[PCWorld]

Post your comments for XP Holdouts Remain a Hurdle for Windows 7 here

[froyd]

Over the weekend I downloaded windows7 on a computer and it has Vista written all over it. Many programs dont work and are not compatable. What a suprize!! What? microsoft thinks all other companys should change for them??? I have been a XP user for years and its the greatest op out there. If I remeber right the big draw back with it was that it was digital, many companys had no problem swichting to that, digital is the way to go. Why not refine something that works? If they need change.(I wonder how many computers run xp at microsoft?) Money is tight for every one and there isnt many products flying off the shelves these days, I cant wait to see how much they are going to sook the public for this one...

[richeemxx]

I can agree completely with that sentiment. I'm not sure if its just lip service or if the reviewers out there are actually seeing skewed results but none of my testing shows that Windows 7 is any less a resource hog than Vista. XP users that hate Vista aren't going to like W7 anymore than they'd like Vista how could they it looks and feel like a trumped up version to me.
I understand MS's big push to simpler operating systems and maybe some folks out there like that. But Vista and W7 both have a cartoon elementary feel. They took simplicity and pushed it to the point of being "dumbed down".

[SteveJ]

I have been strongly hoping over the past few years that Microsoft would come up with a great new OS to replace XP. However, I am now getting an ominous feeling that their persistent resistance to customer needs is setting the stage for an inevitable big collapse of Microsoft. Everthing I have seen and read so far indicates to me that I cannot move from XP to Windows 7 without serious loss of productivity. Just today, yet another one of our staffers experienced a severe crash on his Vista laptop. We have tried Vista on 5 different types of high quality laptops over the past three years and every one has been a disaster.
No more. That's it. We can't afford such serious disruption and heavy consulting and lost work time costs. Vista is painfully, painfully slooow, quirky, often illogical and it appears that Windows 7 will unbelievably not be the large improvement over Vista that is needs to be. Too bad. It's really sad to see such a great company self destruct like this.

[maybethisllwork]

microsoft has at least 10,000 expensive windows programmers on payroll. what is it going to do with them? build a new windows that nobody needs or wants and inflict it on us. what a shame this kind of behavior is accepted by so many. --david

[dobie050]

Here's a question: Why should I change from a rock-stable WinXP x64 to a maybe-it-won't-work right Win7? Moreover, WinXP x64 will be supported by MS until at least 2014. That should give MS enough time to work-out the issues with both Vista and 7. I think I'll be patient, rather than stupid.

[bugejakurt]

Microsoft have'nt learn and will not learn. Linux is becoming with time more poplar than Windows if XP is worn out. Ubuntu is one great OS that all users can download free of charge. This facility helps the OS to be edited and arranged by technical users to facilitate it for his needs, as well to eliminate any bugs. I found Windows 7 too easy and babyish as well as more RAM consumptioning altough less than vista (for now). They should improve its abilities and overrun all other OSs

[dfschmid]

I find the vitriolic attacks on Microsoft posted here are largely unfair and hardly helpful to those trying to test/assess the OS.

What Microsoft has released is a beta. In other words, the OS is still 'under construction'. As with any beta, I never come with the expectation that everything will be fully functional. Let's be realistic.

I would respectully suggest to those who are going to whine and complain instead of preparing an objectively written critique of the OS, please browse somewhere else.

There are many people who are looking forward to Windows 7 and its new features. So what if the OS still retains the Vista core. I feel there are many improvements in Windows 7 that Windows XP users will really enjoy and benefit from.

As for Linux, while I would agree that it has a number of really good things about it, I find it hard to believe someone would suggest that it is becoming more popular than Windows. In my own research, Linux is substantially more expensive to implement in the workplace. The city of Munich took more than 2 years to implement Linux and it became a nightmare with cost overuns. Windows 2003 Server could have solved their problems easily at less cost.

[SteveJ]

Well, my comment was certainly not vitriolic. You are right about Linux but as for Windows 7 I truly wish I could share your positive view. Reality must be now faced after over 3 years of hoping that Microsoft would finally get it right with Vista or at least now with Windows 7. It does not look like it's going to happen.
Some improvement over Vista is not enough. The flaws are so serious, in my organization's experience, that dramatic improvements are needed. You seem all too willing to accept the minimum. I and my staff just can't afford that. That's the reality. I wish it wasn't.

[phillypa800]

as we discuss this topic (or form our opinions) these days, i truly believe that vista is still in its beta stages. vista was definitely hacked up, and pushed out the door quickly. i mean how else would m$ get cash flow to come in for the next potential OS? win7 to me will be a semi-finalized vista completion. i imagine that vista will be swept under the carpet like its predecessors within the next 3 years or so.
i will continue to use XP until the support is totally done with. if m$ offers a 3-6 month trial run on win7, i might consider checking it out. but time will tell on a long run. m$ needs to stop deceiving consumers and move away from self-interest.
nuff said!

[JimH443]

I am among the XP holdouts. When I bought this computer 3 years ago, it came with XP MCE. Like many low cost systems I'd seen, it did not come with any XP installation CD's. Earlier this year when the end of XP sales were announced, I went out and bought the full retail version (not the upgrade version) of Windows XP Home. I plan to use these disks when I replace my current system. I will continue to do this as long as the software I want to buy supports XP. I don't see the end of this happening any time soon.

[1101doc]

I am going to give Windows 7 beta a try. I have another hard drive and caddy for my laptop and will simply pull my XP HDD and install Windows 7 on the other. From what I have read about it W7 promises better security and enchanced recovery over XP. I hope that this is true. I also hope that I can find drivers for all my devices- we shall see.

In any event, Windows is really about the unsophisticated 'masses' of people who just want a computer that 'works.' For many, XP has not really been that OS. As a participant of several computer 'help' forums, I am continually suprised by the number of people who really do not understand the fundamentals of XP even at this late stage of its life-cycle.

If W7 can provide the 'it just works' experience that many (most?) people want, then I am going to become familiar with it, and perhaps even install the stable version as my main OS.

I believe that linux (especially Ubuntu) is getting very close to providing a 'just works' OS for everyone, but it is not there yet, and needs some interface work to get there. Hey Ubuntu- how about a 'translation' version? It would offer windows-like versions of all the interface wording. the user could then 'click off' the translations when and if the new terminology was learned.

Operating Systems seem to be alot like religion for many, but at the end of the day it is just software. software should 'just work.'
perhaps W7 will be that software.

Hey Microsoft- Wanna make some extra cash? Put out a 'new' version of XP complete with integrated SP3, fixed bugs, and built-in recovery functions. Leave the UI alone, but offer some extra flashy 'skins' and 'themes' for it. Lots of XP die-hards would buy it all over again, including me. Bring on XT!

[rcprimak]

1101doc --
What you are describing is Windows 7, in essence.
My current laptop will not be able to upgrade, but when Windows 7 is offered in sub-$1000 laptops, I will consider replacing my current laptop with a Windows 7 laptop. That way I will have both the OS and the hardware matched for optimum compatability. By that time, Windows 7 may be past SP1.
If Windows XP support goes away, I may have to bridge the gap to Windows 7, SP1 with Ubuntu Linux, which does run on my laptop.

[rcprimak]

Comment withdrawn. .

[Northlite]

I personally haven't had any problem with Vista on the 20 or so low end (sub $500) laptops and computers I have set up for friends, family, a few to sell and our home ones over the past two years since it came out. I think less then when we fazed XP into the group - (we still have a ME user).
My USB devices swap so much better and are recognized, the entire operating system is so much smoother looking on LCD screens and we don't use Areo. I seem to be able to have 5-8 programs open and not take it down, some times FireFox stumbles on me and goes pale but it saves itself.
I am sure I won't be able to resist 7 when it comes out. I would beta it but I can't see having the patience for a 3 gig download.
I think the main problem here is people just got to settled in with XP since Microsoft let it live way to long - 7 years and counting or maybe hardware didn't advance fast enough to allow it.
I fully agree that you should stick with what works for you and if it's XP so be it. I know in my group no one moves on until they want to do something new that won't work as well on their current computer. I also know that I won't change back to XP, buy a Mac or install Linux just because someone says it's better when I know that what I have it working for me.

[bugejakurt]

I tried out Windows 7 on a virtual mashine (VM-Ware). Found it not bad but some settings are hard to find if you had XP for years, like me. Some of its facilities are childish stuff like comparing screens task bar highliting, but anyway its interface is certainly better than XP is. I tried Ubuntu too I found it very good! The only problem is when installing an application. You have to enter the command and type many words to enter the root etc.. Ubuntu is very secured near XP, rumor says that no viruses are present in Linux OS's. I hope so. I'll try Win 7 some time again and hope to see more interesting stuff.

[TheBigOldDog]

Win 7 beta uses 450MB of RAM, with no programs running. Vista uses 415MB. Windows XP uses only 95MB of RAM.
Win 7 uses 25.9GB of HDD space. Vista takes 23.4GB while XP takes 2.7GB.
What do you get in exchange? very little if anything imho. That's why XP will be around for a long time to come. XP is Classic Coke to Vista/Win 7 New Coke.
richeemxx, I agree 100% with your comments regarding the cartoonish feel to Vista and WIN 7.

[cacarr]

I'm running Win7 on a Lenovo S10 netbook with a 1.6 ghz "Atom" and only a gig of RAM. It's damn snappy. I had previously tried installing Vista on this machine and I can absolutely assure you that Win7 runs much faster.

For me, using XP at this point isn't a very pleasant experience; it just feels so old and clunky. And it is, what, nearly nine years old now? A little long in the tooth, to say the least.

[crzyallday0514]

Hi, I'm new to any & all discussions and am constantly confused by the computer. However, I do have a lot of interest which keeps me plugging. I'm a XP holdout and until I happened on this discussion didn't even know about Windows 7. Days go by without even touching the keyboard and it's like pulling teeth to get me to go on MS' website. How long is there going to be support for XPx64? Read one post that I thought said 2014. Only used support a couple of times but makes me nervous to think the rug's going to pulled out from under me. Only had this new system 2-1/2 yrs. Would just as soon keep XP as I haven't even completely learned it yet; heard bad reports about Vista; Windows 7 doesn't sound like an option either. I'm not up to learning another OS and figure I'll use XP 'till it dies or life calms down enough to allow me to go through the "learning curve" that a new OS would present. If I need to go on MS' website, where would I go to find out about how long the support is going to last.

[cacarr]

crzyallday0514 said:

Hi, I'm new to any & all discussions and am constantly confused by the computer. However, I do have a lot of interest which keeps me plugging. I'm a XP holdout and until I happened on this discussion didn't even know about Windows 7. Days go by without even touching the keyboard and it's like pulling teeth to get me to go on MS' website. How long is there going to be support for XPx64? Read one post that I thought said 2014. Only used support a couple of times but makes me nervous to think the rug's going to pulled out from under me. Only had this new system 2-1/2 yrs. Would just as soon keep XP as I haven't even completely learned it yet; heard bad reports about Vista; Windows 7 doesn't sound like an option either. I'm not up to learning another OS and figure I'll use XP 'till it dies or life calms down enough to allow me to go through the "learning curve" that a new OS would present. If I need to go on MS' website, where would I go to find out about how long the support is going to last.

It's not as if you're moving from Windows to a Unix-type OS, i.e., OS X, BSD, or Linux. Win7 is still Windows. It won't take long at all to pick up on the differences.