Windows 7 How would you rate Windows 7

[kurteb]

7 always has been, stable & reliable to begin with, irrespective of any particular security program. The OS is good, some securites, well, that's another story/issue.

Kurt, hate to admit it but, can't decide what 'uefi' means but, Windows 8 does not mean a need for ARM hardware. It works well 7 nicely on multiple platforms including, good ole, existing non-ARM, non-Touch PCs & laptops. But, certainly, there is no obligation to "rush" to it. Well, except, maybe that the $40 bargain doesn't last forever. And in some ways it's even better than 7 which, yes, is good.

Cheers,
Drew
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'uefi demystified" replacement of bios: Demystifying UEFI, the long-overdue BIOS replacement | ExtremeTech

still wading through the details, uefi looks good: Link Removed

 

[Drew]

Oh, yeah, right. Except as I said, Win8 does not demand changing H/W for it. Or get caught up in any deep technical under-the-covers stuff. Rather can be just used & enjoyed, no strings attached.

Forgot the anachronism. Just is part of why deep down, 8 is good. May be cool not to over think things.

Cheers,
Drew
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[kurteb]

yep, alot of good improvements, this is one of them - an improvement to the old bios, like the secure boot. I don't use a touch screen, read that the metro desktop is hard to remove, true? .. was hoping that an easy switch, like 'show desktop' was included.

 

[Drew]

Kurt, yeah, now that I recall I read that article on uefi several months ago & was impressed. And, yes, there is Secure Boot,too. Maybe, the more things are mentioned w/ excitement, the more people will hear (actually hear) that there is good stuff in, even deep down, in Win8. Especially in Pro which the Update is... Bit-locker, Bit-locker TO GO, Hyper-V, et al.

To answer your query. No, it is not true. It is extremely easy to > Desktop.
There are 3 ways:
@ boot, Start page/screen appears...
1. Clk on the Desktop tile
2. Position the Desktop tile in the top-left position. Whatever tile is there, hitting ENTER will go to whatever it is. Ergo, if, Desktop, just hit ENTER
3. Example, say WL Messenger is a tile, hitting it would open Messenger on the Desktop

You do not remove Start, you just skip through it.

So, it takes all of 1 click or 1 key & no more or longer than that to go directly to Desktop. There are, also, ways I know, simple ways, to stay on Desktop, if one wants, get to everything from there, w/out flipping back n forth to Start & tiles...although, it, certainly, can be done. But, I feel what I've discover is more User Friendly, more to what we are accustomed. Personally, I don't use Start & its tiles. Anyway...

Cheers,
Drew
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[tanzanos]

Kurt, yeah, now that I recall I read that article on uefi several months ago & was impressed. And, yes, there is Secure Boot,too. Maybe, the more things are mentioned w/ excitement, the more people will hear (actually hear) that there is good stuff in, even deep down, in Win8. Especially in Pro which the Update is... Bit-locker, Bit-locker TO GO, Hyper-V, et al.

To answer your query. No, it is not true. It is extremely easy to > Desktop.
There are 3 ways:
@ boot, Start page/screen appears...
1. Clk on the Desktop tile
2. Position the Desktop tile in the top-left position. Whatever tile is there, hitting ENTER will go to whatever it is. Ergo, if, Desktop, just hit ENTER
3. Example, say WL Messenger is a tile, hitting it would open Messenger on the Desktop

You do not remove Start, you just skip through it.

So, it takes all of 1 click or 1 key & no more or longer than that to go directly to Desktop. There are, also, ways I know, simple ways, to stay on Desktop, if one wants, get to everything from there, w/out flipping back n forth to Start & tiles...although, it, certainly, can be done. But, I feel what I've discover is more User Friendly, more to what we are accustomed. Personally, I don't use Start & its tiles. Anyway...

Cheers,
Drew
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Wow a brand new OS and already people need to download 3rd party applications just to make it work properly?

Is it true that windows 8 cannot boot directly to desktop and permanently bypass Metro? I will only contemplate moving to win 8 if there is a way to totally remove Metro (Which looks like it was designed by Fisher Price).

 

[kurteb]

Wow a brand new OS and already people need to download 3rd party applications just to make it work properly?

Is it true that windows 8 cannot boot directly to desktop and permanently bypass Metro? I will only contemplate moving to win 8 if there is a way to totally remove Metro (Which looks like it was designed by Fisher Price).

when i paid 130 bucks for windows 7 home, i felt left out in the bitlocker department, gotta buy pro to get that protection....now windows pro is
around 78 bucks and includes it. what a rip. this is why i am leery of buying windows 8 right away like i did windows 7

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

You can make Windows 8 boot directly to the desktop, there are ways that don't use any addons but the easiest is just to use Classic Shell.

I installed it years ago, when I first installed Windows 7 as well. there were things I didn't like about the Windows 7 interface either, like the scrolling programs menu.

Pretty bad if you have 100 pieces of software to scroll through.

Classic Shell is a tiny program uses virtually no resources, and is reversible with one click.

There's really no reason to not use it, if you don't want to use the Metro UI.

It will be the first thing I install on my new computer when it arrives.

Mike

 

[Drew]

Kurt,

I'm sorry but, in all sense of logic, I fail to see how having Bit-locker & Bit-locker To Go included in an OS for $40 is a bad thing.

2nd, you quote 'tanzanos' as saying 3rd party stuff has to be added to Windows 8; as if that shouldn't be needed & therefore turns you off the OS.

Well, I have no idea why he said it because it is completely false. There is NO NEED to add Classic Shell. It seems to humour some folks to add it but, there, certainly, is no need, @ all.

I'm sorry people's comments are making you leery of Win8. I have been using it non-stop for more than 8 months, w/out adding anything, very impressed w/ it technically & functionally, I just really like the thing, really enjoy using it. I am finding more & more folks saying the same since its release Oct 26th.

Some people say some things that are hard to make sense of the comments. It's likely hard for others to know what to believe.

Me, I stand back, look @ it all & try to give the straight goods as factually & accurately as possible, to help folks understand, use & appreciate Windows 8, w/out adding unneeded 3rd party stuff OR them thinking that they must.

Win7 H P for (you say) $130 vs Win8 Pro for $40... tough to see any "rip off" regarding Win8.

Cheers,
Drew
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[kurteb]

i just thought that bitlocker should have been included for all users, that's all. the 40 dollars is alot better than 130 i already paid for windows 7 home

 

[Drew]

I have always thought the same. But, it is viewed as an 'extra' to protect sensitive data on business machines. Most non-business End Users don't grasp the idea of encrypted data in the 1st place. But, now PRo w/ it is available to the masses.

D

 

[JimmyMac]

All the updates are a P.I.T.A. Maybe a Service Pack would have been better. The operating system was "dumbed down" and issues with virtual device management, etc. are fluffed off. My XP 64 systems are still more stable than 7 64 after all these "updates".

 

[Mitchell_A]

Service Pack 1 has been out for some time for now...

Go download Windows XP gold RTM and install the some odd thousand updates including service packs and then try complaining about Windows 7. Microsoft typically only releases updates once a month ("Patch Tuesday"). Regardless of how many updates XP receives, Windows 7 is more secure from the ground up. That's something you should take into consideration.

 

[JimmyMac]

As a "Public Relations" guy, one would think that you might understand "How would YOU rate Windows 7". I stated my position. Even a Microsoft person could think through the possibility of Service Pack 2. God knows how many Service Packs have been released since Windows came into existence. I don't like Windows 7.

 

[Drew]

XP always had more Updates than 7. And I will fully support what my colleague said than 7 is definitely the better OS, compared to XP. It was wonderful to move from 98 to XP. It was terrific to go to 7. I always liked 7, a lot; and it doesn't need, didn't need another SP. However, I will rate it (Win7) as not being as good or as nice (enjoyable) to use as Windows 8.

Please, let's try to keep comments such that they don't sound harsh, judgmental or nasty.

Cheers,
Drew
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[likearadiowave]

easy to use, simple, 10 times better than *shutter* windows 8.

 

[Drew]

easy to use, simple, 10 times better than *shutter* windows 8.

With the utmost validity the above can be reversed and said legitimately about 8 as being extremely easy to use, simple, convenient & far better than 7. And this is from an IT tech/consultant who always liked 7 but, 8 deserves my greater respect & admiration.

Cheers,
Drew
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[likearadiowave]

With the utmost validity the above can be reversed and said legitimately about 8 as being extremely easy to use, simple, convenient & far better than 7. And this is from an IT tech/consultant who always liked 7 but, 8 deserves my greater respect & admiration.

Cheers,
Drew
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Windows 8 isn't hard or confusing to use, it's just not fun nor intuitive to use.

Then again, this is Microsoft's arrogance in thinking that everyone wants a tablet interface on their PC, and pretty much why Windows 8.1 now exists. The start button is now back, although of course it just goes to the start screen. That never bothered me though; I hardly ever used the start menu anyway.

 

[Drew]

Windows 8 is a lot of fun to use, very enjoyable. A start button, already, existed, even before 8.1...and I never use the start screen either... nor did I use the start button or start menu in Windows 7, either; except to Search or to find something only used or wanted occasionally from All Programs... now, much nicer w/ Windows 8 can access all such stuff w/out going to Start or any other screen, get to it all right from Desktop... 8 is such an quick convenient system to use... installing 8.1 on a VM @ this very moment. Will be neat if it proves to be even cooler than Windows 8 is.

Win8 is not a misplaced Tablet OS when it's on a desktop PC... it is just as nice on whatever device. It's not arrogance, it's just people understanding the new OS & accepting change which, is something many humans fight, balk, condemn & can't accept when it comes.

Cheers,
Drew
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[likearadiowave]

Windows 8 is a lot of fun to use, very enjoyable. A start button, already, existed, even before 8.1...and I never use the start screen either... nor did I use the start button or start menu in Windows 7, either; except to Search or to find something only used or wanted occasionally from All Programs... now, much nicer w/ Windows 8 can access all such stuff w/out going to Start or any other screen, get to it all right from Desktop... 8 is such an quick convenient system to use... installing 8.1 on a VM @ this very moment. Will be neat if it proves to be even cooler than Windows 8 is.

Win8 is not a misplaced Tablet OS when it's on a desktop PC... it is just as nice on whatever device. It's not arrogance, it's just people understanding the new OS & accepting change which, is something many humans fight, balk, condemn & can't accept when it comes.

Cheers,
Drew
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I don't mind change, but I appreciate decent usability. The gestures you make on windows 8 to open the charms menu are gestures that it seems you'd use on a touch screen. This is fine if you have a touch screen, but without it it's just awkward. Windows 8.1's start screen looks slightly better though since you can use your own desktop images, and that kind of blends the start screen with your desktop and makes it feel less disconnected.

 

[kurteb]

I don't mind change, but I appreciate decent usability. The gestures you make on windows 8 to open the charms menu are gestures that it seems you'd use on a touch screen. This is fine if you have a touch screen, but without it it's just awkward. Windows 8.1's start screen looks slightly better though since you can use your own desktop images, and that kind of blends the start screen with your desktop and makes it feel less disconnected.

The choice should have been a user choice, nobody likes having things forced on them or taken away. people paid 3rd party apps to get the start menu back, and it's back in 8.1.