Convince Me To Upgrade To Windows 7 From Xp!

[orpheus454]

What would you be gaining...?

You would get to enjoy all the latest versions of the various Microsoft headaches, bugs and frustrations.

[craigt3365]

I'm not real technical, but recently went to Win 7 from XP...kicking and screaming. Now? I love it. I've never had it crash...use to get the blue screen of death all the time on Win 7. Networking seems easier. Overall, IMHO, a better interface. I'm quite happy.

I think Win 8 needs another year to settle in. I hate to be on the (bleeding) edge.

[Nonja]

CTRL + Q to Enable/Disable GoPhoto.it

I know nothing about computers. I purchased a new laptop and of course, Windows 7, thinking it would be good idea. DON'T DO IT. You have to learn A WHOLE NEW WAY of using the blasted thing: the library files are beyond me. I can't find anything. Anything at all. Also, because I purchased it here, M/S support is only in Thai. M/S won't recognise your ID number when you try to contact them direct. You are stuck between a rock and a hard place. One feature alone (the snip-it tool) has been useful. XP was fine. I personally have found Windows 7 an abomination.

[Morakot]

Get Ubuntu! Never look back.

Here a link to the Windows installer for Ubuntu Desktop

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/windows-installer?distro=wubi&release=&bits=

[thhMan]

I dont want to convince you.

Your either a fossil and cannot use the internet to figure out the pros and cons

- or -

Your just a fossil

[poanoi]

Win 7 never crash on my pc for 2 years (or more?)

Go for it!

Win XP never crashed on any of my pc's for as long as i have used it, should be at least 8 years by now

[smokie36]

I am admittedly a very light user of windows - let's just say I avoid it like the plague. But sometimes, I do work with it.

You mean sometimes you switch to Windows when you want to use a software program your glorified Icrap doesn't allow you to use

I love when a new Macbookpro sucker tells me I must go all Apple just like him.

"Its shiny and looks great!" he bleats.

Wait six months I think silently....

[smokie36]

Windows 7 was the best thing that ever happened to my laptop.

Closely followed by Dr Jiu Jitsu!

[Hobnob]

All new models come with Windows 8 pre-installed now, actually. Go to Panthip, you'll see

Windows XP is just fine with your old hardware and upgrading it does not make any sense. If you buy a new notebook, it will have Windows 8 already.

Notebooks in Thailand are sold without operating system.

[Scorpio1949]

Just install 64bit version and be happy like many people are. All the best from also a dummy but who even has Windows 8 in a Windows 7 look ............................

[Psych01]

There has been mentions of dual booting etc.. Not really sure whether anyone has mentioned this or not, once you have installed Windows 7 you can run it in what is called XP Mode, this goes to Microsoft and the support website.

Using Windows 7′s XP Mode — step by step This is a website that gives you the things that Microsoft forgot to tell you, their words not mine.

Here is a video (Youtube):

Here, TechRepublic, are some reasons why Windows 7's XP Mode is a big deal.

This is all info for you if you do decide to upgrade to Win 7, I use it currently, and it is OK. I actually prefer to use the open source O/Ses that are out there specifically, Ubuntu, which is a Linux offering and is fantastic , providing the apps you want to use are available for it.

Edited April 25, 2013 by Psych01

[hagler]

Windows is the betamax of operating systems. wont exist 10 years or less from now. Will all be cloud based using mobile operating systems like Android.

Ask a 16 year old what they think of Windows. The "what ya talking about fuddy duddy" says it all.

[Hobnob]

Windows is the betamax of operating systems. wont exist 10 years or less from now. Will all be cloud based using mobile operating systems like Android.

Ask a 16 year old what they think of Windows. The "what ya talking about fuddy duddy" says it all.

Don't trust cloud at all. Read this and see what can happen when you trust others with your data http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/04/life_without_google_when_my_account_was_suspended_i_felt_like_i_d_been_dumped.html

Quite scary.

[Psych01]

Get Ubuntu! Never look back.

Here a link to the Windows installer for Ubuntu Desktop

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/windows-installer?distro=wubi&release=&bits=

Just be careful as Windows desktop installer, Wubi, is not currently available for Ubuntu 13.04 (most upto date version). 12.10 is the previous version and worked fine.

[NoshowJones]

Seems that the consensus is about 50/50 to change or not to change. To be honest, I am quite happy with my bootleg XP, but notice a few bugs that MAY{?} be OS related. I used to use Internet explorer, but that started getting silly and slow on me, then changed to Firefox and was flying for a while and now, it's doing the same as IE....getting slower, crashing etc. Will going to Chrome improve my search engine??

Firefox is an absolute disaster for downloading, I have found that out on three different computers. it is impossible to download a film in parts, some of them always disappear. that never happens with IE or Google Chrome.

[jackflash]

I really dislike Win7, it is full of bugs and programming errors (I've collected a long list).

It feels horribly amateurish compared to XP.

64bit Win7 does however have two big improvements:

- It can handle large amounts of RAM

- and it can handle multiple processors.

I find both of these essential.

Edited April 25, 2013 by jackflash

[gohmer]

I took my first computer class in 1977. It was a Fortran class on a house sized IBM mainframe. Since then, I've been at all levels of IT from programmer to solution architect to director of development, to owning my own software development company. I've worked at small companies on up to GMAC and Bank of America. I've used just about every type of computer there is. I make my living using computers. At home, there's only one computer I'd ever consider owning and that's a Mac. I have a 27" iMac with i7 quad-core, 16gig memory, 1Tb HD, and dual monitors; a MacBook Air; an iPad 3; and an iPhone 5 (the iPhone and MacBook Air were provided by my company where I had the choice of PC or Mac, Galaxy or iPhone).

I have a time-machine backup system that backs up my entire universe of data on my iMac and all Apple gadgets every hour onto a mirrored RAID 4TG dual drive system. The Apple OS syncs all my contacts, music, photos, mail, settings, documents, and the entire OS, etc to iCloud (all behind the scenes without me clicking a single button) making all of it available on all devices anywhere in the world. Everything works effortlessly all of the time. I don't have to be a "Tweaker", the stuff just works. My iMac and all Apple devices automatically keep the OSs and apps updated behind the scenes, no need to mess around with maintenance.

At work, all of our conference rooms have Apple AirPort devices connected to the conference room projectors and it is instant wireless connection.

I have all of the standard Mac software, including Microsoft Office for Mac. I also run parallels which is a virtual machine for Windows. Windows 7 actually runs faster on my iMac in a virtual machine than what Windows 7 does on my high-end Lenovo workstation at my office, where I am usually on my MacBook Air instead. My PC at work is 64 bit windows 7 and I can't even find a audio driver for it. It snapped and smoked the other day, then blue screened. It is a mangy soi dog compared to my iMac. All of my development tools all run on the Mac with the exception of one design tool that is a piece of crap; however, its the piece of crap the company picked. The alternatives to this one piece of crap all have PC and Mac versions. There's no software the average person needs that you won't have on the Mac, and when you add the Apple devices, Apple iOS has more apps than imaginable, and they all work, unlike Android apps with different versions for different phones and updating is a nightmare.

And here is the best of all, no matter what sites I venture onto ;-), not one virus ever!!!! I don't even have to have anti-virus software, even though I do just to be on the extra extra safe side.

There, enough with the quantification and qualification.

My advise is to keep running the dog you have until it dies - save your money and then buy a really great piece of technology. And don't forget, by the end of this year, Apple will be coming out with a 60" TV that will blow away what we consider TVs are today. If you have a Mac, it just becomes an awesome homogeneous, tightly unified system that no PC + gadgets can compare to.

[commande]

Simple answer:

Windows 7 Pro -

Faster

Ongoing support for several years to come

Software compatibility with current software

Better security (yes whatever that means but it's less in Win XP, better in Win 7 and vastly better in Win 8)

BIT Locker if you have a TPM Module

etc, etc. This list goes on and on...

Win 7 is probably the best version Microsoft ever released since Windows NT but I use Windows 8 now and love it, nothing wrong with Windows 7 though. If your in for a learning curve just go Windows 8 but unless you have a touch screen computer you won't realize it's full potential. Anyway Windows 7 is tried and tested, very stable runs great.

Edited April 25, 2013 by commande

[GeorgeO]

I'm not a geek but it's a "no brainer".I loved XP but Win 7 is in a diferent league (better faster more stable .....)

Just do it, you won't regret it :-)

I would agree entirely, but I do have a good friend who is an absolute geek, so he did everything necessary to ensure a trouble-free switch to Win 7.

He also advises me to wait a little while longer before considering switching to Win 8; i.e., give them some time to iron out any initial problems.

[thhMan]

I'm not a geek but it's a "no brainer".I loved XP but Win 7 is in a diferent league (better faster more stable .....)

Just do it, you won't regret it :-)

I would agree entirely, but I do have a good friend who is an absolute geek, so he did everything necessary to ensure a trouble-free switch to Win 7.

He also advises me to wait a little while longer before considering switching to Win 8; i.e., give them some time to iron out any initial problems.

Your mate is right... to a point

However, windows 8 is basically the upgrade of windows 7 with a metro interface.... So most bugs have been taken care of.

You can get some software that you can run on windows 8 to look like windows 7....

I run the software because I hate the metro interface as I miss my start bar

[Star1]

I am in the computer world and have been on win 7 for a long time.

Hands down huge improvement over XP

There is a free download from MS that you can run to see if your machine can run Win 7

Be sure to do that first.

On an older machine you might also look at Ubuntu (free) which is fantastic, but a learning curve

There are huge Orgs, schools, Gov etc that have gotten off Microsoft with. Ubuntu and are very happy

Do not waste your time with a dual boot unless you are a techie

Because of work I still have to live in the MS world but I just got my first Apple Mac Pro ( which can run a Virtual Windows easy) and I will never go back.

Most of our NYC offices have also moved to Apple, but also a learning curve

Good luck

[sammycic]

From the posts above one conclusion i have come to, is those who use win 8 love it. enough said. Its like still using gingerbread instead of the latest jelly bean.

Edited April 25, 2013 by sammycic

[howsthat]

Many people have said "if its not broke don't mend it", well that is true of a house hold appliance like a washing machine. But a computer is not like that. Using the washing machine as an example what happens if suddenly your washing powder changes and wont work in your old machine.

Win XP is well over 10 years old, in fact it was launched in 2001, now computer hardware has advanced massively over that period of time. As have storage solutions, printers, home media players etc.

What you will find going forward is that if you buy a new printer you are unlikely to find it coming with Win XP drivers, same with software, increasingly software makers are dropping support for Win XP, after all they have to support Win Vista, Win 7, Win 8, Mac, and a host of Smart phones. So the cost of supporting Xp is massive for them, once MS ends there support you will find most software companies will also.

For example .net 4.5 does not support XP properly as many developers use .net as a platform it means there apps wont work properly or at all on XP. If you get a new machine they you will already find that there wont be drivers for it.

You asked what you will gain:. Well Win 7 is a much more polished operating (OS), the file manage is a lot better and easier to use. Sharing files between 2 win 7 machines is easy. All software will work, as will all printers. It is not difficult to learn. It works well with modern hardware and is fast and have a lot more customisation features. Its easier to link Win 7 to other devices round the house such as TV's etc. Whilst today this might not be important to you it is going to get important,

What about Win 8, forget it, its difficult to use, unless you have a touch screen, it does not use windows all the Metro UI tiles open in to full screen you have to move to the top left or right corner to go any where else. Just horrible.

I am an IT professional, and love playing with new software an OS's but not Win 8.

Some people have suggested us a Linux version, I agree depending upon what you want to do then something like Ubuntu or Mint (flavors of Linux) are great they come will all the software most home users need. Yes there is a small learning curve, but its worth it for a product that is free and likely always to be, almost all software that runs on Linix is also free.

if you machine is the same age an XP then you wont be able to upgrade as Win 7 does need fairly modern hardware, say at least a 1.6 Ghz dual core CPU and 3 Gb of RAM, I would always recommend 8 Gb and a 64 Bit OS, this will pay off in time.

If you go to the Ubuntu web site. (www,ubuntu.com), you will find that you can down load a CD version of Ubuntu that will run of a CD with out damaging your XP installation this allows you to try and play with it before committing your self.

Good luck.

[Digitalbanana]

.. And don't forget, by the end of this year, Apple will be coming out with a 60" TV that will blow away what we consider TVs are today. If you have a Mac, it just becomes an awesome homogeneous, tightly unified system that no PC + gadgets can compare to.

Sometimes I wonder if the mac fan boys are getting paid to boost their sagging stock price?

[corkythecat]

If you want to lose a lot of control of your programs/files/etc change to Win7.

It is like an overprotective neurotic parent.

I have 3 HD and have tried Win7 over a year, believing anything new must be better..All back to XP now.

Google is full of despairing users and I guess they are not all half-wits.

[poanoi]

If you want to lose a lot of control of your programs/files/etc change to Win7.

It is like an overprotective neurotic parent.

I have 3 HD and have tried Win7 over a year, believing anything new must be better..All back to XP now.

Google is full of despairing users and I guess they are not all half-wits.

Well that is exactly the issue i have with gf pc, no wonder the search function was expanded, it HAS to

since everything is hidden away

[howsthat]

If you want to lose a lot of control of your programs/files/etc change to Win7.

It is like an overprotective neurotic parent.

I have 3 HD and have tried Win7 over a year, believing anything new must be better..All back to XP now.

Google is full of despairing users and I guess they are not all half-wits.

Its very simple to turn this down or even off, its trying to protect the system from idiots, all these features can be turned off or changed.

Open up Control Panel, and type in “UAC” into the search box. You’ll see a link for “Turn User Account Control (UAC) on or off”:

How simple is that, I Suggest that you send you computer back and use an abacus.

[sammycic]

You don't know what you are missing till you try it. Come on as howsthat said it over 10 years old. It is time to embrace the new.

Why waste money buying 7 which is old hat and go straight to 8.

[Gnasher328]

Wouldn't consider putting a new operating system on an old machine. All new s/w expects and uses more resources, including things like Firefox and AVG. I loaded both and my speed halved. I found that AVG had several new processes running almost continuously, stopping these helped but I am considering rolling back Firefox to a smaller earlier version as well.

[JetsetBkk]

Well, I hope you are convinced one way or the other, jaideeguy!