I was extremely skeptical about upgrading my operating system from Windows XP Pro, to Windows 7. I have the belief: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
Recently I received a
customer's laptop, who wanted an upgrade from
Windows Vista, to Windows 7 - 64 Bit. I
checked the compatibility of the hardware in the Toshiba
laptop, as well as the compatibility of the software
currently
installed.
Fast forward an hour later…
------------------------------
I
was extremely surprised! The upgrade went well;
all of the customer's files were transferred to Windows
7, including the customer's profile, settings,
documents and software. There was only one program
that didn't transfer from Vista 32 bit, to Windows 7 -
64 bit, and that was iTunes (which was downloaded and
installed later, successfully!)
As I began to download the critical Windows
updates, and ensured that the computer is operating
reliably; I noticed that this new operating system looks
MUCH better than my current XP Pro computer.
I also noticed that even though the visual effects
are seemingly better compared to XP and Vista, the
layout is a nice blend of XP and Vista mixed
together! So, as I sat envious of my customer, I
decided to get a copy of Windows 7 64 Bit for
myself.
Extremely leery of compatibility problems, I
made a backup image of my hard drive, and began the
process of installing Windows 7 (which includes
re-formatting the hard drive as an "upgrade" from XP Pro
isn't possible). The installation went well, and I
proceeded to prepare the computer for the new operating
system. This included: downloading the critical
updates from Microsoft and installing them, installing
my software (including antivirus, anti-spyware, firewall
etc), choosing a theme that "fits" and "tweaking" the
new Operating System for maximum performance (that will
be explained in a different article!).
After DAYS of playing with my seemingly new computer,
I decided it was time to get some rest! Yes, this
operating system that I thought I would NEVER upgrade to
has kept me up for hours upon hours. I was pleasantly
surprised, as well as amazed, by Microsoft's latest
creation. I'm sure you would like an explanation to why
I am so impressed with Windows 7?
When making the decision whether or not to upgrade to
Windows 7, you can try the "Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor."
The Upgrade Advisor is software that needs to be
downloaded and installed. This software scans your
computer for potential compatibility issues, and
notifies you of what Windows 7 upgrade options are
available for your computer. In many cases
software and hardware that is compatible with Windows
Vista remains compatible with Windows 7, but not in all
cases.
If the Upgrade Advisor detects hardware or
software that isn't compatible with Windows 7, it will
notify you! Appearance Windows 7 is actually based on
the Windows Vista "kernel", which means that features
found in Vista were passed along to Windows 7.
Windows 7 does have a different "style" and
includes visually appealing features such as: taskbar
preview thumbnails, Aero glass effect, and updated
Windows colors and appearance.
With Windows 7, you have the opportunity to
customize your theme, and change the color, opacity and
appearance of your desktop and Windows. The backgrounds
that are included in the themes for this version of
Windows are eye candy and enhance your computing
experience.
Drivers
Do you recall
how installing previous versions of Windows (such as
XP) could be a headache when
the time to find and install the drivers came about? I
recall piles of CDs and
DVDslying
around, as I searched
for the numerous drivers required for the
software to function. Well, it is likely that
you will not need to install
any drivers at all after installing Windows 7, because Windows
7 has A LOT of drivers already
included!
Do you recall
my upgrade from XP Pro to Windows
7? The computer that I upgraded has components
that are at least FIVE years
old; including the motherboard, sound card and processor. When I
completed installation, I browsed through
thedevice
manager and realized that
Windows 7 included drivers for ALL of
my hardware, including the problematic ATI video card
(the Windows 7 drivers for the
video card actually allow more detail, clarity, reliability and sharpness
than the manufacturers drivers included with the
card!)
Media Center
Windows 7 hit the "big-time" with the addition of the
Media Center as standard. Keep
in mind, that not all versions of Windows 7 include a
Media Center. Windows 7
Home Premium, Ultimate and Professional, include the
Media Center. The Media Center is excellent software,
and is an interface that virtually turns your TV or
monitor into a multimedia powerhouse with a beautiful
design! You can watch, pause and record live TV,
listen to your favorite music, view your photo
collection, watch DVDs, tune in to TV shows via the
internet, skim through the channel guide to see what's
coming on and when…and more!! As a matter of fact,
as long as you have an internet connection, you can use
nearly all of the features that the media center
offers.
System
requirements
Windows 7 demands modest system requirements, so if
you consider your computer "prehistoric", there is still
a chance that you can install Windows 7 in your
computer! You'll need to have the following on
your computer to install Windows 7:
*1 GHZ or faster, 32 or 64 bit processor
*1 GB Ram (32 bit) or 2 GB Ram (64 bit)
*16 GB Hard Disk Space (32 Bit) or 20 GB Hard Disk
Space (64 Bit)
*Direct X9 Graphics Driver
If your computer was purchased within the last
three years, chances are it will be compatible with this
new operating system, without purchasing or upgrading
any additional hardware. When in doubt, go to
Microsoft's website and download the compatibility
advisor, to be absolutely sure that you can upgrade your
precious machine.
Now
that you have our opinion of Microsoft's newest
(and greatest) creation…don't take OUR word for it! Get out there
and purchase your copy today, and see what we
are ranting and raving
about!
