Goodbye Vista!
By Chad A. Johnson · October 30, 2009
It is complete. I am now 100% Vista-free. Let me tell you, it feels good.
Windows 7 seems lighter, faster and cleaner. It has breathed new life into my aging computers.
First Impressions
Microsoft has done a good job of simply refining Vista. At first, I was disappointed that Windows 7 is so much like Vista. After upgrading 2 computers and working with the operating system, I am glad Microsoft didn’t start from scratch.
Compatibility
As an early adopter of Vista, I dealt with software and hardware compatibility issues. This was frustrating and costly as many programs and peripherals had to be replaced.
Fortunately, everything that worked on my Vista computers is compatible on Windows 7.
Learning Curve
The learning curve is not nearly as steep, as well. When adopting Vista, there was a noticeable decrease in productivity as I learned how to do things the “Vista way”.
After completing the installation of Windows 7, I jumped right in. Nothing slowing me down. Only new features to learn over time.
Installation
I have suffered through upgrading every version of Windows since Windows 3.11 in 1994. Never has a Windows upgrade been so simple.
Upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 is a breeze. Launch the disc, follow the prompts and you are up and running. The installation can be time consuming (4-5 hours for each of my computers), but the process is very straight forward and simple enough to complete.
If you are upgrading from XP and switching from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit Vista, the process is a bit more complex. You will need to wipe your hard drive clean and start from scratch. This is a very long process as you have to reinstall on programs and device drivers. This may be a task best suited for a professional.
Installation Tips
The installation is simple, but there are a few tips that will make for a smooth upgrade.
- Run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to identify if any of programs or hardware isn’t Windows 7 compatible. Address any issues it uncovers.
- Back up your data twice in 2 different locations. The Vista to 7 upgrade shouldn’t cause data loss, but better-safe-than-sorry.
- Unplug all peripherals over than your keyboard and mouse. You can plug those webcams other USB devices after the installation is complete.
- Temporarily disable your anti-virus program.
- De-authorize your computer from within iTunes. You can authorize it again after installing Windows 7.
- During the initial installation procedure, another Windows 7 compatibility test will happen. This one is more detailed than the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. If any issues are listed, quit the installation process, address the issues and start the upgrade again. This usually means removing a program or two.
After the Installation
Once Windows 7 is installed, there are a few activities to perform to ensure that your computer is running at its best.
- Run Windows Update to get any patches or updated drivers.
- Check for hardware driver updates on the manufacturer’s website. Many Windows 7 drivers are already available. If Windows 7 specific drivers aren’t out, the most up-to-date Vista drivers should work.
- Check for software updates. Depending on the program, updates can be found either from within the program or on the manufacturer’s website.
- Go to Microsoft’s website to download free add-ons like the Windows Live Movie Maker or desktop themes.
Overall, Windows 7 is a huge improvement over Vista. Any real estate agent running Vista shouldn’t even hesitate to purchase an upgrade disc. This technology is that good.
Those still working on 2001’s Windows XP, now might be the right time to invest in a new computer.
Check back for a more in-depth look at the best new features of Windows 7 and how they will benefit your real estate business.
Comments
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So what does Windows 7 give me that XP doesn’t; besides a smaller wallet?
I’ts a lot Craig. But I am still a fan of XP and am now using Xp in my all PCs. But it is right that windows 7 gives more like speech recognition and handwriting recognition but these technologies are still in its development stage. I have got more about this http://technologyedition.blogspot.com/2009/09/from-xp-to-windows-7.html
In short, better multimedia support.
XP was released in 2001. Back then, photos were taken on film, the internet came through dial-up and a huge hard drive was 10GB.
Windows 7 allows you to interface with your photos, videos and terabytes of data with ease.
When I hear someone say they are happy with XP, I see a person who isn’t embracing modern computing.
Perhaps, but when I see someone jumping from one Microsoft Platform to the next I see someone who gets excited about a brand that loves introducing new and very expensive product lines that promise to be better than the next.
I have a hard time hearing an argument for Apple that leads with Microsoft being overpriced. Every product that Apple sells is more expensive that their competitors. iPhones, iPods and computer are all sold at a premium.
True, but how long was Vista out and for what price when it entered the market? First, everyone was jumping ship from XP (after jumping ship from ME and so on) to Vista and now, after only just a short period, it seems as though Microsoft has something new and shiny that blows everything else away.
Sounds to me like a series of successful marketing and software releases that get everybody ethered up just to be let down. I never bought into the whole Vista deal and am skeptical of this new release as well. Until it’s been around a bit and has it’s feet underneath it, I’ll wait. XP does what I need.
I do appreciate your point about XP’s age and how we used to do things, but I’m not sold on this release until the consensus spells jump.
I cant speak for Apple, the only product of theirs that I use is an iPod. I got it used on CL and I paid less than 100 bucks. The iPhone is cool, but my new myTouch does just fine to…and I can make calls on it.
I’ve purchased over 50 PCs and seven servers, got into the net business in 1997, and used just about every windows product available. I hope 7 is up to the hype; but I remember this exact same hype not very long ago when the term “Vista Sucks” became the number one search term on Google.
I think this time I will give it six months or so and see how it goes before leaping again. As far as previous versions, the best in my opinion were 98, 2003 server, and XP pro. I hope my friends at Linux continue their patriotic march to eventually destroy windows because of MSFTs choice of gain over customer pain. My decision to upgrade to Vista literally cost my agency a fortune and I am in no hurry to let Microsoft put me or my company in jeopardy again.
They knowingly and admittedly released Vista with serious issues and still face numerous law suits for damages done. (Search “Vista Lawsuits” on Google). You seem like a very intelligent individual. Let me know how you feel in the spring. – Joe Griffin
Joe,
Thank you for the comment. A wait and see approach when dealing with such a large and expensive implementation is a quite prudent strategy.
So far, I am impressed with Windows 7 but it has only been a short period of time.
My favorites in the Windows history: 98 SE, 2000 and XP Pro. 95 was an implementation nightmare as was Vista, and ME was flat out the worth product Microsoft has ever sold.
Chad
Agreed
I do photography and found that Vista was not an improvement over XP for handling multimedia.
Ditto for audio – Vista has the same built-in audio player (Windows Media Player) as XP.
I installed Picasa 3 recently, and found that it handles photos (in terms of basic photo viewing) much better than Vista, so if you have XP, you can install Picasa (free from Google) and have the same photo handling I have on Vista.
Picasa is great. You can even go to Adobe Bridge for the ultimate in photo gallery capability.
The change in Windows 7 is how data is addressed as a whole.
I have 4 hard drives in my computer, each addressing a different purpose. In Vista and XP, each drive is treats as a separate entity. In 7, I can still treat them separately, but I can also browse based on media type. When I look through my documents library, I see documents from all of my drives.
Libraries have been a huge time saver and has made me more productive.
Loved the post Chad, but too like for me, I bought MAC!
)
Brad,
I know what you are saying. If Windows 7 had been released any later, I was going to consider the switch myself.
I’ve been running Linux as my primary OS on all my computers (laptop as well as desktop) since 2002. Before that I ran OS/2 and then for a little while BeOS. I try to avoid Windows as much as possible. Having said that, I do run Windows 7 in VirtualBox for those apps that just won’t run without Windows – which, in my case, is basically my MLS that requires IE (grr!). I’ve only give it 512MB of RAM in the virtual machine and find it runs very happily (with Aero disabled).
I can’t say that I’ve had any issues with it and can’t remember it crashing at all. It doesn’t have all the annoying UAC pop-ups that Vista did, so that’s a plus. All in all it seems that MS has finally released a version of Windows that can replace XP reliably. Good luck to ‘em and all that choose to live in the Windows world.