Update on Windows 7
posted at 5:45 pm on November 15, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
On Friday, I was asked on Twitter for an update on my migration to Windows 7, and I thought a few people might be curious as to how my home systems are working. I have now upgraded both of my machines to Win7 Ultimate, after deciding to see whether it would improve my performance any further to use the upper-end version of the new operating system. Both my laptop and desktop machines are dual-core Intels, with the desktop being a less robust system than my Dell Studio laptop. However, both systems have been remarkably stable after the upgrades, and the only problems I’ve seen on either are tendencies for Firefox to crash — which was happening on Vista before the upgrade as well.
I have had no problems with any of my peripherals. Even the transfer of my programs went smoothly, although once again I’d warn people thinking of doing an upgrade rather than a fresh installation to uninstall their antivirus programs first. (I learned that lesson the hard way the first time, when the anti-virus program refused to work properly after the upgrade.) Both systems run faster, windows pop more quickly, and overall appear leaner and less clunky than Vista did. I’m getting noticeable improvements in video editing software, which is where my laptop used to choke rather badly under Vista.
Overall, I’m very happy I decided to move to 7 from Vista. I’m not certain that I gained anything going from Home Premium to Ultimate, but I got the licenses to do so as a package with another offer (I paid for it by myself), so it didn’t cost me anything extra to do it. Unless there’s something on the Ultimate or Professional feature list you can’t live without, stick with Home Premium. But if you’re on Vista and want to improve your performance, I’d recommend being an early adopter.
Update: I noticed a few questions in the comments section, so let me answer them in this update:
- Do 32-bit programs work well in the 64-bit environment? — I haven’t had any problems with that at all. My desktop is a 32-bit system, and my laptop is 64-bit, and they run the same applications. They run just fine on my laptop — just more quickly.
- Have I noticed less disk thrashing? — Definitely on my laptop, not sure on my desktop, but I’ll keep an eye on it to see.
- Does the XP Session in Win7 Pro & Ultimate work well? — Er, not really. It does work, but it’s slow. You also have to enable a few processes in your bios to make it work. If you want to use XP for certain applications, I’d suggest a dual-boot instead.
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Who games on a Mac?
exception on November 15, 2009 at 8:47 PM
Okay. Okay. We HEAR YOU! :-)
Rod on November 15, 2009 at 8:57 PM
Wow, the wannabe Kim Kammando’s come out in full force.
1. Macs are NOT used for gaming, and neither are Linux boxes. Anyone who claims such does not know near as much as they think they do.
2. Macs are used by musicians for the same reason teachers use Macs. They don’t know anything else. I have run modeling programs like 3DStudio Max, XSI Softimage that require much more processing power than ProTools and not experienced any issues.
3. Windows is the corporate standard, so any linux/Mac kid that wants to talk about what a failure Windows is needs to go get a real job. I have consulted for hundreds of companies and MS rules the day both on the desktop and in the server rack.
4. With all that being said, the MacOS and Linux are both outstanding operating systems.
ClassicCon on November 15, 2009 at 9:19 PM
This is only my second post, but I’m afraid I’m going to get banned. But Ed’s use of the word “peripheral” cracked me up. While technically correct, I just can’t recall seeing the term used in a while.
Ed’s right. Windows 7 seems pretty solid. I’ve been using a “Release Candidate” license for several months, but I’m so happy with it, I’m thinking about getting the three-machine license just to get it on the other computers in the house.
That said, I can’t get the image of Ed hooking up his 5 1/4″ floppy out of my head. Or how about a tape drive? It’s probably just me. Carry on.
An Objectivist on November 15, 2009 at 9:19 PM
Highly recommended upgrade although patience will be required as it will take several hours to complete. I have a very dense Dell laptop that took over 2.5 hours to complete the upgrade from Vista Ultimate. There were also a handful of programs that I had to unload before the upgrade would complete…supposed compatibility issues MS flagged as problematic.
Rule of thumb on the versions…if you don’t need extra languages or the bit locker software, go Professional. If you don’t need active directory/domain level networking go Home Premium. All other functionality will be identical.
starman on November 15, 2009 at 9:24 PM
I just got a brand new Crown laptop with the 64-bit Windows 7, and it definitely takes some getting used to. I am still an Internet Explorer gal and it’s been lightning fast, but the Word features are a little weird. I have noticed some glitchy issues, but they are not a big problem. In general, this thing is fast as hell and does stuff I don’t even know about yet.
College Prof on November 15, 2009 at 9:25 PM
no offense,…whore.
fabrexe on November 15, 2009 at 6:29 PM
LULZ
exception on November 15, 2009 at 8:46 PM
________________
hahahaha – Yes, I did it for the LULZ!
fabrexe on November 15, 2009 at 9:29 PM
Installed base:
Linux: 1-2%
MAC: 8% (being generous)
PC: 90%
Yea, buy a Mac. They don’t get viruses. And Linux is free.
Please. I’m a PC
Punditpawn on November 15, 2009 at 9:32 PM
Hey Ed, this will probably get list in all of the posts, but didn’t I see a post a while back about you installing and using Ubuntu?
What happened?
I have been an M$ user for about, let me see…when did the 286 come out? Yes that far back. I switched to Linux over 3 years ago and never have looked back. My profession is programming and IT.
Ubuntu is my choice now. I have to deal with fixing Vista computers at work, and you can hear me curse M$ the whole time!
Linux just needs a hand up in the commercial market and believe me, it would take over the market! Well IMO :D
lsutiger on November 15, 2009 at 9:38 PM
CP/M, WordStar and dbase III run just fine on the KayPro with the Hayes SmartModem 300.
More seriously, the games running under ProDOS, Apple DOS and on the Atari 800XL are still impressive. Perhaps not to gamers who demand slaughter and carnage but outstanding in their own way. Those who remember Skyfox, Encounter, Blue Max, and Zork will know what I’m talking about.
Macs and Win boxes each have their own advantages and personalities. I’d rather do video editing on a Mac any day while I’d rather run flight simulations on the PC (except preferring X-Plane on the Mac sometimes). For business tasks either Office for Windows or OfficeMac will do fine. When you work with both machines it’s a lot like driving the other car for a few days. Mac OS has always had more elegance while Windows has more freeware for those for whom that is higher priority. PCs are cheaper with the tradeoff of a handful of suppliers in the cheaper box versus the more expensive Mac where the initial setup ensemble was designed to work together. Mac uses quality components up front which costs more. With a PC the quality you get depends on who assembled the box. Very often Bill Gates gets blamed because his Windows won’t fix the shortcomings of cheapo components with garbage driver software. The Macintosh Hard Drive 20SC (vintage late 1980s) still works fine hooked up to the Mac SE. Built to last.
It’s a matter of perspective. Microsoft Word on the Mac SE/30 connected to a mid 90s Laserjet probably takes 15-20 seconds to boot and run. Appleworks on the IIgs takes maybe a bit more. Those had tiny RAM, drives and slow processors yet they were efficient because the coding was clean and compact because it had to be. Nowadays with cheap drives, fast processors, and cheap RAM there’s a lot of sand in the operating system saddlebags. How obvious that became with Windows ME and Vista. For those who Windows 7 serves well…good. Same for those using Snow Leopard or whatever. I’ll probably stick with XP for most Windows tasks because it does what I want it to do and the same for Mac OS X Tiger because that serves the purposes elegantly. Those who enjoy wrestling with the hardware will enjoy (using the term advisedly) wrestling with a Win box. Those whom would rather have a turnkey system that stays that way probably will prefer the Mac. I like them both because both have endearing personalities and quirks which like interesting friends make life less boring.
viking01 on November 15, 2009 at 10:05 PM
The hundreds of companies you’ve consulted for obviously don’t do much business with the Defense Department or any of the Agencies… I make quite a good living as a Linux guru. The Government does NOT want Windows in their mission critical racks. Most of the contracts my billion-dollar company gets wants either a realtime OS (such as vxWorks) or a near-realtime OS (such as Linux). Windows is OK for post-mission analysis but never in the telemetry line. With respect to cloud computing or virtual machines, the underpinnings of both Xen and vmWare is Linux. So, when your provider gives you a virtual box on which to run your website, chances are that underneath that Windows you are using is Linux.
For Windows to ever become a platform of choice in my business, it’s going to have to
a) become a lot more reliable, and
b) shed the 10MS clock interrupt for something MUCH faster (like the 1MS clock in Linux 2.6).
At home I used to have a Windows box for my one key app (Photoshop), but the primary OS on that box is now CentOS 5.3, and Windows XP (and 7) runs in a Xen virtual. If my Windows ever becomes infected by a virus, I can just swap out virtual containers, because you can fit a lot of 20GB virtual containers on a 1TB disk.
unclesmrgol on November 15, 2009 at 10:27 PM
Ed sent me an e-mail a few months back when he was setting up the Green Room and I noticed that its envelope said he was sending from a Windows box. I asked him about it and he responded that the company-provided laptop ran Windows. So Michelle apparently made him return to Windows when he joined Hot Air. When Ed was his own boss, he had the cool stuff on his site, and was always trying out even cooler stuff. I still miss Disqus — it beats whatever comment stuff Hot Air currently has all hollow. I get “undefined” all the time when I’m commenting, and the business of “Comment pages:” having nothing after it when there’s only one page of comments is annoying.
unclesmrgol on November 15, 2009 at 10:38 PM
Don’t ever forget to include that disclaimer. Any failure will result in prosecution by the Obama Administration to the fullest extent of the law. DISSENT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!
Outlander on November 15, 2009 at 10:38 PM
How is Firefox crashing for you Ed? Because I’m running the test version still – and Firefox crashes quite regularly for me. It usually happens when I’m typing something in a form. It’ll just hang, then I’ll get the “not responding” message at the top, then everything else I click on the desktop crashes too. If I wait for 2 minutes or so, it all comes back. This happened on my last install of Windows 7 too so I ran chkdsk from an elevated command prompt, which seemed to fix it. Not so this time. I just hope it doesn’t happen when I buy the full version.
Sharke on November 15, 2009 at 10:45 PM
Dr. Mercury
Not true, Win7, while not a major release version, does offer significant new function over either XP or Vista. The UI is much more intuitive and less cluttered as well as affording new productivity enhancements like taskbar Pin and mouseover taskbar window thumbnails. Even the window Snap and Shake features are appreciated additions.
While they removed the Sidebar it is more appropriate to say they unbridled the Sidebar. Now, gadgets aren’t constrained to be within the sidebar and may be placed anywhere on the desktop. Also, transparent windows never went anywhere, in fact, they’ve improved the way one uses them significantly.
Windows Movie Maker and their email client are both available for free download within the Windows Live Suite. Each of these have been significantly enhanced over the past versions. As an example, Windows Live Mail not only handles POP3 email and Newsgroups but also includes a nice RSS newsreader and even a nice Calendar feature.
You may want to view the Discover Windows 7 five minute video to get a sampling of what Win7 has to offer over either XP or Vista.
Sailfish on November 15, 2009 at 10:48 PM
Wow! It MUST be nice to be able to buy a new computeevery year, but I’m married with kids and cannot, thus I remain disgusted about finding out that my printer/scanner will NOT work with Win 7, disgusted to find out that ONLY my daughters pc is capable of running Win 7, and wonder how long Win 7 will be around BEFORE you are FORCED to buy a newer version of Windows, before yu are forced to buy a new printer/scanner, ect …
I didn’t see anyone post this, so for those interested in seeing how Win 7 likes your pc just click here.
For the record, I’m currently posting this with my COMPAQ Presario 5150 pc which uses Win ME for the operating system [I just rebuilt it] as my wife is using her XP based pc.
IF Microsoft really wanted to keep this customer happy then they would offer a XP disk that I could install on multiple computers for under $100.00. After all, my computers cannot use Win 7, and they are phasing out XP, so what do they have to lose?
All together now …. Microsoft SUCKS!
DannoJyd on November 15, 2009 at 11:08 PM
No they don’t, and neither do the majority of businesses out there. Sorry, but your Linux is perfect for specialized areas like you mention, however MS owns the mainstream. With good reason, they do it right. Windows is plenty reliable for the business community.
Ahh yes, whipping out the server virtualization which is all the rage. Well aware what is running behind the VMWare ESXi software, which is an outstanding piece of software. We used it to roll out two windows AD servers, Exchange server, and two Citrix servers on a HP blade server connected to SANS. Yep, all MS servers even if virtualized.
It would not surprise me if MS Hyper-V over takes VMWare in the next several years, just like they did Citrix.
Again, the market share results don’t lie.
ClassicCon on November 15, 2009 at 11:26 PM
So none of your old equipment is compatible with Windows 7? Then what the fck are you doing even thinking about purchasing Windows 7 and why? Especially since you mention about posting from Windows ME? Sounds like you are running fine with the gear you have?
ClassicCon on November 15, 2009 at 11:30 PM
Here is the deal. MY pc got nailed with a really nasty virus. I could NOT get it off of my hard drive even after reformatting the entire hard drive.
SO, I bought a new, bigger, better hd, installed it, and guess what. The Microsoft XP back-up disks will NOT install!!! I can install win 98, I can run in DOS Shell, but the back-up disks refuse to do a fresh install on a new hard drive. They worked on the virus infected hd, but then the virus would kick in after about the 3rd reboot.
I am now forced to consider buying XP AGAIN as MY pc is over 4 years old, maxes out at 1 gig[?] of ram, and we certainly cannot afford a new pc today. Yes I have the cash, but what will the 0bamanation bring us tomorrow?
And NO, Win ME doesn’t let me do everything I want to on the internet. It doesn’t even come close without installing … I forget what was called for, but that program only works under XP.
Like I said[?] earlier, Microsoft SUCKS!
DannoJyd on November 15, 2009 at 11:40 PM
Adobe Flash Player is the program. I know because my pc just AGAIN asked if I wanted to install the version that does NOT work with ME.
DannoJyd on November 15, 2009 at 11:42 PM
A sale.
Microsoft knows that you will eventually upgrade, whether you want to or not. Eventually your PC will die and you will have to either buy or build a new one. It’s not in their best interests to continue to offer an old OS like XP.
However, in order to help out a fellow Hot Air reader, I will kindly point you over to Here. No, it’s not less than $100, but it is less than $150.
If that is still too much, then may I suggest looking over here. You won’t be able to play many games on it, but you will get solid performance and be virus free while still being able to use Firefox and all it’s great extensions.
Best of luck with whatever you select.
(Full disclosure: I use XP, Win7, and Ubuntu Linux on various machines at home and at work. I work as a Windows Admin / Network Engineer.)
wearyman on November 15, 2009 at 11:44 PM
And Flash will work on any of the above.
wearyman on November 15, 2009 at 11:47 PM
Thank you greatly for your efforts.
I’m very happy with this site. They have a section where you can build your own pc, some software for sale, and a boatload of spare parts. I have yet to find a place where I can build a cheaper pc. My new one will cost less than $500.00 [without tax].
BTW, they sell XP for a hundred bucks, or 3 for $97.00 ;o)
DannoJyd on November 15, 2009 at 11:56 PM
Correction! They sell XP for a hundred bucks, or 3 for $97.00 a piece. ;o)
DannoJyd on November 15, 2009 at 11:59 PM
I really like 7 so far. I always thought that MS hit the bullseye with XP, and I cannot even come close to expressing how much I despised Vista from the start.7 seems to be what Vista could have been if thay had shot all the Apple worshipers, and put down the crack pipe.
Southernblogger on November 16, 2009 at 12:03 AM
I think the same thing happened to me. Hence the new computer.
Cindy Munford on November 16, 2009 at 12:07 AM
DannoJyd, sadly, one must think of operating systems like the Moving Hand:
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
technology changes, even non-Intel based Macs won’t run the latest MacOS.
The nice thing though is that you can now get a replacement laptop that is easily 3 times better (and slicker) than that Presario you have for probably one-third the price you paid for it back then.
Best of luck to you.
Sailfish on November 16, 2009 at 12:09 AM
It’s so cute to run across people who still use Windows. Microsoft Windows. In 2009, how quaint!
Windows NT7 is like a time machine to the past. I picture its users with handlebar mustaches and buggy whips, tittering over the new miraculous invention called Jell-O.
Gilda on November 16, 2009 at 12:19 AM
I’m on the wifes XP pc now. Ahhhh…. much better.
It would be nice if Microsoft wouldn’t kill off the operating systems that work on the computers we buy. I mean, why not wait until the computers all, or at least most, crash beyond repair? It isn’t like they don’t have the money to support them, nor is it like I’m asking for assistance with Win 3.1 [I DO have a pc still running that too].
I have yet to purchase a laptop pc. I’m considering it, but I like to be able to work on my own pc, and my hands are no longer capable of working in a teen tiny enviroment. Heck, it is hard for me to find an automobile that I fit in. Yes, I am a really BIG ape. :o))
DannoJyd on November 16, 2009 at 12:23 AM
I’m sure you meant that to be funny, but you should be aware that it came across as very snide, snotty and arrogant.
As someone who uses two of the 3 major OSes, and has recommended the 3rd very highly, I really don’t get OS religion anymore. Every OS has it’s use and place, and I’m glad we have all the options we have.
Viva La OS Difference!
wearyman on November 16, 2009 at 12:39 AM
Yeah, I resisted mightily moving from Window 3.1.1 (one of the quickest/most stable versions EVAH!) to Win95 and then from Win95 to Win98. But to a large extent, the advances in hardware forces the issue, e.g., going from 16 bit ISA bus, to PCI bus or from non-graphic bus to AGP and then to PCI-Express (and these are just the most obvious ones.) To attempt to keep supporting the old technology not only cause error-prone bloat but also leaves more chance for malware havoc.
Oddly, even though I enjoyed Win98, I didn’t hesitate to move to XP and, admittedly, I was bitten when I jumped too quickly to Vista; although, once I decided to disable their UAC hellware, Vista actually was much easier to use.
I’m not trying to be an apologist for micros~1 nor Intel/AMD (I don’t nor have I ever worked for them) but I do understand the need to discontinue support after hardware changes moot previous versions.
Sailfish on November 16, 2009 at 12:42 AM
The stats are based upon Microsoft having come to dominate the marketplace through FUD. But FUD isn’t working against its much more youthful and aggressive adversary — Linux.
Linux coding didn’t even start until 1991 — one year after the release of Microsoft Windows 3.0. Microsoft held nearly 100% of the microprocessor OS marketplace.
Fast forward to today.
Microsoft seems to think Linux is a worthy opponent — considering that they have an arrangement with Linus to add code to the Linux kernel to make it work more harmoniously with Hyper-V. The only reason they’d do that is if not being able to properly virtualize Linux results in lost sales for Hyper-V.
As for Hyper-V catching vmWare, it’s doubtful, just as Citrix catching vmWare is doubful too. vmWare is as entrenched in the server marketplace as you claim Microsoft is in the bare iron marketplace. The Government knows how to secure vmWare for proper operation using three physical networks, understands how to securely vMotion virtuals from one place to another. I use Xen for experimentation — but vmWare is what the Government wants.
To get an idea of where the universe is going, look at whitehouse.gov. It’s on Linux, as of October. Drupal was the driver, and drupal needs Linux.
Now, if Linux is good enough for Akamai Technologies, it’s probably good enough for every one of your customers who don’t need to do excel 2007.
And, in fact, that’s how Linux is winning — one computer at a time. I know of no-one (aside from Ed, and he was apparently forced) who has gone back to Windows after using Linux. In my area it’s a done deal. Gartner’s server stats indicate that Microsoft is losing share — it’s selling more systems, but losing share.
For those of you who want to embrace the future, and do it for practically no cost, I recommend the zero dollars and zero cents upgrade at either http://www.ubuntu.com (client computing) or http://www.centos.org (the server side).
And for those who don’t — you may go into the sun and scratch the hell out of your bsods.
unclesmrgol on November 16, 2009 at 12:43 AM
HMMM! Free you say? Well then, I DO have 2 MORE computers that I may have to give http://www.ubuntu.com (client computing) a try out.
I previously gave Linux a try out, and just wasn’t impressed. I’m probably provincial though, and I am willing to change. I just hope it supports my hardware.
Yes folks, it is true. I am a personal computer pack rat with 7 pc’s running today. :o))
DannoJyd on November 16, 2009 at 12:57 AM
I was just wondering the same thing. Installed Windows 7 64 bit (clean install) on my computer I built a little over a year ago, and it runs quite well and quite fast. About the only software issue I have had is Civ IV does not want to run on it. Noticed a marked increase in my speed playing Aion and some of my other non mmo games. Friend of mine just got a brand new Apple about the same time, and from playing around with her machine, mine is faster, more intuitive, and cost about the same for twice the machine.
coyoterex on November 16, 2009 at 12:59 AM
Well, I got curious after seeing three of you indicate that you picked up the trojan/malware called “antispyware pro” off of HA.
I run a frequently-updated Norton, so I looked to see when the first updates were supplied by Norton for this threat. Turns out my system got the definition downloaded on September 12th of 2008. Since I pretty much have a tab open all day with HA my system certainly should have detected the malware and produced a warning or alert. If I missed seeing the alert it would still show up on my alert and activity history log. I scrolled pretty far back into the history an no alerts show up for anything suspicious on HA.
Looks like they came around for another pass with it on August 4th and 5th of this year and Norton Rapid Response put out patches on those dates.
If you go to the Norton website and search for “antispywarepro-XP” they give the explanation in the tech section as to how this one works and how to remove it. The initial contact does not insert the trojan. It misleads so that a connection to their site then allows for insertion of the malware, which then involves a fee for them to show you how to remove the virus you must have gotten somewhere else. Credit card numbers are involved, of course.
Interesting.
Here is what Norton has to say about that particular spyware:
Updated: September 12, 2008 12:43:57 PM
Type: Misleading Application
Name: Antispyware PRO XP
Publisher: http://www.antispyware-pro-xp.com
Risk Impact: Medium
Systems Affected: Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows XP, Windows Me, Windows Vista, Windows NT, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000
Behavior
AntispywareProXP is a misleading application that may give exaggerated reports of threats on the computer.
Protection
* Initial Rapid Release version September 12, 2008 revision 005
* Latest Rapid Release version August 4, 2009 revision 054
* Initial Daily Certified version September 12, 2008 revision 018
* Latest Daily Certified version August 5, 2009 revision 004
* Initial Weekly Certified release date September 17, 2008
Yoop on November 16, 2009 at 1:05 AM
BTW- DON’T CLICK ON THAT ON THAT LINK IN THE NORTON RELEASE IN THE ABOVE POST. i DON’T KNOW WHY IN CAME THROUGH LIVE FROM THE NORTON PAGE!!!!!
Yoop on November 16, 2009 at 1:08 AM
When I got hit by the virus that killed my pc I was running Nortons, and it was up to date. I looked for updates every day.
DannoJyd on November 16, 2009 at 2:16 AM
All systems run faster after a fresh install. Vista would have seemed faster if you had reinatalled it.
uptight on November 16, 2009 at 2:25 AM
Anytime a computer “geek” based post shows up here, someone inevitably makes the faulty comparison of Operating Systems to hardware platforms. Apple does not allow it’s product, MAC OS X, to run on anything other than its proprietary hardware. Linux, however, can be installed on a PC, as can Windows, obviously. Furthermore, all Linux and Windows based OS’s can be run on an intel based Apple machine. Hope that clears things up. I think the Mac commercials have pretty much confused the average PC user on this issue.
long_cat on November 16, 2009 at 2:28 AM
Ed, did the same thing, but upgraded from Windows XP 32 bit to Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit. My experience was that I had to do a clean install, which meant I had to reinstall all my programs. Now for the bad part. There have been none so far. Even my Firefox has been running exceptionally well. With the exception of my own stupidity by not ensuring my old emails were properly saved, the whole experience so far has been pleasant. What I have gained from this is an apparent stable and faster system than before. I bought the Ultimate because it gives you the ability to use other languages. I bought the German OS version and installed the English package and so my system is in English though it is a German OS. So I give this experience so far I big Hoo…ah!!!!
WileECoyote1952 on November 16, 2009 at 2:35 AM
`
`
Gee, never have those problems with XP and Vista.
`
I’m just saying . . .
Adjoran on November 16, 2009 at 5:39 AM
Windows 7 rocks. It’s fast, stable, and everything I have works just fine with it.
As for Macs, I love going into the software store and seeing rack after rack of every imaginable kind of program I could ever think of (for PC’s). And then I look at the little table in the corner with the Mac software. Ten’s of programs (all written by Apple, except for Photoshop).
Yes, Macs are (slightly) more secure. You’re a minority. But keep pushing Mac vs Pc. If you guys catch on, you’ll have just as many jerks writing malware for you. If I were you, I’d enjoy my anonymity.
Squiggy on November 16, 2009 at 6:48 AM
I always enjoy following the escapades of the eternal beta testers league. Both XP and 7 run fine under Parallels Desktop on my Mac for those rare occasions where one or the other might be needed for something other than kiddie games.
Annar on November 16, 2009 at 7:35 AM
My desktop runs XP Pro no problems with it.
.
Laptop runs Vista with most of the nag features turned off. No problems there either.
.
Daughter has a 13 inch Macbook. It works fine too. But the optical drive died.
Dasher on November 16, 2009 at 7:48 AM
You should know, that information is WAY out of date. The “Antispyware-Pro” Trojan is now a DRIVE BY infection. In other words, you can be infected simply by viewing the ad, IF YOU ARE USING ANY VERSION OF INTERNET EXPLORER.
Are we all clear on that last bit? If you are using IE, you WILL be infected by this one, probably sooner rather than later. I have actually watched a machine get infected with this. All it takes is loading the “payload” via an ad, and BLAMMO, you are infected.
Also, it’s incredibly difficult to uninstall. (Around 6 – 8 hours of work) Most people end up having to format and reinstall Windows.
Honestly, this is why I surf with Firefox and the Adblock Plus extension. Not only does it make surfing FAR more pleasant, but it prevents me from getting nailed in drive-by virus attacks.
Sorry HA, until you guys stop using 3rd party ads and start hosting your own ad content, I’m blocking all ads from this site. I know it hurts you financially, but I’m not sacrificing one of my Win machines for anyone.
wearyman on November 16, 2009 at 8:31 AM
Mac owners enjoy a much less stressful computing experience.
And most are actually getting real work done.
elderberry on November 16, 2009 at 9:24 AM
Had the same problem, then got the latest upgrade. That seemed to have solved any “issues”.
About five-six years ago, I was speaking to an employee at my local ISP. I was toying with Linux at the time and since he was MS certified and used it at work, I thought he might be a good source of info. He told me the only reason he stayed with a MS o/s was because he was a gamer. Said if it weren’t for that he’d go to Lnux in a heart beat.
That statement isn’t quite accurate. I used “anything else” starting in the mid 1980′s. I built 5 pc’s on which I used “anything else” as the o/s. I learned Unix/Linux because I wanted a stable operating platform. (No, I’m not a gamer.)
I would suggest you get out a little more. With two kids up to their chins in the IT profession, one thing is abundantly clear, more and more companies are going to Linux servers, locally. I don’t know how that translates nationally, but you might want to check that out.
oldleprechaun on November 16, 2009 at 9:34 AM
I don’t know where in the world you came up with this. The Ubuntu experiment was when I was writing here at Hot Air, not CapQ. Michelle does not supply me with computers; I buy them myself. And Michelle uses a Mac, not a PC, and couldn’t care less what I use (except to tease me about not using a Mac).
I just got too frustrated trying to learn the Ubuntu environment at the time, but I may take it up again down the road.
Ed Morrissey on November 16, 2009 at 10:01 AM
I’ve upgraded to 7 this past month. No problems noted at all so far. As one previous poster mentioned and in my concurring opinion, the OS is still bloated. Really, what’s the story behind the aero stuff?
Firefox is my browser. No crashes or problems whatsoever. For those having problems, look to your extensions/themes. Walnut caused problems for me in XP and Vista so I refrained from even trying it this time around.
MS Office – sucks. The less than intuitive UI was so frustrating I have gone fully to Open Office which runs fast, has easy commands and does the job without all the eye candy.
Preferred platform is still my linux box which is my gateway, router, firewall and all around reliable backup workstation when needed.
dkeppner on November 16, 2009 at 10:32 AM
The only problem with the multitude of Win 7 (and Vista) versions is that not all software is guaranteed to work with all iterations of the OS. SAS 9.2, for instance, only supports Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate editions. And doesn’t yet officially support any Windows 7 version.
So mind your P’s and Q’s when you’re thinking of upgrading.
I R A Darth Aggie on November 16, 2009 at 10:40 AM
Wow, that’s interesting news. I didn’t know Michelle was a Mac zealot. :) Mac is good but I can’t game on it and its just not my thing. I’ve been very happy with a Win7/Fedora11 dual boot. I get great online security in Linux, and I have all the extra utilities and gaming of Windows all together on the same rig.
TonyR on November 16, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Ed, you never mentioned in your e-mail to me that you were frustrated with Ubuntu. You did say that you’d stopped using it because your company laptop came with Windows. So perhaps you were just being nice to a Linux fanatic who looks at all the headers in every e-mail envelope.
I guess I overstepped my bounds by connecting the dots between the connectives in your statement and coming up with the reason I did — “because Michelle won’t let him”.
As for the rest of the stuff, I stand by it — your Captain’s Quarters site was technically far more advanced than Hot Air currently is.
unclesmrgol on November 16, 2009 at 1:15 PM
A little off-topic but, fwiw, most Firefox crashes usually can be laid at the feet of either an incompatible add-on (extension/theme) or a corrupt profile. Of course, troubleshooting the cause can be time consuming; especially if the problem occurs seemingly randomly.
The first thing to try is to use the default theme for awhile (mainly because it’s the easiest to enable/disable.) If it still occurs, then disable all extensions and try that for awhile. If it still occurs, then try creating a new profile.
If it doesn’t fail after disabling all the extensions, then the laborious part comes with disabling each extension one at a time until the problem goes away.
Lastly, some plugins have been known to cause problems in the past, e.g., Flash so ensure those are up-to-date, as well.
Good luck
Sailfish on November 16, 2009 at 1:16 PM
Perhaps — but they are the ones who need to take their computers to the Apple Store frequently because the critters are built like laptops — all custom components. I’ve only met one Mac user (out of hundreds) in my career who actually knew his way around the interior of his computer — all the others are the kind that when something quits working, they either have to ignore it because they don’t have the money, or take it to the Apple Store (if they are lucky and the sucker is still under warranty).
When Apple is finally forced to unbundle their OS, maybe I’ll try it — as a virtual running under Linux.
I happen to like my Linux — my server has been up for 240 days now, and I don’t know of any other OS (other than vxWorks, OS/2, and Solaris) which can stay up that long without crashing.
unclesmrgol on November 16, 2009 at 1:22 PM
***
I’ve worked with computers–and fixed them and their clunky peripherals–since 1966. And lived with / reprogrammed a lot of bad software over the years. As an Electrical Engineer I had to–the damned computer stuff was a far bigger headache than the very complex radar, missile, and microwave systems.
***
Every new OS or SW release gave us many more strange operations and limitations to work out. And each OS ate up more system resources and real memory / disk space stuff that the “upgrade” needed for it’s operation. Time critical real time operation became harder with every “improvement”.
***
Ditto with PC computers and software. I am retired now–but my HP Vista computer still crashes with Firefox. And shuts down if the system is left running for more than 30 minutes without my using the system.
***
I don’t get thrilled with new SW releases. Instead of fixing the existing problems–the SW companies just put out bigger and “better” products that still crash and do “funny tricks” with the MSWord processors.
***
Why do (hardware) engineers like frogs? BECAUSE A FROG DOES NOT NEED SOFTWARE TO OPERATE SUCCESSFULLY!
***
John Bibb
***
rocketman on November 16, 2009 at 1:49 PM
Personally, I have no problem with Vista, and think it’s a huge improvement over XP. To this day, I have yet to have a non-IT person tell me why they favor XP over Vista.
voxpopuli on November 16, 2009 at 2:48 PM
Here’s what my brand new HP p6210f with an AMD Athlon II 2.6 GHz Quad-Core processor, 6 GB of RAM, and Windows 7 Home Premium ($499) does:
It goes from a cold start (powered OFF) to a completely loaded HotAir page in 25 seconds using Internet Explorer. And it powers down in less than 10 seconds.
Isn’t that good enough?
jay12 on November 16, 2009 at 3:19 PM
Jay12, stick a 4GB Class 4 or above SD card in it and allocate it to ReadyBoost and watch it start from Sleep mode in less than 2 seconds.
Sailfish on November 16, 2009 at 3:24 PM
As a former Senior Systems Engineer, I have always cringed when someone used the word “stable” to describe a piece of software. How did this admission of the possibility of imminent failure become a specification?
Can you imagine someone being talked into buying a new car by the promise that it was “stable” and would not fall over on its side in normal use and/or when merely parked?
You all know what is found in a “stable” (Hint: it ain’t hay).
landlines on November 16, 2009 at 4:07 PM
NO!!! Systems were faster than that in the early 1970′s!! And they could come up “hot” after a total power failure.
landlines on November 16, 2009 at 4:10 PM
I thought hell was supposed to be a tortuous, drawn-out affair. Must be the Catholic in me…
I’m very pleased with Windows 7 over Vista, and in some ways, even xp. Before the arrows fly, again, maybe it’s the Catholic in me…
I use a trading software that was quite buggy under Vista. They all run quite well under 7. I have a HP HDX laptop that had an annoying habit of shutting down the wireless connection and adjusting the volume and bass/treble on its own. It’s only happened a couple of times under 7 which is a vast improvement. Now if HP will only fix their silly drivers…
karl9000 on November 16, 2009 at 4:11 PM
As a Systems Engineer, you should know better. Each “9″ added to the reliability number costs.
Stability is relative.
“Stable” means software (or hardware) passes whatever tests the implementer defined as characterizing correct operation for some period of time. You get to live with system crashes, application failures, etc. because that bar is set fairly low so the item doesn’t cost a tremendous amount. Now, if you want truly exceptional software — what you know as a Senior System Engineer as “human-rated” (software upon which a person can bet their life), then be prepared to pay considerably more (say $4K or so for your OS, and about $1M and up for the custom software) because your software had to pass DO-178B (soon to be the even stricter DO-178C) certification. And, since not all problems are related to software, your little PC’s hardware must pass DO-225, and I won’t even go into what that costs.
You get what you pay for. A PC for $299 including OS is worth nearly every penny, even though it passes neither DO-178 nor DO-225. The value is obvious when you consider that 30 years ago it would have had equivalent reliability, taken up about 300 sq ft, and not been as powerful.
As for a car, I won’t buy it if it has a pull down menu.
unclesmrgol on November 16, 2009 at 5:41 PM
Where’d I talk about “sleep mode”? What if I live in NYC, the city that never sleeps?
In the ’70s you needed a whole roomfull of Univac with its own climate control to do what a laptop does now.
jay12 on November 16, 2009 at 7:12 PM
Mac owners enjoy a much less stressful computing experience.
And most are actually getting real work done.
elderberry on November 16, 2009 at 9:24 AM
Geek Squad does a booming business in our town…
and i don’t think they are working on MACS.
elderberry on November 16, 2009 at 7:26 PM
Sorry, but these are just lame excuses for the lack of proper system architecture, sloppy design, and ineffective quality assurance.
A company with Microsoft’s revenue should be able to produce software which, absent hardware failure, does not crash and leaves the operator in control if an application fails.
We did it in the 1960′s for the space program (featuring among many other projects a probe which lasted over 20 years and was repurposed several times), again in the 1970′s for multiple industrial applications, and again in the 1980′s for all kinds of critical non-stop applications which would make themselves known via huge explosions if they “crashed”.
If the volume is there, the OS does NOT have to cost any more than Microsoft charges. How do you think Intel and AMD sell the processors for under $100 (usually WELL under) when the spend huge sums (up into the billions) on development and manufacturing? Answer: VOLUME
And there is software within processor chips which does not crash!!! How did they do that??? They paid attention!!!
If you settle for S***, you’ll always get it. But software doesn’t HAVE to be S***!!
landlines on November 17, 2009 at 1:58 AM
Exactly!!! So how come we lost several major features which make computers more usable and reliable? Features don’t have a significant cost anymore, so all it would take is for users to demand quality and reliability.
All software designers have to do is pay attention: they can read all about the “non-stop” architectural principles in a good technical library, and several well-documented field-proven architectures which incorporate these principles are readily available.
Perhaps the economic slowdown will “inspire” certain software vendors to realize that quality doesn’t cost: it pays!! They could greatly expand their market by giving customers a real, valid, bottom-line-improving reason to buy new software and at the same time drastically reduce their own support costs.
landlines on November 17, 2009 at 2:14 AM
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