Windows 7 - It doesn't Suck

By Cliff Feldwick

High praise indeed, from someone who has spent the last several years whacking on Microsoft for the steaming pile of code that was Vista. Having played with a number of Windows 7 machines, I find that the stability of Win7 and various other improvements mean that I could recommend it for (almost) all offices and professional installations. For home users who plan on internet surfing and a little word processing or picture stashing with some editing, it is fine.

First off, Win 7 comes in three basic varieties. Home Premium is the only home version (then why is it premium? Because we say it is – just like the small size of fries at Burger King is called “medium”). Professional is the office version, and is the only one that should be considered for anything seriously like professional use. Home versions, for instance, will not connect properly to a Windows server and thus lack real office security. And there is Ultimate, which adds support for 35 languages and a data encryption system called BitLocker. Probably unnecessary for 85% of places.

This is considerably less confusing that the Vista varieties, which had Home Basic, Home Premium, Home Premium with extra cheese, etc., as well as Professional and Ultimate versions.

That being said, please note that Win 7 comes in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. What and why, you ask? These refer to the size of data chunks that can be processed at a time, and influence how much RAM memory can be usefully installed. 32-bit systems can address no more than 4 gigabytes of RAM. 64-bit systems are inherently faster and can address considerably more, useful if you keep a bunch of programs open at the same time. Since all hardware being sold now is 64-bit, that should be your way to go unless you are running very old software that can’t be found in newer versions.

Dell adds confusion

To reduce the possibility of simplification and ease of choice, Dell still offers – even on the Small Business section of their website – Vista and XP models of their Optiplex units, a standard office desktop style. And Win7 with XP “downgrade” and Win7 with XP Mode, the latter an attempt to placate users who worry that their old XP programs might not work under Win7. Since this version costs nothing extra, it’s a good possibility for uncertain upgraders. But it’s really time for them to cut back on all the variations.

Another thing to note when dealing with Dell: most of their operating system choices note “no media”, which means if something goes wrong and you need your Windows disk to fix it, you’re SOL. You have to pay $3 each for the Windows and the Resources disks, probably the cheapest insurance you’ll ever buy. Do so. It’s worth searching among the system choices to find.

Yet more choices

And yet another thing … the versions of Office offered now include “Starter Edition”, which is the one that comes free. In case you might think you’re getting something for nothing, it also has “reduced functionality” and advertisements. Talk about a giant step backward.

Most home users would do better to buy the Home and Student version of Office at a local big box store. Workplace users will discover that this version does not include Outlook, so they’ll be forced to a more expensive Home and Business or Business Professional version.

OK, back on track

One major complaint early on in Vista was the lack of drivers, software needed to allow interaction of the main Windows program with peripherals such as printers, scanners and such. This is not a problem with Win7, which has a goodly number available. The ones created for Vista in the years since it has been out also work with Win7, which helps considerably. If you do get 64-bit Win7, you have to be deliberate to get 64-bit drivers, however.

What’s missing?

Missing in Win7 is a free email program. Yep, no more Outlook Express, which was always included as a standard part of Windows. Seems a little backwards. Instead, you have to download a free version of Windows Mail from Microsoft’s website. They’re really pushing a free suite called Windows Live Essentials, which not only has Mail but Messenger, Movie Maker and a Parental Control suite that monitors a child’s usage time and websites visited, etc.

Phew!

Okay, it seems like I’ve been throwing a lot into one column, which is true. But if you remember only one thing, it should be that Windows 7 is a decent system that deserves full consideration for your next computer, something I don’t say lightly. Given that it is probably all that is available on most mass merchandised computers, it’s good that it doesn’t suck.