February 3, 2009

Microsoft decided to make a beta test version of Windows 7 available to the public, so I decided to partition my hard drive and give it a try.  You must understand that any beta software may not be anything like the finished version and you can always expect problems to occur, since it is a test version.

I must say, that other than some older software compatibility issues, I really can't complain too loudly about Windows Vista, and none of my customers have had any major hiccups with it either.  There is more media hype about how bad it is, rather than what the real world has experienced.

The installation of the Windows 7 did not have any problems, except with my sound card.  For some reason, it would just not recognize it.  In order to get it working, I had to download the latest drivers from the manufacturer.  After doing that and coaxing Windows to use it, things have worked OK with it since.

One of my biggest gripes with Windows 7 is the lack of the Windows sidebar.  If you don't have Windows Vista, it is an area on the side where you can have things like a clock, RSS feeds, and an endless supply of downloadable "gadgets" (which is the terminology they use for the items). See below for what it looks like.  If you have a wide screen monitor, it is kind of handy.  It is similar to having things on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen in XP.

What I have gotten used to with the Windows sidebar is setting it so it is always visible.

When I first downloaded the beta, Windows 7 has done away with the sidebar altogether, but they still have gadgets available.  The problem with the sidebar being eliminated is that you have to put the gadgets on the desktop, which means that they are covered up by full screen applications.  If you set them to stay on top of running applications, then they get in the way of using the application, since no matter where you stick them, they are always in the way.

Right now, I guess this whole sidebar thing doesn't really matter, since after some Windows 7 updates, the gadgets don't work at all anymore.  Just love beta products!

The beta does have some minor instability issues, but for the most part, it works well.  My problem is, I can't see anything about it that would make me want to switch from Vista.  The User Account Control doesn't drive you nuts, the way Vista's does, but keep in mind that there are utilities, and probably a service pack for Vista that will make it behave the same way.  This has been the biggest complaint on Vista.  User Account Control prevents someone from back-dooring into your computer and making changes without your authorization.  It does tend to drive you nuts with prompts when installing programs and making changes, but for day to day operation, again, the complaints make it sound worse than it really is.

So far, as far as me personally, I think I like Vista better, but that's just me!