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There is a lot of hype around the launch of Windows 7 this October 22nd. Even though Vista has come a long way since it was launched, it could still use improvement.
The question is now, “should you and your customers upgrade or not?” If you’ve been using Vista for a while you’re probably better off keeping that money in your pocket but if you’re still using XP, the answer is simply yes! The differences and improvements between XP and Windows 7 are tremendous and well worth the money. I have been lucky enough to have worked with Windows 7 for a few months now and even my 4 year old PC runs absolutely flawless with just a small memory upgrade. To see if your computer is ready for Windows 7 click here for the Windows Upgrade Advisor.
So what is so great about Windows 7?
1) It runs Windows XP applications
One of the biggest Vista drawbacks was that it was virtually impossible to run legacy applications and sometimes even older peripherals. Windows 7 has the ability to run applications in Windows XP mode, which means that the application will actually think it is running on a XP machine and will behave as such. So, the excuse to stick with XP is no longer valid.
2) Sharing is Easier
Microsoft has created something called HomeGroup which makes sharing documents, music, printers or any other files a snap. Especially for home users this is a great feature. No more need for sophisticated network set-ups. Just a few clicks and all computers in the house can share.
3) Improved User Interface
Increased efficiency, user friendliness and Aesthetics were obviously the ideas behind the new desktop layout. With a retooled taskbar and easier ways to get to open windows it’s a pleasure to work.
4) Easier Networking
Windows 7 makes it a cinch to view and connect to networks on your laptop wherever you go. Just click the networking icon on the taskbar. View Available Networks displays all your wireless and wired options—Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, dial-up, or corporate VPN. One more click, and you're connected.
5) Windows Troubleshooting
Windows 7 has built-in troubleshooters for performance, programs, devices, networking, printing, display, sound, and power efficiency. The troubleshooters help you get to the problem quickly and will try to use internal information or go on the internet to resolve the issue. Getting help from a professional is also a lot easier with the Problem Steps Recorder; End users can record their experience with an application failure with each step recorded as a screen shot along with accompanying logs and software configuration data. They can send this over to a technician for easy troubleshooting.
6) Play To and Windows Media Center
The Jump To feature enables you to send video and audio output from one PC to a network-enabled media player, home stereo and even other PCs on the network.
7) Location aware printing
If you travel between offices or home and office with a laptop, this feature is handy: Windows 7 remembers which network and printer you're using and automatically switches the default printer to match the one you last used.
Those are the 7 main reasons we feel customers should upgrade from XP and Vista to Windows 7. For more information on Windows 7, check out the Microsoft web site here.
