[Tipstaff]

"Should I upgrade to Windows 7?"

How would you answer that question? For the last 2 weeks I've been fielding that question from clients, and frankly, I'm getting tired of it as I keep having to tailor my answers for each and every person. Each person has a machine/machines with different specs, and the answer isn't straight forward. It's taking too much time to properly answer people on whether they should or should not upgrade. I've got a business to run, and this is a waste of time for me (I mean really... either they are going to buy the OS from someone else, like Best Buy, or they buy it from me, in which case I make a nickel doing so unless they get me to upgrade it for them, and that way I can make some money, but otherwise, it's not worth my time).

Here's what I mean. I keep seeing articles about how much Windows 7 is faster than Vista, or ones that say Windows 7 is just as fast at running games as XP (or some such thing), but then again I keep seeing these articles based on tests being done on desktops and laptops with above basic specs. For instance, on a laptop that has an Intel T8600 processor, and an Nvidia 9400 graphics, or desktop running a Q8xxx/Q9xxx/i5/i7 processor with 4GB of RAM, and a mid to high-end dedicated graphics card. I mean, come on, Vista flies on that kind of hardware too.

I'm more interested to see whether or not Windows 7 is actually worth upgrading to, in every situation. A person running XP, that has a decent machine with an E8400, 2GB of RAM, and a 8800GTS will be pleased with Windows 7. I've seen it running on said system, and it flies. However, what about a person that has a laptop that is running basic specs such as a t4200 processor, 2GB of RAM, with onboard Intel graphics? Or someone that has a machine with an E5200, running 2GB of memory, and onboard video? Is it really worth these people to upgrade to Windows 7? What if they are running XP, and it flies on that OS, or what if they are running Vista, and just get by? Is it worth it for them to upgrade to it?

I'd like to see what you guys think about all this. If you are running Windows 7 let me know what hardware you are using, and what your experience has been with it (even if it's been the beta that you guys are using). Don't worry about posting Experience Index scores as they're useless to me. I'm just looking for your actual input on how you think it's running for you. At the very least I'd like you're input on how to answer the million dollar question: "Should I upgrade to Windows 7?"

Please note: the best answers will be reprinted without permission in big bold motherheffing letters on an 8'x6' board at my store, and any time someone asks me if they should upgrade to Windows 7 I'm pointing them to that board (should take up the entire front window). That means profanities are welcome.

[MitchRapp]

We've been testing all sorts of apps on a reallly crappy DELL Optiplex 755 at work and Windows 7 beta, RC and now the full release is just great. Seems faster then XP and better looking


Personally at home I don't have the "BEST" machine (see specs <---) but Windows 7 is a bit faster then Vista for sure. My games run very smooth and I have not had a single hang/freeze/BSoD or anything like that... ever.

[Judas]

Tipstaff..

I've installed windows 7 on a Intel P3 733mhz with 1gb of fram and a radeon 9500np 128mb, 80gb IDE hardrive.

I've had xp pro SP3 on it, i've had Windiws vista 32bit home premium on it, and i've had win7..

Now aside from the lack of a final driver for the 9500np which vista has (you can install the vista driver without any hitch, at least i didn't have a problem) but you only have the WDM 1.1 support.


From what i've tested and ran, the Win7 install is faster in just about every aspect then vista or xp.... xp being the slowest for most thing (only it's initial start appears to be fast when it loads windows, but things seem sluggish compared to vista/win7.

Win7 IMO is the top choice. Provided you have the supported hardware.

I've win7 also installed a Intel P4 Northwood and a Prescott machine, 2gb ram, One has a HD3850 AGP and the other is X1650XT....... the first has latest hotfix drivers installed and working dandy and the later has the latest official for vista... I think overall, they run better on win7 then vista or xp.

[OldBuzzard]

I have Win 7 installed on an Asus eee900. It has a Celeron 900Mhz, 16GB SSD, and has 2GB memory (I upgraded it from the original 1GB) which helped performance with it's original XP install.

Just for grins and giggles I decided to see it Win 7 would install on it, and was happily suprised to find that 7 actually ran better than the original XP install.

Now it's not going to run Far Cry 2, but it will do basic surfing and such which is all that the eee900 was designed to do any way.

I've installed Win 7 RC1 on 4 different systems, and in every case Win 7 runs better/faster than XP did.

[Zardon]

Its a good point though that on a high end system Vista really isnt noticeably 'slower' than Win 7. On lower spec systems however I have found Windows 7 to be on a par with XP, and sometimes actually more responsive, while looking massively better. I think Win 7 is their best OS since XP, possibly their best OS ever.

[OldBuzzard]

Originally Posted by Zardon

... I think Win 7 is their best OS since XP, possibly their best OS ever.

Well, I think that Vista was better than XP.

But I'll agree that 7 is quite possibly their best ever.

I've always maintained that the best ever vesion of Windows was WFW 3.11.

I'm thinking that as 7 matures, I may well change my mind.

[Zardon]

Originally Posted by OldBuzzard

Well, I think that Vista was better than XP.

But I'll agree that 7 is quite possibly their best ever.

I agree that Vista was better than XP, but thats looking at it from only my own perspective and I never really owned lower end PC's to see how it worked on that side of the spectrum.

I did however play with Vista on some very low end computers and it didn't run particularly well. I didn't set them up myself so I can't tell if it was a poor build or something else, but its hard to ignore the plethora of issues I have read about - obviously you could say that people really should upgrade anyway when a new OS comes out, but thats not always practical for 'joe public' and I know that Windows 7 runs well on even ATOM processors so MS have definitely got something right this time.

I am positive a lot of the 'vista issues' were caused by poorly written press articles and some scaremongering but it is hard to ignore them entirely.

[Zelig]

I never recommend an OS upgrade. For the average computer user, it's easiest to simply get the OEM version of whatever OS comes with a new computer when the old one becomes too old.

[isaak]

Running brilliantly - seemingly (at least) alot faster than vista ever did. Specs are in my specs tab, but I also have it installed in an E8400 system and an E7500 system, about to install onto 2 32 bit systems, Pentium 4 550 and a Celeron.

[Tipstaff]

Thankfully, none of these people that have been asking me about upgrading to Windows 7 have asked me to do it for them.. yet, that is.

What's interesting for me is how easy it has been to switch gears, to switch to offering Windows 7, and how open customers have been when they buy a new system, and I offer them Windows 7. Before, clients would, at first, balk at Windows Vista, asking instead that I install Windows XP for them. Even after I've convinced them that putting XP onto certain hardware was a waste of money (ie. their hardware would never be used to its fullest, such as having 4GB of RAM, or buying a Quad Core CPU), and they accepted installing Vista, yet days, even months after they still had negative things to say about Vista even though they weren't actually dissing Vista.. just how this wasn't XP. But now... sure I get questions about it, but in the end they are more receptive to me installing Windows 7 for them than they were about Vista. AND THEY LIKE IT! They like Windows 7. So far it's been the easiest transition to an OS I've had to do in years.

[Judas]

it's called Mass media brain washing.. and it's been scientifically proven that without any ryhme or reason for even thinking something, even if you've technically had an excellent experience with a product, that if they keep stomping it down claiming it's horrible, you'll beleive it even if it's not true.

It's called weak minded.. and way to many people are suseptible to this crap.

That's why there is advertising like they have now... all over the place.. the ads could be just about outright lies.... and yet..... people beleive it.

[swimtech]

The simple answer to this question then is:

Yes.

So long as the computer has a 80G plus hard drive, 1G ram, and a PIII equivalent 1Ghz processor - pretty much what Microsoft quotes as minimum. A 512Mb machine doesn't hack it at all with more than 1 email and 1 browser open.

It'll run most things better overall than any preceeding OS, except WFWG 3.11 .

I've checked too.

Upgrade install? Well, that's another issue - I'm having problems of an unknown (at the moment...) nature getting the latest Catalyst to "take" to an upgrade install of my own mature Vista64 installation. It's not looking like an easy fix either...

[johnniedoo]

I can take a minute away from my current dillema since it may have something to do with my switch to windows 7. I built this machine all new everything and had an upgrade version of 7 i bought for cheap last summer$49 at newegg i think. and i decided to build this about 2 weeks before and forgot I didnt have an os to upgrade from and got in a hurry so put vista home premium 64 bit in and planned to run it because i did like it in my other machine, a toshiba laptop which came with home premium 32. i never had a problem with in in the couple of years i had it though the sp nothing i could blame on vista. But i had the windows 7 already bought. since the new one was virgin or planned it to be I put tthe windows 7 in it and i had run it and put some stuff in it as well. And i have had more trouble in the 2 weeks with windows 7 than i had in 2 years with vista. I dont think there is a direct cause/effect here though. some, not all. I have just been dealing with the catalyst problem which for no clear reason (to me) just stopped working while i opened bacic preset just froze there that was it.open/close but only there. Now i am embroiled in a problem i have no idea how to handle. 5days now and tried every bit of advise successful anecdotal problem fixes shared by others and how i would up here. no go so far. I think the problem with 7 for me is that there aren t as many people with the history of fixing this issue. i am not the only one who had encountered it.
I bought the phenom ll x3 be. during this mine turned to the 4core. dont know how. i never had this set up long enough to play with a thing nothing and since i am afraid to since OD gets my stats right but reads my core cpu temps at a -256F. and changed the name to a 20 cpu rather than the 720 and the alterations are in other places so i dont really know what i did to make this happen. And it was shortly after windows 7 was put in..by me.
I am an older person and generally subscribe to if it aint broke dont fix it philosophy but somehow these computer BE parts remind me of my youth and hot rod building. there was a need for the speed there too and buying and making alterations or tweaking the family sedan or station wagon just because. I put windows 7 in this nearly new and perfectly sound fast machine just because the upgrade was there though for the other machine. This scored 7.2 or 3 on the little thing in the system of vista/windows on all but the audio or sound which was 6. i forget but i still needed to go to 7. I dont know what the relationship is and wonder if the 9.10 driver in ccc was at issue and why i needed to go from the perfectly sound 8.12 or 8.9 that was in here. I have always had a problem upgrading Catalyst but my limited needs are served well by the avivo color and it makes using the 2 monitors of different sizes and res easier for me and with the laptop lcd also. i knew it might be rough but ... that is what i did and this is the consequence . Now all i want for christmas is my catalyst control center back...i now miss the little red boxes in the sys tray that usually meant my long boot process was finally over.

[SeraphicSorcerer]

I have noticed some Vista machines running 7 quicker because of better threading etc.

I would say to anyone running xp, yes upgrade unless you have software that will only run on windows 98, and at that point I would tell them to upgrade that software too.

If they have Vista, I'd say hold off until they can't stand it anymore, but anything compatible with Vista will work on 7. So. There you go.

[-Murali-]

Simple answer yes.......i was using windows 7 on my pc for 3 months and then came back to xp.......i started using photoshop cs4 which was not responding in xp whereas in windows 7 it was running very smooth......
Not only this many applications which were running really good in 7 are not able to run in xp from me which is a bit strange.........
So next wekk iam switching back to 7.....and this is the end of XP....