is there any worth in getting win7?

[Splash]

Now we know how windows ME and vista was made

You mean the 5 and a half year development cycle for Vista? No idea what the lifecycle was for ME I'm afraid, but... In what way is Windows 7 so massively different to Vista (other than a more succesful marketing campaign) that all the Vista haters suddenly love Windows 7? To me it feels more like a polished version of the same thing is all.

[TheAnimus]

You mean the 5 and a half year development cycle for Vista? No idea what the lifecycle was for ME I'm afraid, but... In what way is Windows 7 so massively different to Vista (other than a more succesful marketing campaign) that all the Vista haters suddenly love Windows 7? To me it feels more like a polished version of the same thing is all.

Windows 7 is definately a tick from the Vista tock (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Tick-Tock) in intel lingo. I think software often follows that idea too, you have a refinement procces on the big new ideas.

Is it a new OS, its got new APIs, quite a few actually, but plenty of them are around the Jump List idea. Now is that really a new OS? Rather than a service pack? I would say yes because the start bar change is so radically different. After using it heavily for a while now, I cringe when i go back to a machine without it. It really is a good feature.

The performance boost, its really quite significant on low end machines, i guess they could argue its more than a tweak so its not a service pack.

The libraries is a whole new idea, thats easiest from a blank canvas, i guess thats arguably a new OS feature... just.

when you look at:
http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/dev...s/default.aspx

there is sod all compared with the Vista jump, but more than say the XP SP2 jump.

I think Win7 is the smallest change yet, its mostly little enhancments more wallpapers (whoo, fricken hoo) and the changed shell. In my mind this is a much smaller change than XP from win2k.

I have a horrible fealing MS are doing an Apple and going to be squeezing out a new OS every year, this is bad as anyone who's idea of fun isn't installing a new OS will understand. Not to mention the fact i hate nickle n dime'ing.

[Jace007]

if you multi-task your work, have more than 3Gb of RAM, enjoy games, enjoy a stable crash free system then Yes, Windows 7 is just awsome, i've tried various apps on it and its been fine. And with the great pre-order offers in the uk its a real deal. Looking at your system spec and if you were to get the 64Bit version you would'nt regret it.

[Paul Adams]

there is sod all compared with the Vista jump, but more than say the XP SP2 jump.

Bear in mind our service packs do not, as a rule, add functionality - they are all the previous QFE (LDR) & GDR hotfixes bundled into one package to bring a system up to a known level in one pass.

SP2 for XP was the exception to this, and the reason it was so long in development and pushed the development cycle for Vista back a long way - a huge amount of work went into that service pack based around security in addition to the hotfix packaged bundled into it.

Other than that, Windows Server 2003 SP2 had the Scalable Networking Pack incorporated into it, but that was just a free optional download before the service pack arrived anyway.

As non-security hotfixes are included in service packs:
Windows AnyFlavour SPx + all Windows Updates != Windows AnyFlavour SPx+1


Design changes to the kernel occur between Windows versions, this is after all what the major versioning is based on, so as examples...
- Windows XP (NT 5.1) had a single list of threads in the ready state which all processors shared and had a system-wide lock to control
- Windows Server 2003 & XP x64 (NT 5.2) had a per-processor list to help improve SMP
- Windows Vista / Server 2008 (NT 6.0) had a change in quantum charging to allow threads a fairer share of CPU time (and therefore more accurate quota charging) in the event of interrupts
- Windows 7 / Server 2008 R2 (NT 6.1) has managed done away with the dispatcher lock entirely for performance and brought in core parking for power management

These may sound trivial, but these kinds of changes to such a critical component of the system make scalability change radically and often due to their knock-on changes or dependencies cannot be shoe-horned into a hotfix for any of the previous versions of the OS.


From the (home) user perspective it may look like not much has changed, except the decision to drop the classic interface (which meant twice the code to maintain for anything pertaining to the shell), but development is constantly ongoing for the next version of Windows.

Companies will be more aware of the changes of interest to them from the client, server and Active Directory perspective - Windows is (much) bigger than just the screen presented to the end user.

[pp05]

I would say if you're using silicon image controller for your sata hd then you might have an issue with it.

[kingpotnoodle]

7 is great... I've upgraded all my PCs (Work, Home, HTPC, EEE).

Media Centre is much improved - HTPC win...

Works great on my EEE 901 as well, although I do have an upgraded SSD and 2GB RAM in it.

General usability/taskbar etc much improved, it looks a lot nicer (on a par with KDE4 IMHO), less bugs and I've only seen blue screens thanks to crappy drivers for a USB TV stick and faulty motherboard. Application compatibility is good, driver support out of the box is excellent... I'm seriously yet to fault it. Boot time is quick as well.

My hardware is nothing special either, all my full PCs are lower mid-range dual cores, 2-4GB RAM and average graphics cards, not an SSD in sight.

[JessicaD]

Jace007,

Thank you for evaluating Windows 7 and it's great to hear that you are enjoying your experience so much! If you are planning on purchasing Windows 7 when it is released it may be helpful to know you don't have to wait until October to reserve your copy of Win 7! You can pre-order your copy of Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional today. For more information, see the Windows 7 Pre-Order offer page

Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team

[0iD]

Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team

You a Microsoft employee then Jessica? What does the Microsoft Windows Client Team do then in the big machine?

[Phage]

You a Microsoft employee then Jessica? What does the Microsoft Windows Client Team do then in the big machine?

I'm guessing - sales.

[0iD]

I'm guessing - sales.

Computer says no....

[shaithis]

i never liked vista and i have stuck with xp, ppl who used win 7 would u say its better than vista or even xp?

If you hated vista, you won't like 7.

They are practically the same OS, Win7 jsut has a few small tweeks over Vista.

Of course, if you want to jump on the bandwagon of "vista sucked, this new windows 7 rocks"....then I am sure you will like it.

[Phage]

Computer says no....

Random spam from orbit ?

[Georgy291]

hexus now partners with microsoft?

[cheesemp]

If you had, had Vista (it works fine) I'd say no - I've said this to anyone who will listen - changing OS for most people is a lot of hassle unless your having issues just isn't worth it. However from XP i'd say - go buy it if you can afford and have modernish hardware - It has many improvements such as the start bar and file copy dialogs (Vista has these as well - Why I wouldn't upgrade from Vista). It will also run new hardware better than XP.

[Grey M@a]

If you had, had Vista (it works fine) I'd say no - I've said this to anyone who will listen - changing OS for most people is a lot of hassle unless your having issues just isn't worth it. However from XP i'd say - go buy it if you can afford and have modernish hardware - It has many improvements such as the start bar and file copy dialogues (Vista has these as well - Why I wouldn't upgrade from Vista). It will also run new hardware better than XP.

Finally someone who see's sense. Vista works, always has for me and actually runs better on my shuttle setup than Windows 7 does. Why change to Windows 7 over Vista? For me on Vista Ultimate x64 Windows 7 is not a massive jump for the £50 it was pre-order.

DX11 is heading to Vista, don't need XP mode as 99% of XP software and games work in Vista anyway and I definately don't need the bit locker stuff as truecrypt does exactly what I need from encryption.

I would say Windows 7 is being over hyped to make up for Vista's lack of hype. Everyone and their dog slagged Vista and when Windows 7 came out the majority were all over it saying how much of an improvement it was. Not for everyone it isn't. I would say if your system now can handle Vista and after testing the Windows 7 RC/RTM and there is no significant performance boost, then why waste the money in the first place. Wait till you need to upgrade the whole PC in the years to come then move onto Windows 7. Essentially it's Vista with a few toys added in and a new way of working with the task bar. It's not the massive jump the hype will have you believe.

[GheeTsar]

I jumped to 7 from XP and won't go back now - it's just so much slicker. Mind you, my wireless network card now won't work under 7, so that's annoying.