Over the years, I (and several other experts) advised computer users not to upgrade to a new Windows operating system until you buy a new computer. Upgrades can cause problems and may not even work in your old computer. Well, I have just ignored my own advice and ordered the Windows 7 upgrade for this computer.
Why, you may ask? Simple…it works…and it works extremely well…better than XP, in fact. Microsoft did something very smart with Windows 7. They invited the world to download it for free before they released the final version. First, was the Beta version…and now the Release Candidate version.
By doing this, they wowed the computer world by giving us an operating system that may turn out to be the best Windows ever. Even the Beta version was nearly flawless in its operation. To run Windows 7 correctly without destroying your current operating system, one needs repartition the hard drive then install Win 7 on the new partition. The new operating system is smart enough to figure out what you are doing and creates a dual boot system. When I turn on the computer or reboot, the computer asks which version of Windows I wish to start.
But, I had a big problem when I first installed Windows 7 Beta. My hard drive, as it turns out, was beginning to fail, and when I repartitioned it, it crashed my Windows XP, but Windows 7 installed fine. After nearly three weeks in the shop, my XP was restored on a new hard drive and all worked fine…well almost anyway.
Windows 7 Beta, and later the RC version, caused my video fits. I was getting screen flashing, meaning the current page on the screen was being flashed at me again many, many times. Obviously that is not good and extremely annoying. I worked for hours trying all kinds of different things to solve the problem. Nothing worked.
I began to suspect my on-board video was causing the problem, as there were also small, nagging intermittent problems in XP. So, I ordered a new video card…and, after installation, all my problems were solved, in both XP and Windows 7.
That happened just last week, so I can only give you a real quick evaluation of Win 7. As I said, it is much faster in all things, from loading to running software. My observation has been verified by many testing labs. It is different in operation than previous Windows versions, and I have not yet learned all of its nuances…for instance the taskbar is radically different. But I am working on it. Nothing that can’t be overcome with a little education.
I am slowly loading my most important programs into Windows 7 to see if I can slow it down. So far, no luck. It is flying along. So much faster than XP.
Of course, my XP is a few years old…and there is such a thing as “Windows Arthritis”… systems slow down over time. And that is one good reason why I ordered Windows 7…to have a brand new clean operating system for my computer. Of course, I also ordered it because it works so darn well.
It is also easier and cleaner to look at…meaning the video rendering is higher quality. I’ve watched movies on it and they do look better. Most programs also look better, but only just enough so you can tell the difference.
Interestingly, I tried to install the software for my new video camera and Windows 7 stopped me, saying this program might hurt my computer. It automatically went on line, found a newer version and installed it for me. That was impressive. But all the other software that I have loaded into it work just fine, even better than in XP. I am sure I will find some compatibility issues someplace, but so far, nothing yet, except the video camera driver.
If you read my blogs on a regular basis, you know that the final version Windows 7 won’t be released until late October. No big deal, for me. The RC version is running perfectly and is good for nearly another year. The only downside is that when the final version is released, I will have to wipe out this version and reinstall everything from scratch. But my XP will stay in place, so I won’t lose anything but time. And when the final version is installed, I will take a “drive snapshot” so I will always have a clean version of Windows 7 to reinstall in the future should “Windows Arthritis” set in
Will your computer work with Windows 7. Unless it is really old, it probably will. But you can download a program from Microsoft that will tell you if it is compatible. Windows 7 has been structured to work with older computers, much more so than previous versions.
Of course, it is up to you whether or not to upgrade. And after October, all new computers will come with it. But, if your computer can handle it, I can recommend the upgrade. Your call. If you downloaded the RC version, try installing it and using the dual boot system. Then you will know.
PS: This is my first blog written in Windows 7 on Windows Live Writer.
No comments:
Post a Comment