Windows 7 could be as disastrous as Vista
The “article” that recently appeared regarding the coming Windows 7 (Your Business, April 23) and the woman in charge of the program read more like something that should have “Advertisement” in bold letters above and below it.
If she is doing to Windows 7 what she did to Office 2007, then I fully expect W7 to be as big a disaster as Vista, if not more so.
I don’t know who is being polled for feedback on Office 2007. But nobody I work with likes it better than 2003.
In 2003, commands were easier to find than they are in 2007. Office 2007 is less intuitive and requires frequent use of the “Help” menu to find things that were easy to find in 2003.
In PowerPoint, any sort of manipulation of images is excruciatingly slow. Even Outlook hangs for 10 to 20 seconds at a time when attempting a simple e-mail.
I will not be buying any new Microsoft operating system for my home PCs. I already have converted one to Linux. And if all the applications I used at work were available for Linux, I’d be using all Linux there, too.
I predict Windows 7 will provide more material for Mac commercial writers.
Mark Kelcourse
Greensboro
Comments (13)
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Office 2007 certainly is different, but after getting acclimated to it, I like it and think it's simpler. I still don't have Vista, but I know those who do who have no real problems. It's actually a pretty powerful OS if you know how to use it.
That said, I use open source software whenever possible, but I'm still on XP. OpenOffice's equation editor is so much more efficient than any other I've tried.
Posted on May 5, 2009 4:13 AM
Vista after SP1 outperforms XP. Office 2007 was "change for the sake of change".
Windows 7 represents a milestone: Microsoft listened to customers and acted on what it heard.
In the end I think the desktop is doomed, anyway.
Posted on May 5, 2009 6:51 AM
I have XP on my 4 year old laptop and Vista on my 4 month old desktop. Vista itself is easy to use, however it took awhile to get used to the new version of Word. Advice to anyone who uses ACT!, the new version sucks.
Maybe the desktop is doomed verelse, I hope not. When in the office I prefer the larger keyboard and screen. I refuse to get a "crackberry" or similar device, the screen & keyboard are way too small and I don't feel the need to constantly check email when in airports, etc., it can wait till I get to the hotel room.
Posted on May 5, 2009 7:37 AM
Like Rah I'm a big openoffice fan. I still fumble with the new word & excel.
We skipped Vista at work after a few experiments with it. Win7 looks promising.
Posted on May 5, 2009 7:51 AM
Since I have been known to travel frequently, last year I decided to buy a lightweight travel computer (My laptop has a big screen and is about nine years old so it is heavy.) Never thought about the software being changed until I went to set it up. My new computer had Vista. I did try to navigate and get accustomed to it. Personally I think it sucks. Navagation was a nightmare, so frustrating. I took it to Circuit City (right before they went under) and had Windows installed. Now it is user friendly like my old computer.
I realize I am an old fuddy-duddy but if something is working for me, why change just for the sake of changing?
Posted on May 5, 2009 8:50 AM
Since I have been known to travel frequently, last year I decided to buy a lightweight travel computer (My laptop has a big screen and is about nine years old so it is heavy.) Never thought about the software being changed until I went to set it up. My new computer had Vista. I did try to navigate and get accustomed to it. Personally I think it sucks. Navagation was a nightmare, so frustrating. I took it to Circuit City (right before they went under) and had Windows installed. Now it is user friendly like my old computer.
I realize I am an old fuddy-duddy but if something is working for me, why change just for the sake of changing?
Posted on May 5, 2009 9:01 AM
Sorry for the double post. The first time I tried to send it, I got this message that my comment failed because I had made too many comments and to try again later, which I did. Then I end up with two posts. Go figure!
Posted on May 5, 2009 9:05 AM
As a huge open-source proponent, I'd have to say that Mr. Kelcourse has simply not done his research. I'll agree that Vista was a failure, but Windows 7 is an entirely different animal.
Anybody taking advantage of the FREE Windows 7 beta could have tried it already for and know that this letter just isn't accurate. Windows 7 requires far less hardware, and is much snappier than Vista. It will even include an "XP mode" that can be installed later, for free to maintain compatibility with existing XP applications. Of course, Windows 7 does remind me even more of Mac OS X than Vista ever did.
Also, I don't personally expect to be buying Windows 7 after it releases. Everything that I need to accomplish (word processing, spreadsheets, vpn, and even run some windows programs with crossover) can be done running Linux, Ubuntu 9.04.
Posted on May 5, 2009 9:24 AM
Since the thread has gone this way, there's a free one-year Release Candidate download of Windows 7 here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx
From the link- "This is pre-release software, so please read the following to get an idea of the risks and key things you need to know..."
Posted on May 5, 2009 10:04 AM
Dan,
I think mobile devices will replace the desktop. You will still be able to use a full size keyboard, mouse and monitor. They will just bluetooth to your mobile which should have all the power you will ever need. It is inevitable.
Posted on May 5, 2009 1:30 PM
Verelse,
You really think gamers will give up their desktops? I can understand the desktop going away for business, but really can't imagine hard-core gamers giving up their rigs.
Posted on May 5, 2009 3:55 PM
No problem with a smaller wireless device verelse as long as I have my full sized keyboard & monitor and a mouse. The box can go.
Posted on May 5, 2009 5:46 PM
A month after first using Vista (January 2007), I had come to realize that it was the best version yet of Windows in terms of ease-of-use and stability. After playing with the public beta of Windows 7 (and this week the first release candidate) I must say that it is even better than Vista, keeping all the ease-of-use of Vista intact, but is less of a resource hog than Vista.
Of course, I like OS X and several flavors of Linux, too.
Posted on May 9, 2009 5:56 PM