"We'll see what happens when Windows 7 is with (customers) all day every day, but I'm cautiously optimistic that we really have hit the right note there," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told me in a phone interview.
What you'll notice is that Windows 7 is snappier than its predecessor, more polished, and simpler to navigate. Screens are less cluttered. It has better search. Windows 7 rarely nags. I've been testing various versions for months on numerous computers. It sure seems more reliable so far. With a few exceptions, compatibility hasn't been a major issue.
It's worth pointing out that Vista received decent notices when it first came out, and Microsoft repaired some problems with the much maligned operating system over time. Despite the fact that it periodically drove me bonkers, I'll probably invite scorn by suggesting Vista sometimes got a bad rap.
But make no mistake. Windows 7 is better. I've run a bevy of third-party programs on Windows 7 machines, including Apple's iTunes, Google's Picasa, Mozilla's Firefox and Intuit's Quicken, without incident. Same goes for connected HP printers, a Canon digital camera, and smartphones such as the iPhone and Palm Pre.
Windows 7 boasts some nifty touch-computing enhancements that I'll elaborate on in a future column. But you'll have to fetch free e-mail, calendar, photo, instant messaging and video-editing programs online from Windows Live Essentials; such programs used to be included in the operating system. Manufacturers may preload some of these.
Windows 7 shows up as Apple continues to run scathingly funny Macintosh ads lampooning PCs. The ads work in part because they indeed strike a raw nerve among the Windows crowd. Apple recently launched a new operating system of its own, Mac OS X Snow Leopard. I have long preferred the Mac operating system to Windows – and still do. Macs are more attractive, and it's hard to beat the bundle of programs Apple includes. Macs haven't been hit with the malware that has plagued Windows. But the improvements in Windows 7 narrow Apple's advantage, and in a couple of instances Microsoft moves past its rival.
It remains to be seen, of course, whether consumers who put off buying a computer because of Vista are ready to take the plunge now. "With Vista it was almost like they had a justifiable reason not to upgrade," says Michael Cherry, an analyst at independent research firm Directions on Microsoft. But he wonders if Windows 7 will be enough to get people to spring for a new machine in this economy.
Microsoft also has to be mindful of an upcoming challenge from Google, which has already brought out a mobile operating system called Android and is readying its "in-the-cloud" Chrome operating system. "I don't even know who the competitor is over at Google," Ballmer says. "Is it Android, is it Chrome, is it something else? Maybe they'll have another operating system to announce."
Based on my tests, you can buy a new PC confident that this latest Windows operating system ought not bog you down. Upgrading an existing computer is less clear-cut. Go for it if you're dissatisfied and running Vista. But if you're running XP, the upgrade decision is more arduous because you have to remove and reinstall your programs. And you'll need a machine that can handle the load: at minimum a 1-gigahertz processor, 1 or 2 gigabytes of RAM and 16 or 20 GB of free disk space, plus high-end graphics.
Here's my takeaway for consumers from Windows 7
Choosing the right edition
As with prior iterations of Windows, there's no single version of Windows 7, which gets confusing. Windows 7 Starter is a bare-bones edition that's pre-loaded on some budget netbooks. It lacks the fancy graphics of its more accomplished siblings. For a few extra bucks, however, even a netbook can run a more complete version of Windows 7.
At the other extreme are the powerhouse Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise editions, for individuals and businesses who crave each and every last feature. Other versions are called Home Basic and Professional. But most consumers will choose what is likely to remain the most popular edition, Home Premium. It costs $120 to upgrade (or $200 for a full retail package).
Look and feel
The most dramatic difference is in the newly customizable taskbar, the collection of icons at the bottom of the screen that resembles the Dock in Mac OS X. You get to decide where to park and rearrange various program icons.
When you hover over an icon with the mouse, a thumbnail preview of the underlying program or file appears, a feature you don't get on a Mac. (Such previews don't appear in the Windows 7 Starter edition.) And each instance of an open file appears as a preview, such as multiple documents in Word. If you hover over an icon for Windows Media Player or iTunes, you can click on the play/pause controls right from the preview window. Mouse over any of the preview windows, and the file in question takes over the entire screen.
You can also conveniently "pin" programs and files so they remain on the taskbar for easy access, perhaps for some project you're working on.
Windows 7 also makes use of handy "jump lists" shortcuts for accessing frequently used files or tasks. They appear when you right-click on an icon. A jump list for iTunes, for example, includes "Go to iTunes Store" and "Search iTunes Store" items. One for Microsoft Word lists recent documents.
The bottom-right edge of the taskbar is less cluttered. Icons for various programs that typically run in the background are consolidated in one hidden view. You have to click on a tiny arrow to see them.
Less intrusive
You'll also find the Action Center on the bottom right corner of the screen, a repository for security alerts and troubleshooting messages that don't necessarily require your immediate attention.
Under Vista, alerts would all-too-frequently appear in distracting pop-up windows, as part of what Microsoft calls "User Account Controls." This has been an area of considerable controversy. You want to be warned of course when a change to your PC can harm your system or threaten your security. But many people thought Microsoft was overly intrusive. The current default setting (which you can change) is to be notified only when programs make changes to your PC, not when you make changes to Windows settings. Folks put off by the pop-ups will appreciate being able to more easily control how often you'll see such messages.
Desktop tricks
Some dandy enhancements are something you expect out of Apple not Microsoft, but give the Windows team its props. You can maximize a window by merely dragging it to the top of the screen. Through a feature dubbed Aero Shake, you can click the top of an open window with the mouse and start shaking the window; any other open windows are minimized onto the taskbar. Bring them back to life by shaking the top of the window again.
If you drag one window to the left side of the screen and another to the right, the windows are resized so you can compare them side to side. Nice.
Files are organized into libraries by common type (music, documents, pictures and videos) making it easier to find them even if they reside in different places.
And if you have a bunch of open windows and just want to peek at your desktop, you can mouse over a narrow bar on the bottom right edge to make all the windows completely see-through.
Networking
Networking is refreshingly simplified. A password-protected HomeGroup feature makes it easier for multiple computers to share printers and files across a home network. I did have to tinker a bit before one PC was able to join the HomeGroup.
Windows 7 may not transport you to seventh heaven. But it's a sturdy operating system in which Microsoft got way more right than it got wrong. It just took awhile to get here.
Story: USA Today
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