Dell's Early Windows 7 Impressions

[spazoid]

Tindytim

You like bashing ordinary users, calling them ignorant merely because there interests are not the same as yours. I liked your comment very much until the useless, offensive namecalling.

If you go to your autoshop to get your tires changed, or to the barber to get a haircut, do you want him to start bashing at you for not knowing how to do it yourself? Everyone cannot know everything. That's not how the world functions, luckily.

You cannot expect Joe the Plumber to take a course in the use of Linux, just as he doesn't expect you to take a course in elementary plumbing!

User friendlyness, albeit to some (you) "idiot proof" is exactly what is needed. If the Linux distros got this right, along with the proper software support (games is probably the part lacking the most at the moment) I'm sure lots of users would switch from Windows (including me).

I'm a tech guy myself. I work on Windows Servers all day every day, but I have no clue how to use the terminal in Linux and I don't want to read for days just to figure out how to install an application with commands instead of double clicking. Call me an idiot, that want it easy, but why make it harder?

Linux fanboys are always fond of telling everyone how easy it is to install something and manage something, well I'll tell you what. It doesn't make the installed application function any better that it's been installed with via a CLI instead of a GUI. It does the exact same thing.

 

[pocketdrummer]

[citation][nom]yingwuzhao[/nom]no, I don't like Vista, nor Win7 that I tried out. After all the time I spent on testing win7, I went back to linux, where I have the full control. I am thinking the only reason people don't use linux is they do not know how and the learning curve is slightly long, what if most people understand linux, will there still be anybody use windows? I doubt, seriously.(by then suppose all games are perfectly compatible in linux)[/citation]

As long as a user has to use the terminal for simple tasks, Linux will NEVER hold any threat to Microsoft or Apple. Never.

For everyday consumers, it's completely unnecessary to attempt to replace a decent OS that's user friendly with an OS that requires you to memorize a myriad of commands.

I'm not anti-Linux. I'm just not naive. The sweet spot lies somewhere between Linux and OS X. Find that, and you'll really have something.

 

[Tindytim]

[citation][nom]spazoid[/nom]You like bashing ordinary users, calling them ignorant merely because there interests are not the same as yours.[/citation]
No, I call them ignorant because, as far as the topic of conversation goes, they are. If you think I'm saying that to insult them, you'd be wrong. I use the word in a denotative manner, I'm not interested in it's connotations.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ignorant

[citation][nom]spazoid[/nom]If you go to your autoshop to get your tires changed, or to the barber to get a haircut, do you want him to start bashing at you for not knowing how to do it yourself?[/citation]
I don't remember bashing anyone, and I certainly don't remember bashing someone to their face when they asked for me help.

[citation][nom]spazoid[/nom]You cannot expect Joe the Plumber to take a course in the use of Linux[/citation]
I don't remember saying that either, mind point that out?

[citation][nom]spazoid[/nom]User friendlyness, albeit to some (you) "idiot proof" is exactly what is needed.[/citation]
It's needed for the people that are ignorant, and would like to stay that way. And that's fine. I don't need idiot proofing, but I do want a high level of customization, so Linux fills part of my computing niche.

[citation][nom]spazoid[/nom]If the Linux distros got this right, along with the proper software support (games is probably the part lacking the most at the moment) I'm sure lots of users would switch from Windows (including me).[/citation]
That was my whole point of the last paragraph. Most Linux Distros aren't meant for Average Joe. Sure, they have quite a few overlapping niches, but they both have unique ones.

[citation][nom]spazoid[/nom]I'm a tech guy myself. I work on Windows Servers all day every day, but I have no clue how to use the terminal in Linux and I don't want to read for days just to figure out how to install an application with commands instead of double clicking.[/citation]
There are plenty of apps that install with a double click. Just check Getdeb.net for a huge amounts of apps with simple installs on Ubuntu. In fact, in the case of most .debs, I'd say it's easier to install than apps in Windows, I literally just have to confirm what I want to install. I don't have to select a directory, I don't have to select which users I want to install for, I don't have to click a bunch of check boxes to keep a toolbar from installing itself.

My point is that, it's not idiot proof, because you may have to get dirty occasionally. But I rarely have to go into the terminal, hell, I rarely have to open my browser to look for, and install a new application. It's the initial setup, and the occasional needs that create the need for certain knowledge. But it's extremely user friendly if you know a bit about what you're doing. And I'm still learning new things.

Average Joe maybe be able to get by with Ubuntu, if all he did was some basic things like e-mail and IMing. But it's not for him in the first place.

[citation][nom]spazoid[/nom]Call me an idiot, that want it easy, but why make it harder?[/citation]
From my own experience, 95% of the time using Ubuntu is easier than anything else. It's that 5% where the difficult ramps up a little higher. I don't mind learning how to cope with that 5%, so I use it.

[citation][nom]spazoid[/nom]It doesn't make the installed application function any better that it's been installed with via a CLI instead of a GUI. It does the exact same thing.[/citation]
Maybe you haven't used Ubuntu, but I disagree. The graphical method is much better in most cases, it automatically sets up a simple menu system, versus either a much longer configuration, or having access a program from a terminal (or creating a short-cut with a terminal command).

You misunderstand me, as if I'm some sort of Linux fanboy. I happen to like Windows quite a bit (I'm still looking for a Windows 7 t-shirt to go with my Win2k one).

 

[Guest]

I love it...a thread about Windows 7 (which appear by all reports to be a needed improvement on Vista) becomes dominated by Linux versus Windows - mwahaha! "All your desktop are bleong to us." Seriously though, and in a good natured, non-fanboi way, one main reason Windows remains the most popular OS is that it comes preinstalled and most people can't be bothered / never learn how to install another O/S, or even how to reinstall their Windows if needed.

Now, this is not a bad thing, or a negative mark against those people, simply the reality that most people when they buy a computer 'just want it to work and don't care how' - kind of like cars.

For those who do like to tinker, *nix and other open-source software offers a genuinely alternative experience, and one which is steadily improving in both useability and functionality. In my experience since using GNU/Linux (currently running Arch on Desktop, and Ubuntu 9.04b on Laptop) over the past 3 years it has been a genuinely positive experience and feeling of freedom from 'the man'.

To overcome the 'inertia factor', I've installed GNU/Linux distros (mostly Ubuntu) on several family member's computers, and have had universal adoptance and uptake once the initial 'how can I check my email' has been worked through.

So in summary, roll on Windows 7 for those poor souls suffering under Vista, and roll on the continuous evolution that is FOSS

Pax.

 

[SAL-e]

[citation][nom]nukemaster[/nom]I personally had no issues with Vista 64. Lets face it too many companies tried to sell cheap systems with 1gig of ram and vista.[/citation]
I am glad to hear that you don't have problem with Vista and from what I am reading and limited experience with Win 7 you should have no problem with it.
All companies were forced by Microsoft to use Vista.
The bad reputation for Vista is very well deserved, because Microsoft blinded by their dominate market position try to force Vista on everyone very early without taking the time to perfect the OS. At the same time I have to acknowledge that Microsoft is making attempt to fix the issue. So MS is not dead by any stretch of imagination. But I don't see how they fix the fact, that forcing Vista allow many power users to start looking for alternative and many of them have discovered Linux. I see my self using Linux more and more, but my transition has started very long time ago. New users coming to Linux are really testing the Linux distributions them self. For the first time they have to deal with users that are not interested in learning the inter-works of the computer. This is big challenge and TUX communities have to learn some things. For example see how different was interpretation of the word 'ignorant' used by spazoid and Tindytim.

For all Windows users cheers you have better OS coming. All fanboys (Windows, Linux, or OS X) do not spoil the day. It is better day for everyone.

 

[kmansj]

[citation][nom]nukemaster[/nom]I personally had no issues with Vista 64. Lets face it too many companies tried to sell cheap systems with 1gig of ram and vista.My personal system is a Core 2 Quad 3.0 machine with 8 gigs of ram. as such vista's super fetch does great things.[/citation]

You know, last Christmas I went to the Microsoft store for some nearly-free goodies with my sister-in-law, an employee at MS. I'm an XP user (and 64-bit linux user at work as an ASIC designer) who had read, in disbelief, how badly Vista sucked, for years. So I figured, just for entertainment, I'd buy Vista Ultimate 64 ($45 at MS store), install it on a partition, and see how bad it sucked just for fun. So I put in 4GB and a big second disk, and I have to say, I was seriously disappointed.........when it didn't suck. I have a midrange CPU and a beefy DX10 graphics card, and you know -- I think I really prefer it to XP. No issues whatsoever. Win7 beta looks good, so, I'm probably going to make it my primary OS when it comes out. Just need to setup XP in a VirtualBox so my kids' bargain-bin games from Costco can run 🙂

-Khalil

 

[theJ]

I suspect i'll be getting W7 at some point, but not until i get a new computer. My current laptop is way too old to play games, i don't use it for school since i can use school computers, and it's only needed for internet. Why upgrade?

Now when i build my next computer, i'm sure it will have W7. But that's still a year away or so.

 

[Guest]

Been using Win 7 on my MSI Wind netbook and so far I'm impressed. It runs really really well despite the relatively weak hardware on the machine. All features including Aero are working and boot up speed has not never been as fast. Prior to using Win 7, I actually had Mac OS X running on the same machine. The software was running without a glitch but after some time, you get to realize all the things you can't do on a Mac so back to Windows I went. As some pundits have said, Win 7 is what Vista should have been and all I could say is Amen to that.

 

[antilycus]

why fix what currently not broken (xp)

 

[bboysil]

Definitely getting Windows 7 when it goes gold.

 

[Pongobongo]

I teach both XP and Vista, so I am intimately aquainted with both. Both are excellent operating systems. The whole Vista-bloat vs XP things reminds me a lot of XP vs 98 back in the day. It's a next gen OS and you need a next gen machine to run in. If you want to run some crusty old machine, throw Linux on it. If you want to run the latest and greatest OS, get the latest and greatest machine.

We should all be celebrating the fact that this time around Micrsoft is actually taking our input and making the OS we've wanted all along (quick booting and efficient, yet full of new features and eye-candy). If 7 is this good in beta, imagine the awesomeness post SP1!

 

[anamaniac]

I have loved Win7 so far.
Fast, reliable, plays games decently.

I originally picked it up via torrents, but since I got a legit copy from Microsoft.
The only thing I regret is that I forgot to backup 1 major file before reformatting. A simple text document that had some important stuff in it.
Otherwise I also always like doing a clean format. Clear up all that OEM junk.

 

[JonnyDough]

[citation][nom]tayb[/nom]I will paraphrase this comment for you."I have looked at video footage of Windows 7. I am a linux fan boy. I will not try Windows 7. I love linux."[/citation]

Freaking hilarious. Best comment I've ever read. LOL!