7 Reasons to Avoid Windows 7 (and gparent vs Dr Egg)
393 replies, posted
[quote]Windows 7, which hits stores in October, is shaping up to be the best version of Microsoft’s widely used operating system yet.
But nothing’s perfect. Windows 7, like any product, has flaws — some of them big ones. Wired.com on Tuesday laid out a list of good reasons to upgrade to Windows 7, including an enhanced user interface, improved compatibility with newer hardware and a seamless entertainment experience. (For even more background, see our first look at Windows 7.)
Now let’s look at the other side of the story: The reasons you might consider skipping this upgrade altogether.
[b]Upgrading From Windows XP Requires a Clean Install[/b]
If you’re a Windows XP user, upgrading isn’t as easy as inserting a disc and running the installation. Instead, you must back up your applications and files, wipe your hard drive and perform a clean install of Windows 7. After getting Windows 7 up and running, you must either manually reinstall your software and repurpose your file library or trust Microsoft’s Easy File Transfer to migrate your files for you.
We don’t see this as much of a headache, because data backups should be performed regardless of whether you’re switching to a new OS. Plus, a fresh install is preferable to ensure clean performance. But we understand why this would bug many XP users. For one, it’s time-consuming. For another, many are sensitive about their data, and they don’t trust Microsoft. (We don’t blame them.) Third, if XP is working fine for you, why fix something that isn’t broken?
Vista users, on the other hand, can upgrade to Windows 7 without a clean install. They might as well climb out of that train wreck, since it’s easy.
[b]The Upgrade Is Expensive[/b]
Windows 7 isn’t cheap. Pricing varies based on the version you choose, but you’ll be paying at least $120 to upgrade from XP or Vista. And if you don’t already own a copy of a Windows OS, you must pay the full price of at least $200 for Windows 7.
In the software market, $120 isn’t ridiculous for an upgrade. Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard costs $130, for instance. However, Apple plans to sell its next OS, Mac OS X Snow Leopard, for $30 to current Leopard users. This Apple power move alone makes Windows 7’s pricing look pretty steep.
[b]It’ll Cost You Time, Too[/b]
The customers most likely to opt against upgrading to Windows 7 because of money are businesses. Joe Ansel, owner of a company that plans development of science centers, wrote in an e-mail to Wired.com stating his reasons for not upgrading to Windows 7: “Upgrades cost us time and money as we find ourselves playing with our computers to make them do the things they used to do seamlessly — while the phone never stops ringing and you’re getting 60 e-mails a day. Make no mistake, as a business owner, the cost of the upgrade itself is nothing compared to the lost wages trying to get the new OS to do what the old one did.”
Ansel added that companies running obscure software will also feel disinclined to switch. Microsoft promises Windows 7 will support almost every piece of software compatible with XP, and in the few cases it doesn’t, there’s an XP virtualization mode ensuring backward compatibility. Still, companies invest thousands of dollars to create a stable IT environment, and it’s understandable why they wouldn’t wish to upset their non-Apple cart.
[b]It’s Still Windows[/b]
Despite delivering an intuitive, modern interface in Windows 7, this OS is still Windows. In our first look at Windows 7, we complained about the OS’s inability to recognize an Adobe AIR file followed by its failure to search for software to run the file.
Also, Windows 7 doesn’t immediately know what to do with some pretty obvious tasks. When you insert a thumb drive, for example, you must tell Windows 7 what to do with it (i.e. open the folder and view the files) and customize a setting to get the OS to automatically behave that way. In short, when getting started you’ll have to do a lot of tweaking and customizing to get moving smoothly. That’s unfortunately an experience all Windows users are accustomed to — things don’t “just work.”
[b]Security Isn’t Automatically Better[/b]
Computerworld’s Steven Vaughan-Nichols stands firm that Windows 7 won’t change anything from a security perspective: “Windows 7 still has all the security of a drunken teenager in a sports car,” he wrote. “Millions of lazy Windows users are the reason why the internet is a mess. If you already do all the right things to keep XP running safely, you’re not going to get any safer by buying Windows 7.”
Good point. Because Windows 7 is still Windows, you’re again the primary target of attack for hackers and virus coders. Therefore, it’s up to you to protect yourself with anti-virus software and running update patches to keep the OS as secure as possible. (Compare this experience to Mac OS X Leopard, for which many don’t even run anti-virus software, because it’s more secure out-of-the-box compared to Windows.) Though Windows 7 does deliver some security enhancements, such as data encryption for thumb drives, and a feature for IT administrators to control which applications can run on a corporate network, these are not general security improvements that change much for the overall user experience.
[b]Built-In Support for Egregious Hardware-Based DRM[/b]
Paranoid XP users won’t wish to upgrade to Windows 7 for the same reason they didn’t switch to Vista: Like Vista, Windows 7 includes support for digital rights management technologies that could potentially regulate how you use your media. Though some alarmists have called Microsoft’s DRM “draconian,” the implemented DRM hasn’t proved to bear significant consequences yet.
Ars Technica provides a thorough explanation of the DRM in question. In short, the technologies called Protected Video Path (PVP) and Protected User Mode Audio (PUMA) provide secure playback of video and audio media, respectively. “Little or no media actually demands the use of the protected paths, so on most users’ systems, Windows never invokes them,” wrote Ars Technica’s Peter Bright. “Play back unprotected media on a Vista machine, and the DRM subsystems simply don’t get used.”
Still, there are going to be people cringing in fear that one day PUMA and PVP will screw them over. And for that reason they’ll be sticking with XP — or a totally open OS like Linux.
[b]Snow Leopard Is Almost Here[/b]
Apple’s next-generation Snow Leopard is arriving September — a month before Windows 7. Apple is promising its OS will deliver on many of the improvements Microsoft highlights in Windows 7 — 64-bit addressing, improved efficiency with task management on multiple processors, and others. It’s undetermined which OS is better, but from my own perspective as a long-time Mac user, I will say I already prefer the current Mac OS X Leopard to Windows 7. If you’re looking (or willing) to switch to a radically different OS, then OS X Snow Leopard is an option to consider before committing to Windows 7.
[b]Conclusion[/b]
Do the cons outweigh the pros? That probably depends on how committed you already are to Windows. If you’re currently using Windows Vista, the upgrade to Windows 7 is a no-brainer. Most of those currently using Windows XP should also upgrade, to take advantage of Windows 7’s usability, enhanced device support, and other features. But if you’re currently using a Linux distribution or a version of Mac OS X, Windows 7 isn’t going to offer much to get you to switch.[/quote]
[url]http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/7-reasons-to-avoid-windows-7/[/url]
It's pretty obvious that this guy is a macfag
[quote]Snow Leopard Is Almost Here[/quote]
:downs:
Screw Windows 7, Fedora 12 is coming out this fall.
It doesn't matter how cheap Leopard is, you've already overpaid for the hardware.
Almost all of those are horrible reasaons, execpt for maybe price..
Well, having to wipe my harddrive to upgrade to Windows 7 is a bitch, as I have a lot of things I would like to keep and I don't have anything to back it all up on.
[quote][b]The Upgrade Is Expensive[/b]
....
[b]Snow Leopard Is Almost Here[/b][/quote]
"Don't pay $100+ for Windows 7, pay $1000+ for a new mac!"
I'm not bothered about Windows 7 anyway, I tried it and it just seems alot like another service pack update for vista with a new shell theme placed on top.
May as well just stick with Vista.
The argument "It's still Windows" is especially stupid. What he was essentially saying was that you shouldn't upgrade from Windows 95 to Windows 7 because it's "The same".
Oh look, another stupid macfaggot.
Macs are computers meant for children.
I paid £45 for my retail copy of Home Premium. That's $74. Your point is invalid.
Also, getting Snow Leopard requires me having a mac.
that man is a fucking retard
[quote]But if you’re currently using a Linux distribution or [b]a version of Mac OS X[/b][/quote]
This article is basically "7 reasons to avoid Windows 7 if you're on a Mac", he just tries to disguise it with his first point about XP.
[QUOTE=he-did-it-->;16835788]I paid £45 for my retail copy of Home Premium. That's $74. Your point is invalid.
Also, getting Snow Leopard requires me having a mac.[/QUOTE]
Did you pre-order yours from Currys?
Someone should email the author and ask him how much Apple paid him to write it.
[quote=he-did-it-->;16835788]i paid £45 for my retail copy of home premium. That's $74. Your point is invalid.
Also, getting snow leopard requires me having a mac.[/quote]
how
[B]Upgrading From Windows XP Requires a Clean Install[/B]: [B]GOOD[/B]. Shouldn't you be reformatting every 3 months anyways so your computer isn't bogged down with all the shit that's scraped off on it?
[B]The Upgrade Is Expensive[/B]: Boo hoo I can afford a 2000$ computer with high tech peripherals but when it comes down to operating systems I have to be as stingy as possible.
[B]It’ll Cost You Time, Too[/B]: Oh god one day without the computer. I'm going into cardiac arrest.
[B]It’s Still Windows[/B] -> When you insert a thumb drive, for example, you must tell Windows 7 what to do with it (i.e. open the folder and view the files): Yeah cause I [B]want[/B] every program and picture inside my thumbdrive to splatter all over my screen, or for it to automatically go into slideshow.
[B]Security Isn’t Automatically Better[/B]: Fuck that shit, I don't want some apple made program guarding my computer, [B]I want to choose my own protection[/B].
[B]Built-In Support for Egregious Hardware-Based DRM[/B]: I've been using Windows 7 for months and [B]not once[/B] have I come across any DRM that prevented me from doing what I wanted to do.
[B]Snow Leopard Is Almost Here[/B]: Last time I used an Apple OS, it took me half an hour just to figure out how to save files to directories that weren't predefined. Mac users should stay on macs, Windows users should never be recommended a Mac OS because the similarly designed workstation is just a guise for a more confusing maze underneath.
[B]Conclusion[/B]: I hope your paycheck from apple for this article buys you a nice pair of shoes, but these lies haven't changed my opinions on Windows and OS X/Snow Leopard.
I want windows 7 but right now a new OS isn't a financial priority since vista does the job I need it to do
Upgrading isn't good anyway. Do a clean install or migration.
Also as for the Snow Leopard thing: [url]http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=1114[/url]
[QUOTE=Whats This?v4;16835655]Well, having to wipe my harddrive to upgrade to Windows 7 is a bitch, as I have a lot of things I would like to keep and I don't have anything to back it all up on.[/QUOTE]
buy some dvds. like $5
I'm looking at these reasons and I don't think any of them are any good at all
All the comments on there are flaming :smug:
[QUOTE=ORGLAR;16835786]Oh look, another stupid macfaggot.
Macs are computers meant for children.[/QUOTE]
Overpriced fisher price "my first computer"
[QUOTE=dcss;16836631]buy some dvds. like $5[/QUOTE]
or a external harddrive
[QUOTE=Leintharien;16836131][B]Upgrading From Windows XP Requires a Clean Install[/B]: [B]GOOD[/B]. Shouldn't you be reformatting every 3 months anyways so your computer isn't bogged down with all the shit that's scraped off on it?[/QUOTE]No, not really. That's a Windows thing.
[QUOTE=Leintharien;16836131][B]The Upgrade Is Expensive[/B]: Boo hoo I can afford a 2000$ computer with high tech peripherals but when it comes down to operating systems I have to be as stingy as possible.[/QUOTE]Like it or not, that's his only good point. Spending a lot of money on an operating system isn't really fun.
The guy is out of his mind, clearly. He claims things without backing them up at all - Windows is more secure than Mac OS, however funny that sounds, simply because Windows supports ASLR and Mac OS doesn't. If you want more security, go for Linux.
Let's go through this idiot's Cons
[b]Upgrading From Windows XP Requires a Clean Install[/b]
Boo fucking hoo, so does going from 32bit to 64bit. If you do an upgrade install, you're an idiot anyways.
[b]Third, if XP is working fine for you, why fix something that isn’t broken?[/b]
XP is a 7 year old piece of shit. It's more prone to viruses than Vista and 7, it's lifecycle is about to end, and it doesn't support new technologies like DirectX 10/11 and has crippled 64bit support compared to Vista/7.
[b]Vista users, on the other hand, can upgrade to Windows 7 without a clean install. They might as well climb out of that train wreck[/b]
I'm so sick of the Vista haters. Vista wasn't a train wreck and in a lot of places it's superior to 7.
[b]The Upgrade Is Expensive[/b]
No shit, every other version of Windows is too. You should've bought it when it was $50. And Snow Leopard is only $29 because it's nothing but a service pack, and you've already paid $2000 for the computer.
[b]It’ll Cost You Time, Too[/b]
According to this idiot's logic, companies should get macs because they're so much better than PCs for business :downs:
[b]It’s Still Windows[/b]
Windows isn't going to open an adobe file because hey guess what, it's 3rd party software. Searching for a program would be cool, i'll admit, but bashing windows because it can't natively open an adobe file is really really stupid.
And to his second part - Wow, some people may not want to open a folder when they plug in a flash drive. It's not a series of loops, it's a customization thing. If you find it that hard to click "open device", you're a moron.
[b]Security Isn’t Automatically Better[/b]
[b]DUH[/b]. Why does Windows get so many viruses? Because so many people use it. The reason Macs don't get viruses is because nobody wants to code one, because it would be pointless. Windows Vista has amazing security alone, and Windows 7 builds on that. I haven't used an antivirus scanner in 2 years because of it, there's no need for one because it does fine on its own.
[b]Built-In Support for Egregious Hardware-Based DRM[/b]
If you're scared over DRM you need to get over yourself, there hasn't been a single time in the 3 years i've used Vista that it's yelled at me about DRM. I can watch HD-DVDs and BLU-RAYs just fine, the only content protection you'll get is if you don't have a HDCP monitor, and this is the same way for everything, including regular BLU-RAY and HD-DVD players.
[b]Snow Leopard Is Almost Here[/b]
Because PC users should totally install Snow Leopard on their PCs :downs:
[b]Conclusion[/b]
This guy is a retarded macfag.
[QUOTE=Jimmy422;16838204]I'm so sick of the Vista haters. Vista wasn't a train wreck and [b]in a lot of places it's superior to 7.[/b][/QUOTE]
Can you give some examples? Just curious, never heard anyone say this before.
Why the flying fuck do I care about businesses?
When people tell me not to use Vista/Seven it's almost always because it's a pain in the ass for IT Departments or some shit.
Guess what.
[b]I'm not a fucking IT Technician at your shitty company[/b]
BRB gunna troll /g/
upgrade is only 50 bucks assuing you have 3 pc's running vista
[img]http://imgkk.com/i/61Y79C.png[/img]
whoah
[QUOTE=Roast Beast;16835663]"Don't pay $100+ for Windows 7, pay $1000+ for a new mac!"[/QUOTE]
Or 30 to just upgrade to the new OS.
I will admit, Microsoft should model Apple when it comes to their OS prices.
The only thing he's right about is the last point (the rest is just fanboy nonsense). It's definitely worth upgrading if you're still with XP or a Vista user. There's no reason for me to switch back from OSX, seeing as I use windows so little now (and I do have the RC until 2010, if I haven't deleted my bootcamp partition by then) and even less so when I go to college in September. Microsoft have made a great job with 7, it's the best experience I've ever had with Windows, it's much much smoother than Vista or XP. I'll obviously be gettin Snow leopard, but I do actually have a mac (I will be formatting as well, not upgrading).
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