Issue 34.09
All the buzz in the computer community is about Windows 7, set to arrive in late October or early November. This new operating system will replace the controversial Vista set of operating systems. Many people have not liked Vista and, when it first came out it was indeed horrible. The revisions that Microsoft has made over the last year or so have made it much better, but there are still some things that many users don’t like as well as Windows XP (which has been discontinued).
That sets the stage for release of the new Windows 7 Operating System. The people I have talked to that were involved in the Beta testing of this product mostly like it. (Beta testing is using a product while it is still under development and sharing their problems and experiences with the company to help make the product better). There are a few warnings they shared with me to pass along, but they are cautiously hopeful that this will be better, less cumbersome and easier to use than Vista while restoring some of the design and compatibility of Windows XP.
I have to admit that I have come to enjoy some of the new features in Vista, even though I have had a lot of problems with the compatibility issue. I hope they will keep the things that are working while they make it easier to use some of the XP based programs that I (and many of you) still desire to use. In that area, I am told that, at least in some versions of 7 there will be an XP Mode that should run the old programs well. The whole operating system has been slimmed down as well to help the computers run and boot up faster and take up less resources which will help other programs run better.
The biggest concern of the people I have visited with is the number of versions that supposedly are planned. They tell me there may be as many as 8 different versions which will likely create confusion and end up with people often buying one version and having to upgrade to get the features they really want. This happened with Vista at first and was part of why people really hated it. For example, the early version of Vista Home would not play DVD movies even if you had a DVD or DVD-RW. You had to buy a “decoder” to play movies at additional cost.
Finally, many computer companies are offering an upgrade path on new computers right now, allowing you to buy today and then get Windows 7 when it is released for very little additional money. Talk to your computer professional about what is offered, wait to hear how it is received when it is released (and to let them fix the problems that usually occur over the first couple of months) and then, if you want to, install the upgrade.
We will try to keep you updated on the developments in this area. Until then, stay safe and happy computing.
Shaun McCausland has been in the computer industry for 27 years (locally with Musicomp & Bits ‘N’ Bytes) and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions, you can reach him at 668-7118.