Technology: Is 7 the Next Thing or Just Another ME?

Author: Joe Baker

August 2009

Is Windows 7 Microsoft’s next try at a failed Vista operating system or can we finally upgrade from XP with confidence? When I first installed Windows 7, I was expecting an experience very similar to Windows Vista. I was pleasantly surprised when I installed 7 on a single core 2Ghz Sempron with 2GB RAM laptop, it ran much better than I expected.

Upon installation of Windows 7, I noticed that the OS booted in a respectable time and the USB support was quick to install devices that would normally take Vista and XP several seconds to install. During my typical performance check after an initial install, I also found that Microsoft’s new OS had very few services running with respect to its previous operating systems. The CPU usage on my mediocre machine was at a staggeringly low 15%, compared to Vista’s 75% on a similar machine.

The look of Windows 7 is very similar to that of Windows Vista with the exception of a few enhancements. Microsoft has changed the taskbar and the way that windows are grouped. This is a feature that may take time getting used to, but I have found it to be useful. Other features of Vista are the same in 7, such as the window preview when the mouse hovers over the taskbar. Microsoft’s new interface seems to be faster and more responsive on older systems. That’s not to say that I didn’t experience any bugs with my Release Candidate version of Windows 7. But the bugs I did experience were either a bit of a nuisance, such as logging in locally while joined to a domain, or they were problems that are already being addressed with the retail version of the OS.

Microsoft’s UAC (User Access Control) is still in place and gives you pop-ups to ask for permission to run processes. Microsoft has made it much easier to customize the UAC or disable it completely. The system tray is also much more customizable. Options are available to hide or show icons of your choosing and change the alert level of each icon, making the system tray a much better tool. In the past, Microsoft labeled machines that were “capable” of running Windows Vista. These machines, I would say, did a very poor job of being able to run Vista. Those same machines are going to be able to run Windows 7 and the Aero interface with little trouble. I would be hard pressed to find a machine that will not run Windows 7 aside from the least expensive Netbooks.
Windows 7 is not compelling me to run out and update my PC. There are no breakthrough features that are going to change computing as we know it, but it’s an improvement. Windows 7 is an OS to keep up with the times. We need to accept that Windows XP will eventually go the way of Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. Windows 7 is the OS that Vista wanted to be. It will fill the XP void and lead us into the next generation of Windows Operating Systems.