Among the thousands of articles about Windows 7 during its lengthy development process, it’s perhaps inevitable two writers would take the same approach. With pro- and anti- articles this week, it’s time to see whose “seven good reasons” to switch from XP to Windows 7 stands up best.
On the same day Wired’s Brian Chen posted “7 Good Reasons to Switch to Windows 7”, ComputerWorld’s Steven Vaughan-Nichols published “Upgrading to Windows 7 — Why Bother?”, also using the seven reasons format. (Presumably nobody tried the same approach in the build-up to Windows 95.)
So in an entirely unscientific and subjective approach, let’s compare the two lists, decide which arguments are more compelling, and see who wins the best-of-seven series:
1) For (Chen’s list): The hostility to Vista means Microsoft knew exactly what people wanted fixed in Windows 7 and has delivered. Against (Vaughan-Nichols list): Windows 7 is still Windows and thus inherently insecure and no safer than XP.
Verdict: Judging by most feedback, Windows 7 is indeed the system Vista should have been. User Account Control may prove to continue being a pain in the ass with the new system, but it’s still a security improvement over Vista. Score it For 1, Against 0.
2) For: Microsoft has done a good job of making sure XP software will work on Windows 7, either right away or via XP mode. Against: Windows 7 is too expensive.
Verdict: The counters to these arguments are that any straight XP-Windows 7 upgrade is going to be a hassle for most casual users, and that there are some serious discounts available. Still, for people who aren’t buying new hardware, it’s a hard sell to spend any cash upgrading an operating system during a recession. For 1, Against 1.
3) For: Windows 7 automatically searches for and installs drivers for new hardware. Against: The previously mentioned problem of needing a clean install for XP to Windows 7 upgrades.
Verdict: You’re pretty much choosing between saving a bit of hassle on multiple occasions in the future or a major hassle from the off. That’s like chocolate vs vanilla, but for me it’s now For 1, Against 2.
4) For: Windows 7’s media player and HomeGroup features make it much easier than in Vista to share music files or watch downloaded videos on the big screen. Against: Users may struggle to transfer programs and drivers across during the upgrade.
Verdict: While the media files reason doesn’t apply to everyone (Chen outright calls Windows 7 “an OS practically made for pirates”), it’s at least a fresh point, whereas program and driver transfers is simply another aspect of the clean install issue. For 2, Against 2.
5) For: The new Aero features, specifically Peek, make it much easier to use Windows. Against: XP works. If you are already happy with it, there’s no need to get a new version of Windows.
Verdict: The Aero point may be true, but the XP point certainly is. It’s a case of paying for something which may improve your computing experience against having something your happy and keeping your wallet in your pocket. For 2, Against 3.
6) For: Windows 7 takes better advantage of modern hardware such as touchscreens, larger memory and netbooks. Against: Learning a new user interface is a pain.
Verdict: The point about the user interface has some truth, but is somewhat overstated (particularly given Vaughan-Nichols later suggests switching to Linux). However, the hardware issue is largely irrelevant to anyone planning to upgrade on their existing machines. For 2, Against 4.
7) For: Windows 7 “looks sexier” thanks to its user interface. Against: Windows 7 isn’t really practical on older hardware despite the hype.
Verdict: The hardware requirements issue is difficult to state conclusively: there’s a big difference between a user who bought a new machine the day XP came out, and somebody who bought a new PC last week and downgraded from Vista. Still, however true the point may be about Windows 7’s looks, it’s hardly a compelling reason to shell out on an upgrade. Final score: For 2, Against 5.
Now, even assuming that you agree with my conclusions, does this reflect badly on Windows 7? Absolutely not. For one thing, it may simply mean Vaughan-Nichols is better at making a case than Chen.
For another, it simply suggests there’s no immediate need to pay to upgrade from XP to Windows 7 on your existing machine, particularly if you are happy with its performance. But that’s true of most new editions of an operating system; when you come to buy a new computer, it’s an entirely different story.
Source: Blorge
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