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Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

Cyber Cynic

Seven reasons to skip upgrading to Windows 7

217 comments

TAGS:Microsoft, migration, upgrade, Windows 7, Windows XP
IT TOPICS:Linux, Operating Systems, Software, Windows & Microsoft

My colleague Preston Gralla came up with seven reasons to move to Windows 7. And, they are pretty good, but good enough to switch away from XP, or to skip Mac OS X Snow Leopard or desktop Linux? I don't think so.

Let me open up by saying though that if you're using Vista-you poor, poor person-yes, you should migrate to Windows 7. After all, Windows 7 is really just Vista without the warts. Otherwise, no, I don't see any compelling reason to switch.

I say this as someone who's also been running Windows 7 since the late betas and I'm currently running the RTM (release to manufacturing) version. I like Windows 7, but if you were to ask me what the big feature, the 'wow' that would make you want to go to the trouble of moving to Windows 7, I'd be left without anything to say. Heck, look at Gralla list, number one on the list is the new taskbar. Microsoft wants me to spend big bucks for a new taskbar!?

OK, on with the list.

1) Windows 7 still has all the security of a drunken teenager in a sports car. From Windows for Workgroups and NT 3 until today, Windows is a security joke. It used to be that running Windows just put your head into the noose. Now, millions of lazy Windows users are the reason why the Internet is a mess. If you already do all the right things to keep XP running safely, you're not going to get any safer by buying Windows 7.

2) Windows 7, no matter how you buy it, is expensive. Does your budget have the extra cash to buy a new and improved taskbar!?

3) Upgrading from XP to Windows 7 will require that you do a clean install. That means everything on your hard disk gets vaporized during the 'upgrade." Vista users have it easier. So long as they're moving from equivalent version to equivalent version or to Windows 7 Ultimate they can update without needing to rebuild their systems.

There are lots of ways, like Microsoft's own Windows Easy Transfer and I'm sure there will be many more, to migrate your data from your old system to your new one, but all of them take work. If you have a business with dozens to tens-of-thousands of Windows PCs you can count on a honking, huge upgrade bill.

4) Did you notice what I didn't say above? I didn't mention transferring your old programs and device drivers from XP to Windows 7. For that, Easy Transfer and most of the first generation of migration programs are of no help at all. You'll need to reinstall your old programs and device drivers. Then, you'll need to update all those programs and drivers. Doesn't that sound like fun? Doesn't that sound like hour after hour per PC of migration work?

5) XP already works. I can tell you chapter and verse on why you'd be better off running desktop Linux or put a Mac on your desk. Most of you though are happy running XP. If that's you, I'll be darned if I can think of a single, significant change that you'll get from running Windows 7 instead of XP.

6) If you're an XP user you'll need to learn a new user interface. Parri Munsell, Microsoft's Director of Consumer Product Management for Windows, has been fond of saying, "Our goal was to make the UI (user interface) in Windows 7 much easier to navigate." OK, I'd agree. It is a bit better.

But, I'm someone who switches operating system interfaces as often as most of you go out to get a pizza. I asked some friends who were XP stalwarts what they thought about the interface. They all thought it was pretty, but, they also all found it annoying to work with since they had to re-learn how to do XP basics. Vista users will have it easier, but XP users can expect to have a learning curve with the new UI.

And, once more, I find myself asking, "Is there anything here that's really a solid improvement on XP?" Or, to get brass tacks, if I'm a CFO or CIO, I want to know what I'm going to get out of re-training people to the new interface and I'm left thinking there's really nothing game-changing about the Windows 7 UI.

7) Finally, if you have an older PC, forget about it. I know there are people who swear that Windows 7 will run on low-powered PCs. Yeah, right. I've used Windows 7 on netbooks. It wasn't pretty. Windows 7 Starter Edition? Microsoft won't sell it to you.

Bottom line. If you want something that's really better than XP, and you're willing to go to the trouble and expense of moving from one platform to another, you'll get real improvements like better security and low up-front costs, from a desktop Linux like SLED (SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop) 11 or Ubuntu 9.04. Windows 7 is certainly better than Vista, but XP... not so much.

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W7, UI and Networking

Submitted by A Tucson Bear on February 9, 2010 - 1:06 P.M.

Simply put; for seasoned system users running XP, Vista with seamless networking; adding W7 can be a nightmare. I am not sure the build of our W7 on a 2009 new machine was flawed or my often cloud of networking doom god followed me to my brother-n-laws? MS support sucks and has for yrs. Those of us, who from yrs past had to get ROUGH and NASTY with them know; the blame game runs rampant. No one cares! Oops getting off point, sorry. If it isn't broken why fix it? How many times has us seasoned system people tinkered ourselves into a corner of doom?! If you need the features that are offered in W7 for professional reasons - go for it. Just make sure you back up ALL Data and device drivers! As far as networking - odd that I have XP, Vista (32 & 64) all partying together; even sharing a dedicted printer off one Vista(32) machine. Added W7, settings, work group equal to others & my "doom god" has awakened. I am NOT impressed with W7 and personally HATE the UI. I will get W7 to integrate eventually - but why should I have this headache to begin with? Apparently, being a seasoned veteran is a curse. Novices will like W7 and Vista was designed for them. Sometimes, I often wonder if knowledge is what it is all cracked up to be? I was one of the first user(s)to use XP (RTM) on an old Aptiva and got everything to work A LONG time before the software, hardware community came on board. Jezz, am I dating myself, LOL? Slow to accept Vista {no choice as today it is cheaper to buy a machine from Costco than to build one}; very comfortable with Vista (HomeP 32 & 64) and (Ult. 32 & 64). Not HAPPY with W7 (HP-64) and network & print drivers (will address those issues once I get the networking issue resolved this weekend). If my nephews upgrade their machines to W7, I will have to be justified in two murders. Happy putering everyone..........

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W7, UI and Networking

Submitted by A Tucson Bear on February 9, 2010 - 1:04 P.M.

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ehh...

Submitted by Cynics'Cynic on January 19, 2010 - 8:18 P.M.

I don't think you know what you are talking about. EVERYONE, don't listen to this guy, he really isn't an expert. Just an advanced user with a blog, and some incorrect conclusions about technologies.

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windows 7

Submitted by Anonymous on January 4, 2010 - 10:37 A.M.

Its just another operating system . I had a choice between buying windows 7 and a new video card I went with the video card because I wanted a performance upgrade . I have windows Vista on one PC and XP on another once you cut back all the bloat there isn't much difference between the two.

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I know it's a bummer to do a

Submitted by Anonymous on December 7, 2009 - 1:54 P.M.

I know it's a bummer to do a base-install form XP to 7, but as someone who runs animation programs and does massive renderings, me being able to use more than 3 GB of Ram is totally worth it. I'm just saying-it's about to be a 64 bit world, and I want to be livin' it.

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Windows 7 has terrible audio

Submitted by Anonymous on December 2, 2009 - 11:27 P.M.

Windows 7 has terrible audio latency which some of their staff refuses to admit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymrcRagtAvM

i made a video of it

I had it installed only a few days and IE8 which i rarely use took 22 seconds to open new or a new tab.
Their solution-restore to before
I can't always do that
Anyway I timed it again today
it's only been a week and i still never use it but now it takes 45sec to open and 43sec for a new tab

both of these issues i have come across many having
the audio latency makes it useless to me
Eventually i will buy a mac
but for now I continue to use xp
it works
and it works better

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Yeah You don't know crap

Submitted by Matt Penrod on November 26, 2009 - 10:15 P.M.

Yeah You don't know crap about windows, because guess what? I've used windows 7 Home Basic on my old 2004 computer, 1.0 GHz, 512 MB Ram. Guess what? IT RAN GREAT! Actually better than the XP I had on there. Also if your talking about not upgrading because of a new UI, and then say you would be better off switching to Mac or Linux well guess what buddy, switching to those from XP will take WAY more work than going from XP to Seven. Oh yeah I forgot, I have used 7 Basic on my net book too, and AGAIN it was great... so go learn some more and then maybe we'll talk.

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A good excuse NOT to skip upgrading

Submitted by Michael Hoftman on November 26, 2009 - 3:14 P.M.

It was a pleasure reading your article Steven, thanks!

The most important factor for me when upgrading my home PC to Windows 7 was keeping all my stuff from the Win XP - most importantly - all the apps i had collected over the last 4 years since i bought my computer.
I wasted a lot of my time reading lots of user reviews about the failures of some migration assistants ( *cough* pcmover *cough* ), and was very close to just doing a clean install. Fortunately, a colleague of mine recommended a solution that you overlooked in your article - Zinstall XP7 ( http://www.zinstall.com ) which just did the job for me - it took my old xp and automatically migrated it in its entirety ( including all applications ) to the new Windows 7. So now I have my old XP working together with the new Win7!

Hope this helps,
Michael H.

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now now there is an answer to this.

Submitted by Anonymous on January 18, 2010 - 5:25 P.M.

if your thinking of upgradin' from xp to win7 then aquiring an external h.d.d will solve alot of problems, first thing anything you've collected in lets say, the past 5 years you can copy onto it. W it all your pic's, photo's, films etc etc on the external just unplugg it, then running any OS on your system wont make a difference if your upgrading cool if your goiin back then your mad but, you'll always have a backup. Surely you must of thought of this and it's sad to see you aint it's a rookie mistake upgrading with the one drive.

Anyways win 7 is far better linked into the net as far as getting any upgrades for drivers that you'll ever need, and 99 percent of the time it's free. So, after upgrading just copy everything back from the external and keep it ss a backup. (unless your buying a new system). also a good idea to get a copy of the drivers and check your system is compatible if your not buying new. if your xp? Dont worrying I made the jump, she runs like a dream. That is unless your graphics are agp the you'll need a new system and that will come drivers so it's all good.

As far as the new looks? far better then vista! We all know that vista was the 2nd worst piece of crap in microsoft. (second only to millenium or ME). Win7 is basically the (basically xp+vista) Microsoft Windows Vortex Vista Third generation (3G-RED) but on steroids. looks good run fantastic, no bugs, amazinly stable being the new comer to the OS's world. For me I'm staying, but that still doesn't take anything away from windows xp, as far systems go, it puts linux and mac systems to shame,and coming only second to the mighty win 98SE for a stable gaming platform, it's still probly the top system to use. For the ease of working with, user compatabilty, speed, getting programs and hardware drivers, adding usb devices simple everything it puts win7 to shame purely on it's durability. Any true tech knows this. Businesses, gamers, dam, theres millions won't upgrade purely for this reason.

Win7 is big, but it aint the biggest, if you upgrade you wont regret it, if you dont then then you will, eventually, but xp is fine for now. If your vista, then you deserve a refund, and when you get this refund make sure you have the person who sold it to you slap you hard in the face for allowing yourself to buy such a piece a of crap!

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