I'm on my corporate XP machine right now, and it is painful.
Windows 7 isn't just a shameless money grab. Its a real, fully polished modern OS and the logical next step from XP. I can't wait to get home everyday to my 7 machine. Everything about that experience is better.
They've made my job as a tech much harder with Vista and also 7. System restore no longer keeps copies of the registry in a form that is accessible, and the "repair install" portion of the XP installer which I've used to fix hundreds of PCs without having to reinstall the user's software - Still missing.
It's great when it's working, but I've already encountered a KSOD Win7 system and I'm sure it won't be the last. *sigh*
On the other hand Windows 7's system restore has actually worked successfully for me, completely recovering from a disaster. I've broken many an XP install where the system restore was less than useless.
Please consider the following: Windows Vista was released and was a stability nightmare, a driver compatibility mess and frankly, a mistake to have been released when it was. (anyone remember Windows ME?) Anyway, now you have this robust, tested, polished OS called Windows 7 and it makes you wonder why they are cranking out so many copies so fast. Makes you wonder if Vista was intentional because XP sure suited my needs just fine until 7 was released. Think about it.
Makes you wonder if Vista was intentional because XP sure suited my needs just fine until 7 was released. Think about it.
I lol'd when I read this. I was happy enough with 7 to update my gaming machine to the beta then full reinstall when I got a legit full copy. I've been uber happy with it and I complete agree about system restore. I've already used it twice (I like to tinker from time to time, and sometimes I tinker too far)!
Please consider the following: Windows Vista was released and was a stability nightmare, a driver compatibility mess and frankly, a mistake to have been released when it was. (anyone remember Windows ME?) Anyway, now you have this robust, tested, polished OS called Windows 7 and it makes you wonder why they are cranking out so many copies so fast. Makes you wonder if Vista was intentional because XP sure suited my needs just fine until 7 was released. Think about it.
And risk any credibility they had as a software company?
No, what happened is this. Vista was a very different OS, XP was an entrenched and very widely adopted OS, and the growing pains just came with the territory.
What Microsoft learned is that free, 100% open and long running beta programs are required to get an OS right. They did it with 7 and when it was time to release it had been extensively tested, and had far more bugs discovered and scrubbed from the final code as a result.
Vista was like a paid Windows 7 beta. I'm certain Microsoft regrets this, it set them back a couple years. They should of had a much longer free Vista beta like they did with 7 so their public image would not have suffered so badly. Live and learn I guess.
Between Vista and the Xbox 360, Microsoft has learned a valuable lesson about rushing to market.
Vista was just a ploy to get even more people to consider Apple computers in a time when Apple was experiencing unprecedented growth and adoption in various markets.
Between Vista and the Xbox 360, Microsoft has learned a valuable lesson about rushing to market.
By rushing XBOX360 to market, MS gained a very important advantage over PS3. I am sure their profit covered the repairs of faulty units by a large margin. People just accepted renewing their XBOX360's every year. My neighbor has just ordered their 3rd XBOX360 pointing to the pile of XBOX360 games they bought over years. PS3 still has no chance. I think the lesson was opposite; it was a good decision and they would do it again if needed.
Same for Vista. Development of the new OS which was meant to be closer to W7 than Vista was taking longer than expected. They just released whatever they had since there was no competition anyway. The only other option to Vista was XP. Now comes W7 and everybody already forgot what they paid to Vista. They would do it again, no problem. Vista is just an old memory now, just like Windows ME.
Vista was just a ploy to significantly damage Microsoft, cost the company several billion dollars, ruin their public image and set their OS division back five years.
Vista was just a ploy to significantly damage Microsoft, cost the company several billion dollars, ruin their public image and set their OS division back five years.
Looking at the MSFT stock price starting from 2007 and comparing with INTC for reference, I don't see any significant damage to Microsoft after Vista release at the beginning of 2007. Actually MSFT did better than INTC from 2007 to 2010. What significant damage is that?
You might be right for a small company that is heavily manipulated on the market. MSFT is not a stock that can be moved up and down just by manipulation. MSFT stock price is a very strong indication of its financial performance just like INTC.
By rushing XBOX360 to market, MS gained a very important advantage over PS3. I am sure their profit covered the repairs of faulty units by a large margin. People just accepted renewing their XBOX360's every year. My neighbor has just ordered their 3rd XBOX360 pointing to the pile of XBOX360 games they bought over years. PS3 still has no chance. I think the lesson was opposite; it was a good decision and they would do it again if needed.
Same for Vista. Development of the new OS which was meant to be closer to W7 than Vista was taking longer than expected. They just released whatever they had since there was no competition anyway. The only other option to Vista was XP. Now comes W7 and everybody already forgot what they paid to Vista. They would do it again, no problem. Vista is just an old memory now, just like Windows ME.
I understand what you are saying from a wider buisness standpoint, but I will just defer to the fact that they actualy ran a really long free public beta with Windows 7. I think that indicates that they did not want, or at least that they could not afford a repeat of another Vista like product launch.
Gaming hardware is a seperate arguement, but look are the same people running that division at Microsoft today? Heads rolled for sure. I bet the next xbox will spend a bit longer in QA and the marketing heads will be sure to let everyone know that when it finaly comes about.
Rushing at the expense of quality can have some possitive short term impact. Your right, hey, I get there first, I establish myself in front of the other guy, all good things, but at what cost to your long term objectives? Toyota was the most revered brand in the automotive industry a year ago, a recent poll has Ford and GM vehnicles percieved as higher quality for the first time since the early 80's.
Anyway, off topic, my main point is Windows 7 is so good because they took the proper time to test it in a wide, available and meaningful way. Better QA, better end product, more happy customers finaly moving away from XP.
We are officially allowing Win7 in our domain starting in June. We are finalizing our SCCM OSD (Operating System Deployment) package. We have almost entirely skipped Vista. We will not really be migrating systems as much as installing Win7 on any rebuilds.
We still have 50+ systems at Win2000. Most are Oscilloscopes or other custom systems that cannot upgrade and may be forced to be kicked off the network.
I dual-boot XP and 7. As a tech/consultant I have to support both systems. After more than 2 weeks of running W7 Pro (clean install, DO NOT UPGRADE!) I found 7 to be stable, and as reliable as my wrist watch. I have moved all my daily operations from XP to 7; I am that confident in the new OS.
I've been running MS OSs for 20 years, and this is the best they've EVER done. I tweak all the time, and have 'broken' my system several times in the process. System Recovery has worked for me each time without fail. I also image my home machines; can't be too careful.
Thrax
🐌Austin, TX Icrontian
Comments
Windows 7 isn't just a shameless money grab. Its a real, fully polished modern OS and the logical next step from XP. I can't wait to get home everyday to my 7 machine. Everything about that experience is better.
It's great when it's working, but I've already encountered a KSOD Win7 system and I'm sure it won't be the last. *sigh*
I lol'd when I read this. I was happy enough with 7 to update my gaming machine to the beta then full reinstall when I got a legit full copy. I've been uber happy with it and I complete agree about system restore. I've already used it twice (I like to tinker from time to time, and sometimes I tinker too far)!
And risk any credibility they had as a software company?
No, what happened is this. Vista was a very different OS, XP was an entrenched and very widely adopted OS, and the growing pains just came with the territory.
What Microsoft learned is that free, 100% open and long running beta programs are required to get an OS right. They did it with 7 and when it was time to release it had been extensively tested, and had far more bugs discovered and scrubbed from the final code as a result.
Vista was like a paid Windows 7 beta. I'm certain Microsoft regrets this, it set them back a couple years. They should of had a much longer free Vista beta like they did with 7 so their public image would not have suffered so badly. Live and learn I guess.
Between Vista and the Xbox 360, Microsoft has learned a valuable lesson about rushing to market.
/tinfoilhat
Would you like a tinfoil hat with that?
Think about it, man.
By rushing XBOX360 to market, MS gained a very important advantage over PS3. I am sure their profit covered the repairs of faulty units by a large margin. People just accepted renewing their XBOX360's every year. My neighbor has just ordered their 3rd XBOX360 pointing to the pile of XBOX360 games they bought over years. PS3 still has no chance. I think the lesson was opposite; it was a good decision and they would do it again if needed.
Same for Vista. Development of the new OS which was meant to be closer to W7 than Vista was taking longer than expected. They just released whatever they had since there was no competition anyway. The only other option to Vista was XP. Now comes W7 and everybody already forgot what they paid to Vista. They would do it again, no problem. Vista is just an old memory now, just like Windows ME.
Think about it, man.
It almost makes too much sense.
You might be right for a small company that is heavily manipulated on the market. MSFT is not a stock that can be moved up and down just by manipulation. MSFT stock price is a very strong indication of its financial performance just like INTC.
I understand what you are saying from a wider buisness standpoint, but I will just defer to the fact that they actualy ran a really long free public beta with Windows 7. I think that indicates that they did not want, or at least that they could not afford a repeat of another Vista like product launch.
Gaming hardware is a seperate arguement, but look are the same people running that division at Microsoft today? Heads rolled for sure. I bet the next xbox will spend a bit longer in QA and the marketing heads will be sure to let everyone know that when it finaly comes about.
Rushing at the expense of quality can have some possitive short term impact. Your right, hey, I get there first, I establish myself in front of the other guy, all good things, but at what cost to your long term objectives? Toyota was the most revered brand in the automotive industry a year ago, a recent poll has Ford and GM vehnicles percieved as higher quality for the first time since the early 80's.
Anyway, off topic, my main point is Windows 7 is so good because they took the proper time to test it in a wide, available and meaningful way. Better QA, better end product, more happy customers finaly moving away from XP.
this^
I've got two more years till corporate plans to slide over to Win7.
They just switched from 2000 to XP last year!!!!
We still have 50+ systems at Win2000. Most are Oscilloscopes or other custom systems that cannot upgrade and may be forced to be kicked off the network.
I've been running MS OSs for 20 years, and this is the best they've EVER done. I tweak all the time, and have 'broken' my system several times in the process. System Recovery has worked for me each time without fail. I also image my home machines; can't be too careful.