Windows 7 takes PC upgrade for a cycle Since Windows 7 stabilised its service packs big organisations are moving into upgrade mode. Given that we’re over at least the first hump of the recession, the upgrade leads to the questions; if you’re upgrading to Windows 7, should you upgrade your hardware too? Intel’s Scott Mordue puts forward balanced arguments in favour …
.... to get a hardware vendor to answer it is a little disingenuous, to say the least.
The answer is "no". Software is there to allow you to maximise the hardware you have and to provide access to the hardware you, especially the O/S. The hardware is not there to run the O/S, which is something that most people seem to forget.
Upgrade hardware just because MS are shoving more bloat ware down the line ? Na. Windows 7 an 'upgrade' ? Nope.
Bugger the lot and do something sane like RHEL in the corporate world, or Ubuntu at home.
Sorted.
...the fact that people struggle with WinDOS doesn't really impact the issue of suitability of alternatives.
An idiot will be equally ill at ease no matter what they are running. With a more robust system, they will at least be less of a menace to themselves and everyone else around them. If it's a corporate environment, then SOME ONE ELSE is doing the hard work anyways. So the problem of "the idiot being his own admin" is even less relevant.
when the trolls and fanbois put up the difficulty of learning Windows as a selling point for keeping it?
"people still struggle with Windows after using it for 15 years." ... so use an OS where the GUI is tunable to match the users way of thinking instead of twisting the users thoughts to fit a pre-set designers view of the world.
Once they get over the "Excel is not the only spreadsheet in existence" problem users find almost all other OS easier to understand than Windows.
What a really stupid answer.
"The answer is "no". Software is there to allow you to maximise the hardware you have and to provide access to the hardware you, especially the O/S." - And Windows 7 doesn't allow you to maximise the hardware better than earlier versions of Windows OS?
"Bugger the lot and do something sane like RHEL in the corporate world, or Ubuntu at home." - Get a grip FFS, the average user doesn't and won't use RHEL, Ubuntu or any other flavour of Linux. It's a unknown to them, they don't know how to use it and given the large volume of software for Windows with far better quality than the Linux stuff why on earth would they even think about change?
Despite the protests of the Linux lovers in the world Linux will NEVER have a large home / business user base. It's clunky, ugly, not user friendly and until there is a VERY good Windows emulator it will languish as the choice for nerds.
Lindows sold desktop PC's to the general public about 10 years ago and it later transpired that almost everyone either installed Windows on the machines (ditching Linux all together) or returned the PC's for a refund.
Say what you want about Microsoft but market forces will always win.
how Linux advocates are continuously trolling Windows threads trumpeting how much better "their" OS is, even though after decades of doing so Linux still has less desktop share than Apple ?
Personally, it really looks like they're compensating for something, because any rational individual would realize that companies are focused on actually making money, not installing and training users on the best OS out there.
Personally, I find that Windows in the workplace is a humongous mistake. Windows is only barely good enough for personal computing. Linux is more robust, more secure due to rarity as well as design, is almost invulnerable to user stupidity (because no user works under Administrator credentials) and good programmers work on Linux just as well as Windows.
Windows, on the other hand, is a vast, fertile terrain for all sorts of malware, can be screwed up by its user under a myriad of circumstances, has fostered all sorts of bad practices and just happens to be the most used platform at home as well as the enterprise.
Companies use what works the best for them. Windows, thanks to Microsofts' selfless student licenses, is known by all new recruits, and saves weeks of training and getting used to. Linux, on the other hand, requires all current business software to be rewritten, all users to undergo weeks of training which will disrupt business practices to no end, and will bother managers during months wondering if the procedures and software are doing what exactly they are supposed to do, without any of their handy flowchart reporting thingies to reassure them.
Managers don't like being bothered, even if it is supposed to be better for the long term, so Linux in the workplace will never happen, simple as that. And since any attempt at making Linux more Windows-like is met by scoffing and scorn from the Linux "elite", you'll never get Linux into schools either, which is where you need to start if you want to really dethrone Windows.
So do that already, instead of endlessly, uselessly chanting "Linux is better !", because only doing that is not going to change anything.
That is, if you actually want anything to change.
I see where you're going, but... It's more on the apps, tools, and even games. The big app would be MS Office. It's hard to do away with it, even though there are a few choices. We're a big Solaris shop. We have knowledgeable to dumb users. Every one of them has used OpenWindows to CDE, to now GNOME/JDS off of a SunRay thin client. Complete with a RDP pick to run MS Office on a terminal server. Your average user does not, and more importantly should not be maintaining their desktop at work. If the environment is setup for the user, they can use it no matter their skills. Anything past that, it's how good the tech guys are at convincing management for how to set up their systems (ie: HW, OS, Apps, ...). More and more, vendors are starting to port their apps to other operating systems, which will allow those OS's to get further growth making the case to mgt easier.
p.s. The MacOS is based on FreeBSD, so it is possible for a *nix OS to look "pretty." Most would argue that this is why MS tried to make Win7 prettier and easier to use.
"Bugger the lot and do something sane like RHEL in the corporate world, or Ubuntu at home."
Let me put it this way: if software in the "corporate world" is having enough trouble being 100% able to do what it says on the tin (interface with a sigpad for instance), what makes you think switching to RHEL or Ubuntu will work better? Sure, a desk monkey could use LibreOffice (just explain to them the difference between that and OpenOffice....) to do spreadsheets, but what about their in-house Access database? Oh, need WINE now. Or perhaps a VM. Piece of Windows-only mission-critical software (that won't run in WINE [likely])? Yep, VM now. Or Terminal Services. Now what about 2000+ computer organization? Need the benefits of Group Policy management? How about those that can't find "My Documents" and are too dim to know what a "home" folder it? Hope you like talking on the phone, I see you needing to get down from your IT Director position just to help out the front-line help desk staff. Oh, that's right, you're not an IT Director in the first place.
/rant
Running Windows 7 (pre SP1), everything worked great on my system. I had even added a new video card and extra memory with no adverse affects. Right after installing SP1, my system kept crashing with video and memory problems. Long story short, I had to upgrade the power supply for Windows 7 SP1 to work properly. Since upgrading the power supply, I have not had any more crashes.
Next time I hear a Linux FanBoy or Apple FanBoy (or even a PC FanBoy) I will start posting that people should be using DOS - ALL the FRIGGING time..... untl you want to kill me.
We get the message, really we do. You know best, you like your OS.... Everybody should be using your OS.... Now shut the hell up....
I had a mate, way back when, who predicted that Amiga's would be in all workplaces by 1991! I still think this could be reality if all just pulled together and made an effort! Bloody Windows, bring out the Workbench!
Better still, being an Atari lad myself, I think we should all have GEM Desktop! Instant boot off RAM O/S? Alright so viruses were rampant on Atari ST's but you can't make a wotnot without breaking doodahs!
I have just upgraded to Windows 7 from my combination XP/Vista systems, and I will say in its favour that it seems to be more stable than its predecessor. Possibly that's because the wife and kids haven't had chance to download all those annoying toolbars and adware applications again. The Family pack upgrade (£111 for 3 licences from Amazon) is a good deal if you have a number of older Windows systems to upgrade.
However, if I want to do some real work, I'll get back to my Apple and/or laptop with Linux partition...
its clear for anyone with a brain to see that Windows isn't going anywhere any time soon. I like Windows, its easy to manage (IMHO) (and I look after around 4000 users of all differing abilities). I like Linux too, but at the end of the day, I am a technical person. My dad has trouble finding the power button on his PC, never mind giving him an unfamiliar OS, with unfamiliar software to use. At the end of the day, its simple, Windows is familiar. Until people either take a leap and use something else, of Microsoft stop making Windows and associated software familiar, people will and will keep on using it.
the first thing to do is fire whoever makes the presentations to the bean counters. After that, anything reasonably current should run Win 7 kit. Vista was out for the usual three years before they released 7. A 3 year refresh cycle seems best, 4 is tolerable, and 5 is pushing it. Vista covered the 3 year cycle, holding off so 7 wasn't completely bleeding edge covers the 4 year cycle, and everybody else is due anyway.
> If you aren't on a regular rotation for your hardware
...then you are probably just like any other corporation or individual on the planet. Most people don't like p*ssing away money. This is true for grannies as well as corporate big shots. Most of us cubicle dwelling types have machines that are underpowered even without getting into forced upgrades primarily meant to allow Microsoft milk it's cash cows.
I've got about 1500 desktops and notebooks on fleet and am 80% through migration from XP to 7. Now is a great time to refresh the enterprise. Office 2003's ribbon was off-putting for many and would have slowed the business. Vista was buggy and offered no real advantage over XP. Now people have gained familiarity with the ribbon so migration to 2010 is easier and 7 is a good operating system.
As one part of a far larger organization, the cost of Windows licensing is offset by the availability of certified Windows support.
Our network policies give us a good level of security and there is little reason why I'd consider a move to Linux or any other platform.
Windows 7 is a fine operating system for the workplace and home user, but so is the iPad and Android operating system. I think most systems can sit side by side, without too much hindrance. With the increase in machines worldwide, there will always be space for a new kid on the block. I think the biggest influence will be how people use the devices in everyday life, this is where the iPhone, iPad and the new tablet devices come in. It is these devices that will shape the future, how they are used, the ease at which they can be used and how easy the software that can be used on them, which will dominate in the future.
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