Windows 7 is almost here, but will it be worth the wait?

Windows 7 will be released into the wild on October 22, 2009 and will bring many improvements over Vista while simultaneously introducing new features. Being in the IT field I was fortunate enough to play with Windows 7 since its early RC days and must say that it is (or soon will be) the best operating system released by Microsoft to date.

From graphical interface, to stability, reliability, responsiveness and features to the overall user experience, I believe that it will be a welcomed change for all users (especially those still running Windows XP).

When it comes to enterprise users they will have even greater benefits (some mostly appreciated by IT staff) such as

AppLocker (“Specify what software is allowed to run on a user’s PCs through centrally managed but flexible Group Policies.*“)
BitLocker / BitLocker To Go (“Help protect data on PCs and removable drives, with manageability to enforce encryption and backup of recovery keys.“)
DirectAccess (“Give mobile users seamless access to corporate networks without a need to VPN.*“)
BranchCache (“Decrease the time branch office users spend waiting to download files across the network.*“)
Federated Search (“Find information in remote repositories, including SharePoint sites, with a simple user interface.*“)
* all descriptions taken from Microsoft.com

These are just a few new (or improved) features introduced in Windows 7 and they alone warrant an investment in this new operating system. In addition to new features, stability and responsiveness is significantly improved over Vista which should make many people smile.

So my answer is yes. The wait will be well worth it for all Windows users especially considering the PR nightmare caused with their previous half-baked OS.

Comments 6

  1. “PR nightmare caused with their previous half-baked OS.”

    The PR nightmare was really caused by early adopters installing the software on crappy systems and Apple Commercials. From a software stand point we've seen a few very specific programs not work. I think Active Directory has a fair amount to do with that tho.

    Personally given a choice between supporting XP or Vista, I'd pick Vista based solely on the drivers and better plug&play. Throw spyware/malware into the mix and I'd think you'd be nuts to want the former.

  2. No matter what, i will still use Linux.
    BTW, i notice some huge differences between XP vs Vista vs WIN7 network configuration ….

    Just tell me is there need to split all those settings on separate windows, options, pages etc. You can make something like “network settings” and do all there in tabs or anything similar.

    So, i'm glad for other users that this is more stable and more secure then xp, but i will continue telling them to use open source operating systems.

  3. Sasa,

    I agree with you in the sense that many open source projects (Ubuntu to name one of my favorites) are very advanced, promising and great alternatives to Windows or OS X, but they fail in several areas.

    First, installing most apps is not as friendly on Linux as it is on other mainstream operating systems and open source community needs to keep average users in mind if they want to increase presence, not those who develop and compile for their OS.

    Second, and probably the most important is marketing, getting the word out. In the tech industry everyone knows of Ubuntu, SUSE and many other distros, but average user (your and my parents, cousins, siblings…) have no clue.

    Finally, to your point about about network configuration options in Windows, I believe that they are getting better and Windows 7 does address some of your concerns.

  4. Stoppay,

    I agree. I have been using Vista on my primary laptop since it was released and other than a wireless driver compatibility issue I haven't experienced any major issues. Wireless driver was updated a couple of months later and ever since it's been smooth sailing for me. To relate to my previous comment response to Sasa, it's marketing once again that makes a huge impact and gets people to sway to one said over the other.

  5. Sasa,

    I agree with you in the sense that many open source projects (Ubuntu to name one of my favorites) are very advanced, promising and great alternatives to Windows or OS X, but they fail in several areas.

    First, installing most apps is not as friendly on Linux as it is on other mainstream operating systems and open source community needs to keep average users in mind if they want to increase presence, not those who develop and compile for their OS.

    Second, and probably the most important is marketing, getting the word out. In the tech industry everyone knows of Ubuntu, SUSE and many other distros, but average user (your and my parents, cousins, siblings…) have no clue.

    Finally, to your point about about network configuration options in Windows, I believe that they are getting better and Windows 7 does address some of your concerns.

  6. Stoppay,

    I agree. I have been using Vista on my primary laptop since it was released and other than a wireless driver compatibility issue I haven't experienced any major issues. Wireless driver was updated a couple of months later and ever since it's been smooth sailing for me. To relate to my previous comment response to Sasa, it's marketing once again that makes a huge impact and gets people to sway to one said over the other.

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