Windows 7 has been a long time coming. In some ways it’s what Windows Vista was supposed to be back in 2006. It’s fast, super stable, but also clean and sleek. I love it and switch from OS X because of Windows 7. It has restored my faith in Microsoft and it feels good to be back on a Windows system after a five year hiatus. I don’t think I’m alone either.
Reviews and previews of Windows 7 have been posted ever since the first public beta in January of 2009. Everyone seems to love it. I haven’t seen or heard of any major bugs or flaws in the operating system. Microsoft nailed this one and should be proud.
Tomorrow, October 22, is the official launch date of Windows 7. Preorders are already shipping out from online retailers and I wouldn’t be surprised if the retail boxes are already on the shelves in some brick and mortar stores. In fact, TG Daily is reporting that Windows 7 has dethroned Harry Potter as Amazon’s most successful preorder item of all time. It’s clear that people want Windows 7.
But do you? Seriously, I’m asking. Do you plan on purchasing Windows 7? I’m not saying you should pay full retail for the system as there have already been a few deals for the OS including a student discount and the Signature edition found in the Windows 7 Launch Party packs landing on eBay for cheap. Or you can snag an OEM version on the cheap too if you can manage without the retail box and documentation.
But if you do have to pay full retail, at least Windows 7 rings up at a lot lower price than previous editions of Windows 7 with the most expensive Ultimate edition costing only $319, which is slightly less painful than Vista’s $399 MSRP.
That’s still a good chunk of change though. I can tell you that Windows 7 does provide a significant usability boost over Windows Vista, but besides that, even I have a hard time justify the price. I know Microsoft and Apple’s business model are totally different, but Apple wins people over when it prices new operating systems for $29 while Microsoft charges more than a cost of a netbook. Apple also doesn’t have 17 different versions of the same operating system. Its K.I.S.S. strategy obviously means hardware and software.
You already know how I feel about the OS. I’m using it right now and have enjoyed the free beta versions the entire time. I doubt anyone will actually line up at Best Buy for the chance to be the first tomorrow to purchase the OS. (Okay, maybe a few will) There’s a good chance that savvy Windows users already have the OS either through one of the beta programs or from one of those “torrent” sites I hear about occasionally…
So what’s your plan? Is your computer getting a Windows 7 upgrade sometime soon or are you still going to live in the depths of hell that is Windows Vista.
Well I would be busy installing my two copies tomorrow – one upgrade on my Vista box and one fresh on my Macbook – but the postal strike looks to have put paid to that.
Bah.
A friend of mine was so impressed with the Release Candidate that he did me the favor of installing Windows 7 on a bootcamp partition on my Macbook. Since then I have seldom booted back into OSX except for iTunes which I will shift over to Windows 7 once I purchase the final version. I don’t have the hard disk space to duplicate my music library.
I especially love the Media Center app and the TV DVR feature. I don’t have to sit through the crap my roomate watches in our dorm room anymore. I’ll probably purchase a Windows 7 laptop that hopefully runs coolers than my Macbook.
….. wow, I wasn’t expecting it to get people to switch from MACOSX.
I pre-ordered W7 for $49.99 so I’ll install it whenever it shows up, I’m not in a huge hurry as I’m not having any issues with Vista HP64.
I bought a new HP Laptop recently and should be receiving my copy any day now.
Its funny that I never had a problem with Vista, but with the reviews all pointing to 7 being so good, it was hard for me to pass up the opportunity for a free upgrade.
I’m thinking I’ll probably buy a new laptop tomorrow. I’ve been holding off for quite awhile now, because of all of these new ultra-portables that are going to drop with 7.
I had a chance to check out the new Toshiba 13 incher at Best Buy last night, and I may end up jumping on that one. It’s truly amazing, the amount of power they’re cramming into these tiny packages these days.
my vista tanked last friday, i’m holding out temporarily for 7 and using my netbook for the time being…. i need to get my hands on a .edu email address =\
Stick with OS X and Linux for now. I also have an XP partition if I would need it for some reason, but I definitely won’t purchase Win7
I pre-orded the Windows 7 Professional upgrade from Amazon.com awhile back on the cheap.
I’ll wait a little bit to actually install it, though. Gotta see what problems inevitably arise and how to fix them so the wife doesn’t kill me…
love it! ran the beta until I got my Action Pack copy a few weeks ago. I loaded up that copy last week. Smooth.
I did go for the pre-release discount upgrade disk, but I’ll be waiting a while for the coast to be declared clear. Given this rather common outlook (no pun intended), I bet Microsoft sets a speed record for releasing SP1 and maybe even SP2 for Win 7.
Got my party pack sitting and waiting. UPS should be dropping off the parts for my new desktop later today, and I’ll be installing Win7 first thing.
CNET quote from picture is right. It is easy to be “stable, smooth and highly polished”, because it is Vista 2.0, just like XP was windows 2000 v. 2.0 :)
Alecs
I find the following hard to believe from your post:
“I can tell you that Windows 7 does provide a significant usability boost over Windows 7″
I can’t imagine that Windows 7 could ever, ever, ever be better than Windows 7. :)
I have an HP Mini 311 running Windows 7 Professional and two desktops running Windows 7 Professional 64bit already.
Added Netflix last night to the unit on my TV and its great.
I was also a Vista user and I know the tests state its not faster but I have to disagree. The netbook runs a ton better with 7 than XP and both the desktops, one core2duo and one core2quad, run much smoother as well. Maybe its the ol’ butt dyno as hot rodders say but perception is reality.
The only Win7 issues I had was in beta with video codecs but that’s been cleared up. If you are on XP now as a holdout then you will be happy with 7 and if you are a Vista user then you will be very happy.
One tip for Vista users is to just run the upgrade then use the new windows 7 easy transfer with an external drive to move you system files, it works wonderfully. Not the fastest but really easy.
I bit. I just used the student discount. Otherwise I wouldn’t be biting. Now if only I could get another copy for my desktop…
I don’t understand this comment:
“…even I have a hard time justify the price. I know Microsoft and Apple’s business model are totally different, but Apple wins people over when it prices new operating systems for $29 while Microsoft charges more than a cost of a netbook. ”
Microsoft is charging $119 for the upgrade – how is that more than a netbook? You can’t say that apple’s price is $29 for everyone because you must have had leopard to get the $29 price (unless you want to violate the EULA).
If you bought a computer sometime between now and June you will get the upgrade for free–a computer being a PC from a major OEM.
Id like to say Vista is not the worst system ever its very quick and easy to use just very protective, and causing a lot of fun programs to run through trial and errors several times before they work, but other than that, Vista has not been a total let down for me. I can’t even use XP anymore to be honest.
I’m a long-suffering Vista Business user. There is NFW I’m shelling out $200 for a W7 upgrade. Microsoft should provide Vista users with a free upgrade. Charging the end-user a usurious fee to make up for Microsoft’s mistakes just shows that MS doesn’t care about the customer.
“or from one of those “torrent” sites I hear about occasionally…”
That statement makes you sound way, way out of your league. You may consider a different topic to blog about than anything technology related. Just my opinion.
I think the author was deliberately playing naive to make it clear that he does not support software piracy using BitTorrent.
Right, Matt? ;)
I work for a university and got the $30 upgrade deal so my Vista HP box will be updated to Win7 Home Premium tomorrow.
I would have waited otherwise for a new PC with 7 preloaded.
I’ve been using the RC for quite a while now, so will I upgrade now that I’ve had my go with Win7? Hell yes I am. I ain’t going back now, no way, no how, no can do.
I’ll probably just buy a laptop with it pre-installed, its about time for a new rig anyways.
“Highly polished”, oh yeah. I would rather say highly patched!. Windows 2000 was a makeup of what you had on Windows NT, XP was a makeup to Windows 2000, Vista to XP and so on. The progress don’t stop, same shit over and over.
If they started all over every time they made a new *cough* _version_ *cough* of the OS, then there’d be wide inconsistency and you’d complain about that too.
So, I ask: Where’s your logic?
If you have an issue with the way Microsoft is doing things, get a Mac. You’ll notice it’s the same exact thing, just a different implementation. But guess what? They’re just tweaking the same source code each and every time just like Microsoft.
Been using Windows 7 since alpha 2. I’m loving it. It’s not vastly different from Vista. My TouchSmart tx2z PC, however, is much nicer with the added touch enhancements. However, most users don’t have a touch screen.
The most notable difference is the task bar, which I must admit is probably mostly for touch screen purposes also (those bigger buttons are easier to press with your finger), although it does offer more taskbar workspace.
My laptop’s battery also lasts a tad longer running Windows 7 over Windows Vista. I must admit that being able to use your computer for longer with no apparent difference in performance is quite nice.
Already paid off my preorder for three copies of Home Premium for $50 each.
I just ordered windows 7, can’t wait until it gets here. I found it with free shipping on Amazon here: http://dealassasin.com/deals/hot-deals/40-hot-deals/6910-win7-amazon-freeship.html
Enjoy!
Windows 7 Beta is quite good. I started using it a while ago. When you keep a lot of programs open it doesn’t seem to lag. There are some nice features that Microsoft introduced into Windows 7. I found it faster and easier to use. It’s a serious improvement on vista and I think it’s a necessary one. I have written in some detail about Windows 7 Beta and my experience using it. Please take a look at it and comment on what you think.
http://ketiva.com/Computers_and_Internet/my_experience_with_windows_7_using_the_beta_version1.html
Because Windows 7 Beta is still so new it’s hard to know what problems it could have in the future but it looks like it’s going to be a fantastic operating system.
Windows 7 is going to be a big winner for Microsoft, but I won’t be buying an update for XP.
Here’s why: First, you have to take all your files and copy them to an external drive or a buncha CD’s. Then you install Windows 7, which wipes out your XP and then you re-install your files, and then…you MANUALLY re-install all your programs.
Microsoft says the process will take about two hours. How about two days?
Really, the best thing to do is buy a new computer with Windows 7 pre-installed. Since I am broker than broke, I won’t be buying a new computer right now.
Intel’s President says rightly I think, that most companies will be buying because their hardware is ten year’s old, and they were putting off buying Vista for very good reasons.
Bottom line: Forget upgrading. Buy a new box.
Windows users are like Cubs fans. Microsoft’s new slogan should be Just Wait ‘Till Next Year (or later).