Windows 7 is Microsoft’s latest instalment of their operating system. The review copy I have is the Release to Manufacturing version which will go into CDs for sale.
This new release comes about three years after Windows Vista was launched and is expected to arrest all the issues associated with Vista such as its lacklustre performance on hardware running on less than 1GB of RAM.
I installed the RTM version on three laptops, one of which was running on Windows Vista and the other two on Windows XP. For users upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7, for example, a 32-bit Vista Ultimate to a 32-bit Windows 7 Ultimate, the installation is a smooth process.
However, if you try to jump from 32-bit to 64-bit to get the best performance from both hardware and software, the process can get a bit tricky.
If you want to do this, Microsoft recommends a clean install. This means that you have to start a fresh and re-install every single application as well as reset all your settings and account information.
For Windows XP users, the process is not a smooth one. When I tried to upgrade a 32-bit XP and a 32-bit version of Windows 7, I had to run Windows Easy Transfer Wizard. After spending an hour trying to do so with my settings safely stored in an external hard disk, the wizard told me that I could not restore the settings. I had no choice but to do a clean install.
This was due to the corporate IT domain settings which I had that do not apply to home users. A clean install took about 30 minutes. Then I had to download and install three important security and driver updates and 36 optional ones, most of which were language choices.
Upon completion, a quick check of the Control Panel showed that I had six unknown device drivers. Three were resolved when I ran the Windows Update. For the rest, a pop-up dialogue box said that Vista drivers for these devices can be used with Windows 7 but I have yet to find them on the device maker’s website.
Upon booting up Windows 7, the first thing that stands out is the new taskbar at the bottom of the screen. You can start your favourite applications by dragging them here. This is an overgrown Quick Launch bar, every reminiscent of the Mac OS X Dock.
There are also a bunch of easy-to-use enhancements that make using the computer more enjoyable and hassle-free. For example, if I were to click on the title bar of Microsoft Word and drag it to the side or top of the screen, the windows will automatically resize to half- or full-screen respectively. This definitely will save me time trying to resize several windows to fit them on the screen.
Users will also feel the performance boost. Opening and closing applications and files, for example, feels snappy.
Installing Windows 7 is a breeze. Once installed, users will feel the performance enhancement. A word of a caution for Windows XP users. Many have not upgraded to Windows Vista in anticipation of Windows 7. However, these users may find it difficult to upgrade to the latest operating system.
2 Comments
Minor correction; it won’t fit on a CD. It’s way too bloated.
Thanks for correction :0)