WINDOWS 7 REVIEW
15 October 2009, The Journal
AS Microsoft prepares to launch its new operating system, there is much debate over whether it will live up to the hype. Windows 7 is due to hit the shelves on October 22, and no doubt Microsoft is hoping to avoid the negative press that surrounded the launch of Vista, the last major Windows release, only three years ago.
Ben Lee, senior consultant at Durham-based IT Consultancy Waterstons, has had access to the system through Microsoft’s Gold Partner scheme since January and has reviewed the system for nebusiness.
He said: “At Waterstons we have found Windows 7 to be a very stable and reliable operating system. Users should find the transition to Windows 7 a lot less problematic than the change to Vista, as a lot of the driver compatibility issues have now been resolved”.
He found that performance for everyday tasks is improved, as unnecessary features such as the side bar are now disabled by default and the system runs fewer background programs.
Laptops in particular will benefit, with batteries lasting longer between charges.
Mr Lee said: “All of the laptops we have tested with Windows 7 resume from sleep much faster than they did with Vista and also instantly re-connect to wireless networks, this previously used to cause us problems.”
With large-screen monitors becoming more popular, Windows 7 has some new features to help de-clutter and manage the desktop. The snap feature allows program windows to be docked against the screen edges to quickly compare multiple documents side by side.
The task bar has also been improved, with “jumplists” giving instant access to recently used documents and common program features, as well as providing live previews of any running program.
Windows 7 includes some added security features. Bitlocker, Microsoft’s disk encryption tool, has been enhanced to add support for USB devices.
Vista’s User Account Control feature, which many found a nuisance, has also been re-vamped and now only prompts for permission when absolutely necessary.
Not all of the new features in Windows 7 are aimed at business users; Home Group lets multiple computers be connected together simply by entering a common password.
“Home Group makes it simple to share things like pictures, documents and printers between all of your computers. This time three years ago, in the run-up to Vista’s release, opinions were split; with Windows 7 the consensus seems to be positive.
“When Vista was released, Microsoft faced an uphill struggle to convince businesses to move away from Windows XP, this time around it looks like they have achieved what they set out to do: produce a fast, stable and useful operating system.”
The original article can be viewed at- http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business-news/science-and-technology/2009/10/15/microsoft-gets-it-right-51140-24930223/