With the introduction of the new Microsoft Operating System Windows 7 in October 2009, we are starting to get many questions from our clients: Should they upgrade? Is Windows 7 like Vista? Does their current computer meet the hardware requirements for the new OS? Will it be faster than Vista? Will their software programs run on Windows 7? Unfortunately, the answers to all of these questions are a bit complicated.
First off, eventually all PC users will have to upgrade to Windows 7, since Microsoft has moved XP to extended support, meaning they will no longer be creating any new features for XP, they will however continue to release security updates until 2014. In all honesty, Windows 7 is a lot like Vista, starting with the hardware requirements and ending with the look and feel of the operating system. When considering upgrading to Windows 7, particularly from XP, make sure that your computer meets and preferably exceeds the minimum hardware requirements recommended by Microsoft which are for a 32-bit version: 1-GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of free hard drive space; 64-bit version 2 GB RAM and 20 GB of free disk space. However, most our techs have found that Vista and Windows 7 run better if your computer has a minimum of 3GB RAM memory which will also dictate how fast your computer will run.
Aside from the changes on the technical side of the operating system, most changes that affect users have to do with the way the taskbar is set up and searching for saved files. Again, Windows 7 is not vastly different from Vista; it is simply slicker and a little more user friendly. For example, the icons on the taskbar of the applications running are now larger, although they are unlabeled; you will have to become familiar with what the icons look like in order to know what you are looking for. One neat feature is the “Aero Peek”, when you hover the mouse over the icons on the task bar thumbnails of the open windows will appear on the monitor, and you can pick which window you are looking for. Another feature, which has been improved, is the User Account Control (UAC). The UAC was probably one of the biggest complaints of Vista users, the annoying pop ups asking whether the user really wanted to proceed with certain tasks, has become tolerable in the new operating system by allowing the user to set the level of security they want. Other improvements have been made to a few Windows applications, which come preloaded with the operating system: a new and improved Windows Media Player, a variety of touch screen features for tablet users, as well as being less draining to laptop batteries. One of the benefits Windows 7 offers is the fact that software developers have had 3 years of working with Vista to get up to speed to be able to create compatible products and provide drivers for existing products.
All in all Windows 7 is a pretty good product, with faults, of course, but then again that is why Microsoft comes out with frequent Hot Fix Service Packs. Now whether you should upgrade immediately, the choice is a personal one, but from our viewpoint, it is best to wait a little and let the Operating System be tried and tested. If you do have any questions about Windows 7 and whether or not your current computer can be upgraded to run it, please feel free to give us a call at any one of our offices in Carson, Minden, or Reno. In a nutshell, if you like new technology, like a good challenge, and have the time and patience, you might want to take the plunge. Keep in mind, DeBug can help configure your system to dual boot into either your current operating system, or you can choose to boot into Windows 7, until you get the kinks worked out and have a comfort level with the new OS – just don’t forget – DeBug Is Here To Help!