Change For The Sake of Change?
For a long time, whenever Microsoft came out with a new version of its Windows operating system (OS) people almost automatically upgraded. Improvements in speed, security, new features etc. made the choice to upgrade a no-brainer. At least that was the case until Vista came along. Vista was a resource hog, slow, unstable and offered little but cosmetic upgrades. Many of those who bought PCs with Vista pre-installed or upgraded from XP or 98 switched back to XP, an antique - by computer industry standards - OS, but still the best (except for Apple fans!). So now that Windows 7 has come out, the question is - is an upgrade useful and beneficial and, perhaps even more importantly, safe?
This Time It's A Real Change
Microsoft seems to have learned its lesson and Windows 7 is not just a new OS that has been introduced because its time for one. It is a serious step forward and a product that will enable Microsoft to salvage its reputation for offering the best in general purpose operating systems for the vast majority of PC users. As in the case of Vista, there are a range of versions beginning from the basic Home and going up to the Ultimate, all designed to cater for different budgets, hardware profiles and user requirements. While anyone going in for an upgrade would be well-advised to examine the options carefully to find the right version for the needs and PC type, an upgrade to Windows 7 does make a lot of sense, whichever version is opted for.
Seven Reasons To Upgrade to Windows 7
Windows 7 is slimmer and faster than Vista. It takes up much less disk space and runs efficiently on PCs with slower processors. Using less processing capacity allows for far better multi-tasking and also means that the OS is far more stable than Vista where the "Blue Screen of Death" - the blank blue screen that meant your system has crashed or frozen - was a common occurrence.
No matter how stable an OS may be, the need for data security remains. Windows 7 offers a far better backup and restore interface allowing users to choose customized backup locations, including network drives and choose which folders and files or folder and file types to back up. The new interface also makes restoring files easier, whether they are from a planned backup or from the System Restore point. Windows 7 also provides top level data encryption and password protection of files. No previous version of Windows has given users the kind of data security now available.
A huge problem with Vista was that it was not compatible with many applications and devices/peripherals that were designed to work with XP. Windows 7 provides for a desktop accessible XP mode, which will allow for the use of these applications and devices. Installing new hardware on your PC also becomes easier because when the hardware is installed, Windows 7 will automatically search the Web for the latest drivers and install them.
Finding data has always been a weak point of Windows. Windows 7 has a Libraries feature, which allows for viewing multiple folders in one meta folder. For example, you can easily look at all documents in the document library, irrespective of whether they are stored in My Documents or in some other folder. The search function is also faster. It has a range of useful features, such as context specific search and the ability to search meta data, such as specific fields in the Properties of a Word document.
No OS is perfect and if you do have problems with Windows 7, some of the higher end versions include a Problem Steps Recorder that allows you to repeat and record the steps/actions that caused the problem or error to occur. This data can then be easily emailed to the Technical Support Department making for an easier understanding of the nature of the problem and faster corrective action. The reduction in the time needed on the phone talking to Tech Support is a huge blessing.
The improved Aero interface, which was introduced in Vista, has been greatly improved to make working with files and folders much easier. Hovering the cursor over a taskbar icon opens a large thumbnail of all open windows of that program. Moving over the icon displays the window in a normal mode and a left click brings it to the front and makes it active. A right click opens a list of recently used files. A new "Snap" option allows for the easy comparison of two documents by just dragging them to opposites sides of the desktop.
And finally, for laptop users, Windows 7 offers longer battery life. Not only does the OS reduce power usage during normal operations, it increases the power savings that can be achieved in the low power Sleep and Hibernate modes.
Upgrading to Windows 7 will give all those who are suffering with Vista or are still stuck with XP a chance to feel a real change in terms of increased performance, stability and ease of use. This is one upgrade that does make a lot of sense.
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