Windows 7 - How good is it right now?

I have recently purchased a little (well, not so little) Alienware M17, and now comes the question which OS should I install on it.

I used to be quite updated with the hardware and software world, but since I graduated and started working 16 hours a day it's been impossible for me to keep up.

So my question to you: How good is Windows 7 right now? Is it good enough and bug-free enough to be used as a single OS on the computer I'll be using the most? Should I expect any compatibility issues with it and Windows Vista software or drivers? Should I expect better or worse performance in games and other resource-hogging applications? Should I wait with it until they clear most bugs?

To my understanding, there shouldn't be any real compatibility issues, as Windows 7 is not a brand new OS in the way Vista is, and is pretty much like Vista.1 or something like that. If there's performance to be gained, and not much to lose other than a little annoying bug here and there that causes no real harm, surely I'd love to have it.

 

Not good enough for a main OS. If you don't believe me, read on the Microsoft website.

 

I've been using it as a main OS for about a month now. No problems so far and I'm rather beginning to like it with its grand ability to customise your own space and what not.

I did a couple stress tests with Win7 vs XP and Win7 was always the winner. Both installations were clean. I am using the 32-bit version, but from what I've heard there are a lot more problems with the 64-bit one.

I ran into a couple compatibility issues but they were all simple resolved by using Compatibility Mode.

 

I really don't understand why anyone would choose to make a Beta OS their main OS. With that said, however, there are many people who seem to be doing it without any major hiccups, so it's obviously possible. However, I'd say proceed at your own risk. There's a reason why it's still Beta and hasn't been released as a finished product yet.

 

It's a Beta of a already released product (Vista). It isn't completely rewritten code like Vista was to XP and a lot of the work they are doing with it involves touch capabilities and multi-tasking with Ion based CPUs and the such so they can run Win7 on netbooks.

The reason I'm using it as a Primary OS is so that I can find any bugs/problems and if I do run into anything that will hamper my activities then I will switch back to XP waiting on Dual Boot.

I used the XP Beta and that wasn't all that fun, but I'm having a great time with Win7 and look forward to a slicker version of it when it is released.

 

Play it safe and dual-boot Vista/W7. It's better to error on the side of caution. I'd at least wait until RC1 to make it my official main OS.

 

Win 7 32 Beta seems to be solid enough for many people to use it as the primary OS on a personal (not business) computer. In fact, it is the only OS only my personal Inspiron e1505. I've had virtually no problems with it on that machine.

But, if you install the Beta as your only OS now, then you will need to do a complete reinstall at some point in the future (August 2009?). If you install Vista now, then you'll be able to upgrade when Win 7 is officially released.

 

Exactly. This is good advice.

 

Thanks for your input. I think I will stick with Vista for now, as I intend to use the 64bit version, and it seems like nobody responded to my post with any reports about better performance under Win7 - so there's no point risking it, in my eyes (as I don't care much about interface changes).

 

I'm going to wait too. I downloaded the beta but I only have a 120 gig HD and don't want to do a dual boot on that. If it would expire in Sept or Oct I may have done it but the expiration time would be at a bad time for me. I just hope MS does not charge an arm and a leg for the upgrade version of seven. At this point, I can see sales dropping drastically since one can get both vista and seven for free sometime in July I believe. I have never bought an OS to upgrade a system but I think seven will be a first. I simply want something that is more optimized and takes less resources, boots faster.. Seven is what vista should have been. MS must have thought everyone would have SSD drives the way they engineered vista.

 

Well, taking my cue from the above remark of yours, my advice would be to stay away from Windows 7. If you have plenty of time to burn to play with your computer as a toy, fine, but if you have better things to do with your time, then you should do so. The same goes in spades if the computer you are talking about happens to be a production tool, that you use for work, obviously.

Other than that, at least on a reasonably powerful machine, the advantages of Windows 7 over Vista are quite minor, in my opinion, and the phenomenal performance of Windows 7 that you may have seen people raving about is really mostly in people's heads. Win7 does seem to perform significantly better than Vista on marginal hardware, but that is not what you were asking about....

 

Interesting . . . I was actually wondering if this was the case or if Win7 was really just that darn good. I wonder how many more Win7 users will be objective and admit to this, assuming this is the case.

 

Remember it is Microsoft we're talking about. They're experts at making you pay, and it's no surprise to me that Seven contains improvements that should have been a part of Vista in the first place. They did the same things in previous Windows versions. After all, it's not like there's a real alternative out there for people to run away to, at least not for people who need MS Office compatibility and/or DirectX...

 

I'm running win7 64, things seem a little snappier than vista 64 and the new features (mouse gestures, taskbar) and libraries are quite handy. A few driver issues, unfortunately, so I might not stick with it, but that' purely for my laptop. Once I get home (I'm overseas atm), I'll be putting it on desktop for sure.

 

only problems i have had on the 32bit is installing my graphics card (it's installed but windows stops it from running) and also ie8 doesn't like many pages for example ebay = no.. so i downloaded firefox xD

 

It has worked like a charm for me since i installed it as a _main OS_ the 7th january this year.

Haven't experienced any crashes ...yet. Only thing i've noticed is that gadgets stopped working after i installed some 3rd party gadgets.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=349030

there you go perfect as a main os dont listen to MS

 

Its perfect as a main OS, most stable thing I've used. Everything is so smooth and elegant, I liiike.

 

You seem to have about the same notebook as me. No driver issues at all with win7?

 

Joke of the day.

 

I'm dual booting Vista with 7 but I've been using 7 as my main OS for a couple of weeks now. I haven't switched to Vista in a long time. Windows 7 runs fine for me, with the exception of not recognizing some system components but that's because Intel drivers don't support 7 yet. Still, everything runs fine and I get everything done with no problem.

 

On my Asus G71G-A2 im dual booting Vista & Win7 w/ each having its own HDD. Both are 64bit.

The only issue I am having with Windows 7 Build 7000 is that my program launch buttons (Direct Console, Turbo Extreme, Touchpad enable/disable) are not working at all. Other than that fully operational and loading faster than Vista ever could atm.


I would say its pretty good. My main OS.

 

The vista drivers should work like a charm!

 

hehe. funny that macosx in every updated version (without real new features) costs. at least the new windows versions are often very different and a big enhancement to the previous ones (insert random vista bashing joke there if you like, i won't as vista for me is the best os ever from microsoft).

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

I never said Apple was any better. In fact, I completely agree that they're just as bad as Microsoft with their money blackmailing techniques, and maybe even worse.

 

Very well said. Apple is such hypocrites when they point the finger on others charging but who really pays more for what product???

 

I installed Windows 7 on a separate drive with a new partition, so I can choose which OS I want on startup.

I've been using it for a week and with my tasks -- gaming, general computing, office work, etc, it works flawlessly without a hiccup. I've yet to have to boot back into XP Pro to do anything.

Wishmaker is really blowing things out of proportion. Yes, Windows 7 does not work right for some people, but 95% of the programs that 95% of Windows users regularly use will work just fine under Windows 7. If you put it on a separate partition and dual boot there is no reason not to try it out.

 

I would agree 100 percent. I have been using it as my main OS for some time and not one issue. I will most likely not ever go back to the older stuff again.

 

Just because I use my laptop differently than you, does not mean I am "blowing" things out of proportion. W7 in its current state is not a good candidate for a main OS. I am using W7 x64 for quite some time and I've had some hiccups. Why would I say it is great if I cannot make my daily things with it?

I installed a few days ago SP2 RC 1 for Vista and I am having issues with CS4 Master. If you use paint, SP2 RC1 works great.

 

not just as or may be more...they ARE worse..far more worse.

 

that's Adobe's fault..isn't it?

 

Uhmm...it worked with Sp1...I installed SP2....uhmm..adobe was not modified by updates or anything and it has issues. How does this lead to Adobe's fault? Sp2 has some things and now Adobe have to release updates to fix what Sp2 modified.

I still don't see how it is Adobe's fault. Should they hire some fortune teller? You know, to predict in advance and make their software compatible to any MS modification? .


Bottom line, the OS has modified, Adobe needs to get on their bike.

 

I completely disagree. W7 is the most stable, complete OS Microsoft has released since... well, maybe ever. Windows 2000 Pro and XP Pro only became usable after several service packs. W7, from my and others' experience, is a stable OS in its beta form. I think it is almost 100% ready in its current form (which is actually past the public beta).

 

Yes, being an extreme minority does mean you're blowing it out of proportion and it means your opinion does not matter.

It's obvious to everyone here that not everything will work in a beta. What does work is the vast majority of everything the daily user will be using. So in that sense it can be used as a main OS.

 

I actually agree with Wishmaker. A main OS is an OS which is perfect for you, not one that you have to change your demands and daily tasks for. At least, that's when I had in mind when starting this thread.

Either way, I'm thankful for everyone's intput; I will stick with Vista 64bit for now, at least until there's a Win7 version which wouldn't require me to reinstall everything when the final comes out. As I've said when starting my thread, I work around 14-16 hours a day, so I really have no time or patience to be an experiment subject. But of course, power to you guys for testing out Win7 and helping MS make it the best it can be until release.

 

I think we're confusing "main OS" with "perfect OS." No OS is going to be exactly what each person is looking for.

 

Gotcha. If tomorrow you and 30 other NBR members will use the same software like me and encounter issues, you'll be in the same boat and your opinion won't matter.

Great way of thinking.

 

If it's a piece of software that 5% of the population uses, then yes, we will be irrelevant.

It's all about percentages and market penetration of a particular program. If barely anybody uses it then it doesn't matter if it works or doesn't work because it doesn't affect the vast majority. We're talking about a beta OS -- if the small amount of programs that don't work aren't programs you use anyway, then yes, it is suitable for your main OS. I'm postulating that applies to 95-99% of people out there.

You're not getting that concept at all.

 

I think you are confusing Adobe CS4 Master with Paint. You should brainstorm with microsoft on some ideas...


"Power user? Don't buy our software. It is intended for the average person and paint is the best photo editing program".

Don't preach about the economical aspects, I know them. I have a degree in that too.

 

you said it yourself..it's not microsoft's fault that Adobe is lagging behind.

and i'm sure it broke because Adobe used something non-standard.
softwares RARELY break if they follow MS's proper guidelines, afaik.

 

Perfect OS? There is nothing like that. This is very individual matter depending on OS user skills, what you use it for, HW etc etc etc .... Anyway for me perfect is linux with virtualized windows run as guest OS in VirtualBox.
And actually, since i can have as many virtualized OS as i need (as my HDD can hold ) I'll give W7 try for sure.