Vista versus Windows 7

[carless]

I am now using Vista.
Can anyone tell me if it would be a wise move to change to Windows 7 in the autumn?
I read it is a much better product.
I would value your advice.

[Gromit]

I have heard it is just a tweaked version of Vista and probably not worth the dosh.

Randall Kennedy put the Windows 7 engine on a real test-bench and discovered that, at the kernel level, "When viewed side by side in Performance Monitor, Vista and Windows 7 were virtually indistinguishable."

In case you haven't used Vista, that means you can expect Windows 7 performance to be lousy. Kennedy ran the same application performance tests comparing XP and Vista and found that Vista ran 40% slower than XP. I've said it before, I'll say it again, if you must run Windows, run XP

[ACtheTROLL]

I agree about xp (but then I loved 98se as well).

the thing with vista ... and now 7 is that they are quite a radical departure from the 2000/XP engine.

there is a ready tester to make sure a machine is capable ... but when Vista launched - every idiot in the world just went out and bought it .... and surprise - it didn't work.
add that to the avalanche of cheap celeron laptops that hit the market - and it's no surprise that an o/s that needs muscle didn't perform

to make it even worse ... nothing was in the same place ...
and office was even worse.
so people also had to think (and who wants that?)
(I went back to XP)

.... now people are asking the same question as you (which means you must be reasonably comfy with vista?)

however
I've played with the 7 release candidate which is (I think) still available ... and based on that I ordered a copy of Pro from tesco last week

I won't be updating this machine ... it's too creaky - but my quad should cope very well.

with the review
It's amazing that a bloke who can't have seen the finished product knows so much ...

but it could be a disaster
updating isn't compulsory ... see how it goes - decide then

[ACtheTROLL]

btw
gromit - XP was a tweaked version of 2000
98/98se was a tweaked version of 95
both far bigger/better than the originals

[Ice.Maiden]

A techie advised me to stay with XP instead of Vista - and I've been considering Windows 7. If you buy early you can get it at half price.
However, what aboiut Google Chrome OS?

[ACtheTROLL]

ice - what about it - it's first outing is likely to be in small netbooks ...seo dont need aps - just access to porn and facebook - aps need to be compatible and familiar - windows 7 will be because it's enough like Vista that you'll get the drift - which wasn't the case with xp vista.

as for sticking ... some will ... most won't ... for a couple of weeks it will be the new iPod
a recent q here states ... don't know how to deal with a negative ... but have CS3 @�300+ (�500+ when new)

no way of

[rojash]

I will be upgrading my Vista machine to Windows 7. I've been running the W7 RC1 for some time and it's not bad at all, and certainly a vast improvement over Vista.

However, I don't see either of them as great improvements on XP for everyday use, so my main machine will stay with XP.

[Ice.Maiden]

Thanks AC. Just wondererd if it'd get Microsaft worried.

[sarah_louise]

Tested Windows 7 RC1. Apart from a few non compatible programs (which would not install with a warning will not run under this version of Windows) I have had no problems and like it. It seems more logical and finds the correct drivers.
There is no email program such as Outlook Express or Windows Mail which seems odd and IE will be downloaded seperately under EU ruling.

For email you are directed to Windows Live. I am not sure i like that feature.

i have ordered a pre release from PC World at �44,99 for Windows 7 E Home (the E means European version)

[LeMarchand]

I ran the Beta of W7 on a not-too-powerful laptop with 512Mb of RAM and was surprised that everything worked, and it performed OK (it wasn't speedy, but then the minimum spec is 1Gb of RAM). I haven't got round to loading the RC1 version (and probably won't get time) but have pre-ordered a copy of W7 for home. Mind you, I already have Vista at home - but on a reasonably powerful machine that runs it without any problem, so I'm used to it and quite like it. That said, W7 moves some things around again!

HOWEVER, due to European legislation, the version of W7 available is "Full Install" only (you can't upgrade from Vista) and does not come with an internet browser. So you will have to reinstall all your programs and save all your documents off-disc and reload them, as well as provide an internet browser. I suspect that there are going to be a lot of punters who have ordered the OS at �50 who are going to come a cropper when they actually want to use it...

[Mobius1]

The Google Chrome OS is going to be aimed primarily at mobile and ultra portable devices. For the foreseeable future, Google isn't planning to go toe-to-toe with Microsoft despite what certain sensationalist headlines might suggest.

Whilst I will admit that I am a stickler for XP, I have been trying out the Windows 7 RC on one of my machines and I have to say, I've been really pleasantly surprised by it. Having tried Vista, which left me thoroughly unconvinced, Windows 7 feels like a completely different kettle of fish. Compared to Vista, my experience of it feels fresh, fast and fluid - everything that Vista isn't. It's also got a no-nonsense vibe to it too - paths to functions feel more logical and intuitive than they did with Vista.

Despite being based on the same kernel as mentioned earlier, 7 is clearly an optimised and enhanced overall experience. Many tests show that boot-up times have been cut in half compared to Vista, and whether or not that is true on my system, it certainly feels a lot faster. Native hardware support is also very impressive. The Vista update advisor was riddled with warnings about stuff that wouldn't work, whereas the Windows 7 one showed me 2 warnings, both of which it informed me would be fixed by using the automatic update feature. It was right.

So, whilst I will heartily praise XP for being stable, mature, tried and tested, if you DO have to go for a new MS offering, 7 Home Premium and up is definitely the way to go from what I've experienced.

[carless]

Thanks follks for all the feedback which I will now need to absorb (a lot of info)! Sorry for late response have been away.