Windows 7

[tommywho70x]

in 30 years of cleaning up after the microsoft weenies and their defective software, i don't think i have ever seen a thread about a new windows release with so many satisfied customers.

i'm guessing from what i'm reading here is that most of you are casual users and your machines are not always online in a big network or tasked with critical jobs. but then, i haven't seen those kind of people screaming bloody murder about windows 7 either so maybe microsoft has finally gotten its act together?

to add my opinion to the PC vs. MAC debate: at their essence, both OS's are the same. both were stolen from XEROX and have evolved along only slightly different lines. at the GUI, both appear to the user to behave essentially the same.

MACs and MAC-compatible peripherals cost more, but then most commercial cults charge a premuim for membership.

MACs are certainly not invulnerable to attack and there is a current MAC virus problem that is pretty widespread.

i think there are two main reasons why MAC users don't get hammered as badly as PC users. first, MACs are usually not deployed by big corporate or government networks that are targeted by attack and second, many of the attacking programs are built specifically to go after Microsoft software.

because home users and small businesses do not enjoy the protection of the bigger networks, their machines end up becoming home for those little beauties when they home in on the machines talking "MS-DOS\WINDOWS" on the network in the clear.

 

[ekrem]

I use Linux.
For things like online banking, Windows XP rums through the software VirtualBox (Sun Microsystems). Virtualbox has "snapshot" feature, so after installing a fresh installation of Windows XP in Linux, I create a fresh snapshot.
Before doing anything in Windows XP I revert back to the fresh snapshot with one click.

Windows Xp is scrapped of unneeded components with Nlite
nLite - Deployment Tool for the bootable Unattended Windows installation
Installation CD of Windows XP is after Nlite about 140 MB, installed it runs 16 processes with 67 MB Ram commited after boot.

Together with a hardware Firewall (Router) this is enough for a medium user.

 

[Tom Clancy]

Win7 on my Desktop.. Works well.. No Crashes so far..

I've had it since.. probably since it came out, I'm pretty sure.

 

[gslack]

Mac OS comes from a "nix" derivative. So if you run a "nix" OS (linux, unix, BSD, etc..) You can match virtually anything on a MAC OS.

Since Windows NT Microsoft has been trying to drift more towards a "nix" similar security and system setup... All the previous windows OS before that was a disaster under the hood. NT made a big difference in stability but it was geared towards networks and it was overkill and too difficult to use on a regular home desktop. THey tried to close this gap first with Windows ME for home and 2000 for the business sector. This was a bit better and more stable but still racked with many of the same problems they had before.

Windows XP was the answer they finally come up with and it was their best effort to date. But it still had security problems galore, and until Service pack 3 it was still only a bit more reliable windows.

Vista was a disaster. From system hardware and drivers support to security, it was full of issues that should not have been part of a final release. They wanted to get the "cool eyecandy" some linux users were getting and they got some of it but built it on a buggy core... So they got what they worked for; a piece of shit polished to look new..

Windows 7 is what VIsta should have been. They went back to the core and fixed as much as they could and released it. Sure there was some useful user interface advancements and things but its still an improved vista.

Windows is the most popular OS in the personal market. So given that fact, it will be designed around the principle concept of the home user and market consumption. If you want the latest games and hardware support out of the box, windows is the only answer. And the sad part is, it has nothing to do with ease of programming or power/features. Its about market share and money.

Truth is it is much much easier to program for "nix" and similar OS's. But MAC has its MAC brand and they are a pain in the ass to work with. Also MAC is not a gamers OS and they have no desire to even try it right now. And linux and all other GNU software are free, so no money to be made there. And unix, is for professionals and programmers, most of their apps run in a command shell with no real GUI.

Want to know why there is no viruses and malware for MAC and "nix" systems? Well for one, they are free and its no fun for hackers and assholes to bash something they use themselves. Second, the base language used is a purer less buggy programming language. Third, "nix" was built for security decades ago when it was in the Berkley labs. It is built for this purpose at its core so very hard to beat...

I run 4 PC's total.. 1 for kids and their gaming, school work, browsing, social networking, etc, this one has windows XP "altered" to run an improved "AERO" desktop. Kind of a VIsta minus VIsta... LOL... 2 is for storing and as a router/firewall. THis one runs Debian linux 5.0.4. 3 is a ubuntu 10.04 linux box I use for my work at home and my own odds and ends (like posting here). 4 is my work laptop, it runs a proprietary unix OS designed solely for my work and is secure as it can get outside of Fort Meade Maryland... LOL

I recommend everyone keep a linux liveCD around just to fix anything that goes wrong in windows.. It has saved my ass many times. With kids on the internet, anything can happen and I do mean anything. myspace has been a hackers paradise...

 

[chanel]

We just ordered a new desktop for the office and our version of Quickbooks is not compatible. I now have to upgrade QB on the old machine and then transfer the data to the new one. Wish me luck. I've been postponing getting a new PC for this very reason. We still have XP and after a compatibility check from Microsoft, we are going to have some major conflicts with our current programs. I hope I don't regret this.

 

[Terry]

My son's pc has windows 7 and I've been using Vista since it came out with not one OS issue. Vista has played every game, every program I have installed. Of course I disabled the UAC the second I started the PC.

Windows 7 is ok if you have it on a new machine but for those that have vista now and thinking about buying an upgrade to Win7 don't do it. Window 7 works fine with new machines, does not do well as an upgrade.

 

[Ringel05]

My son's pc has windows 7 and I've been using Vista since it came out with not one OS issue. Vista has played every game, every program I have installed. Of course I disabled the UAC the second I started the PC.

Windows 7 is ok if you have it on a new machine but for those that have vista now and thinking about buying an upgrade to Win7 don't do it. Window 7 works fine with new machines, does not do well as an upgrade.

My wife is like you, Vista doesn't bother her, except when it really gets slow or starts one of it's auto updates (that I know I disabled) then it's " fix this G** Damned thing before I chuck it!" I was actually coming to Vista from the Windows 2000 platform - It worked for me and I was to cheap to upgrade to XP - so the layout was completely alien to me, ergo, I hate it.
BTW my primary computers now run Linux Mint 8 and the rest (other than my wife's Pista machine) runs XP. I've heard mixed reviews on the Vista - 7 upgrade but that's always been true of most Windows OSs.

 

[Weezerfan]

I avoided Vista because of all the issues, but 7(on my new Laptop) has given me no issues and seems very reliable.