Windows 7, the successor to Windows Vista, is predicted to hit store shelves in late 2009 or early 2010, but it seems that many are saying it’s what Windows Vista should have been. In addition, the hype surrounding it seems to be positive this time around.

Many people are wondering if they should go and buy Windows Vista or wait for Windows 7 to come out. The answer is yes to both questions, if you can afford it, if not, the consensus seems to be to wait for Windows 7.

According to the Microsoft website, Vista will completely lose support in 2012, XP as of April 14, 2009, though commercial and developer support continues until 2014. It’s not recommended to wait that long, since that will make it over a decade old.

“The just-released Beta 1 version of Windows 7 is a solid, fast-performing, stable operating system that appears to be just about fully baked and ready for prime time,” says ComputerWorld.com

As for Windows 7 performance, testers have been playing with early test releases, and report that “[the rumours that] Windows 7 is simply faster than Vista appear to be true,” says CNET News.com. “Windows 7 had no problem simultaneously installing and launching applications, downloading files, browsing the Web, and carrying out other tasks.”

A ZDNet blog post comparing Windows 7, Vista, and XP shows “7” winning nearly every test thrown at it.

As for Vista’s biggest annoyance, User Account Control, in Windows 7, it has been “pared right back on its default setting, and we encountered it only a couple of times throughout a whole morning of installing applications.” Though users can change it to be more Vista-like.

News.com also expresses relief in Windows 7, saying “[It] signals that Microsoft has spent a lot of effort with Windows 7 on delivering a solid operating system that won’t “wow” anyone but will satisfy them on a much deeper level. In other words, just what the doctor–and the customers–ordered.”

“The reality is that it (Vista) is a mature product right now,” she said. “The issues are solved.” That’s easier said than believed, even though it’s largely true,” said Stella Chernyak, a director in Microsoft’s Windows Client product group, in an interview with InformationWeek.com

Chernyak said Microsoft expects a much easier transition [than with Windows Vista]. Companies (and consumers) have done the grunt work of upgrading to Windows Vista, and won’t have to repeat the process with Windows 7.

Though Information Week is quick to point out that “with two such upgrades looming, Vista and Windows 7, people may look for ways to only upgrade once.”

There are a few new features in Windows 7, including “Jumplists”, in which you can many open windows display as a stacked list when your computer mouse hovers over the program icon on the Taskbar. Mac OS X users are already familiar with something similar in the “dock”.

According to ComputerWorld.com, a huge plus is that “Microsoft set out to make sure that Windows 7 wouldn’t have the same issues with hardware compatibility that Windows Vista had, and the company said that all hardware that works with Windows Vista should also work with Windows 7. It appears that even in this beta version, that goal has been met.”

Another really impressive fact is that the installation process for Windows 7 “generally installs in 20 minutes or less,” according to Winsupersite.com

The biggest difference between Windows 7 and previous versions is that Windows 7 will be “modular”, according to some reputable technology blogs. This means that Microsoft will sell certain features and add-ons post-launch, or on a subscription basis, which is great news for consumers, who end up paying for everything in Windows, and only using some of it.

Originally posted 2009-01-17 20:43:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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