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Review of Windows 7 (32-Bit)
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Contents:
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What is Windows 7?
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What
are the past versions of Windows and their brief history?
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Why is this edition being
called Windows 7?
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When
was Windows 7 available commercially?
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What are
the available Versions of Windows 7?
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How does Windows 7
look and feel?
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Is it advisable to
install Windows 7, instead of Windows Vista or Windows XP, on older PCs now?
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What is the
Upgrade Path to Windows 7?
Windows 7 is Microsoft's latest Operating System, designed to replaced the
hitherto-available Windows Vista editions. Microsoft had first released Windows
7 Beta, then Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) to the public, before releasing
the commercial version of Windows 7. In this page, we review
Windows 7 from the point of view of YOU, the user, specially what it can do for
your productivity.
Our overall assessment of Windows 7 is an Emphatic Thumbs
Up! Honestly, we began our testing on a biased note - biased against
Microsoft, believing Windows 7 would be a resource hog, believing most older
programs and hardware would not work under it and that it would have nothing new
to offer by way of features or new functions. Like many others, we had the poor
experience with Windows in Vista in mind! However, we have turned around
completely in the days since then: Windows 7 looks a thousand times lovelier
than Windows XP or the Vista editions, is very intuitive, has some excellent new
features and functions, runs most common software perfectly, surprisingly has
drivers for some ancient hardware too - already - and, this is the best part,
does NOT require heavy amounts of Memory or Hard Disk space.
In fact,
if your machine can run Windows XP reasonably, i.e., if your machine has 1 GB of
RAM, you can comfortably run Windows 7 as well! We believe that this is a
Windows edition that Microsoft have genuinely worked hard on and we expect it to
succeed in a way that their recent Windows editions have not!
Windows 7 was being constantly updated ever since, for the first time ever,
Microsoft made a Beta version available to the public for testing. This was on 5th March
2009. User-testers as well as professional
testers were allowed to run the Beta (and later, the Windows 7 Release
Candidate, which was nearly the same as the final commercial version of Windows
7), with Microsoft incorporating their feedback.
Those were the facts in a nutshell. Now, on to the review of
Windows 7...
Just about 2 years since the commercial release of Windows Vista, Microsoft have
already released the next Windows edition! The reasons for this quick release
are not hard to diagnose:
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Windows Vista
editions were being shipped with all new Computers - Desktops as well as
Notebooks, but this is primarily because Microsoft have withdrawn all the
earlier Windows XP
editions. The really, really big market is the replacement market, which
consists of all older, functional PCs: Market Analysts
call this the Installed Base of PCs. Obviously, the worldwide Installed Base of
PCs is a number that is many, many times larger than a single year's global
sales of PCs! Now, people across the world - both Home PC users as well
as Organizations - have shown the greatest reluctance to shift from Windows XP
to the Windows Vista editions. This not only
dents Microsoft's prestige badly, it also makes a hollow, ringing, empty sound
in their wallets!
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Microsoft believes that Windows Vista is
basically a sound operating system and that 'poor public perception' is the
reason for its slow take-off. However, CIOs claim that Windows Vista is a
resource hog, requiring much more in terms of Memory and Hard Disk space, in
comparison with Windows XP. Organizations also faced a situation where their
applications suddenly ceased to run under Windows Vista - applications that had
run quite well under Windows XP! Windows Vista's security is also perceived to
be inferior, though this might be an overstatement: the first release of Windows
Vista (like the first release of any Windows edition, for that matter) has
always been weak on security, with Microsoft deploying patches in due course and
thus fully securing the product as much as a year or more after its commercial
release. With Windows Vista too, Microsoft have now patched security holes -
security concerns about Windows Vista are therefore a thing of the past.
Windows 7's public release is Microsoft's step for improving 'Public Perception'
about the forthcoming Edition, right at the beginning. A head start will
only help, for Microsoft knows better than anyone else, that public perceptions
take ages to change!
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Microsoft have also grown just a wee bit
superstitious. They plan to bring back 'the good ole' days', when Windows
versions were given numbers - and more importantly, sold in droves! Microsoft hopes to bring back the glory of the good old days, by naming this Windows release 7.
Microsoft Windows goes back to September 1981, when the project named "Interface
Manager" was started. It was announced as "Windows" in November 1983, but
Windows 1.0 was not released until November 1985. The core of Windows 1.0 was
the program called Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS-DOS) Executive. Windows
1.0 did not allow overlapping windows, as this feature was then owned by Apple
Computer. Thus, all Windows under Microsoft Windows 1.0 were tiled, with dialog
boxes alone appearing over Program Windows.
Windows 2.0, released in October 1987, featured several improvements to the user
interface and to memory management. Windows 2.0 was able to use Expanded memory,
while Windows 1.0 could use Extended Memory alone. Windows 2.0 also allowed
Program Windows to overlap each other and had a few sophisticated keyboard
shortcuts as well.
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PCs: Hardware, Software and Computer
Services. And, People who use PCs
People seeking reliable advice for PC
Purchases
People seeking advice for extracting maximum
utility from their PCs
People looking for reviews of and purchase
links for top-notch Security Products (AntiViruses, AntiSpyware, etc.)
Small/ Home Offices with Networked PCs,
seeking maximum RoI from their IT Investments/ advice on expanding IT
Infrastructure
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professional, contemporary, optimized, aesthetic websites
Worldwide IT Vendors looking for authentic,
professional and inexpensive Market Research on global IT Markets
Software Developers wanting to Document/
create quality User Manuals for their Products/ Services
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The early versions of Windows were basically simple Graphical User Interfaces
(GUIs): they merely ran on top of MS-DOS. Windows was used merely for file
system services, apart from possessing its own executable file format (Win.exe)
and device drivers for things like timer, graphics, printer, mouse, keyboard and
sound. The difference between Windows and MS-DOS was that Windows allowed users
to execute multiple graphical applications at the same time, through what was
called cooperative multitasking. In cooperative multitasking, the processor
could run multiple programs in segments, whenever the CPU was not used
completely. Thus if 3 programs were clicked, it would run the first program and
as soon as the CPU load dropped, it would run the second program, and so on.
This made all programs run significantly faster, during multi-tasking. It was
made possible by means of Windows' elaborate system of software-based Virtual
Memory, which allowed programs that were larger than the physical memory of the
system to run too, since it allowed swapping memory in and out of the Virtual
Memory (also called Page Memory) on the Hard Disk. This system, with major
advances, is followed even today by Microsoft for its Windows Operating System!
Cooperative Multitasking was of course much slower than true
Multi-threaded Multitasking, since Multi-threaded Multitasking allows the CPU to
run multiple applications in parallel! However, true multitasking requires an
expensive RISC Processor (such as that in Mini Computers) and that cost money!
All said and done, Cooperative Multitasking was still a giant leap over MS-DOS,
in which you had to CLOSE an application, if you needed to run a second
one!
Windows 3.0 was released in 1990 and Windows 3.1 two years later,
in 1992. These editions improved the way Virtual Memory was used, while allowing
drivers to be loaded virtually and be shared by arbitrary devices between
multi-tasked Windows Programs. Thus, you could use a single Printer virtual
driver to print pages from say both Word as well as Excel, if both programs were
running windowed on the same Computer. Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1 were 16-bit
Operating Systems. The next release of Windows, called Windows 3.11 or Windows
for Workgroups, released in 1994, was a 32-bit Operating System.
Around this time, Microsoft decided to break away from the
earlier version-based naming system and took up the year of release for naming
their Windows versions. Thus Windows 95, a further improvement on the the 32-bit
Windows 3.11 Operating System, was released in 1995. Windows 95 also sported a
brand-new User Interface. Perhaps more importantly, it broke the shackles of
MS-DOS's 8.3 file naming system: you could now name your son's birthday
photograph as "My Son blowing out the Birthday Candles on his 7th Birthday.BMP",
instead of "Brthdy01.BMP"! Windows 95 also introduced "Plug and Play", where
hardware could be plugged in and Windows 95 would recognize it correctly,
without having to reboot. Unfortunately, new hardware seldom worked the way
Microsoft intended it to, under Windows 95. The "Plug and Play" feature was thus
ridiculed by Microsoft detractors as "Plug and Pray"! Windows 95 also used what
was named "Preemptive Multitasking", where each 32-bit application had its own
address space to run in. With Preemptive Multitasking, a single crashed
application did not bring down the entire Computer - you could kill the crashed
application alone and life would continue! Preemptive Multitasking was thus a
major improvement over Cooperative Multi-tasking. Windows 95 has several
versions with different versions of Internet Explorer. However, the name Windows
95 was retained.
The next Windows Release was Windows 98, released in 1998. A
second version of Windows 98, called Windows 98 Second Edition was released a
year later.
In 2000,
with the "Millennium Bug" fears at its highest, Microsoft once again changed
their naming convention. Windows Millennium (or simply, Windows ME), was the
next release of Windows. It used the same core as Windows 98, while adopting a
few aspects from Windows 2000, the server operating system released earlier by
Microsoft, in 2000. Also removed was the option to "Boot in DOS Mode", thus
making Windows a GUI-only Operating System, a full 19 years after it was first
conceived! For the first time, Microsoft also introduced the now-familiar
"System Restore" function into Windows ME, which allowed users to reset the
Computer's settings back to an earlier date, in case of a Virus attack. However,
Windows ME had to be quickly discontinued, for it had severe security issues.
At this
point of time, Microsoft moved to combine their consumer and business operating
systems into one entity. The result was Windows XP, with the Home edition being
for consumers and the Professional edition for businesses. Both Windows XP Home
and Windows XP Professional were released mid-year in 2001. Windows Server 2003,
Microsoft's new server operating system, was released in 2003. It served to
bring Windows 2003 up to date with Windows XP. Meanwhile, Windows XP continued
to slowly build up market and mind share, but in the process, began to look old
- Apple continued with their snazzy OS Improvements, bringing out sleeker and
still sleeker Operating Systems. The LINUX space was buzzing with activity as
well, with a number of LINUX operating systems and a number of neat-looking
LINUX GUI Desktops making an entry around this time.
Meanwhile, Microsoft was finding it increasingly difficult to deliver newer
editions of Operating Systems as per initial promise. Windows Vista was released
nearly 2 years after its first-announced release date, finally being released
late in 2006. When it was finally released, it did not sport many of the
promised features either. Consequently, public perception set in that Vista was
a 'curtailed edition'. Even with Microsoft
stopping support for Windows XP (thus egging the public to adopt Windows Vista),
sales in the replacement market did not improve significantly. Sales in the
Original Equipment Market (OEM) naturally rose to 100% Vista, for copies of
Windows XP were no longer available for Computer manufacturers to bundle with
their new Notebooks or Desktops with!
All
these heartaches were happening at a time when a new and more powerful,
feature-rich Windows should have been developed, what with Apple and LINUX
bringing out beautiful, feature-rich Operating Systems. The late development of
Windows Vista definitely harmed Microsoft! Windows Vista's Server counterpart,
Windows Server 2008, was released early in 2008. This is why Microsoft are in a
hurry to release a GREAT Desktop Operating system at the earliest!
Windows
3.0, 3.1 and 3.11 (Windows for Workgroups), along with Windows 95, were the most
successful releases of Windows. This, along with the fact of Windows Vista's
significant lack of success, is believed to have prompted Microsoft to go back
to their earliest (and perceived-to-be-more-successful) naming convention.
Windows 7 would have been the seventh edition of Windows, if Microsoft had
continued the same naming scheme, provided you ignore the failed edition,
Windows ME!
So much
for superstition. Microsoft, not one to leave things to fate, also did the
unprecedented: for the first time ever, they released a Public Beta of the
Windows Operating System, when they released Windows 7 Beta and put it up on
their website for the public to download! Initially, Microsoft had announced
that the first 200,000 visitors alone would be able to download for free, a copy
of Windows 7 Beta. However, public interest (and outcries too!) forced them to
drop this idea. In any case, the download was taken off the Microsoft website
sometime after, only for them to find that the Beta version was being freely
distributed the world over! On May 5, 2009, Microsoft put up an enhanced version
named Windows 7 Release Candidate on their website, for free public download.
This time around, there are no rules, except that the Release Candidate will
stop functioning on June 1, 2010. Before that, beginning March 1, 2010, your
Windows 7 RC-running PC will begin shutting down every two hours. Windows will
notify you two weeks before the bi-hourly shutdowns start!
For those members and visitors who downloaded the 'Public Beta'
version of Windows 7, note that Windows 7 Beta will not upgrade to Windows 7 RC.
Your Windows 7 Beta installation will be saved in the folder windows.old - none
of your programs or data can be accessed, when you install Windows 7 RC over
Windows 7 Beta and you will not be able to boot from Windows 7 Beta too. This is
not too bad, considering that both Windows 7 Beta as well as Windows 7 RC are
"Test Versions" that have been made available for free.
If you had installed Windows 7 Beta, it would have worked till June 30,
2009. If you want to continue using Windows 7, you will need to upgrade to
Windows 7 RC - that will work till June 1, 2010. You will
need to purchase Windows 7 by March 1, 2010 (this is when your Windows 7 RC
machine will commence shutting down every 2 hours) or go back to your copy of
Windows Vista/ Windows XP.
We DO NOT recommend that you install Windows 7 Beta or
Windows 7 RC (or for that matter, any 'non-final' operating system) onto your
Production Computers. Sure, if you have a fast enough Computer with sufficient
Memory and Hard Disk space sitting idle, go ahead and install the Beta on it.
Better still, create a partition on the Computer you use for all your Computing
and install Windows 7 onto it - that way, you do not lose any data. The minimum
specifications for running Windows 7 Beta, Windows 7 RC or Windows 7 Final is a Core2 Duo/
Pentium D Computer with 1 GB RAM. Surprised? Disbelieve us? We KNOW
that Windows 7 Beta, Windows 7 RC and Windows 7 Final Version work on these specifications, even though
Windows Vista would choke painfully on it!
Windows 7 was released commercially on 22nd October 2009. Even a few weeks
earlier to that, Windows 7 was available with new computers, both Desktops and
Notebooks. Keeping to
schedules isn't easy and Microsoft have been guilty in the past. Not this time
though!
Although sales isn't as brisk as what Microsoft would have liked, the general
economic recession - which is yet to lift - is likely to be cause of slow sales.
The product itself has received excellent reviews, both from those who have
reviewed it, as well as those who have taken the plunge!
However, Windows 7 RC will work up to March 1, 2010, when it will
begin to shut down every 2 hours. Windows 7 RC will completely
cease functioning only by June 1, 2010, allowing Beta Testers and casual users
of the Release Candidate to easily migrate to Windows 7.
What are the available
Versions of Windows 7?
Like Windows Vista, Windows 7 is also available in 32-Bit and 64-Bit editions.
The following Table presents the available versions of Windows 7 (32-Bit), their Upgrade
Prices as well as a comparison of the features of each version:
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Feature
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Windows 7 Versions
(32-Bit)
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Home
Premium
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Professional
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Ultimate
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Estimated Retail Pricing
(ERP) for upgrade license
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$119.99
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$199.99
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$219.99
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Make
the things you do every day easier with
improved desktop
interface
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Start programs faster and
more easily, and quickly
search and
find the
documents you use most often
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Make your web experience
faster, easier and safer than ever with
Internet Explorer 8
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Watch, pause, rewind, and
record TV on
your PC with the stunning new
Windows Media
Center
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Easily create a home network
and connect your PCs to a printer with
HomeGroup
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Run
many Windows XP productivity programs in
Windows XP Mode
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No
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Yes
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Yes
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Connect to company networks
easily and more securely with
Domain Join
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No
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Yes
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Yes
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In addition to full-system
Backup and Restore found in all editions, you
can back up to a home or business network
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No
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Yes
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Yes
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Help protect data on your PC
and portable storage devices against loss or
theft with
BitLocker
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No
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No
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Yes
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Work in the language of your
choice and switch between any of 35 languages
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No
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No
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Yes
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NOTE: Click on the Links for a
brief explanation of each feature
How
does Windows 7 look and feel?
Here are screenshots of some of the most important features of
Windows 7:
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Click
here for larger image |
Windows 7 is definitely more vibrant
than Vista. The interface is beautiful and uncluttered, though if you are
shifting from Windows XP, you could find the first few days a little slow,
adjusting to the new interface. Windows Vista users should be able to get going
right away, though. In fact if you use Microsoft Office 2007 under Windows XP or
Windows Vista, the interface - in particular, for Opening/ Saving/ Printing
files, will look very familiar across all the Windows 7 built-in programs.
By default, the Icons and text are HUGE,
in comparison with those under Windows XP. You can of course
change it to a smaller size, which is what we prefer. The screenshot to the left
displays our Windows 7 RC Desktop.
We draw your attention to the way
similar programs are grouped together under Windows 7's Start Bar - in the
second screenshot in the first row, you can see 3 open Browser screens, when you
place your Mouse on the minimized Internet Explorer icon in the Start Bar. Click
on any of the 3 Thumbnails and the IE Browser Tab opens. Click on the close
button of any of the Thumbnails and the corresponding Tab is closed! |
Click here for larger image
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Click
here for larger image |
Clicking on the Start Bar brings up the
familiar screenshot shown to the left. Familiar, yet different. More elegant and
beautiful, though functionality remains the same. You have a limited number of
'Gadgets' available for free - the Calendar and Clock are the two that we found
useful on first look and when we added Norton 360 Beta, (initially we had McAfee
Total Security Beta). the count went up by one more.
Windows 7 naturally supports Docking Systems as well - click on the
larger image to check out!
The new Control Panel has a different look and feel, with some of
the items named differently. Cause for some confusion initially... Take a look
at the screenshot to the right. |
Click
here for larger image |
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Click here for larger image
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The screenshot to the left displays the
new vibrancy of plain old Explorer. Note the graphical representation and colors
used for displaying Partitions and the amount of used space in each. The F:
drive in this and the next screenshot below is our Micro Drive - since it
carried the name of its owner, we have deliberately obliterated it... |
Click here for larger image
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Click
here for larger image |
The next two
screenshots, shown on either side, display the
WellOiledPC site open
under Internet 8 for Windows 7. Pleasantly enough, the Internet Explorer with
Windows 7 is definitely faster to start up and use. Downloads are remarkably
faster - we have experienced as much as 50% faster downloads with Windows 7,
over Windows XPP! Apparently, Microsoft have tweaked parameters to eke out more
Internet speed!
Until now, all Windows versions were benefited by freeware/
shareware programs that boosted your Internet speeds by tweaking the Windows
settings. You may not need these solutions anymore!
We did have a problem initially with the way Internet Explorer
under Windows 7 RC displayed a few Fonts, but the problem has disappeared: one
of the many updates Microsoft have already issued for Windows 7 RC must have
fixed the problem! |
Click
here for larger image |
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Click here for larger image
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These screenshots to the
left and right take your breath away, don't they? These are the Windows 7
Media Center screenshots. The first screenshot is a setup-time-only screenshot,
while the second is the passage to all your Music, (this screen is shown in the
2nd screenshot), Movies and TV, your gateway to entertainment on your PC. Who
could complain of such a lovely gateway! |
Click here for larger image
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The 3rd screenshot (last in the top row) will give you an idea of
just how much lovelier the new Start Bar is. Your Desktop is just a single click
away too, no matter how many open program windows. The screenshot to the left
shows you how you can get back to your Desktop: click on the right bottom
extreme of the Start Bar, where you can see the straight-up rectangle in a
lighter shade of blue!
Despite the colorless, flat icons for Battery Power, Sound
Volume, Internet, etc., the overall look of the Start Bar is very, very
impressive! For users who do not have Vista (or run Vista Starter/ Home Basic),
this is the much talked-about Aero interface in all its glory! |
|
Click here for larger image |
The screenshot to the
left shows Windows 7's Disk Defragmentation tool. NTFS and FAT 32 Drives/
Partitions can be handled by it - our Win XPP and Windows 7 RC Partitions are
NTFS volumes, while the F-Drive, an 8 GB Micro Drive, is a FAT 32 volume. We
have once again obliterated the Micro Drive's Volume Label.
Disk Deframenter is
thoroughly usable and gives excellent results as well. It does take some time to
run, which is typical of Disk Defragmenters the first time they are run.
Interestingly, Windows 7's Disk Defragmenter recognized that we had scheduled
a Norton Speed Disk Defrag the next time we booted off the Win XPP partition. It
revoked the Norton Speed Disk settings, substituting it with its own scan!
What we would have like to
see in the final Windows 7 Disk Defragmenter was the ability to re-arrange files
by file type: we would like to see this Norton Speed Disk feature, built into
Windows Disk Defragmentation, since it
significantly improves Windows and programs start up times!
We would also have liked to
see a graphical representation of the progress of Defragmentation - defrags take
substantial amounts of time and under such conditions, it is nice to be able to
view the progress graphically! |
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Every screenshot we have
presented so far, except the Disk Defrag screenshot right above, was captured
using the good old Print Screen key. Even the screenshot of the Windows Snipping
tool, to the left, was captured by means of the ubiquitous Print Screen key.
While the Print Screen key is great for capturing the entire
screen, it is a little time-consuming if all you want is a window and not the
entire screen. Until now, you needed to hunt for freeware Screen Capture
utilities, whenever you had to capture a screenshot, particularly of a window. Enter, Windows 7's neat Snipping tool
(screenshot to the left). The Snipping Tool detects the edges of Windows and
allows you to capture freeform strips, Rectangular strips, windows or the full
screens, as shown in the options. This is a lot more efficient compared to
capturing the entire screen and 'cutting out' the required window out of it! |
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Now-a-days, you have a
number of devices - mainly electronic - that can remind you of important events.
However, if you wanted to leave a note for the spouse or colleague, the easiest way was
to use a Sticky Note. Those of you who wanted to use the Computer equivalent of
a Sticky Note had to hunt for freeware/ shareware that let you create and
display Sticky Notes: luckily, there are many available. However, this is now
built into Windows, you can create Sticky Notes in different colors and display
them for others to see.
What we would have liked to see in Windows 7's Sticky
Notes is an Alarm feature as well: that is not difficult to include, since the
year, date, time can be simply picked off the System Timer! |
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The default Calculator
that had hitherto been built into Windows was extremely basic. Discerning users
would have discovered PowerCalc, which came free with XP PowerToys, a freeware
add-on developed by the guys at Microsoft themselves. With Windows 7, the
Calculator has taken on extra dimensions - the screenshot to the left shows just
how many Calculators are integrated into this one! Apart from the Standard
Calculator, you have a Scientific, a Programmer and a Statistical Calculator,
sort of leaving nothing to chance! Like PowerCalc, you have the facility to view
your history of calculations.
All the above features are present in PowerCalc, itself an add-on
to Windows XPP. However, the Calculator in Windows 7 goes a lot further,
incorporating several tiny utilities that are part of currently-available
freeware or shareware. Let us look at each of them: |
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The real new features to
the plain old Windows Calculator are shown in the next few screenshots. The
first of these is a Unit Converter, with the facility of converting 11 different
parameters. Within each of these 11 parameters, you have a number of popular
units of measurement. For example, under Area, you have the following popular
units of measurement:
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Acre
-
Hectare
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Sq. Centimeter
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Sq. Feet
-
Sq. Inch
-
Sq. Kilometer
-
Sq. Meter
-
Sq. Mile
-
Sq. Millimeter
-
Sq. Yard
Very comprehensive, very
usable! |
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Here is another usable
utility - one that calculates the difference between any two dates! You can also
add or subtract days from a given date and arrive at the date, month and year!
Performing such calculations is easy under Excel, but this is a
lot easier for one-off calculations! |
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The last Calculator
included under Windows 7 is shown to the left. You can perform common financial
calculations easily with this feature - simple Mortgage, Vehicle lease and Fuel
economy (in miles per gallon and Liters per 100 Km).
The Calculator, hitherto a utility that was forgotten by users
under Windows, may just have had a fresh facelift under Windows 7! |
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Microsoft are also
playing it very careful, where installing older applications is concerned. When
you install older applications into Windows 7, you will get the
screen shown to the left. This is the new
Windows Program Compatibility Assistant, which lets you tweak your program
installation, if the program does not install or run correctly under Windows 7.
We have not had problems with any program we installed - except
our Java Menu Builder program - and so we have not been able to check the
Program Compatibility Assistant so far! However, this could make life easier for
IT Guys who would be helping millions of users shift from
Windows Vista/ XP to Windows 7!
Yet another quiet, under-the-hood, nevertheless very welcome
improvement is with how Windows 7 RC uninstalls programs. Many programs leave
behind bits and pieces of their flotsam, even when you uninstall it using the
program's uninstall feature. This was deliberate by the program's developers, since they would not like their Trial software to be uninstalled just before expiry, only
to be re-installed the very next moment, with impunity! Earlier versions of
Windows did not tackle this problem too well too - in fact, it invariably left
over a few DLLs, DAT and other files, when you used the Windows Uninstall
feature. (For more details on
Uninstalling programs, click here). While Windows 7 still does not
cleanly remove many a program that writes configuration and settings information
into the Windows Registry, it does remove all files and folders. We
installed-uninstalled a few programs and found that Windows 7 invariably
uninstalled the program AND deleted the folder. |
The issue with Windows 7 is not that programs and drivers do not
work with it: most programs seem to work just fine, actually. The problem is
that to be CERTAIN, you need to check each of your hardware devices and programs
one-by-one - there is no set pattern we could observe! To give you an idea of
the piquancy of the problem: Password Corral, our Password Manager since the
introduction of Windows XP, works flawlessly under Windows XP. However, we were
not able to install the USB Drivers for our ADSL Modem! We could certainly
install the Driver on ignoring Windows 7's warnings that the driver is unsigned
and all that, but our ADSL Modem SIMPLY DOES NOT WORK
off the USB!
We are therefore connecting it using a Network Cable. Now, our copy of Password
Manager is ancient, compared to our ADSL Modem. So if anything, the ADSL Modem
should be working and Password Corral shouldn't be!
On the other hand, our USB Drives - ranging from 512 MB to 8 GB
were all recognized, all of them worked right away! And our ancient hp PSC2400
series All-in-One works perfectly off a Windows 7 driver for it - we may not
even install hp's driver, since the Microsoft driver does the job adequately!
Microsoft seem to have learnt a few lessons: if you were an early
adopter of Windows Vista, you would have faced the problem of older software not
working under the new Windows Vista. With Windows 7, most of our existing
programs installed fine and work fine too - IrfanView 4.25, WinZip 12, Adobe
Reader 9, Password Corral, etc., work just fine. However some Hardware Drivers -
like our ADSL Modem's USB Driver - did not work. It will take a significant amount of time (and
yes money as well, at Microsoft) before such issues are rectified. The Program
Compatibility Wizard is thus a welcome (though incomplete) step in this
direction.
Whether you are doing a fresh install of Windows 7 (on a spare
Computer please!) or installing it on a separate partition with Multi Boot
option, you will need to re-install all your programs under Windows 7, before
they work. (Some older programs may STILL not work!) If you are upgrading
from an earlier edition of Windows, i.e., overwriting it, the screens promise
you that your earlier Windows settings will not be overwritten - however, we
have not verified this...
We have looked at Windows 7 from Fifteen different angles, in line with the
parameters that Microsoft requested from users of Windows 7 Beta: the spread of
parameters is quite comprehensive and we believe they capture all facets of an
operating system's capabilities. So here they are, with our reviews in Tabular
form.
|
Testing Parameter |
Comments |
Rating (1 to 7 - Higher Rating = Better Performance) |
-
Accessibility and Customization
|
Microsoft have clearly given a lot more
to visually and aurally-impaired users, with Windows 7.
The Accessibility feature consists of visual and aural enhancements for
visually/ aurally-impaired Windows users. You can customize Windows to display
High Contrast colors with bigger, bold text, as well as customize it to make
different kinds of digital sounds and narration, for different Windows events.
Not only are Accessibility features good under Windows 7,
they are easily accessible as well, unlike XP and Vista, where you had to search
for them!
For others, Windows 7 has a limited number
of Themes, Sounds and customization. However, what caught our attention was that many more
Windows events now have a Digital Sound to them - even with the Accessibility
features turned off! The flip side is, its kind of hard to remember which
digital sound signifies what event...
Overall, we are more than reasonably satisfied with Windows 7's customization options |
6 |
-
e-Mail, IM and Online
Communications
|
We haven't taken the plunge here, as
we do not use Microsoft IM |
- |
-
Hardware, Devices and
Drivers
|
Any Operating System would behave
differently with different Hardware devices. Windows 7 is
no exception. Therefore all we can say for now is that our Pen Drives (in
varying capacities and makes, ranging from 512 MB to 8 GB) were all read
correctly by Windows 7. So too, the CD/ DVD ROM drives on
our testing machine, as well as our External DVD Writer that works off the USB
Port. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth were also installed automatically - not a peep in
protest!
However, while our ADSL Modem works very well under Windows 7 when a RJ 45 Network Cable is used to bridge the
Modem-to-Computer connection, it refuses to work with the USB port: the USB
Driver for the Modem installed just fine, but connection just does not happen...
We are also able to print with our 4-year old hp All-in-One, using the drivers
under Windows 7 itself! We have not installed the hp
Drivers CD yet, but see no reason why it shouldn't
install correctly as well.
Our advice is - you need to be prepared for some of
your hardware devices not working under Windows 7. It is also almost certain
that in due course of time, most hardware will work
perfectly under Windows 7, as more and more hardware vendors write drivers for their
devices to work under Windows 7. |
3 |
-
Installation and Upgrade
|
Installation was really short and sweet!
We installed Windows 7 Beta onto a spare partition that contained our data,
rather than install it onto our current Boot Partition or onto a fresh machine,
which are the 2 other options for installing Windows 7. Installation was 100%
painless and nearly 100% automatic! Our experience was no different, installing
Windows 7 RC or Windows 7.
Windows 7 Beta cannot upgrade to Windows 7 RC - Microsoft state
that quite prominently. If you install Windows 7 RC over Windows 7 Beta, your
Windows 7 Beta is saved to a folder called windows.old. Thereafter, you will
neither be able to boot off Windows 7 Beta, nor access the files and programs
that you had created/ installed under Windows 7 Beta: you will need to
re-install your programs. This is quite okay, since both Windows 7 Beta and
Windows 7 RC are non-final versions.
Click here for information about Windows 7 migration options. |
7 |
-
Internet and Browsing
|
The Internet Explorer bundled with
Windows 7 (the version number given is 8) is a clone of IE
8, where looks are concerned. We had a problem initially with the way it
displayed Fonts, but the issue is resolved now, probably through an update
Internet Explorer under Windows 7 is very good. We have also
installed Firefox and made it our default Browser - both work just fine! We give
Internet Explorer Full Marks and Windows 7 Full Marks for compatibility with
the latest Firefox version as well! |
7 |
-
Multimedia
|
The Windows 7 Media Center is a beautiful Deep Blue creation that integrates sound and video.
It sort of sits atop Windows Media Player, with Media Player looking very much
like the Media Player we have seen in Windows XP. We believe nothing much can be
done to enhance Windows Media Player, for it has already attained the peak, in
terms of performance. |
7 |
-
Networking
|
This is one more parameter we have not
checked out yet. |
- |
-
Printer, Scanner and Fax
|
Windows 7 was able to find the driver
for our ancient hp PSC2400 series All-in-One. However, as mentioned, checking
out different hardware under Windows 7 is a lot of work. It is almost certain
though that soon, manufacturers of most peripherals and add-ons will write drivers that enable
their devices to work with Windows 7. |
6 |
-
Built-in Programs
|
Standard Windows built-in Programs like
Paint, Notepad, etc., are present in Windows 7. These continue to be
not-very-useful by themselves...
However, Calculator has received a major upgrade, making it
thoroughly usable! Again, new programs like the Sticky Note and the Snipping
Tool have added to the utility of Windows 7. Our score is therefore an
overall reflection of the utility of new and old programs, with extra weightage
given to completely new utilities as well as new features to existing programs! |
6 |
-
Third-party Programs
|
It is premature to comment about
third-party solutions, for each person uses the Computer for a different need. However, for the records, there are a number of third-party programs
that work perfectly with Windows 7. There are probably many programs that would
not work too. We aren't sure whether this is because Windows 7 will be
significantly different, whether sufficient time was not given to third-part
developers to port their existing programs to Windows 7/ write new programs to
work with Windows 7, or whether the decision to release the Beta to the public
was made on the spur of the moment by Microsoft... In any case, before long,
every serious application developer will port their application to Windows 7.
If your needs are largely limited to word processing,
spreadsheets, making presentations, e-Mail, basic work with images, compressing/
decompressing files, etc. - and the vast majority of users fall into this
category too - then you are very well off, for MS Office 2007 works
perfectly fine under Windows 7! MS Office 2003 also
works perfectly well with Windows 7 - we have not checked
out still earlier versions of Office. Note that to be able to save Office files
(of ANY
version and created BEFORE you installed Windows 7 Beta/ RC/ 7) to their
original locations, you need to have Full Administrative access to the original
folders |
5 |
-
Built-in Games
|
Here is something else that will WoW
you! If you play Spider Solitaire (or any one of the other built-in Windows
games), you will be greatly thrilled by the new 3D graphics of all the built-in
games! Its not as if we need any additional incentive to boot into Windows 7,
when confronted with the Multi-boot screen, every time we start up!
Though it is a case of the same old games, in a more vibrant,
user-friendly and pseudo-3D garb, we assess the built-in games as top notch! |
7 |
-
Third-party Games
|
Yet another parameter we have not
checked out yet... time was when the author of this article spent hours
together, playing one of the games in the Prince of Persia series! |
- |
-
Search and File Management
|
Search and File Management have not
changed at all, from what we could see so far. And being congenital Windows
users, we are unable to suggest ways to improve these features too.
The phenomenon whereby you are unable to be objective about
something due to your close proximity to it is called Myopia. The ancients had a
phrase for it - "Familiarity breeds Contempt". While we certainly do not find
Windows contemptible, we are definitely unable to suggest improvements to the
Search and File Management features! Our assessment is therefore in line with
this confession! |
7 |
-
Security and Privacy
|
The built-in Privacy of Internet
Explorer 8, termed "InPrivate" by Microsoft, has been retained. Windows
Defender, the built-in Security solution and the built-in Windows Personal
Firewall Security are also included, but they are the first thing that every 3rd
party security product uninstalls, when they are installed onto any Windows
edition! 3rd party security products install their own Security solution and
Personal Firewall since those that are built into Windows is no good! Looks like
not only us users, even ISVs are cynical about Microsoft's abilities, where
security is concerned! This continues to be the BIG area where Microsoft
needs to work very hard and come up with concrete results!
Windows 7 will report that you DO NOT have an
AntiVirus installed, when you install Windows 7! However, a number of Security
Product Vendors have come out with Windows 7-specific or Windows 7-compatible
products. At the top of our list is Norton 360 Version 3 (which is Windows 7
Compatible) or Norton 360 Version 4 (which is Windows 7-specific). |
1 |
-
System Performance and Maintenance
|
Excellent. We did not have a single
crash under Windows 7 Beta, touch wood... And, Windows 7 RC is definitely
even more robust than Windows 7 Beta, with the final release being rock solid!
What is more, Windows 7 loads up in a fraction of the time it
takes to load Windows XP, even though we are now running quite a number of
applications under Windows 7! This is certainly a great development and we rate
it as one of the strongest reasons for people to shift to Windows 7 from earlier
versions!
Our rating is therefore a reflection of Windows 7's current
performance. |
7 |
Is it advisable to
install Windows 7, instead of Windows Vista or Windows XP, on older PCs now?
If you mean whether you should jump directly to
the Windows 7 Commercial edition from your current Windows
XP or Windows Vista, our answer is Yes. However, if you are talking about upgrading from
Windows XP to the Windows 7 Release Candidate on your Production machine, our
answer is completely different. Let us explain...
It is NEVER a good idea to tinker with your Operating
System installation! In this case, you would only be compounding the situation,
since Windows 7 RC is a non-final, time-bound-expiring, incomplete release!
We therefore strongly discourage you from upgrading to the non-final
release of Windows 7! Go right ahead and get a feel of
Windows 7 RC by running it on a spare machine, even on a different partition
of a machine that you use everyday! On your 'Production Computer(s)', it is advisable to continue with your current Windows version -
if it is not older than XP, that is. If it is older than XP, it is better to
dump your machine and go in for a new one soon, with Windows 7 pre-installed on
it!
Read
our comprehensive review of Windows 7 Beta and Windows 7 RC by
clicking here!
Here is a Comparison Table of the features of Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista and
Windows 7 - click to view!
What is the Upgrade Path to
Windows 7?
Click here, to download/ view Microsoft's official statement regarding
upgrading to Windows 7. The PDF document is comprehensive and lists upgrade
paths across Windows Language editions and includes paths for current users of
Windows 7 RC as well.
New Features of Windows 7:
-
Improved Desktop
Interface:
Opening, closing, and sorting through windows is a lot easier. You can find what
you want and get things done a lot faster. And, it's pretty!
With Windows 7, Microsoft have added a number of improvements
and new features, to make it easier to get more done on the desktop.
New ways to juggle windows
Overwhelmed by open windows? Windows 7 comes with three
simple yet powerful new features called
Shake, Peek,
and Snap to help you instantly
clear through desktop clutter. What do you need? Read the fine print.
Peek-a-boo: Peek turns
open windows translucent so you can see what's
on your desktop.
Spectacular new wallpapers
We spend a lot of time staring at our PCs. Aesthetics
shouldn't just be an afterthought. That's why Windows 7 includes a slew of new
desktop backgrounds—wallpapers—that range from sublime to silly. Or try the new
desktop slide show, which displays a rotating series of pictures (ours or
yours). Your desktop will never be dull again.
Windows 7 makes it easy
to express your personality with creative new
themes and other custom touches.
Retooled taskbar
Since Windows 95, the
taskbar
has served as the go-to spot to see what programs you have open and to switch
windows. Times and PC habits have changed. So in Windows 7, the taskbar has been
completely redesigned to help you get more done with fewer clicks. For starters,
you can arrange programs where you want them on the taskbar, pin the ones you
use a lot so they’re always there, and launch them directly from the taskbar.
When you open programs and windows, it’s a lot easier to see what’s open.
Improvements to the new
Windows 7 taskbar include thumbnail previews of
all of your open windows—web pages,
documents—even running video.
Improved gadgets
Gadgets,
the popular mini-programs introduced in Windows Vista, are now more flexible and
fun. And, now you can stick your gadgets anywhere on the desktop.
Back
to Windows 7 Versions Comparison
-
Windows Search:
Instantly locate and open any file on your PC, from documents
to e-mail messages to songs, right from the Start menu just by typing a word or
two.
With Windows Vista, Microsoft introduced Instant Search,
which helped you easily locate files, e-mail messages, and other items on your
PC. If you remember the type of file, when it was created, or even what it
contains, Instant Search helped you find it quickly from the Start Menu and
other folders. In Windows 7, Windows Search improves upon this feature by making
search results more relevant and easier to review. Now, you can find more things
in more places - and do it all faster!
Start typing into the Start menu search box—and you'll
instantly see a list of relevant documents, pictures, music, and e-mail on your
PC. Results are now grouped by category and contain highlighted keywords and
text snippets to make them easier to scan.
Few people store all their files in one place these days. So
Windows 7 is also designed to search external hard drives, networked PCs, and
Libraries.
Overwhelmed by your search results? You can instantly narrow them by date, file
type, and other useful categories.
Back
to Windows 7 Versions Comparison
-
Internet
Explorer 8:
Internet Explorer 8 is the fastest, easiest, and safest
Internet Explorer version. Built-in security features help you stay safe by
protecting against deceptive and malicious websites which can compromise your
data, privacy, and identity. Here's just a small taste of the smart new features
in Internet Explorer 8. To see more—or download it for yourself—visit the
Internet Explorer 8 website.
Instant Search
The search box now displays relevant suggestions the moment
you start typing. When you spot your search term, you can just click it its a
huge time saver! Internet Explorer 8 even uses your browsing history to narrow
its suggestions.
Results are also more visual—with weather reports, stock
charts, photos, and other relevant images.
Accelerators
Need to map an address? Define a word? Forward a link? Then
you need Accelerators. New in Internet Explorer 8, Accelerators make it easier
to do things without navigating to other websites.
Simply highlight some text, then click the blue Accelerator
icon that appears to see what you can do. Look for Accelerators from popular
sites like Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Yahoo!, Wikipedia, and more.
Web Slices
How often do you check weather reports, sports scores, stock
prices, or auction bids? It can be a chore to keep up with fast-changing sites.
Now a new feature called Web Slices can do it for you.
When you spot the green Web Slices icon on a site, click it.
If something changes on that site, the Web Slices icon in your Favorites bar
lights up. Point to the glowing icon to see what's changed!
Compatibility View
If a webpage doesn't look right, just click the new
Compatibility View button on the Address bar. The button corrects misaligned
text or images on pages designed for older browsers.
Back
to Windows 7 Versions Comparison
-
Windows Media
Center:
Watch, pause, and record live TV. Listen to your tunes. Show
off your photo collection. Enjoy online entertainment. And do it all from your
living-room couch. In Windows 7, we've made it even better—adding great new
features and visual touch-ups. Windows Media Center is available in the Home
Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions of Windows 7. The graphics are
eye-popping too, as we have already mentioned.
More watching...
With a TV tuner you can watch, pause, and record live TV.
Windows Media Center supports more global TV standards and tuners, including
digital and HD. It also now plays more popular audio and video formats—including
3GP, AAC, AVCHD, DivX, MOV, and Xvid.
...less waiting
Tired of trudging through TV listings or a massive music
library? Zip to songs and shows more quickly using the new Turbo Scroll feature.
Stunning new slide shows
Make elegant photo collages (with background music) using the
new slide show maker—perfect for parties or family get-togethers. And check out
the updated slide show screen saver—its stunning visuals defy words.
Better Internet TV
Choose from a variety of online TV shows and movies right
from the familiar program guide.
Easier media sharing
Enjoy recorded TV shows, music, video—even when it's not
stored on your PC. Once you’ve joined a HomeGroup, your media is available to
any PC with Windows 7 in the house.
New gadget, bigger previews
A new Media Center
gadget. Quick video
skimming. More song and show details. Bigger, easier-to-see preview thumbnails.
The improvements go on and on.
-
Home Group:
Have you ever needed to print a file at home when you weren’t
connected to a printer? Did you decide that even with a home network, it was
easier to just put the file on a USB drive and take it to the PC with the
printer? That’s one reason we created HomeGroup. New with Windows 7, HomeGroup
takes the headache out of sharing files, devices, and printers on a home
network. Connect two or more PCs running Windows 7, and HomeGroup makes it easy
to automatically start sharing your music, pictures, video, and document
libraries with
others in your home.
Concerned about privacy? HomeGroup is password-protected so
you just set up one password for all your PCs and you’re ready to go. You can
decide what gets shared and what stays private, or use “Share with” to decide
who you want to share specific folders with. You can also make your files "read
only," so other people can look at (but not change) your stuff.
You can join a HomeGroup in any edition of Windows 7, but you
can only create one in Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate.
Back
to Windows 7 Versions Comparison
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Windows XP Mode:
It's the best of both worlds: the new Windows XP Mode lets
you run older Windows XP business software right on your Windows 7 desktop.
This feature is designed primarily with small and
medium-sized businesses in mind. Windows XP Mode comes as a separate download
and works only with Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate. Windows XP Mode also
requires virtualization software such as Windows Virtual PC. Both are available
free on the Microsoft website. To learn more about Windows XP Mode, visit the
Windows Virtual PC website.
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to Windows 7 Versions Comparison
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Domain Join:
Plan to use your PC at the office or for telecommuting? Then
you might need to connect to a domain, a type of computer network commonly found
in the workplace. (In technical-speak, it's a collection of computers that's
centrally administered and operates under common rules.)
The Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate editions are designed
to join a domain quickly and more securely. Just follow the easy-to-use wizard,
which prompts you to enter your network credentials. A few moments later you're
in business.
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to Windows 7 Versions Comparison
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BitLocker:
How can you help protect your data from loss, theft, or
hackers? The answer: BitLocker. If you've got information on your PC that you
need to protect, you can help prevent theft or loss by using BitLocker data
encryption to put a virtual lock on your files.
Improved for Windows 7 and available in the Ultimate edition,
BitLocker helps keep everything from documents to passwords safer by encrypting
the entire drive that Windows and your data reside on. Once BitLocker is turned
on, any file you save on that drive is encrypted automatically.
BitLocker To Go—a new feature of Windows 7, gives the
lockdown treatment to easily-misplaced portable storage devices like USB flash
drives and external hard drives.
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to Windows 7 Versions Comparison
