Vista vs. Windows 7. Is it that good?

I've been using both Vista and Windows 7 for sometime.
What I've noticed is that the Windows 7 is missing tons of features that are in the Vista such as the folder viewing options, scrolling side gadget bars, the quick launch, XP style program viewing option, the Classic view to name a few. To me, at least the Vista sidebar alone was worth an admission.
No wonder Microsoft named it Vista for no reason and people call the 7 efficient.

Sure, my notebook crawls but maybe that's because of the hard disk defragmentation. It's also very likely that many people are comparing a clogged up Vista to a fresh installed Windows 7. Maybe that might've contributed to speed boost that everyone's been experiencing.

Other than having more available drivers and the minor speed boost for the 7, I really don't see the reason to migrate to the 7. I actually find the Windows 7 confined and confusing to use than the Vista.

Maybe I'm missing something but do you folks find Windows 7 infinitely better all around OS than the Vista? I really find it hard to believe that MS dropped the Vista style sidebar on the 7. At least they could've give us the option to choose from.

 

I actually like Vista better than 7, honestly.

The 7 taskbar sucks in my opinion. I would upgrade (I have it through work if I want) if there was an option to put it like Vista.

Since there isn't (even all the tweaks don't quite cut it), I'm sticking with Vista until I have to upgrade. I like the Vista colors a lot more.

 

it's not "missing those features", it has replacements for them that are, in general, better.
side bar is still there, but by default, gadgets are not on the full desktop.
quick launch is still there, it's part of the actual taskbar now (by pinning apps)
the folder viewing options that are gone, no idea what you talk about. still there, actually, more is there.
xp style program viewing? no differences there, but no clue what exactly you mean.
classic view is still there (and still ugly and less performant than aero, which is not there for uh-shiny, but for actually enhancing system performance).

so none of your points make sense really.

no, people tested fresh installations of both.

means you just have to learn the changes better and adapt to it. once you've done, you will most likely prefer them to the old ones. but changing habits is hard.

vista sidebar was declared a huge failure, and resulting in quite some experience of slowness. it was slow, chaotic, ugly, and actually useless. for most of the users.
options exist for those that can't help themselves

i thought so a year ago, too. it takes time to understand some of the changes. take the time, learn the features, ask about it. and believe me, then you don't want to move back.

 

I've been using the PC probably long before you leared to suckle milk and witnessed the OS evolving for the past decades. Any opnion is acceptable but don't insult my intelligence thinking that I make my statement without merit. My points represent good number of professionals around me who use PC to feed their families. Likewise, you can do the web search to find out the groups of people who are not happy with the Windows 7 style sidebar unlike the Vista. I know the sidebar is there in the 7. The key word you should've paid attention to was the "scrolling" sidebar. You even acknowledged that the Windows 7 taskbar sucked before. Apparently your point didn't make sense a year ago and it always will be.

 

I hated the sidebar gadgets. Probably because the system tray for the most part is a better place for most gadgets.

Quick access to email notifications, time, date, etc etc.

 

I don't really have a choice, I have to use 7 at work. Maybe with time I'll like the quirks, but for now, I've put the taskbar as close to Vista as possible.

 

You can make the Start bar look identical to Vista and Windows 98 if you want. I have it identical in both function and looks, just google it.

 

I personally like Windows 7 more, but that's not saying Vista is a bad OS.

The best practice, generally, is to use what works best for YOU.

 

I was using Vista x64 Home Premium for some time before making the switch to 7 x64 Ultimate.
Sufficed to say, I like the fact that 7 was a bit leaner, more responsive and overall faster in comparison to Vista.

 

You use Windows 7 for a much more quick and stable OS. /thread

 

Windows 7 is that good. But Vista wasn't bad either after the SP updates.

 

It wastes screen space by huge gaps...
Ah yes, let put artificially large gaps there so people buy those ugly 16:9 screens...

I've got Win7 running as a server - I reduced the taskbar in size (small icons) and then added the names... a bit better - but every time I log on with teamviewer its still horrid...

And Vista vs. Win7 - same OS at the core, so not worth the change unless you have a specific Vista Problem.

 

IMO Windows 7 makes my older HP run smother. Vista was a nice OS, I like 7 more though. Things seem a little snappier, and although the taskbar takes some getting used to, I've grown to like it.

 

well a) you can size it down if you need, and b) most people have quite high resolutions by now. small buttons are much worse to click. that's why they're big.

ergonomics. but well, you don't understand those anyways

 

Even if I use small icons I loose a lot of space due to the at least 5mm gap between icons.

 

as i said. ergonomics. and you don't "lose that space" as long as you don't have it put to any other use (like unused memory is lost memory). as long as you don't fill your taskbar till the very right, it's NOT lost space. it's GAINED space. gained in ergonomics, as in easier to target with the mouse, or touchpad, or touchscreen.

and, just as a hint: the moment you WOULD lose the space as you filled the taskbar, the width of the buttons adopt to get closer together. losing ergonomics, gaining space for more buttons.

yes, microsoft can think.

 

I do actually have a full taskbar quite often - and quite a few icons in quicklaunch.

About moving together - I suppose better than nothing, but not ideal if your icons move - you get used to their positions - and changes are surprises.

 

you don't have the taskbar full on win7 often. you do on vista, yes.

but how many DIFFERENT applications do you have running at the same time? firefox. adobe photoshop. something to listen to music. msn.

that'll be 4 buttons.

if your taskbar is full by that, you definitely have the wrong resolution (320x240 or something? nah, not even then full )


hint: you're on 1280x800, too, right? then you can have 17 different applications running/pinned on the taskbar with BIG BUTTONS without having them to get pushed together.

 

FF, then Windows Media Player as a toolbar - then either "Photoshop & Bridge" or Excel, the VBA editor, notepad & 1 or two folders, or Dreamweaver, ISS (I want it fully manually on my Vaio... its for testing...) a few folders & IE8 for testing in most cases...

And were I to use Win7 it would be full too because I'd switch on text - I don't like ugly large icons - and speaking about ugly...
(And any icon is ugly when large - small they can be nice)

 

well, your failure is just that you can't adopt to new things. if you would try the win7 taskbar the way it's ment to be, none of your wining would apply. except, of course the "i can't change to icons blabla".

i edited my post above: default win7 setup allows 17 different applications on the taskbar on your screenres without any problem.

you stated 11. most you don't use often (and you would pin them in the startmenu, then, instead) so at the same time most likely around 6-7.

far away from the 17 where it would start to get an issue.

but you would have to explore the new way. and that is very hard of you, and that is wellknown (there's a reason you have a pen as your avatar, and "old school" below your nick )

 

I NEED my text!!!

I cannot just use icons - you know, if every menu would be only text - I wouldn't mind - just icons I cannot stand.

And Outlook, MSN which I didn't state run from the System try... this reminds me about the odd MSN window - but not too many nowadays.

And speaking about pens - I can write quicker on paper than type, and my eyes don't hurt from paper as they hurt from a bright screen.

 

well. i can write much quicker than anyone can on paper, and i'm still readable.

and outlook and msn are not in the tray anymore. there isn't a real tray anymore (just there as a popup).

but that would mean, again, you would have to ADAPT, EVOLVE, LEARN NEW THINGS.

if you would, none of your complaints would be an issue. none. including the icons.

(and you know it took me long to accept the icon only thing. once you can step over yourself (which is what i had to do), the usage actually really DID increase.. believe me. been there, done that)

 

Ah yes... they destroyed the tray... useful if you never use it, but else...

The tray is great for MSN and Outlook...

There is another option I ignore & boycot Windows7 why should I bother with a downgrade to 7 from Vista? Costs Money and time.
(MSDN-AA license is in English and runs on my old laptop)

I'll wait until Windows 8 ideally

 

There is one thing that Windows 7 has that Vista doesn't. It is completely useless to 99.999% of users (or more), but for me it will likely be necessary: the ability to have display adapters from different manufacturers installed. My internal Nvidia card will soon have to be installed side-by-side with the external ATI HD5770 I will put. This causes problems in Vista, but not in 7.

 

Are you sure that's Vista's fault?

The SZ has two graphics cards - but you have to reboot.
The Z then had and still has 2 graphics cards that are hot swapable.

Or do you mean running 2 cards with 2 different monitors?

 

yes, 2 cards from different manufacturers are not possible to be ran in parallel on vista. only on win7.

well, the tray was always just a mess. none of it's functionality is not available in a more clean and more structured way without the tray. that is including msn and outlook. you just got USED to it, doesn't mean it's USEFUL THAT WAY. (similar to office 2003 -> office 2007.. it was grown chaos, that people got used to, grew into it.. didn't mean a cleanup wasn't needed).

why should you bother? because it is an upgrade (but your laptop sucks, and doesn't make it feel like that).
your language issue: http://www.froggie.sk/

 

What does the laptop have to do with English???
I have a German OS on my laptop and I prefer a German OS to an English one.

And my tray is not a mess.

 

your language issue can be solved by using the software on the link i gave you (been there, tested it, works without a flaw).

your tray is a ui mess. each try icon has a completely own way to interface with. some open the app mainwindow with a double click. some with a single. some not at all. some have a menu on right click. some on left click. some on doubleclick. some can "close the app" in the menu, some can't. some can "remove this icon", some can't.

there is 0 consistency between the different tray icons.

some apps minimize to tray. some close to tray.

the tray icon is a ui mess, where you have to learn for each icon, how it behaves, what it's functionality is. you learned that, you can use it now. but the trick is to develop something that does not need to learn every single time from new.

and there the windows taskbar comes. it combines quicklaunch, taskbar and tray icon area to one, which works the SAME for all apps, and thus has much consistency, and much more usability.

one day, you'll understand that such stuff is important. it's the day you stop fixing yourself into your little world and actually go outside and enjoy life and new stuff, explore stuff, and have fun.

change is there to improve things.

 

Outloook and MSN behave the same

 

no. outlook is minimize to tray. messenger is close to tray.

msn can be closed by rightclicking and chosing in the menu. outlook can't. outlook menu can be accessed by left click. msn can't.

mostly about ANYTHING i listed.

 

I like Windows 7 better. I especially like the Aero peek and the fact that I can double click on the Icon for an app and push up to get a menu of recent docs to pick from for opening.

Windows 7 is what Vista wants to be.

 

I'm using Vista x64 Ultimate on one laptop and using Win7 HP x64 on three others (which I upgraded from Vista x64 Ultimate). The major benefit of Win7 for me is better battery life and more accurate calibration on my tabletPC (HP tx1000z). The downside is that some programs such as HP's Quicklaunch I have to run it on compatibility mode under Win7. Not all manufacturer's software and hardware drivers are 100% compatibile with Win7 and had to use Vista drivers. Overall once it's running there's not that much difference in performance. Eye candies are nice but not a necessity. Sidebars can be added to Win7. Can't wait for Win8! BTW I'm keeping Vista Ultimate x64 on my desktop.