Call That Girl’s Guide to Windows 7
Call That Girl has finally tested and beat up Windows 7 enough to do an overview and give you all some thoughts on it. We were a bit disappointed with Windows 7 as we hoped it had the old look and feel of XP (Or even something brand spanking new!), but in fact, it is the opposite. Just more Vista appearances and workability.Please keep in mind that this was wrote for the “basic to average” users of computers. This is by far not a technical review!
We have determined 3 major factors in the change from XP/Vista/Windows 7
Speed
- They say it’s faster than Vista. Call That Girl claims this as TRUE.
- If you could equate Vista to a luxury cruise boat, then Windows 7 is a luxurious speed boat.
Look/feel
- Windows 7 looks just like Vista and acts like Vista, it is Vista for the most part.
- Even more gadets and decoratives then Vista has (some you can remove by changing themes)
Internet Explorer 8:
- All of the windows are now at the bottom and they all run as tiny windows at the bottom of your screen.
- I’m not getting used to it, but I have so many things open at once, it’s crazy to try to figure out.
Extra info! (For the Vista users)
- You will not see many changes in how the computer works (in my opinion).
- There is even more “bling” (aka…gadgets) to figure out (some are confusing too)
- It’s been recommended you to do fresh installation versus upgrades (we haven’t done one yet, but have read many reviews online)
Extra info! (for XP users)
- Expect the look and feel of Vista/Speed of XP
- For XP users that have sworn off Vista because it was slow, then you will enjoy how much faster it runs.
- Some extra hardware may not work right, (printers, scanners, etc). You may have to download them again fresh from the product site and install the Windows 7 version of the drivers.
- You can still select “classic windows” as a theme option, but we have yet to find a way to make it look 100% like XP used to, unlike Vista that had that option (if you know, please call and tell us!)
Extra info! (for everyone)
- With a fresh install, you will need to install all of your applications again from scratch
- Back up all of your data, pictures, Quickbooks, music, desktop, favorites and your Outlook, you will lose it all if you do a fresh installation .
- Expect a learning curve of sorts. The computer will work the same, but with how they changed the look, some folks may have a hard time finding where things “used to be”.
- “Show desktop” is now in the far right corner of the screen.
- The only time my Windows 7 has crashed was when I was using my Blackberry, otherwise it’s been fairly stable!
I hope that helps everyone get a good overview of Windows 7 in a basic nutshell. Please remember with any upgrades or fresh installs to back up everything! Call That Girl can help with this and any installations/upgrades. We can also help with little questions if you move forward on your own.
If pc software continues to improve, one day I will be as efficient as I was in a DEC VAX environment in 1990.
Hey! I started on DEC VAX in 1995! Small world:)
Thanks Lisa, I enjoyed your review. I am the owner and project manager of Triangle Computer Services in Chicago and have been working with customers who have made the jump and some who are considering upgrading.
A couple of additional points of information.
1. There is no direct upgrade path from Windows XP to Windows 7. There is a program called PC Mover that can transfer your PROGRAMS as well as your data. I have tested it and it does work!
2. Windows 7 has removed many of the User Access Control (UAC) features from Windows Vista. What this means to the user is a lot less popups confirming operations that you are attempting to run.
3. Windows 7 is built on the Vista platform but is the first version fo Windows ever that is less lines of code then its predecessor. This is one of the reasons for the improved performance.
I hope that this helps. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at: marcfargo@triangleconsulting.net
If you want to use Windows XP run Windows XP. Windows 7 is a solid operating system with some excellent tools. I could not live without the SnipIt tool. Windows 7 Pro even allows you to run Windows XP in virtualization. If you are happy with Windows XP and all of your programs need Windows XP then by all means use Windows XP. If you are looking to update, add some speed and bling then go for Windows 7.
Hi–
I have Vista and would like to get Windows 7. What is the best and cheapest way to get and install that? I bought my computer (came with Vista) a few years ago.
I have found Vista to be slow and things freeze up a lot. I don’t know if more memory would help.
Thanks so much.
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