Evaluating Windows 7: Pros & Cons

[chaoseverlasting]

Are there any gaping flaws in Windows 7 that have been discovered so far? What do you guys think of it as an OS?

 

[logickills]

For a Windows operating system it is ok. The install footprint is minimal compared to Vista. As for the gaping hole part their were and still are bugs. On the security side it was plagued by UAC problems. MS patched it fairly quickly though. I am a Linux user so I am always going to be picky about windows. It is a pretty good change though I must admit.

 

[Pattonias]

So far I really love it. I think it was worth the money for the upgrade from XP. Vista came pre-installed on my laptop and left me with a bad taste for windows for a long while. The W Media Center that is installed on W7 works great on my Media Center. The Power Saving function really works well also. I didn't have any conflicts driver wise and I think that was the most refreshing development.

On the negatives:
The home addition is a little confusing to work with on the networking side, but I figure it will make more sense as I play around with it more.

The themes need to be more customizable. While it is much better than Vista in that regard, it is still not really good enough. When you have your desktop on a television you need to be able to hit that sweet spot as far as icon and text size go.

 

[whs]

As for icon size, when you are on the desktop, hold 'ctrl' and scroll your mouse wheel to fine tune the size.

I like Windows 7 except for the 'superbar' which I hate. Everything that used to take me 1 click (like un-minimizing firefox, un-minimizing a conversation etc) takes 2 clicks. And there is no default to change it back like in Vista. Also I can't ever tell what folders I have open because they are all minimized into 1 icon.

Other than technicalities like the above, I have never had a problem with Windows. But if you have Vista you probably won't notice a difference as they are basically the same.

I have never noticed any bugs, had any "UAC problems", or any of the sort.

 

[logickills]

As for icon size, when you are on the desktop, hold 'ctrl' and scroll your mouse wheel to fine tune the size.

I like Windows 7 except for the 'superbar' which I hate. Everything that used to take me 1 click (like un-minimizing firefox, un-minimizing a conversation etc) takes 2 clicks. And there is no default to change it back like in Vista. Also I can't ever tell what folders I have open because they are all minimized into 1 icon.

Other than technicalities like the above, I have never had a problem with Windows. But if you have Vista you probably won't notice a difference as they are basically the same.

I have never noticed any bugs, had any "UAC problems", or any of the sort.

The UAC problem was a bug that was only noticeable if you were writing exploit code for it. So if you aren't proficient in userland debugging or anything of the sort you may not find those kind of bugs.

 

[whs]

The UAC problem was a bug that was only noticeable if you were writing exploit code for it. So if you aren't proficient in userland debugging or anything of the sort you may not find those kind of bugs.

That is a pretty old bug. What are the current bugs?

 

[chaoseverlasting]

Ive got my laptop (finally) and after xp, it takes some getting used to. I was thinking of switching to Linux, but the compatibility issues with hardware etc I wasnt sure of. So far it seems ok, except it has the microsoft problem of downloading stuff without explicitly asking you. Had to reconfigure how automatic updates functions. Very pleasing graphically so far.

 

[Topher925]

I like Windows 7 except for the 'superbar' which I hate.

I concur. MS's answer to this problem is just to use the window+tab key but its still a pain in the ***, especially when you have a lot of files open at once.

 

[Newai]

On the surface, here's a list of feature changes from Vista to 7:

Out with the old...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_removed_from_Windows_7

In with the new...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_7

For better and worse.

 

[Vanadium 50]

A number of off-topic posts (that were degenerating into a flamewar) have been removed.

 

[rcgldr]

At several gaming oriented forums, there are complaints about UAC interfering with game install and setup for internet play with Vista. Apparently, it's mostly an annoyance, as I don't recall someone getting stuck, once they had instructions on how to get around the UAC issues. I assume Windows 7 will have the same issue between games and UAC? Since I only have a small sampling of games and gaming forums (most racing games), are there any known recent (last 5 years) games that won't run under Windows 7?

 

[Topher925]

At several gaming oriented forums, there are complaints about UAC interfering with game install and setup for internet play with Vista. Apparently, it's mostly an annoyance, as I don't recall someone getting stuck, once they had instructions on how to get around the UAC issues. I assume Windows 7 will have the same issue between games and UAC? Since I only have a small sampling of games and gaming forums (most racing games), are there any known recent (last 5 years) games that won't run under Windows 7?

I don't know of any games that won't run very well on W7, but I've only tried handful. Heres a list of what I've installed in the past with my W7 Pro machine.

Sins of Solar Empire (love this one)
Crysis
Crysis Warhead
L4D
L4D 2
Half Life 2
Company of Heroes
Fallout 3

 

[harborsparrow]

I've had Windows 7 for several weeks now and I think it's very good.

 

[harborsparrow]

As for icon size, when you are on the desktop, hold 'ctrl' and scroll your mouse wheel to fine tune the size.
.

This is a nice tip. Thanks!

 

[gotem3303]

As for icon size, when you are on the desktop, hold 'ctrl' and scroll your mouse wheel to fine tune the size.

I like Windows 7 except for the 'superbar' which I hate. Everything that used to take me 1 click (like un-minimizing firefox, un-minimizing a conversation etc) takes 2 clicks. And there is no default to change it back like in Vista. Also I can't ever tell what folders I have open because they are all minimized into 1 icon.

Other than technicalities like the above, I have never had a problem with Windows. But if you have Vista you probably won't notice a difference as they are basically the same.

I have never noticed any bugs, had any "UAC problems", or any of the sort.

You can disable this type of behavior easily. I am not on my computer right now but its basically right clicking on the taskbar, properties, then there somewhere where you can choose to group icons or not, have them expand when you open them or keep them as the small icon, etc, just like vista.

I did this because I feel the same as you and was already used to the old way. Plus I use rocketdock so another dock for me is not necessary.

 

[digitalblggr]

I bought my computer in June '09 , sometime before windows 7 was out, so I got stuck with Vista (my previous comp had XP). Now, a lot of my friends upgraded to 7 and I got to try it out . While it has some good feaures, and a little more stable than vista, I don't think its worth the upgrade ( unless you are a student and can get it for free). The only thing I wish Vista had as well is "XP mode". There are some programs like 'virtual private network' , that don't run in vista/7 and need XP mode to run.

PS: To avoid upgrading to 7 just for XP mode, I found some virtual emulators online that let me install VPN, etc.

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