Lee Ferree

It’s been a while since I’ve recommended a Windows upgrade to anyone. Most people are running Windows XP and it’s been great (for the most part). In good faith, I couldn’t push people to invest their time and money into Windows Vista. Even with the recent release of SP2 for Vista, the operating system still leaves a lot to be desired. I’ve spent the last couple years doing “down-grades” to Windows XP as a result.

I’ve been running the Windows 7 RTM since its release on TechNet, and I must say, I’m impressed. Not only does it work well on new hardware, but also legacy (Windows XP) hardware. Windows 7 is what Windows Vista “should have” been.

Here’s some reasons you should consider an upgrade to Windows 7 (as I’ve observed):

- You can run Windows 7 on your older Windows XP hardware
- The graphical interface makes common tasks easier for daily use
- Windows 7 boasts a horde of new security features to protect you online
- Software compatibility is improved over Vista (most programs work)
- Networking features are improved, easy to share files and folders, etc.
- File copies are faster, near Linux speeds
- Media Center (for supported versions) is more intuitive and easy to use
- Better support for hardware drivers over Vista
- Memory usage and stability improved over Vista
- Better integration with memory/superfetch for speedier application loading

Those are just a few reasons, based on my observations. To be fair, I had some problems with the beta and RC versions, unlike Windows 2000 and XP. From what I can tell, Microsoft has been listening to its customers to build a better operating system.

Be sure to check out my tweak guides for Windows 7:
Windows 7 Tips, Tricks and Tweaks (Part II)
Microsoft Windows 7 Tips, Tricks and Tweaks