Windows 7 How would you rate Windows 7

tanzanos · Jun 10, 2010

Scott Eaton said:
For me there is no contest. Windows XP is the best operating system that Microsoft has ever written. Windows 7 is the WORST. I accept the fact that all Windows versions initially have been full of bugs but my current system running Windows XP is now ROCK SOLID. I may have problems getting older Windows or DOS programs to run, but in the end I do get them working. With Windows 7 64 bit however, not only do I have hardware that doesn’t work, but now I have programs that are NEVER going to run. I’m still encountering many “Blue Screens”, along with other bugs too numerous to count. With that said, I do expect that eventually some of these problems will be fixed. Unfortunately I DON’T expect Microsoft will ever get my older programs running.

What irritates me the most about Windows 7 is what Microsoft is forcing me to accept. It has been changed so completely that it has been rendered unusable. Toolbars that I have counted on for over a decade are now GONE. Context menus have been changed for the worse and the search capability is so broken that it is unuseable. I believe that the expectations after Vista, was so high that most people have overlooked the major flaws lurking inside Windows 7.

DON’T bother trying to convince me that a single revamped and repackaged taskbar is better than the unlimited ones that I had before Windows 7. DON’T try to sell me on the beauty of “Jump Lists”, because I built BETTER lists with my old Toolbars. It distresses me every time I hear someone praising the new Start menu or Task Bar. “I can get to what I need by only 2-3 mouse clicks,” they’ll say or, “I only need to click and then use a few hot keys to get to what I need.”

I myself run everything I use regularly, with a single click. This includes Games, Programs, Links, Documents, Accessories, everything. I have had people in this forum describe my desktop toolbars as ugly and a waste of space. I don’t care. What these people don’t realize is that there is no wasted space once I maximize a window, and as far as a beautiful desktop? Well I’ll take functionality over beauty any day. I don’t use Wallpaper on my desktop and I am still using the old screensaver clock that came from Windows 95. I have no use for anything that slows down my system and that includes the new Aero themes that everyone seems to think is so wonderful in Windows 7. Needless to say, I have found Windows 7 to be a bigger let down than Vista ever was.

I built my newest system with Windows 7 in mind. I have all the latest hardware and I jumped on the Windows 7 beta version when it came out. After struggling for over 1 month I gave up and went back to XP knowing that the real version would be more usable when it arrived. God was I wrong. After purchasing the official version I tried to force myself once again to learn to like Windows 7. I have now returned to XP for the third time and have no intentions of ever going back to Windows 7. I have also resigned myself to expect that Windows 8 and 9 will be an even bigger disappointment in the future. I have been using Windows since version 3.0 but Microsoft has finally forced my hand. I will now be looking into Apple, Linux, and all the other operating systems that are now available, or will be available soon.

I agree with everything you say except the part where you state that win7 is the worst OS so far. If Win 7 maintained the classic menus and the old toolbars then this OS would be the best ever. I use Classic Shell as a solution. Win 7 was designed for the console gaming crowd. Damn shame that such a powerful OS has been smothered with an useless GUI.

IF I WANTED A MAC I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT A MAC! I WANT WINDOWS! Who am I kidding? MS never listens to users anyway

john3347 · Jun 10, 2010

Best and Worse?????

Graphic User Interface is rated by personal preference and therefore no one person can make the judgment whether this or that interface is good and another is bad. (personally, I much prefer a more "business-like" interface than XP, Vista, or Windows 7 offers, but that is my personal preference and does not make an operating system good or bad.)

Overall system stability is a better measure of whether a system is good or bad. Windows 7 does rate high in that category, and that category alone. In stability ratings, Windows 95 has to have been the worst Microsoft OS ever. Vista runs a close second to Windows 95. In my experience the much kicked about Millennium was not much different in terms of overall stability from either of the Windows 98 versions. Windows 2000 is the only Microsoft OS that I have ever used that NEVER produced a freeze, or "encountered an error and needs to close", etc. - NEVER! I have come to realize lately that a lot of the instability I have been blaming on Windows 7 is actually caused by IE8 and not by Windows 7 itself. With that in mind - and considering nothing but overall system stability, Windows 7 would rate second place to Windows 2000 as the "best" OS ever. Problem here is that Windows 7 has made so many changes in so many areas that are solely for the sake of change and actually take away from the productivity of the OS that its better stability is overshadowed by the increasingly more complicated and poorly functioning "features" and interface.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Scott Eaton · Jun 10, 2010

john3347 said:
Graphic User Interface is rated by personal preference and therefore no one person can make the judgment whether this or that interface is good and another is bad...

Overall system stability is a better measure of whether a system is good or bad.

Of course I can make that judgment. I have and I did. My preference for the older GUI in XP is the sole reason why I refuse to use Windows 7. While stability is important, it is a secondary concern to me. I can handle the occasional crash since I usually learn what caused the crash and can avoid that program, feature, or keystroke combination in the future. Stability is more important to you than it is to me. I even read in this forum that one person thinks Windows 7 is the best because it increases battery life, something that has no importance whatsoever to me.

Different strokes for different folks.

tanzanos · Jun 11, 2010

Although Win7 is stable and fast; It is designed specifically for game console users. Anyone who has any idea of what he wants in an OS will find the new GUI frustrating to say the least. Everything is hidden; And not only in the OS but in all the new versions of office etc. I threw my new office 2007 in the garbage and reinstalled office 2003. I could not find anything with the new GUI! If I wanted a MAC I would have bought a MAC.

I challenged someone here in Greece to outdo me in speed searching and finding folders etc. I used my my laptop (XP) and he had win7. He was laboriously mouse clicking while I was done! Ah the sweet taste of victory. He still insists the new GUI is better?????

On my PC i have win 7 x64bit installed. I tried to learn the new GUI and gave up! So I found and installed classic shell which helped! I use my pc for games and the serious work (3dCAD software etc.) I use the laptop. Slower? yes but much more user friendly.

My desktop PC is now a 1,600 Euro games console!!!!!!! Damn shame really. All MS had to do was to offer classic menus as an option. But NO! they had to copy a Mac! Because Vista was a flop they wanted an OS that looked nothing like its predecessors. So the boys in suits at MS ordered the change in total disregard to the millions who use their PCs for work at home or in the office.

The polls that show more people liking the new GUI do not reflect reality. Most people who use their PCs for work do not post in polls in forums.

DROP DOWN MENUS ARE THE BEST

esevin · Jun 11, 2010

They could improve the Help files

I'm slowly getting used to the Office 2007 programs under Windows 7. At first I thought changing the location of most everything in the 2003 suite was Microsoft's idea of a joke, but I've come around now to thinking that the developers were not Office 2003 users and had no idea of what they were perpetrating. But after you learn something, it's easy (so long as you don't forget it). My current frustration is with the Help files. I was trying to figure out how to center a table vertically on a page and Help was totally useless. Fortunately, there is Google. Why can't MS do better?

tanzanos said:
Although Win7 is stable and fast; It is designed specifically for game console users. Anyone who has any idea of what he wants in an OS will find the new GUI frustrating to say the least. Everything is hidden; And not only in the OS but in all the new versions of office etc. I threw my new office 2007 in the garbage and reinstalled office 2003. I could not find anything with the new GUI! If I wanted a MAC I would have bought a MAC.

I challenged someone here in Greece to outdo me in speed searching and finding folders etc. I used my my laptop (XP) and he had win7. He was laboriously mouse clicking while I was done! Ah the sweet taste of victory. He still insists the new GUI is better?????

On my PC i have win 7 x64bit installed. I tried to learn the new GUI and gave up! So I found and installed classic shell which helped! I use my pc for games and the serious work (3dCAD software etc.) I use the laptop. Slower? yes but much more user friendly.

My desktop PC is now a 1,600 Euro games console!!!!!!! Damn shame really. All MS had to do was to offer classic menus as an option. But NO! they had to copy a Mac! Because Vista was a flop they wanted an OS that looked nothing like its predecessors. So the boys in suits at MS ordered the change in total disregard to the millions who use their PCs for work at home or in the office.

The polls that show more people liking the new GUI do not reflect reality. Most people who use their PCs for work do not post in polls in forums.

DROP DOWN MENUS ARE THE BEST

Super Sarge · Jun 11, 2010

Actually the third party Locate32 search engine is by far the best out there. It far surpasses anything MS in any OS they have put out
Link Removed

leeti · Jun 13, 2010

I've been having a bit of trouble, but I like it. I just don't use the new resources a lot. Should use more.

amyric · Jun 13, 2010

Wish my new computer was running XP

I use my computer, a lot, and I HATE WINDOWS 7. I never should have bought this thing. It does what ever it wants and I don't know why. It goes where it, wants when it wants and it doesn't matter what I want or what I'm trying to do. It's cut my productivity to less than half. Is there a way to switch to XP?

amyric · Jun 13, 2010

I agree about 95

Windows 95 was bad, no doubt. NT worked well. I'm not a gamer I want to work and this Windows 7 is nearly unusable.

Agent Data · Jun 13, 2010

Win7 requires some learning, yes, it is a different approach but you can get used to it after a while. By default Windows Explorer not even shows a menu bar but it is there to be activated.

amyric · Jun 13, 2010

But how do I make it XP? And what is it going to cost?

I'm not a computer guy, I use the thing for photo processing and maintaining a website. I have to get third party software to make this thing work? Anybody want to buy a new laptop? What is stable about a computer that jumps around at random and leaves a page for no reason wiping out all the work I've already done. I try to save my work a lot but it happens at random and I can't always catch it before it happens.
Why does the cursor switch away from what I clicked on when I don't click on something else? Sometimes I'm typing at the end of my document and suddenly I'm typing in the middle, or the begining. Or it highlights stuff on a web page. Why do I want this? I'd rather tell the computer what I want it to do before it does it than have it tell me what it wants.

Agent Data · Jun 13, 2010

You sound to me like having a jumpy mouse pointer something?!

If so replace the mouse (or install the proper driver for your pointing device) and see if the problem goes away

john3347 · Jun 13, 2010

Maybe not Windows 7

amyric said:
I'm not a computer guy, I use the thing for photo processing and maintaining a website. I have to get third party software to make this thing work? Anybody want to buy a new laptop? What is stable about a computer that jumps around at random and leaves a page for no reason wiping out all the work I've already done. I try to save my work a lot but it happens at random and I can't always catch it before it happens.
Why does the cursor switch away from what I clicked on when I don't click on something else? Sometimes I'm typing at the end of my document and suddenly I'm typing in the middle, or the begining. Or it highlights stuff on a web page. Why do I want this? I'd rather tell the computer what I want it to do before it does it than have it tell me what it wants.

amyric, as you probably have gathered by some of my posts earlier in this thread, I am not a supporter of Windows 7! HOWEVER, I will give credit where I feel credit is due. Screwed up as it may be, Windows 7 is probably the most stable OS since Windows 2000. I would venture a guess that most of the difficulties that you describe are not Windows related at all. They are quite likely related to the touchpad on your laptop. I had the same problems that you describe when I first started using a particular laptop computer design. Watch your thumbs on the touchpad as you type. If you just BARELY, EVER SO GENTLY drag your thumb across the touchpad while typing, the cursor goes crazy. I am arthritic, and this adds to the crazy cursor effect for me. A few laptop computers have the ability to adjust this sensitivity to touch and most have the ability to completely disable the touch-click feature. If the touch-click feature is disabled, the touchpad continues to control the cursor motion, but the left button is required to effect a left click. There are a few programs that are supposed to disable the mouse while typing, but my personal experience has found at least two of them ineffective. The best way that I have found to work around the problem if you continue to have problems is to use an external mouse and tape a calling card over the touchpad. I tape mine across the top so I can lift it when I need to for temporary touchpad access.

Watch your thumbs as you type and see if this is not causing you grief. Report back and let us know if this identifies your problem.

Good Luck, John

edit: If your computer has Windows 7 Professional or above, you can install XP Mode and just use the XP side for all normal work. I use XP Mode when I need to do any computer work - type letters, organize and edit photographs, etc. Windows 7 is for play.

amyric · Jun 14, 2010

My computer is a laptop

Agent Data said:
You sound to me like having a jumpy mouse pointer something?!

If so replace the mouse (or install the proper driver for your pointing device) and see if the problem goes away

So I'm complaining about the touch pad. I have a reg mouse and it works better but it still takes off. I wanted a turnkey system and this does not appear to be one. People keep metioning insalling drivers and stuff. I'm on the road right now but when I get home I'll be back on my XP desktop system. It may be slow, but it works. Why would they sell me this thing with a wrong driver?

amyric · Jun 14, 2010

This sounds right

john3347 said:
amyric, as you probably have gathered by some of my posts earlier in this thread, I am not a supporter of Windows 7! HOWEVER, I will give credit where I feel credit is due. Screwed up as it may be, Windows 7 is probably the most stable OS since Windows 2000. I would venture a guess that most of the difficulties that you describe are not Windows related at all. They are quite likely related to the touchpad on your laptop. I had the same problems that you describe when I first started using a particular laptop computer design. Watch your thumbs on the touchpad as you type. If you just BARELY, EVER SO GENTLY drag your thumb across the touchpad while typing, the cursor goes crazy. I am arthritic, and this adds to the crazy cursor effect for me. A few laptop computers have the ability to adjust this sensitivity to touch and most have the ability to completely disable the touch-click feature. If the touch-click feature is disabled, the touchpad continues to control the cursor motion, but the left button is required to effect a left click. There are a few programs that are supposed to disable the mouse while typing, but my personal experience has found at least two of them ineffective. The best way that I have found to work around the problem if you continue to have problems is to use an external mouse and tape a calling card over the touchpad. I tape mine across the top so I can lift it when I need to for temporary touchpad access.

Watch your thumbs as you type and see if this is not causing you grief. Report back and let us know if this identifies your problem.

Good Luck, John

edit: If your computer has Windows 7 Professional or above, you can install XP Mode and just use the XP side for all normal work. I use XP Mode when I need to do any computer work - type letters, organize and edit photographs, etc. Windows 7 is for play.

I'll try this, I've got my fingers in the air right now and I'm going to go look for a card to tape over the pad. I sure hope this is the answer. Thanks.Link Removed

john3347 · Jun 14, 2010

May want to read this

amyric, I came across a link that actually links to both the "disable touchpad while typing" programs that I have used. As I said, I found neither of these completely satisfactory, but different people have different experiences with the same programs sometimes. The article is an interesting read for anyone having a problem accidentally touching the touchpad.

Link Removed

tanzanos · Jun 14, 2010

Agent Data said:
Win7 requires some learning, yes, it is a different approach but you can get used to it after a while. By default Windows Explorer not even shows a menu bar but it is there to be activated.

Some?????? You mean lots of learning. This OS may be fast but it was mainly designed for gamers. At present I use my laptop for serious CAD work running XP professional and my PC for games running win7 x64.
I spent at least 10 minutes trying to find a way to make a desktop short cut for one of my games. I managed it only after installing classic shell. The GUI on WIN 7 is useless and takes forever to do anything.

amyric · Jun 14, 2010

Thanks everybody for your help

I disabled everything I could on my mouse pad and slowed it way down. This is much better. I am also making sure I don't touch it.

donald · Jun 14, 2010

Love it best windows ever and i have tried them all cant wait for windows 8 to come out

tanzanos · Jun 15, 2010

donald said:
Love it best windows ever and i have tried them all cant wait for windows 8 to come out

If you cant help others with their problems then you may as well stay in bed

Perhaps you can help me with the big problem I have with wanting to use British spelling with windows live mail? Win 7 does not have outlook express and we are forced to use the live Windows live mail for e-mails. This of course is not a problem but for the fact that the only spelling allowed is American spelling (ughhh). Is this a conspiracy to force the whole planet to misspell? I now have to write my e-mails in Word and then copy paste to my e-mail. I am fed up of seeing red underlined words when I know I have spelled them correctly.

Win 7 is designed for console games users. Anyone wanting to do serious work will have to use XP. Sad when one knows that Win 7 is fast and stable.

If I wanted a Mac I would have bought a Mac. The GUI in win 7 is idiotic to say the least! Millions of IT people cannot be wrong!

Windows 7 How would you rate Windows 7

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