu 8 didn't [even with Compiz etc] but 9.04 is heading for too.

OSs are getting better across the board I reckon, no bad thing. MS are playing catchup in every major respect from a techies perspective, but they are slowly getting there methinks.

Steven R

Currently triple booting XP SP3, Vista Ultimate and Win 7 Ultimate, soon to be quad boot with Ubuntu 64bit :-)

Jimbo, there is more to this...

It is not that Windows 7 is expected to be crap: it is expected to be good in fact.

It will better handle multiple processors, more memory and will be more scaleable as a base for servers.

The front end will be cool, file handling will have improved, it will handle mouse gestures, it will run programs we need to keep running in XP mode if necessary.

But, once again, and in full knowledge that I'm beginning to sound (or have long sounded) boring, THAT'S NOT THE POINT! As a long-term Microsoft customer and someone who is (can you tell) more than a bit disgruntled with Vista, I should not have to pay for a new operating system when the primary reason for getting it will be to put right the cock-such that is Vista, not to update my XP machine.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT HATING MICROSOFT: it's about having to pay again for something has already been paid for but not delivered!

I have every respect and sympathy for Microsoft's developers who are doubtless highly talented and motivated individuals... but their wares shouldn't be sold as 'ready for use' until they really are ready for use.

The Cow Farts Now

And that smell is the big steaming heap of Windows7 under your feet.

polished code - Yes, you really can polish a meadow muffin. Someone get a shovel and help me pile this W7 back in the spreader.

@AC - 12:53 GMT - Most of the time it’s 3rd party software that is the route of the problem

There's the crux of the problem now, innit? MS Win is supposed to be DESIGNED to be used with 3rd party software and should do it right; not like the steaming heap of goat custards that it is. Even Paris knows better than to step in it.

Why is Vista annoying again?

I'm running Vista Pro 64 and it's fine. Haven't had many problems other than UAC stuff (with Visual Studio, no less!) The 8GB of RAM on this box helps. Who would use a 32-bit OS when RAM is so cheap?

Tombo

Now, the question is what did Microsoft learn?

To work harder to make every OS (Vista) better than it's predecessor (XP)?

To not work so hard on an OS (XP) so people won't be pissed when you release your typical "not much" upgrade. (Vista).

The problem is that XP runs fine on a gig of memory. 2 gigs is insanely great. 3.6 (or whatever the 32bit limit) is God-like.

How does one "fix" this problem? Create apps that take more memory for little or no added value. How do you force people to adopt these apps? Make them incompatible with their predecessors (Hello? New office format anyone?).

I went full Mactard a few months ago after using Microsoft since 1990. VMWare's latest release seems to run XP (Visual Studio for work) slower than the hardware would allow, but that's about the only complaint I have.

On a final note, that Linux desktop demo link someone posted a page or two back looks juicy and delicious. It's an interesting time for the PC (the original definition, meaning personal computer, not MS based) industry. There's actually competition in the computer market, even if it's all i386 based. It feels like if the industry adopted Unix instead of DOS 20+ years ago. Better late than never I suppose. To talk more, call my BBS at .. oh wait, wrong decade.

How did MS lay the addled egg called "Vista"?

Simple: they decided to exploit their monopoly and simply force people to adopt Vista, like cattle being driven to the slaughterhouse.

Not that MS exploiting their monopoly is anything new, but Vista was a truly egregious example. It's been pretty funny to watch MS recoil in horror when their customer base rebelled and decided to stick with XP. It seems to me an inescapable conclusion that MS, in spite of all their trumpeting otherwise, doesn't know what their customers want, doesn't care what their customers want, and couldn't figure out what their customers want even if they cared. So much for the much-vaunted usability labs!

What I'd like to know is how much money changed hands, and in which direction, in connection with the ludicrous HD DRM installed in Vista at Hollywood's behest.

@Jason Bloomberg

...disable the stoopid desktop cleanup to get rid of annoying popups...

I didn't even think that was possible. After a quick google on it, I have found where the hidden checkbox under customize desktop is and am now free of the yoke of my every 60 day oppressor.

Cheers!