Are You Upgrading to Windows 7?

[Rob Williams]

From our front-page news:

As I whined about in our news section a few weeks ago, I recently had the main hard drive in my machine die. Yes, the machine that I use day in and day out to get whatever work I need done, done. At the time, I had a dual-boot setup with Linux (using KDE 3.5) and Windows XP, but with that crash, I figured I might as well upgrade both OS' at the same time, and move on up to KDE 4, and with 7 right around the corner, I thought it'd be a good time to finally replace XP.

I've already talked at some length about my thoughts on KDE 4, but it wasn't actually until this past weekend when I got around to installing Windows 7 on the machine. Before doing so, though, I already knew that I much preferred it over Vista, simply because we've been using it to some extent on our benchmarking machines for the past month. Compared to Vista, it seems far, far "smarter" about things, and I've also run into fewer inconvenience issues, like I did in Vista.

​

The result of my install can be seen above (which I posted in our "Show off your desktop!" forum thread... feel free to add your own!). As you can tell, despite not using Windows as my primary OS, I still install a full gamut of applications, just in case. So far, my experience with 7 on my own machine is quite good. Oddly enough, though, I have experienced quite a few BSOD's up to this point (five in total), but all have happened while gaming, so I'm not quite sure what the deal is. I swapped out the GPU, and the issue seemed to go away, but last night, when I shut down to go back to Linux, sure enough... BSOD.

What makes it odd is the fact that under Linux, I haven't had a single issue. It's only when I'm in Windows that the computer will crash. In Windows, I use the GPU often, and under Linux... not so much. So, I almost wonder if there's a problem with the NVIDIA driver for Windows 7, or if I just happen to have the worst luck? If anyone out there has had a similar issue, please post in the related thread below and let us know!

Alright, I went a little off-topic there. My question to you all is this. With Windows 7's launch happening next Thursday, how many of you are planning to make the upgrade? And for that matter, if you are upgrading, are you upgrading from XP or Vista? If you're not upgrading, what's the main reason for it?
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[2Tired2Tango]

With Windows 7's launch happening next Thursday, how many of you are planning to make the upgrade? And for that matter, if you are upgrading, are you upgrading from XP or Vista? If you're not upgrading, what's the main reason for it?

I will not be making the upgrade to Windows 7 on my personal machines. My systems are presently rock stable on XP and run day and night without any issues at all.

My logic: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

What I'm asked to do by others might well be a different story. Unlike with Vista I do not plan on offering a special price to remove the new OS and "upgrade" them to XP. Those who want the Windows 7 upgrade will get it. Those who buy machines and want the OS replaced will pay my usual fees.

From what little I've seen of Windows 7, so far, it's going to be buggy at first (M$ stuff always is) so I will probably wait till Service Pack 1 to decide whether to commit or not.

So my answer is that I've decided not to decide just yet.

 

[Merlin]

Just waiting till Oct 22...Yeppers, I'll upgrade my systems.
ALso I'll need to know the ins and outs for my customers

Merlin

 

[On_Wisconsin]

The upgrade was only $30...might as well give it a shot. If I like it, I'll use my mom's school email and get one for the laptop (esp for the ssd boosts)

 

[Doomsday]

i will upgrade when the price comes down to $99 or lesser! too expensive now! if u convert in Rs. i.e...

 

[Rob Williams]

My logic: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

I agree there, but it's one thing to not upgrade because it's not broke, but it's another to reject possible enhancements that 7 brings to the table. It's a nice OS to use, and improves upon XP in numerous ways, especially where things like networking are concerned (at least in my experience). I'm quite happy with 7, but I'm with you in saying that it's likely going to be buggy in some regards for the first few months. It's already obvious that it's not going to suffer the same number of problems that Vista did, and thankfully so.

 

[Kougar]

My logic: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

I would agree, except in my opinion Vista is still "broke", and Windows 7 is the "fix".

Windows XP is great for what has been on the market, but it's not capable of fully utilizing current high-end hardware, nor what is coming from here on out.

 

[Psi*]

looking forward to 7

But I will probably wait for at least the 1st service pack. My son is all over it & figured out to get a couple of upgrades & a full install ... for himself & he is in Florida. Thank you! NOT!

Of course he has been a happy user of Vista. So take this in context. He is also the kid that would install Windows 3.x from a stack of floppies, 4 or 5 times until he got right. Sets up VPN via an Xbox so I can make off sight backups.

Seriously he has told me about several of the operator niceties. I see features that appeal to me as well as those still scared of the mouse. I think this OS is a enough of a winner.

 

[Psi*]

So an eager "friend" passed this along ...

"So, I decided to throw caution to the wind and upgrade from the Windows 7 RC to the RTM Home Premium. This is, of course, not supported, but since I don't feel like going back to Vista just so I cam upgrade to the RTM, I decided to do two registry hacks and edit a single .ini file.

I did the digital download method, so during my lunch at work today, I remoted in to my computer using that Live Mesh I'd told you about a few weeks ago. I started the setup, clicked 3 times-- one to get any available updates prior to installation, once to click upgrade, and once to click next. 15 minutes later my pc rebooted, and when it was available it was prompting me for my product key and time zone... entered that, and... done. That was it. Maybe 30-40 minutes, and I'm sure some of that was waiting for Live Mesh to id my PC as available between network driver updates and a single reboot.

Almost disappointing how easy this has become... I miss the days when reinstalling an OS was an event. It used to be real character building challenge in perseverance. I did a fresh install of the Win7 RC two days ago in preparation of this, and it was done within an hour (including the drive format and 50gb data backup).

FYI- updating from the RC (which is 'Ultimate Edition') to 'Home Premium' was the biggest joke of a 'hack' I've ever done. Edit an ini on the install media so that it allows a lower build number (7100, for the RC), and edit two strings in the registry from Ultimate to 'HOMEPREMIUM'. Hacking Photoshop is more involved than this."​

 

[2Tired2Tango]

I would agree, except in my opinion Vista is still "broke", and Windows 7 is the "fix".

Windows XP is great for what has been on the market, but it's not capable of fully utilizing current high-end hardware, nor what is coming from here on out.

I agree... and I've been telling "my guys" that for some time now. There will be a few who update almost imediately and the rest as they do hardware upgrades.

I don't see much point until I do ugrade my own hardware... I dunno, I suppose I'm just very used to what I have.

 

[Psi*]

I am considering going right to Windows 7 for the new i7 build ... contingent on my analysis software support guys' opinion.

I have to start the build now because (my) business just got "flicked" on again. It is as if my customer's customers are trying to catch up with everything that was put on hold a year ago. Monday, unless some epiphany occurs before, I will order everything for a new i7 975 ... highly likely WC-ed.

I am hearing very good things about Windows 7. So good that it would be far more comforting to hear a few negatives. You know there are some sticking points, so what are they? Someone must be whining about it someplace.

 

[Doomsday]

You know there are some sticking points, so what are they? Someone must be whining about it someplace.

lol! Hahaa!

 

[Kougar]

I am hearing very good things about Windows 7. So good that it would be far more comforting to hear a few negatives. You know there are some sticking points, so what are they? Someone must be whining about it someplace.

Well, it's not 100% error free. There are still the occasional critical system services that don't seem to always start up (Vista was notoriously bad about this). There are some NAS devices that had no issues with XP (And in some cases Vista), but with Windows 7 for some reason users don't have full user rights access when they should.

There also seems to be an inordinate number of issues with ATI's 2600 GPU's, and also quite a few people using Intel integrated graphics 915 or older chipsets, which don't support Aero Glass.

If you want to find out what most people are having issues with, just visit any Windows 7 forum...

 

[gibbersome]

But I will probably wait for at least the 1st service pack. My son is all over it & figured out to get a couple of upgrades & a full install ... for himself & he is in Florida. Thank you! NOT!

Of course he has been a happy user of Vista. So take this in context. He is also the kid that would install Windows 3.x from a stack of floppies, 4 or 5 times until he got right. Sets up VPN via an Xbox so I can make off sight backups.

Seriously he has told me about several of the operator niceties. I see features that appeal to me as well as those still scared of the mouse. I think this OS is a enough of a winner.

Chip off the old block, eh?

All I needed to hear was, "faster, less resource intensive" and I was sold. But can't justify the extra $120 for it right now, especially since I'm planning a new computer purchase within the next 6-8 months.

Well, it's not 100% error free. There are still the occasional critical system services that don't seem to always start up (Vista was notoriously bad about this). There are some NAS devices that had no issues with XP (And in some cases Vista), but with Windows 7 for some reason users don't have full user rights access when they should.

There also seems to be an inordinate number of issues with ATI's 2600 GPU's, and also quite a few people using Intel integrated graphics 915 or older chipsets, which don't support Aero Glass.

If you want to find out what most people are having issues with, just visit any Windows 7 forum...

But isn't that always implicit that any new version of Windows may not be optimized for hardware 5 years old?

Anyone with a IGP 915 should stick with XP.

 

[Rob Williams]

I don't use Windows often at all, but I'm still loving it. I've had a couple of BSOD's, but I have a good feeling that's a hardware issue, not a software one (since I occasionally crash in Linux as well). I'm just trying to hold off on upgrading for as long as possible, since USB 3.0 and S-ATA 6 is right around the corner...

 

[Kougar]

Rob, what on earth do you do to your hardware!?! The only crashes I've experienced (that are coming to mind atm) have been due to program issues and user issues, so far the OS itself hasn't been giving me any BSoD's. I've had some OTHER issues with the OS, such as spontaneous heavy disk usage for no apparent reason whatsoever, but that's all that's coming to mind just now.

 

[Merlin]

Win7 installation issue with GTX 280

Got my Win7 disk and tried to install
I thought I would install onto a new hard drive for a fresh install
I loads up fine but the video drivers are not there at the final steps.
If I try safe mode I can see where it tries to continue, but warning comes up that it can not continue to complete install in Safe Mode.
Any Ideas as to how to get the GTX280 video drivers installed before or during the OS install?

Merlin

 

[2Tired2Tango]

Got my Win7 disk and tried to install
I thought I would install onto a new hard drive for a fresh install
I loads up fine but the video drivers are not there at the final steps.
If I try safe mode I can see where it tries to continue, but warning comes up that it can not continue to complete install in Safe Mode.
Any Ideas as to how to get the GTX280 video drivers installed before or during the OS install?

Merlin

The installer actually bails on you? That's not good.

A friend of mine ran into that with his sound card, but the installer continued... In the end he had to download the drivers on another machine, burn a disk and install them manually after the installation finished on it's own.

With Win2000 or XP the tool of choice was NLite (VLite for Vista) which would allow you to integrate the drivers right into the installer disk... but I see no sign of such a tool for 7.

 

[Doomsday]

Weird....i'll stick to XP till its extinct...hehe!

 

[2Tired2Tango]

Weird....i'll stick to XP till its extinct...hehe!

Well, at least until they sort out some of the first blush issues with 7...

Although with XP being the OS of choice in many new NetBook and NetTop systems, we may still have it's use for quite some time to come.