I have been using it for about 2 weeks compared to vista it rocks. Its nice and clean.
But if you have an old desektop with an nvidia2 motherboard it doesn't like you very much.
I just installed Windows 7 and like its look and feel...even though it looks like Vista, but responds as fast if not faster than Xp. Start-up and shutdown times are quick. I have not had a chance to plug in peripherals, but I get the idea that they will work well since I am using an older machine to run Windows 7: Epox 9npa mobo, AMD athlon venice 3200+ Processor, WD SATA 160GB hdd and WD IDE 80GB hdd, Nvidia geforce 8600 graphics card, and dvd and cd drives by Hp and Samsung (respectively). If you want to read more about what I like feel free to check out my website in a few days I should have a post written up about my experiences with peripherals. http://melissa-techadvice.blogspot.com/
Steve - 15 years ago
I have to say that W7 has got me thoroughly torn. While I was one of the previous Vista-bashers, I have to say that there is something about W7 that starts to lift it out of the doldrums that Vista left the Windows family in.
It's responsive, even on a 5 year old P4 with 1Gb of RAM and barely even uses any CPU with gadgets running and all the UI bells and whistles too. There are some nice touches, like menus that cascade to tasks linked to apps (such as Live Messenger being able to change status), which is nice. The Resource Monitor is an end user blessing - a server-like tool that lets you get to the bottom of any issues with performance. The sad thing is, even though it's a worthy successor to Vista and as well mannered as XP, I think the fact that it shares the same UI looks with Vista means it will still be lumped in the same bracket. As a long time XP user, I personally hated it when I started using Vista and things had changed name and moved (especially in the newly dumbed-down Control Panel), but after a deep breath and a count to ten, I let go of these old ways and started to realise that this actually makes it easier to use. The options are laid out so that they progress and make sense as you navigate, which can only mean less end user confusion and a better experience for the less savvy users. Overall, I think it's a thumbs up, but still to come is trying to install the Visual Studio Express editions (including SQL) to see how it handles with some chunky apps running!
Robert - 15 years ago
Running it in a Parallels VM on my Macbook. Most everything works except for a couple of things. When I try to install Windows Live my entire VM hangs leaving me to reinstall the Windows 7 OS. Also for some odd reason whenever I try to play fullscreen Flash video the system hangs. Other than that it works great.
Old Tech Guy - 15 years ago
Pleasantly surprised thus far. It has installed flawlessly on several machines, both old and new. And, ALL devices seem to have drivers! Go figure. However, Symantec Endpoint Protection does not seem capable of installing, and Symantec AV 10.2 installs, but does not allow auto-protect for some reason. Overall, must snappier than Vista, especially on an old Acer laptop. Another plus, many of the previously confusing control panel functions are easier to use and navigate. The new explorer design (libraries, e.g.) is very intuitive to me, right out of the box. I hate explorer in Vista; the slight improvement in 7 makes a world of difference to me.
I have 7 installed on a VM and on a dual-boot partition of my Lenovo T400. Almost all drivers work well (with the exception of the switchable graphics driver - freezes in mid-installation) and the machine performs magnificently.
Since I use Vista 64 bit on the main partition, I can safely say 7 boots faster and moves faster (although I haven't installed a lot of software on it yet - it might start crawling once loaded).
I love the clean interface. I wonder if the desktop fish is a wink at Apple's iPhone clown fish :).
Some of the features (like the Problem Steps Recorder) blew my mind. And BitLocker will become widely used once 7 is out, preventing (hopefully) all those unfortunate private information leakage we suffer every time a laptop gets stolen from a major bank.
One final thought: since this system is almost 90% Vista (at least to laymen), it should be offered as an upgrade and not as separate OS. Especially to people who purchased Vista and suffered. Also, Microsoft - please get rid of all those bogus "versions" (Home, Premium, Home Premium, Ultimate, Super Ultimate, etc.) - you're selling an OS, not a used car.
james - 15 years ago
Compared toi vista win/7 is awesome. Very smooth with no hiccups. Runs great on a macbook and my asus eee pc 1000:. Very happy and very surprised that it runs so well compared to vista and xp.
I have been using Win7 since it first leaked, have in installed in bootcamp on my macbook, (GMA) its runs smoothly, and i have experianced few bugs, a few things obviously are not finished, but this seems way more stable than Vista
Steve - 15 years ago
I started by installing Windows 7 on my MSI Wind, which I'd tried to put Vista on with unsatisfying results, and it was a breeze to install. Windows 7 works great on the Wind so I moved to my larger laptop and my desktops. Installation was quick, easy and the OS has been stable without any compatibility issues with my hardware and commonly used software. The visual enhancements to Aero are nice and the under the hood refinements make life much better. If you used or liked Vista it doesn't take a lot of adjusting to move around the OS but the way it operates is almost night and day in difference. Windows 7 almost feels light compared to how resource hungry Vista is.
I have been using it for about 2 weeks compared to vista it rocks. Its nice and clean.
But if you have an old desektop with an nvidia2 motherboard it doesn't like you very much.
I just installed Windows 7 and like its look and feel...even though it looks like Vista, but responds as fast if not faster than Xp. Start-up and shutdown times are quick. I have not had a chance to plug in peripherals, but I get the idea that they will work well since I am using an older machine to run Windows 7: Epox 9npa mobo, AMD athlon venice 3200+ Processor, WD SATA 160GB hdd and WD IDE 80GB hdd, Nvidia geforce 8600 graphics card, and dvd and cd drives by Hp and Samsung (respectively). If you want to read more about what I like feel free to check out my website in a few days I should have a post written up about my experiences with peripherals. http://melissa-techadvice.blogspot.com/
I have to say that W7 has got me thoroughly torn. While I was one of the previous Vista-bashers, I have to say that there is something about W7 that starts to lift it out of the doldrums that Vista left the Windows family in.
It's responsive, even on a 5 year old P4 with 1Gb of RAM and barely even uses any CPU with gadgets running and all the UI bells and whistles too. There are some nice touches, like menus that cascade to tasks linked to apps (such as Live Messenger being able to change status), which is nice. The Resource Monitor is an end user blessing - a server-like tool that lets you get to the bottom of any issues with performance. The sad thing is, even though it's a worthy successor to Vista and as well mannered as XP, I think the fact that it shares the same UI looks with Vista means it will still be lumped in the same bracket. As a long time XP user, I personally hated it when I started using Vista and things had changed name and moved (especially in the newly dumbed-down Control Panel), but after a deep breath and a count to ten, I let go of these old ways and started to realise that this actually makes it easier to use. The options are laid out so that they progress and make sense as you navigate, which can only mean less end user confusion and a better experience for the less savvy users. Overall, I think it's a thumbs up, but still to come is trying to install the Visual Studio Express editions (including SQL) to see how it handles with some chunky apps running!
Running it in a Parallels VM on my Macbook. Most everything works except for a couple of things. When I try to install Windows Live my entire VM hangs leaving me to reinstall the Windows 7 OS. Also for some odd reason whenever I try to play fullscreen Flash video the system hangs. Other than that it works great.
Pleasantly surprised thus far. It has installed flawlessly on several machines, both old and new. And, ALL devices seem to have drivers! Go figure. However, Symantec Endpoint Protection does not seem capable of installing, and Symantec AV 10.2 installs, but does not allow auto-protect for some reason. Overall, must snappier than Vista, especially on an old Acer laptop. Another plus, many of the previously confusing control panel functions are easier to use and navigate. The new explorer design (libraries, e.g.) is very intuitive to me, right out of the box. I hate explorer in Vista; the slight improvement in 7 makes a world of difference to me.
I have 7 installed on a VM and on a dual-boot partition of my Lenovo T400. Almost all drivers work well (with the exception of the switchable graphics driver - freezes in mid-installation) and the machine performs magnificently.
Since I use Vista 64 bit on the main partition, I can safely say 7 boots faster and moves faster (although I haven't installed a lot of software on it yet - it might start crawling once loaded).
I love the clean interface. I wonder if the desktop fish is a wink at Apple's iPhone clown fish :).
Some of the features (like the Problem Steps Recorder) blew my mind. And BitLocker will become widely used once 7 is out, preventing (hopefully) all those unfortunate private information leakage we suffer every time a laptop gets stolen from a major bank.
One final thought: since this system is almost 90% Vista (at least to laymen), it should be offered as an upgrade and not as separate OS. Especially to people who purchased Vista and suffered. Also, Microsoft - please get rid of all those bogus "versions" (Home, Premium, Home Premium, Ultimate, Super Ultimate, etc.) - you're selling an OS, not a used car.
Compared toi vista win/7 is awesome. Very smooth with no hiccups. Runs great on a macbook and my asus eee pc 1000:. Very happy and very surprised that it runs so well compared to vista and xp.
I have been using Win7 since it first leaked, have in installed in bootcamp on my macbook, (GMA) its runs smoothly, and i have experianced few bugs, a few things obviously are not finished, but this seems way more stable than Vista
I started by installing Windows 7 on my MSI Wind, which I'd tried to put Vista on with unsatisfying results, and it was a breeze to install. Windows 7 works great on the Wind so I moved to my larger laptop and my desktops. Installation was quick, easy and the OS has been stable without any compatibility issues with my hardware and commonly used software. The visual enhancements to Aero are nice and the under the hood refinements make life much better. If you used or liked Vista it doesn't take a lot of adjusting to move around the OS but the way it operates is almost night and day in difference. Windows 7 almost feels light compared to how resource hungry Vista is.
I am still trying to download it. I can't get in.