Windows 7 runs better on PCs on which Vista runs. Windows 7 runs even on my Intel P4-HT chip that was purchased 4 years ago; why would anybody want to upgrade hardware if Windows 7 is able to run relatively efficient than Vista on hardware that's as old as my P4-HT chip, for example?

Getting very tired of Microsoft telling us what we need. Isn't good marketing supposed to work the other way around?

What we need is a basic OS that works well enough, and as far as many, many business users are concerned, XP Pro works just fine, thank you. We would continue to buy it if Microsoft continued to offer it.

Windows 7 is Vista Redux, and there is no compelling reason to spend the time and dollars to upgrade to it either.

The spin begins...

We got 5 months of this bilge to put up with until MS offering hits the shelves. Still at least we know where the BBC tech journos (?????) will be getting their copy from.

Unfortunately there is hardly any native 64-bit software for Windows. If you want a 64-bit OS with full 64-bit native apps and full 64-bit drivers for all your hardware, your only choice is Linux.

This is why Adobe brought out their 64-bit Flash player first (and so far, only) for Linux. Because it’s the most popular and best-supported full 64-bit OS out there.

According to PC Mag's performance test of the RC of Win7 the increase in performance over Vista is about 5% and is completely imperceptible to the user.

What happened in the Beta was that they removed a bunch of stuff in order to give us the perception that it was vast improvement. Removing security and tossing a few pretty gadgets is aking, IMHO, to fraud, if it is used to convince you to pay them money.

Of course, I still believe that it is important that we be allowed to sue the advertisers paying for the malware authors to put this junk on our computers.

Honestly, though, this is not a great improvement, and though that is the case the hardware makers really want it out by Christmas because if it isn't it will seriously put a damper into their profits. This is a must and what you are reading is just more hype and PR. I'm amazed that it's even getting any air-play by The INQ.

This is the worst economy since the great depression and we expect that an OS will drive these people to purchase new hardware? Especially for a program update that is not perceptibly faster than Vista--which was a dog? I can't imagine anyone here who is looking at pay cuts, job loss, or otherwise is going to say they lost their job so that their prior employer could buy more Vista 7 licenses.

Running XP on all machines now, and at this point, I'm holding off buying anything 'till #7. Will probably be a stinkpad - so I'll get Win 7 with the XP downgrade option just in case of any troubles.

XP while a great OS is getting old and it's starting to show. With 4GB of DDR2 now down to $30 USD, more and more people are going to want to switch to a 64bit OS so their systems can access more than 3GB of memory.

Win XP is basically already proven it's out of the 64bit OS race with WinXP Pro 64bit, which was still born and has horrible driver support, and what little driver support it has mostly comes off the back of Server 2003 64bit. That and restiction in application virtual memory space take it out of the running.

64bit Linux is an option, but only if you don't run any of the mayor specialist applications that are out there, like Autocad (or any other mayor CAD app), Photoshop, or any of the major Accounting packages, list goes on and on. Yes WINE will work for many apps, but linux lacks suitable replacements for a number of major Windows applications. Basically Linux isn't windows so it losses and having tried Ubuntu 9.04 just the other day, I can say it still feels like a command line OS with a fancy GUI wrapper.

That leaves Vista and Windows 7 to choice from for your next 64bit, and the choice is simple, Windows 7 all the way, Windows 7 is Vista with a less bugs, preformance tweaks, a consistent feel to the UI, and support for the lastest hardware.

With the release of Windows 7, Windows XP will fade into the past, just as Win98 did with the release of win XP, there will be those users that hold on to the bitter end, just as there are people that think Win2k is best OS Microsoft ever made. Vista will follow WinME footsteop in quickly becoming only a memory.

Windows 7 already has, Directx 10+ graphics hardware, SSD awareness, native multitouch support, and greater than 3GB of memory with the 64bit versions, going for it above and beyond WinXP, this technology gape will only get bigger with time.

The Cracked Windows 7 will boost pc sales. Now, it is true

"My base load uses just under 700mb on boot where Vista sucks up over 1.3gb"

Oh yeah? Well my base load uses just under 500mb on boot under XP. ;)

Cheers,
John

What do you mean?

African or European swallows?

"Big businesses and government institutions are usually on rolling leases, so they get new equipment every 3 years."

WHAT? Why I'm still using a P4 with XP at work then? I work at a Nuclear power plant in Brazil. They change equipment every 10 years lol

Anyone saying that people will stick with XP must have no clue as to how the PC market works.

First off, take big business out of the equation. Big businesses and government institutions are usually on rolling leases, so they get new equipment every 3 years. Whether or not they go to Windows 7 will rely heavily on when their leases are up. If the lease expires when Windows 7 is brand new, they will stick with XP, if downgrades are still offered. If it's been out a few months and continues to have positive reviews, they will definitely begin to migrate. If adoption rates for 7 are at all high, I don't see Windows continuing to offer XP Pro downgrades, so some businesses will have no choice but to upgrade.

As for retail and SMB customers, they will buy what is on the shelf and what is cheap. I get people every day who want XP but don't want a used computer, and don't want to pay a little more for a custom build, or a business class unit that has downgrade options. So they buy Vista, even if they are dead set against it.

I also get loads of people in my store who buy computers on a whim. They have a working computer at home, but it is slow, or it annoys them, so they just buy a new one, even if 1 hour of service could easily fix their current system. Most people want to buy new gadgets, whether they need them or not, so if 7 gets some positive reviews, that gives them a semi legit excuse to spend money.

And then, of course, are all the hardcore Vista haters. I don't mean the techie Vista haters who can build their own systems and put on their trusty copy of XP. I mean the everyday user who hates Vista because they have been trained to.. the type who blame Vista because their HDD died, or because they have a virus, or because their dial-up is slow or any other issue not actually related to Vista. Those people make up the mass majority or your everyday PC consumer. These people will buy cheap boxes with 7 on it, and when their cheap box dies, they will buy another one, and another one. These sorts of people are just chomping at the bit for something new, even though for their limited usage, XP or Vista or Linux or even Windows 98 would do them just fine.

So yes, unless Windows 7 has a huge fall-off in the next few months, the goodwill towards it that people have (right or wrong) will power it to lots of sales pretty quickly. Vista didn't have that goodwill. People were lukewarm about Vista when it was released, and opinions dropped from there.

So, unless Microsoft does something really stupid (which I would not put past them) I think Windows 7 is pretty likely to succeed.

Actually it is the other way 'round. By late '09 and early '10 BECAUSE of the economic down turn and most sane people shunning Vista, the normal 3-5 year corporate refresh cycle has stretched to 5-7 years. A lot of the older desktops are starting to have support issues, the apps have become more bloated even if they are still running on XP. By late '10 a lot of companies will have to start replacing systems, and if the economy shows signs of recovery by then, they will do so quickly.

everybody will do their own math as far as new hardware but i actually plan on building new PC right around that time. core i7 + win7 . :roll:
but i highly doubt it is win7 that motivates me to build it

7 boost PC sales? I doubt it will. Too many folks still feel the sting from buying underpowered machines running Vista.
XP has become a mature well rounded OS.
Vista? Well there are reasons why it got stripped from a lot of machines in favor of XP.
There are always going to be folks who carry the attitude of if it ain't broken why change it. I wouldn't hold that against any of them. Heck I still see machines running Win-98 from time to time. They still do everything the owner wants so I won't fault them either. Just fix their rig and send them on their marry way. LoL

Now what I see for Windows 7 is a slow start that will pick up (2nd quarter 2010? ) as more people see it in use. A good number of improvements and added features over both XP and Vista with the added bonus of not needing 2,500 bucks worth of hardware to make it work correctly. Internet browsing is quicker, FPS in games are higher, overall performance is up there with XP if not faster in some areas, uses far less memory for itself. (My base load uses just under 700mb on boot where Vista sucks up over 1.3gb)The list goes on... People will find that Windows 7 is a large step up from it's predecessors, BUT, I don't see folks running out to get their hands on it right away.

I am enjoying Win-7's RC. VERY nice, And I've already added 7 to my shopping list for my main PC, just waiting on release day.

LoCatus

When People see highly touted O/S from NewsShows & main =$50, retail + memory $30(4 gb), HDD
$50, rest
$50+ O/s & LCD + cpu say another $75, well thats less than. Thats CLEAN $255 Retail Listy Price Fow Entire System, PUBLIC GONNA SPONTANEOUSLY
Combust, BUY & Explode With Joy. Selling, More & more & More. Pee-Wee.

I doubt it'll make much difference to PC sales. Most people I know are happy with XP or *shudder* Vista and aren't interested in upgrading because they can do what they want on the PCs already (generally running those crappy applications on Facebook that keep sending me god awful notifications) and chatting on MSN. They can happily do that on XP at the moment so they don't see the need to upgrade (I've even suggested upgrading from the paltry 256MB & 512MB ram they have to speed their machines up but they just stick with what they have). I doubt they'd be interested in forking out a few hundred quid on a new PC or laptop just because Windows 7 has come out. They'll probably stick with what they have until the machine completely dies. Then they'll buy a new machine.

Rob

And that's the attitude most companies have. Especially in a global recession.

On the other hand as the recession eases people will buy more pc's. And if Win7 can make it's way onto netbooks then it could have a bumper launch.

I expect Santa's elves will be busy putting Win7 into netbooks for the kids this Christmas.

of course it will

in the same way windows vista sold loads and loads of copies - via lies and blatant blagging of the gullible public