My Windows 7 challenge

[nonamedotc]

I agree!

Although, I use linux completely now, I never had any problems with Windows 7 when I was using it. It was pretty smooth. I had fairly good hardware always though.

[CharlesA]

I've been running the 64-bit version of Win7 Pro on my ancient work laptop (2Ghz single core, 1GB RAM) and it runs "OK" but there is definitely times when I get the old "Not responding" message when programs are fighting for CPU or memory.

Why the IT guy decided to install the 64-bit version of Windows on a laptop that is probably 5 or 6 years old, I don't know. I think the max amount of RAM it can handle is 4GB too and it's running 2 x 512MB sticks now.

EDIT: The link above is different from the one I have cuz mine is running an AMD CPU, not Intel and there is only 1GB of RAM not 2. Heh.

[llanitedave]

I've found that the quality of Windows 7 depends on your machine. On my Toshiba laptop, it's rock solid -- never an issue. On a "ruggedized" tablet I use for field work, it's very quirky. It often has trouble starting up, giving me "BAD-POOL-HEADER" errors, then going through several shutdown/restart processes. It also doesn't like to shut down, often hanging on the process. I also have a docked Samsung laptop at work that's dual-monitored to a large screen. It's usually ok, but it has its own ideas of what its power settings should be, and sometimes goes to hibernate without warning.

Overprinting all those, of course, is the intrusive non-choice nagging and annoyance of its timing of system updates, which is less a technical deficiency than Microsoft's arrogance of deciding for themselves when you should allow updates.

My Kubuntu 12.10 still has it beat overall.

[forrestcupp]

I thought twice about the way I'd write my reply and I was afraid it was still ambiguous but when I said "I always thought windows XP was the best (more modern windows OS) in that aspect." I was speaking of practicality and functionality, not the technical side of it.

That's cool. Since practicality and functionality is a subjective thing, I'll just agree to disagree. For me, Win7 is more functional than XP, and Win8 is even more functional that that. It's no big deal to me if XP is more functional for you. People have different needs.

[pfeiffep]

I've found that the quality of Windows 7 depends on your machine. On my Toshiba laptop, it's rock solid -- never an issue. On a "ruggedized" tablet I use for field work, it's very quirky. It often has trouble starting up, giving me "BAD-POOL-HEADER" errors, then going through several shutdown/restart processes. It also doesn't like to shut down, often hanging on the process. I also have a docked Samsung laptop at work that's dual-monitored to a large screen. It's usually ok, but it has its own ideas of what its power settings should be, and sometimes goes to hibernate without warning.

Overprinting all those, of course, is the intrusive non-choice nagging and annoyance of its timing of system updates, which is less a technical deficiency than Microsoft's arrogance of deciding for themselves when you should allow updates.

My Kubuntu 12.10 still has it beat overall.

Win 7 is the best MS has produced by a long shot (I haven't touched 8 yet) My installation occasionally chokes when running Photoshop - I just wait and it frees up.

I'm really happy with Linux - Ubuntu especially. Over the next year I'm looking forward migrating more functionality from Win to Ubuntu.

[neu5eeCh]

I also really liked Windows 7. Some critics called it garish, but I've always liked the glassy look of Aero and wish it were available (as a default) on XFCE or Unity (windows borders). Aesthetically, I really don't like the look of the Windows 8 Metro Interface.

I had to spend the first two weeks of April on Windows 7 (after having been off Windows for a year). TurboTax. The first thing I did was to run all kinds of updates. There's a nifty piece of software (whose name I'm blanking out on) that, in essence, recreates the Software Center. It checks all your Windows Software (including 3rd party) to see if it's up to date and provides links to update sources. After a couple of days I had most everything up to date, but definitely easier and far more elegant in Linux. I was able to use my old buddy WordPerfect. Just reminded me how much I love the Reveal Codes feature; and reminded what a drag it is to use Libre Wrtier and MS Word. They're both 4th rate word processors compared to WordPerfect.

Would be nice if Linux had its own Tax software (on par with TurboTax).

[craig10x]

In the case of Turbo Tax (which i use to use) and Tax Act (which is what i currently use) their online versions work great...no need to use a windows program for that...
Give it a try next year when you do your taxes...

[pfeiffep]

In the case of Turbo Tax (which i use to use) and Tax Act (which is what i currently use) their online versions work great...no need to use a windows program for that...
Give it a try next year when you do your taxes...

+1 for on line TaxAct

I'm still searching for an alternative to iCLoud & Photoshop. I think that I've found an adequate replacement for Roxio Creator for my music conversion.

[neu5eeCh]

In the case of Turbo Tax (which i use to use) and Tax Act (which is what i currently use) their online versions work great...no need to use a windows program for that...
Give it a try next year when you do your taxes...

Cool! I was just checking out their web site. How does Tax Act handle Business and Rental Income? I assume it can't import information, but I can live with that.

[craig10x]

I love Tax Act....Turbo Tax was very good...but i seem to like Tax Act even better...maybe it's the way it is laid out and the way it asks the "interview questions"...Not sure about Business and Rental income aspect though...but they seem to have everything accounted for in their program...It CAN import your prior year's tax information but only if you used them the prior year...and then it does it very smoothly....sometimes you can import info some certain outside sources, but i never played around with that...If you log out, it saves what you worked on so far and then the next time you log into it, continues from where you had left off...