Question for Windows 7 Users

[Skyzoomer]

For windows 7 users that also used Vista, is it worth it to preorder Windows 7?

I have Vista Home Premium on my Dell Laptop and it's "OK" but I hate the search function. I also hate how Windows Photo Gallery "automatically" saves .jpg photos when I do a test resize or exposure change and then move to the next photo. There are some other minor quibbles.

Is Windows 7 more like XP or more like Vista as far as it trying to second guess what I want to do? WinXP is under my control but I often feel like Vista is controlling me.

Sky

 

[zod96]

Well I can tell you this much. I hated Vista, too many reasons to list what I disliked about it. I'm now using windows 7 and I can say its much much better than vista ever was. I ordered W7. Its an OS finally worthy of upgrading to from my trusty XP...

 

[Mem]

Originally posted by: zod96
Well I can tell you this much. I hated Vista, too many reasons to list what I disliked about it. I'm now using windows 7 and I can say its much much better than vista ever was. I ordered W7. Its an OS finally worthy of upgrading to from my trusty XP...

Having used XP for 7 years and Vista for over 2 years plus Win7 for quite awhile now I'll say Win7 is lot like Vista ie very stable like Vista but with a few tweaks here and there,some things changed and moved around too,people forget Win7 is based on its older brother ie Vista,anyway personally I say its more like Vista then XP for sure (in a good way).They did change Superfetch on Win7 ie less agressive on startup etc..from what I read.

Main benefits over Vista in my books is on older slower sytems,Ironically Win7 retail will mainly be installed on 2009/2010 etc OEM modern PC/laptop hardware,personally I think its a waste putting a new OS like Win7 on very old hardware better off having modern hardware for a new modern OS IMHO.


Question I ask myself is it worth the upgrade over Vista money wise,I thought a lot about it and have decided to upgrade one PC only when I do a full hardware upgrade ie mainly because I have an OEM version of Vista(due to motherboard limitations),my other pc will stay with Vista OS until Win8 arrives.

My thoughts are simple having used both for quite awhile , Vista and Win7 are both great operating systems,I would never go back to XP,roll on Win8 I'm looking forward to that.

Is Windows 7 more like XP or more like Vista as far as it trying to second guess what I want to do? WinXP is under my control but I often feel like Vista is controlling me.

Lot of the stuff is automated just like Win7 however you can disable/change most if you really need too.

Windows 7 preview link ,good read.

 

[MedicBob]

Nice link Mem. I like Paul for his articles.

 

[Skyzoomer]

Zod96 and Mem,

Thanks much for your iput! Any more Windows 7 users that can contribute?

Due to the deadline and quota, I need to preorder it very soon if I'm going to do it. I read that Japan has already gone over their quota of Windows 7 so no more orders are being taken for Japan.

Thanks,
Skyzoomer

 

[KeypoX]

Originally posted by: Skyzoomer
For windows 7 users that also used Vista, is it worth it to preorder Windows 7?

I have Vista Home Premium on my Dell Laptop and it's "OK" but I hate the search function. I also hate how Windows Photo Gallery "automatically" saves .jpg photos when I do a test resize or exposure change and then move to the next photo. There are some other minor quibbles.

Is Windows 7 more like XP or more like Vista as far as it trying to second guess what I want to do? WinXP is under my control but I often feel like Vista is controlling me.

Sky

I think there are two opposite sides of the spectrum here.

1. the Vista user who thinks windows 7 is nothing more than a slight skin change with a new task bar (kinda me).

2. The vista 'user' who hated vista for whatever reasons... and now thinks windows 7 is great.

The main reason i love vista/7 is because of the search. Hit windows type a few letters of the program/file i want and its up in a split second.

Windows 7 is nothing like xp. Windows 7 is an evolution of vista. UI changes and under the hood changes to vista. It does try to guess what you want to do, with superfetch it caches programs in ram, making use of all or most of your ram. For faster access to frequently used programs. http://www.google.com/search?h..._enUS333US333&ie=UTF-8

The problems that are most quoted with vista were/are slow, bad driver support, resource hog. Most people now feel these have all been resolved. And indeed over the past few years vista drivers have gotten way better since rc vista lol. And 7 does use less ram.

I still havent decided if i will got vista to 7. But I am running 7 on desktop as main. And will do so for free till next year. Then hoping for a better deal than $50... if not back to vista

 

[Scotteq]

Originally posted by: Skyzoomer
Zod96 and Mem,

Thanks much for your iput! Any more Windows 7 users that can contribute?

Win 7 works fine. Compared to Vista, it is a little more polite about how it handles system resources/notifications; it's clearly faster from power on => usable desktop; and it feels snappier in normal usage. In applications/gaming, I notice little/no difference. Of course, it doesn't hurt in the least that manufacturers and software writers have had a few years to figure out how to write proper drivers.

It is NOT Windows XP. So if an individual is looking for "XP 2010", then I'd recommend either sticking with XP or switching to *UX.

 

[Athena]

Originally posted by: Skyzoomer
For windows 7 users that also used Vista, is it worth it to preorder Windows 7?

I think so: I've ordered upgrades for all of my Vista and XP machines and I recommend it to both friends and clients. For $50 you get an upgrade at very minimal cost.

I much prefer Windows 7 over Vista but it doesn't really address the problems you mention. Although the development team did a lot of work on search for this version, there were still a lot of complaints about it from participants in the technical beta. In my experience, Windows 7 search doesn't do well in non-indexed locations.

If you want to see how Windows 7 handles photos, try the Windows Live Photo Gallery. I don't use myself but that's the foundation for the gallery in Windows 7.

Regarding your comment about user control: The trend with all Microsoft products has been to "simplify" the UI in the name of reducing user confusion and thereby reduce user control.

Due to the deadline and quota, I need to preorder it very soon if I'm going to do it.

Order it now. Vendors won't be charging for it until it actually ships so you can cancel the order any time in the next three months and incur no charge.

 

[Skyzoomer]

Originally posted by: KeypoX
The main reason i love vista/7 is because of the search. Hit windows type a few letters of the program/file i want and its up in a split second.

Hi KeypoX,

Wow, your view of Vista's search is 180 degrees from mine. Please don't take the following the wrong way. I VERY much appreciate your posting your feedback. I'm mainly posting it for other lurkers who have problems with Vista's search.

I always put a shortcut to the mystify.scr screen saver in my quick launch bar whether XP or Vista. I click that shorcut whenever I leave my PC to save the screen. When I first got Vista, I did a *.scr search with a no match result. I thought Vista must be using a new type of screen saver without the .scr suffix. After much googling, I never found that. But I learned that Vista's search is only for indexed locations by default. So I left my new laptop powered on for a full day to let indexing complete. Still the same no match result.

Then I discovered the advanced search capability for non indexed locations and tried that. The search grinded away with still no match. What?

Then I found the search hidden and system files check box and after grinding away again, Vista's search finally showed the .scr files. OK, fine I thought. I'll just make a shortcut to Vista's advanced search and it will be like XP's search. Wrong. The fastest way to bring up the advanced search that I've found is to:

Place a shortcut to Computer on the desktop. Then click
Computer > Organize > hover over Layout > Search Pane > Advanced Search.

If there's a faster way to bring up the Advanced search window, I hope someone will post it. When I do a search for a file and a no match result occurs, I want to be sure that that file does not exist on that hard drive period.

After a lot of subsequent googling I discovered the "Everything search engine". Wow, this is the search that Vista should have!!! Everything indexed "Every single file" on my "4" hard drives in under 2 miniutes. When I say everything, I mean every file on every drive regardless of hidden, system or whatever!

Then the actual search is mind blowing! Everything finds every file as you type the file name or partial file name instantly, no bull. That's why the author named it Everything. It indexes EVERY file on every drive so fast it's mind blowing.l

OK, there is one caveat. Everything can only search file names. It cannot search the contents of files so one still must use Vista's search for that. But most of my searches are for the file name so Everything fits the bill for me in spades. Any lurkers, give Everything a try. You will be blown away, guaranteed. I highly recommend it. The link to Everything is:

http://www.voidtools.com/

Edit: Forgot to mention that Everything only works on the NTFS file system. That's all I use for WinXP and Vista so it works for me but if you're using FAT or some other file system, it will not work. Also forgot to mention that Everything is free!

Now I'm still trying to figure out how to stop Windows Photo Gallery or Windows Live Photo Gallery from saving my photos "without my permission" when I just experiment on them like try exposure changes to see how they look, and then move to the next photo. I hate software that thinks it knows what the user wants to do!!!!!!!

Skyzoomer

 

[Skyzoomer]

@Scotteq: Thanks for your observations of Win7's performance. Nice to know that it loads and feels snappier.

@Athena: Always there to help and I appreciate it. Per my previous post I'm using the Everything search engine with Vista and will use it with Win7. I'm also using the Faststone image viewer instead of Windows Photo Gallery. If you don't mind, which photo viewer(s) are you using? ..... I just preordered Win7 via amazon and signed up for the amazon credit card so will get an additional $30 off. So Win7 will end up costing me $19.95 which is worth it for a new operating system. Thanks a lot for your tip that I can cancel my order within 3 months. That really prompted me to order it "now".

Best regards,
Sky

 

[KeypoX]

Hmm i may order too if i can cancel.

windows key - f pulls up search.

 

[Skyzoomer]

Originally posted by: KeypoX
windows key - f pulls up search.

Hey KeypoX,

THANK YOU FOR THAT TIP! It sure beats the convoluted "Computer" way I've been using. Advanced search is only one click away using that hotkey. Now if someone can post how to have the "Include non-indexed, hidden and system files" check box always checked, that would save an additional click.

Thanks,
Sky

 

[Modelworks]

My gripes with windows 7 are:
Sound system set up so I have to keep changing default playback device when switching between digital out and headphones. XP allows me to use both at the same time.
Network setting associated with profiles of public, private, home. It is a bit too hand holding for my taste but can see how it would help uninformed users.
File settings, I hate having to change the layout on folders . Prefer the xp way of being able to click "apply to all folders" and having all my folders in the same layout.

Otherwise I like the OS.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I miss W2K's search. It was a raw binary search (if you did a string search), and it worked. It wasn't instant, because things weren't pre-indexed, but at least it worked.

 

[Skitzer]

I happen to think Windows 7 is a lot better than Vista.
For me an upgrade to Windows 7 for $49.00 is a no brainer.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: Skitzer
I happen to think Windows 7 is a lot better than Vista.
For me an upgrade to Windows 7 for $49.00 is a no brainer.

Same for me. I've been a fan of Vista since the beginning, and after running W7 RC since it's release, I've been highly pleased with it. Paying the $49 upgrade fee for what is looking like a great OS is an easy decision when I use the OS for hours every single day of my life.

 

[Skyzoomer]

Modelworks, Virtual Larry, Skitzer, PeritusONE and anyone else I might have missed,

Thanks for posting your perspectives of Win7. I'm getting Win7 for $19.95 so that is really a no brainer, but I'm sure your posts are helping others decide whether to pre-order it in the few remaining days.

Skyzoomer

 

[blurredvision]

No problem. Vista got a bad rap for piss-poor driver support in the beginning, as well as a few bugs they missed (I never ran into these bugs though). Now that everyone's drivers have matured, W7 is a fresh start for Microsoft, and now everyone who hated on Vista based on internet conjecture is now seeing the platform as it is. W7 seems so promising at this point that I kinda wish it will be the next XP in that it would be the defacto Microsoft OS for the next 3-5 years.

 

[Binky]

I hate Vista (very stable, but annoying to use)

I like XP (functional, but bland)

I love Win7 (functional, stable, looks better)

That's it!

 

[Athena]

Originally posted by: Skyzoomer
I'm also using the Faststone image viewer instead of Windows Photo Gallery. If you don't mind, which photo viewer(s) are you using?

I use Thumbs Plus to organize my photos as well as perform minor edits. I've used it for years and am looking forward to the soon to be released version 8.

Fastone looks good and will probably suit you better than the Windows gallery. IrfranView is another good free option.

 

[Athena]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
I miss W2K's search. It was a raw binary search (if you did a string search), and it worked. It wasn't instant, because things weren't pre-indexed, but at least it worked.

Amen. IMHO, search should find[/] things.

 

[crisscross]

I have a technet subscription can't wait for Win 7's release never tried the beta/release candidates just wanted to give the final one a go. One question can you dual boot with Win XP?

 

[Skyzoomer]

Originally posted by: Athena
I use Thumbs Plus to organize my photos as well as perform minor edits. I've used it for years and am looking forward to the soon to be released version 8.

Fastone looks good and will probably suit you better than the Windows gallery. IrfranView is another good free option.

I wonder how long the "pay for" photo viewers will be able to continue with all the "free" viewers available. Since Thumbsplus is a "pay for" viewer, I guess I'll stay with Faststone for now.

I wonder what MS was thinking about when they made Windows Photo Gallery and Live Photo Gallery "automatically" save photos that the user changed without the user initiating the save. And not have any option available to stop that behavior (that I can find).

MS really needs to get out of that line of thinking with their future OS' and other software. Otherwise Google may indeed be successful with their future OS endevors. In fact if Google can come up with an OS that encapsulates each application so that "everything" associated with the application is deleted when the application is removed, I would jump on the bandwagon asap. Remember the old days when that was true before the registry and .dll files.

Sorry for rambling,
Sky

 

[Fingolfin269]

Warning... potential dumb question ahead:

Vista Home Premium --> Win7 Home Premium ?