Is Windows 7 Worth the Upgrade?

STEVE KNUTSON

Chief Information Officer

Marco, Inc.

stevek@marconet.com

marconet.com

Topic: Technology

As chief information officer at Marco, I’ve heard the list of issues users faced with Vista. So, as I sat at Microsoft Corp. for the unveiling of its new operating system – Windows 7, I was pleased to see that the company not only heard the issues, but more importantly, resolved them.

Personally, I had been troubled by Vista’s high freeze factor and the numerous times my computer would become unresponsive with only a couple of programs open. Windows 7 makes those days a distant memory. It has a completely different feel than Vista or XP and it is getting much better press because of it. Microsoft designed Windows 7 to simplify everyday tasks and make PCs safer, more reliable and more responsive. Windows 7 delivers commonly requested features such as live taskbar previews, Internet TV, improved memory use and more.

Combining Windows 7 with Windows Server 2007 R2 further optimizes its performance and offers the full line of features. A recent survey of 100 IT executives at Fortune 1,000 companies by Goldman Sachs found that 94 percent of those surveyed intend to upgrade to Windows 7 with one-third of them making the move in 2010. For Vista users, it is almost a no-brainer. Upgrading to Windows 7 is inexpensive, easy and fast. The return is high since Windows 7 has resolved issues users face with Vista. For XP users, the move is not as simple, but the rewards are even higher because XP is fast becoming archaic. It already is not compatible with some industry software.

Microsoft also has plans to eventually discontinue its XP support altogether because of the migration of software from other manufacturers to newer operating systems like Windows 7. To move from XP to Windows, users need to complete a custom installation. Unlike an upgrade, the clean installation erases all the contents on the PC’s hard drive. That means users need to back up all their files and settings, then install Windows 7 and reinstall the files and programs they wish to use. For businesses that were thinking of an update but held off last year, 2010 may be a good time to make the move to Windows 7. Here are just a few other features that make it worthwhile:

No more compatibility woes: Integrates with a larger line of software and devices and offers an XP mode to overcome some of the issues users experienced with Vista.

Not as many nudges: Provides fewer system messages and alerts.

Personalized bulletin board: Electronically pin programs to the taskbar or to jump lists to keep the items they use most close.

Two views for increased productivity: Easily compare two documents or windows by dragging them to the edge of the screen. It also increases the ease of using two monitors.

Touch screen and tablet: Improves the sought-after touch screen capabilities and makes it easier for Tablet PC users to write on their PCs.