Windows 7

February 9, 2009

I feel like I just finished getting used to Windows Vista, and now here’s another version of Windows to explore. But, what’s the point?

As many of you may know, Windows Vista has been labeled a “nightmare” by many individuals and businesses. As such, Windows XP remains on many computers and those that have Vista either love it or hate it.

So, why is Microsoft pushing Windows 7 so soon after Vista? They want to fix the mistakes they made. Of all the issues that Vista has, the main improvements in Windows 7 are noted as being:

• Speed: Booting up your computer is supposedly going to be faster and more streamlined. I can’t wait to see this. My portable computer is sluggish for many reasons, but the heavy load time for Vista doesn’t help.

• User Account Control (UAC): In Vista, this is probably the most annoying thing ever. It’s hard to turn off and even if you do, it bugs you to turn it on. UAC is supposed to protect your computer from programs accessing your system without your permission (such as viruses or spyware). In the process, it drives you nuts. It will still be an option in Windows 7, but changing the settings is MUCH easier.

• Simpler Networking Settings:  If you’re trying to set up a network, Vista can be a little cumbersome. Windows 7 has some new features that make settings more accessible. This is going to be very helpful for me and my eight computers that run various version of Windows.

Windows 7 is currently in beta. This means that the latest version is not available to the retail marketplace yet and is still being tested. You can download the beta if you want to try it out, but make sure you install it on a computer you don’t care about. The beta limited to a specific number of users, so if you’re interested in trying it, download it now.

As always, ResQTek is happy to answer questions about Windows 7. Drop us a line!