Windows 7 or Vista?

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Better hardware is all well and good... but can you guarantee that Windows XP will be supported with the new generation of video cards coming out? Seeing as how they will be DX11 and only Vista and Win 7 will support DX11... it makes sense that the card vendors would only worry about drivers for Vista and Win 7.

Other than that, performance will be roughly the same across all OSes... so whether you go with Vista or 7 doesn't matter. Anything older is a question mark at this point.
 
windows 7 is a way to collect money every 3 years for an operating system, it will be everything they promised us vista was gonna be. and eventually they will have to repackage and rename it again to make more money. so if you dont like vista, you wont like 7, unless a cosmetic face-life is all your after.
 



The changes are a bit more than cosmetic. Here's a partial list of the surface changes. Pardon for the occasional marketing fluff, as this is cut/pasted. There are also other changes not listed - One that comes to mind is a new monitor color calibration utility.

Source: http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/ff.asp


Action Center
While previous versions of Windows included a feature called Windows Security Center that monitored the various security features of the system, Windows 7 takes this functionality to the next level with Action Center. In addition to monitoring security, Action Center also monitors the OS's maintenance features and consolidates alerts from numerous Windows features into a single interface. Read more...

Aero Peek
This replacement for Show Desktop in Windows 7 lets you "peek" behind all of the open windows on your desktop and easily view and Windows Gadgets or files on your desktop. You can also peek into the contents of specific open windows. Read more...

Aero Shake
Windows 7 includes a unique new way to minimize all windows except for the currently selected window: Just grab it by the title bar and shake vigorously. It's called Aero Shake! Read more.

Aero Snaps
By dragging open windows in certain ways, you can "snap" them to the edges of the screen, maximize, or minimize. This obviates the need to click tiny onscreen elements, making these features more accessible to users. Read more...

Aero Themes
In Windows 7, Microsoft combines various system preferences--including the desktop background, the Aero glass window color, the system sounds, and the screen saver--into Aero Themes you can customize, save, and share with others.Read more...

Bitlocker To Go
The full-drive encryption feature that first debuted in Windows Vista has been updated in Windows 7 to support removable USB storage devices like flash memory drives and portable hard drives. Read more...

Calculator
The Windows Calculator utility inexplicably receives a major upgrade in Windows 7 with calculation history, unit conversion, calculation templates, data calculations, and other new features. Read more...

Scenic Ribbon, Paint, and WordPad
Microsoft has evolved the Ribbon control from Office 2007 and made it part of the operating system in Windows 7. This new version of the Ribbon, called the scenic Ribbon, is used by two Windows 7 applications, Paint and WordPad, and can be used by third party applications going forward as well. Read more...

Windows Experience Index
The Windows Experience Index continues in Windows 7, but like Nigel's amp in "Spinal Tap," it now goes to 11. Well, to 7.9. Read more...

Windows Gadgets
The Windows Sidebar disappears in Windows 7, but the Gadgets continue on and are integrated with the desktop. Read more...

Windows Live Essentials
Available as an optional download, Windows Live Essentials is an application suite that includes a number of new versions of classic Windows applications, including Windows Live Mail (email and calendar), Windows Live Photo Gallery (photos), Windows Live Messenger (instant messaging), Windows Live Movie Maker (video editing), Windows Live Family Safety (enhanced parental controls), and more. Read more...

Windows Taskbar
The Windows Taskbar has been dramatically enhanced in Windows 7 to minimize clutter. New Taskbar features like Jump Lists, fly-over and full-screen icon previews, and more. Read more...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

More new Windows 7 features

Accessibility improvements. Microsoft has revamped the accessibility features in Windows 7 with improved speech recognition and a new Magnifier utility with full-screen and lens-mode views.

Backup and Restore. Windows Vista's stellar backup and restore features have been streamlined and simplified in Windows 7. Like its predecessor, Windows 7 supports both data backup and image-based system backup, but now the UIs are more segregated.

Blu-Ray support Windows 7 natively supports Blu-Ray optical discs and enables you to write to Blu-Ray recordable media.

Credential Manager The new and improved Windows 7 Credential Manager lets you save credentials, like user names and passwords, so that you can more easily logon on to Web sites, networked computers, and other resources automatically. Credentials are saved in the Windows Vault and can be backed up and restored to encrypted Managed Information Card (MIC) files. (Credential Manager uses Windows CardSpace technology.)

Device Stage This Longhorn-style user experience will be made available for multi-function devices such as smart phones, multifunction printers, portable media players, and the like. Through this UI, you'll be able to access the features that are unique to each device. Each Device Stage page can be extensively customized by the device maker.

Devices and Printers This activity center provides a central location for interacting with any hardware devices--digital cameras, mice, displays, keyboards, and the like--that may be attached to your PC.

DirectAccess This feature is aimed at business users who need to securely access corporate network resources while away from the office. Essentially a simple replacement for VPN connections, DirectAccess requires Windows Server 2008 R2 on the server-side.

DirectX 11 Windows 7 includes the latest version of the DirectX multimedia libraries.

Display improvements Windows 7 includes numerous improvements related to computer displays, including integrated display color calibration, improved high DPI support, ClearType, and improved support for external displays. A new Windows Key + P keyboard shortcut helps you easily switch between connected displays.

Getting Started This replacement for Windows Vista's Welcome Center no longer appears the first time you boot into the Windows desktop, but it still provides a central location for discovering new features, personalizing the system, transferring data from your previous Windows PC, and discovering and launching other common tasks.

HomeGroup Microsoft has consolidated the most common network-based sharing tasks into a single simple interface called HomeGroup. Computers in a HomeGroup can easily share documents, digital media files, and printers over a home network.

Internet Explorerp. Windows 7 ships with the latest version of Microsoft's Web browser, Internet Explorer 8.

Libraries In Windows 7, Microsoft has realized a long-term goal to replace the static special shell folders from previous Windows versions and replace them with virtualized shell locations that aggregate content from a variety of physical locations. Libraries are implemented as virtual folders and the views they present are the results of search queries. Libraries are also the basis for HomeGroup file and digital media content sharing.

Location-Aware Printing Windows 7 utilizes different default printers for each of the network locations you've configured on the system so you won't mistakenly print a child's school project to the work printer. When you're at work, you'll print to the work printer, and when you're at home, you'll print to the home printer.

MinWin The componentized core of Windows 7, which includes both the traditional operating system kernel as well as the minimum necessary surrounding support technologies to create a bootable (and, for Microsoft, testable) system. Note that, in Windows 7, MinWin isn't a feature per se but is rather the foundation upon which the rest of the OS is built.

Parental Controls The parental control functionality that debuted in Windows Vista is updated in Windows 7 to support multiple games rating systems and parental control providers.

Power Config Windows 7 includes a new Power Config utility that provides reports identifying problems, settings, applications, and other things that may be reducing the power efficiency of your PC.

Problem Steps Recorder Windows 7 includes a new utility called the Problem Steps Recorder that captures screen shots of the steps a user is taking so that help desk personnel can provide a fix without physically having to visit the desktop.

ReadyBoost ReadyBoost first appeared in Windows Vista, providing users with a way to cheaply and easily improve the performance of their PCs by utilizing a USB memory key as a memory cache. In Windows 7, ReadyBoost is improved in numerous way: It supports multiple memory devices, can work with USB memory keys, Secure Digital (SD) memory cards, and other internal flash devices, and supports over 4 GB of storage.

Sensor support Windows 7 includes support for hardware-based sensors, including GPS-based location sensors.

Start Menu (Enhanced). The Windows 7 Start Menu is an enhanced version of the Start Menu that debuted in Windows Vista.

Startup Repair While this useful tool did debut with Windows Vista, it wasn't installed on PCs by default. In Windows 7, it is installed into the OS partition automatically and appears automatically when the system can't boot properly, fixing any problems and returning the system to its normal booting state.

Sticky Notes The Sticky Notes utility loses the bizarre Windows XP-style interface from previous Windows versions and supports ink and text input.

System Restore The Windows 7 version of System Restore works as before, providing a way to non-destructively return a PC to a previous point in time, but is more reliable, predictable, and effective than its predecessors.

Tablet PC After making Tablet PC functionality available more broadly in Windows Vista, Microsoft is improving this technology in Windows 7 with better handwriting recognition that has improved accuracy, speed, and support for math expressions, personalized custom dictionaries, and 13 new languages.

User Account Control While much reviled by certain users, the User Account Control (UAC) feature that debuted in Windows Vista played a huge role in making that system the most secure Windows version yet. In Windows 7, UAC is extensively updated to be less annoying, and the overall system has been fine-tuned to minimize the number of UAC prompts that interrupt users.

View Available Networks Windows 7 includes a new Jump List-based utility for finding and connecting to Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, dial-up, and VPN connections. Unlike the similar UI in Windows Vista, this utility, called View Available Networks, does not require you to navigate through a series of dialogs and windows.

Virtual Hard Disk support. Windows 7 allows you to mount a Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) as a drive in Explorer so that you can navigate its contents like a physical hard disk. It also supports the ability to boot from VHD images.

VPN Reconnect Windows 7 users who still need to make traditional VPN connections will benefit from a new VPN Reconnect feature that automatically reestablishes a VPN connection when you temporarily lose Internet connectivity.

Windows Anytime Upgrade This utility debuted in Windows Vista but was found to be too confusing for most users, so the electronic upgrade capability was removed. In Windows 7, Windows Anytime Upgrade returns to electronic upgrading and Microsoft promises you'll be able to upgrade from one version of Windows 7 to another in about 10 minutes now.

Windows Defender The malware and spyware protection utility from Windows Vista continues in Windows 7 with a few changes: It's been integrated into the new Action Center and its centralized notification system. But Defender also drops the useful Software Explorer feature, so users will have to look elsewhere for a way to prevent unwanted applications from running a startup.

Windows Easy Transfer The Windows Easy Transfer utility that debuted in Windows Vista has been substantially updated with a new user interface and new capabilities. As before, Easy Transfer helps you transfer files, folders, and program and system settings from your previous Windows install to your new one. This time around, however, the process is simpler and more streamlined.

Windows Explorer Microsoft has significantly updated Windows Explorer yet again in Windows 7, this time with a new toolbar, a resizable search box, and a new navigational pane.

Windows Live Windows 7 integrates with a growing collection of Windows Live services, including Windows Live Photos, Windows Live Profile, Windows Live People, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Home, Windows Live SkyDrive, Windows Live Groups, Windows Live Calendar, Windows Live Events, Windows Live Hotmail, and more.

Windows Media Center Microsoft's ten-foot UI for digital media content is improved with a slightly enhanced user interface, multi-touch support, HomeGroup integration, and various global broadcast TV standards.

Windows Media Player Microsoft's media player received a major makeover in Windows 7 with several new features, including enhanced DVD playback, a sleek new Now Playing mode, dramatically improved format compatibility (including AAC and H.264), Windows Taskbar Jump List customization, PC-to-PC and Internet-based media streaming, and a new Play To feature.

Windows PowerShell Windows 7 ships with the Windows PowerShell 2.0 scripting environment and the Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE).

Windows Search Windows 7 comes with the latest version of Windows Search, and unlike the version that first shipped with Windows Vista, you can now obtain instant search results from network-based file shares as well as local hard drives. Microsoft has also improved the performance of local searches, sorting, and grouping.

Windows Touch Windows 7 builds on the Tablet PC and touch capabilities from previous Windows versions and adds pervasive support for multi-touch. All of the major UI components, including the Start Menu, Windows Taskbar, and Explorer, are touch-friendly in Windows 7.

Windows Troubleshooting This new Windows 7 feature diagnoses and resolves common operating system and hardware issues. It works automatically, or you can visit the Troubleshooting control panel to find problems to troubleshoot. Windows Troubleshooting integrates with Action Center so you'll be notified when relevant new troubleshooters from Microsoft and third parties are made available.

Windows Update Microsoft's utility for downloading and installing system updates has been enhanced in Windows 7 to take advantage of changes in the security model and to better expose optional and featured updates.

Windows XP Mode Formerly called Virtual Windows XP (VXP), this solution provides users with the ability to run many older Windows XP applications in a virtual Windows XP environment, side-by-side with native Windows 7 applications.

Wireless Device Network Finally, Windows gains a way to use your wireless-equipped laptop as a wireless access point for other PCs when you're connected to a wired network.

XPS Viewer While Windows Vista users are forced to use Internet Explorer to view XML Paper Specification (XPS) documents--essentially Microsoft's PDF knock-off--Windows 7 gains a dedicated XPS Viewer application.
Click to expand...
 
well, i switched from vista SP2 x64 to Win7 x64 RC, not really any faster for games, though i do think it is a bit snappier and much faster startup/shutdown

in reality, what does it matter, maybe 1-2 fps gain
 
What amazes me is that people would rather have an OS (XP) that places music under C: then Documents and Settings then Your profile name (Mark or whatever) then My Documents then Music (Pictures are also here but not all of your data). When Vista is so much more logical. It is C: then Users (what a complex name, I can easily see you you could get confused..(sarcasm)) then your User name (Mark or whatever) then: ALL OF YOUR DATA! Ta daaaaaa! Right here at your profile name is: Music, Pictures, Contacts, Favorites, Desktop, Searches, Videos and more... How cool can it get? Also you are only two clicks for that spot: The Start (Orb) and viola! Just click on your name. Every piece of personal data you have saved should be right here. Not much of a learning curve if you ask me. I am a PC Consultant and I have yet to hear from a customer one good reason to dislike Vista. Almost every response to the question, "What don't you like about Vista?" is "I read or heard it has problems". One customer told me they hated the ribbon and weird choices at the top of the screen". I then explained that they hated Office 2007 and it had absolutely nothing to do with Vista. Apple management was rightly worried when Vista was first released and did a wonderful "hatchet job" on it. The mileage they got from the Laurel and Hardy look-a-likes is nothing short of staggering! Apple indeed has its flaws (if you don't believe me just Google "why I don't like my MAC" (there are 118 million responses). Admittedly there is a lot of duplication in that search. I am also a beta tester for Windows 7 and I find it improved. M$ has been under attack for not allowing the competition to flourish so to meet the demands some features such as an email client (Windows Mail) has been excluded. Now the complainers can plug in whatever they want as their email client. It is funny though, that Apple has an OS that leaves little or no room for any third party software and brags that it comes with everything you need right out of the box. Talk about your double standards!
 
I'm with habitat87 on this one. I absolutely hate it that the OS decides to put a bunch of junk folders into my profile - so I put everything in an entirely different folder tree altogether and never go anywhere near the "My Documents" folder. I just have one link in "My Documents" to my real folder so that I can quickly get to my files from the standard dialogue boxes.
 
Windows has always offered the far greater flexibility and Vista (and its upgrade Windows 7) are the best yet. You can keep your data in an encrypted vault in Borneo if you prefer. I have found that most non-technicals are content having a safe and predictable place that all of their daily input is stored. I have about 800 customers (families) that I have assisted throughout a 15 year period and they with very few exceptions find a central location for all data to be comfortable. You can use desktop shortcuts, the new Favorite Links shortcuts, Key sequences (without a mouse), and even voice command with a little extra configuration. Windows has always had three or four different ways to do the same thing and virtually unlimited choices in software, some excellent, and some not so good. I see Windows as the wild wild west of computing and the MAC as the structured and therefore more limited eastern coast (of US development in the 1800's). I also often wonder where computing would be if the code-writers did not have to contend with the destructive side of hacking? If it can be broken they do it and gain an odd respect from most techies.
 
defiantly windows 7, if u ask me, its a lot faster than vista, and it defiantly is a lot more efficient when it comes to the amount of ram it uses, its no longer a ram hog, just buy a vista to 7 upgrade disc (its a lot cheaper than the full win 7 disc) and u will be able to update vista to it. and if u ask me, i can't go one more day with vista, im currently using windows 7 Rc build 7100, and when the RTM is out on october 22nd, i will defiantly be getting a copy
 



Um you know, like I heard that some guys, down the younder their, said it sucked and had like ya all know compability issues. :pt1cable:


So how do ya all like them apples!heh
 


any compatibility issues would be with ones that happened in vista, if it works with vista, it will work with windows 7 because of how the core is so similar, which is y the actual version of windows 7 is windows 6.1 (computer > help> about windows) and so anything that works with vista works with 7, and hardware venders no that, and seeing how if i walk into a store and everything says it works with vista, then it will work with 7 and soon windows 7 things will be out, and i've noticed that on some gigabyte motherboards they already have said its windows 7 compatible, so if u have vista, 7 will not have isuues, if u have xp, u might want to upgrade some hardware or get a new comp, its probably time, that or its posible the hardware u have will work with 7, but only if it works with vista also.


and as for gaming from what i no, because windows 7 is a lot better with memory management, it will be better, that and it has some stuff built in to enhance graphic performance. that and it has support for dx11, and so will vista, dx11 will work with vista, that and dx10 GPUs r some what compatible with dx 11 (i believe its only dx10.1 GPUs) though dx11 will still be best on 7 compared to vista cuz of the performance enhancements, were when it comes to windows XP, will, performance wise, im not sure, but without support for dx 11 or even dx10 for that matter, its not worth it, so upgrade
 
OH know you had to open pandora's box, if I have XP, upgrade you say, new computer, its probably time...... Vista and Windows 7 is the Devil!!! along with upgrading your hardware, and buying new computers, the devil I tell you!!! :sarcastic: :lol:
 


well no, not necessarily, though u should upgrade to windows 7, u might not need to upgrade ur hardware, unless its not compatible with windows 7, and u would no that by if its compatible with vista, how ever, u should upgrade if u can, and yes vista is the devil, but windows 7 isn't.
 
Well Win7man,

I guess I don't have anything to worry about with my rigs then, because I haven't had any problems with Vista 64 bit from day one, even without Service pack 1 and no problems with Windows 7 64 bit. I have been running Windows 7 for several months now and I find my self not booting with Vista for days on end on my main rig. I like Vista 64 bit, just seem to like Windows 7 RC 7100 64 bit better.
 
i agree with u a lot, im in the same situation as u, only that im not using 64 bit, manly due to software compatibility and i don't need it, when the day comes that i do, well hopefully 32 bit wont last so we can all benefit from 64 bit and software will run optimized and good on 64 bit, plus the number of windows version will be cut in half
 
that and if u have xp, and want to upgrade to windows 7, u can't jsut pop in the disc and upgrade like u can with vista cuz its not suported, u would need to do a clean install, now i believe there is a way u can get around this, but its not as simple as a vista to windows 7 upgrade, which u dont need to get around cuz it works fine, microsoft just said 7 changed to much from xp for the upgrade, which is bull cuz if they wanted to do it they could
 
I have the 32 bit Windows 7 in a older 939 socket build. I am running 64 bit in all my other builds, 2 Quads and a Dual 6400 B.E and no problems for me at all with any software not running right or lack of driver support. I don't blame microsoft when a third partys software, or hardware doesn't support 64 bit, I blame the company I bought the product from or I just don't buy there products. I haven't been on XP for 2 years now.
 
i agree, but the reason y im saying microsoft should have only 64 bit is that it would make it so all software is optimized for 64bit, this way 64 bit users can benefit, and so can everyone, cuz a think 64 bit only needs 2 GB ram min, and that's kinda average on new comps now, so if we all had 64 bit, there would not be these compatibility issues, or lack of software optimized for 64 bit
 


Personally, I have some newer graphics programs that tend to run badly (if at all) in XP 32 bit, but will run just fine, thank you, in Vista / Win7 64 bit. I think that as newer software becomes released, XP will just become as irrelevant as Win95 was when XP was released. Corporates with legacy apps will need to re-code those apps at some point in time, or possibly move to a virtualized environment to run them.
 
Well to refer back to Crocs Question,

What compatibility issues? I have had none, I guess I am just one of the lucky ones running Vista 64 bit and Windows 7 64 bit. Now XP 64 bit, theres some compatibility issues.
 
yeah, it think the only compatibility issues would be with xp to windows 7 hardware, or maybe software, but only few apps out there dont work with vista and 7, and once 7 is out, they will likely be updated, if not threes no reason y u should use the app, that or use XP mode in windows 7 ultimate of professional to fix that problem ( and games will not work for this, any manger games will run on vista and windows 7, only few free mmo games will not run on vista and 7) but for the most part, i think its all good, once 7 is out anyways, more things will work with it than before because software and hardware venders should update there stuff for 7 because of how ppl will be using 7 more than vista is used today, that or they should , because the future of these companies depend on it
 
I agree Croc,

That is just the nature of the beast, there is always something right around the bend, even if it has some flaws, that get worked out in time, that might just be an improvement over todays offerings. Steps for advancement is a good thing.
 
Well Judging based on my experience in the last two years with Vista 64 bit, and in the last several months with Windows 7 64 bit, it has been all good, and is getting better. The day I started building my own computers, and stop buying pre built junk at BestBuy, and other stores, My user experience with computers has been better then good, it has been awsome. I notice that I also have less compatibility issues and rigs that are much more stable.
 
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