Hype is high for Windows 7, and deservedly so if we have anything to say about it (and we do). But while there's plenty to be excited about with Microsoft's upcoming OS, are there any compelling reasons why you should skip upgrading?
There sure are, says Wired.com, who posted '7 Reasons to Avoid Windows 7' as a followup to its '7 Good Reasons to Switch to Windows 7' article. And the very first reason they list is that upgrading from Windows XP requires a clean install.
Other knocks against in the OS in the devil's advocate article include upgrade pricing, built-in support for hardware-based DRM, and one that's sure to please the Mac crowd, "Snow Leopard is almost here."
Image Credit: Microsoft
Comments are closed on this article
mrtheferrett
July 26, 2011 at 11:27am
Before it was Logitech it was Zagg. I have one for my first-gen iPad. I liked it so much that when my niece got a second-gen iPad I got one for her too.
briansnj
September 04, 2009 at 8:46am
Sure, hardware DRM will be present in Win 7 but there will be hackers providing patches and overrides. Smart people do not want to be sheep! So we turn to the dark side of the net to get our freedom.
Want to know why people pirate and break the law? Poverty and selfishness...lol But also they want freedom.I buy a $60 pc video game and according to the license, I am only leasing it! I can only install it so many times! I can't go to the bathroom without these freakin' software companies giving me permission! F YOU!!!!!!! I use NODVD patches and cracks just to maintain my privacy!What a monoploy of manipulation.
And speaking of monoply and manipulation...look at APPLE! Talk about serious customer abuses, proprietary control, price fixing. Microsoft may not be a saint, but Apple is the absolute Vito Corleone of the tech world folks! Get a clue, do your research. They try to act like they are the friendly "hippies" of technology but they really are mobster thugs. I compliment the work, the OSes, the Ipod, etc. Good stuff absolutely...the talent is there...but the corporate nuts running it are rotten to the Apple's core.
Back to Microsoft. Windows 7 is a true OS this time. XP was great but weak. Vista was a nice try but lame. I have been running 7 on 5 of my PCs and my main laptop that I use for consulting. Currently, my only problem has been with the software not being ready for Win 7. This is my fault though. I am diving in waaaaaay early.
Personally, I don't care about hardware DRM because Linux lets me do what I need easily!!!!!!! And once any and all DRM is stripped out, I can use it on any machine I please! As soon as someone creates a hack to kill that feature in 7 I WILL USE IT and install it on every client pc if that client wants me to out of principle!
This desire for freedom leads us to Linux. Now, I love Linux, however, it needs to get with the real world and stop being so complicated and confusing. I have been using Linux for 10 years and I still have headaches with it. Once you learn what you are doing with Windows...it is easy and consistent! Until a consitent, unified Linux effort is created and comes forward...Windows 7 is going to dominate just as XP did.
Yeah, I have been around PCs since the mid 80s. I have heard these stupid rantings since back then. That list of 7 reasons by Wired is food for thought, yet pretty weak. When Windows ME failed, people said they would give up Windows 98se when it was pried from their cold dead hands. 99.99% all bowed before XP. DO I think you should dive in to Win 7 right away? No. I would give it till after spring of 2010. But it will dominate.
Darth Matty
August 30, 2009 at 2:25am
Windows 7 is like a breath of fresh air for anyone unfortunate enough to have tried using vista on a machine costing less than $2k. The RC installed quickly, although with Vista installed, the option to "upgrade," and keep my old files (where they were) was not available. I backed everything up, and Windows put everything into a windows.old file anyway. Pretty painless.
mrtheferrett
August 29, 2009 at 10:39am
OK, I'm a thrill seeker. I did an in-place upgrade from Vista Business to 7 Pro.
The install was smooth, complete, and painless.
Aside from a few 'early adopter' issues (Hamachi doesn't seem to work properly), the OS is excellent. Much faster and more stable than Vista. Control elements are much more to my liking too. If Vista was the 'child' then 7 is the 'adult'. Much more refined and seems more well thought out.
I think it's *possible* that Microsquish may have done it right with this one.
nekollx
August 31, 2009 at 10:07am
i belive MPC once compared Vista to a teenager.
Will he grow up to be a responsible adult or just a lazy bum.
I think 7 answers that nicely :P
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Khaled
August 25, 2009 at 12:55pm
8th reason: to get a second interface language you need to $200 more for ultimate. yeah, 35 is overkill.
MS should make 2 languages available for home premium.
jechaucer
August 23, 2009 at 7:38pm
Like many of you here, I am a computer geek. I have been at it since the late 70's. I am getting a little too old to change now. I say, if XP or Vista is working for you and does everything you need, then why change? I have Win 7 on a play machine, but I dont think I'm going to migrate over anytime soon. I'm tired of relearning an OS. I use XP. I have a fast machine and XP does everything I need it to do. There is something called the law of diminishing returns. We have gotten to this point with Operating Systems.
dracx619
August 23, 2009 at 9:23pm
i agree to a certain extent. it seems the older generations are mostly the ones who aint digging the whole "ditch xp for somethign newer and different" thing. they are comfortable and prefer not to change. this is also evident when todays older generation was young. i doubt many older folks digged the idea of using something so common now as an ATM or heck, even a cell phone (my dad is still afraid of it).
the younger generations are always looking for the latest, the newer, the nows, and the tomorrows. personally, the changes i see and experience with 7 offeres me plenty of returns. my computing experience is much better now, i can get more work done without tweaking as much as i did with xp, i can manage my stuff better, all with a nice snazzy interface. sure there was a slight learning curve, but thats what i like...experiencing and learning something new, not just with computers but with life in general. i, and probably the rest of youngsters, will probably get to a point where we may not want to learn something new...i dont have that luxury. my industry is constantly changing tech wise (film/tv industry) and i have to be on top of that or i cant work.
so i hope i dont become one of those old folks thats to tired to learn something else. to tie this all together, while the law of diminishing returns may hold true for many of the older generations, for the younger crowd...not so much. in my case and from some other friends and colleagues who have been messing around with 7, we dont want to go back to xp or vista ever again and look forward to future. for those that dont dig 7 and plan to stick with xp, then go for it, at least be respectful (as you have jechaucer) for those of us who want to move on and respectful to microsoft who has been trying extremely hard to please the majority of us. people on here like GHOT are the ones that piss me off cause all they do is criticize and talk smack just cause they dont like somethign new...grow up ya babies.
gendoikari1
August 23, 2009 at 10:03am
Since when does a glorified service pack count as a reason NOT to switch to Windows 7?
MeTo
August 23, 2009 at 2:47pm
Service packs are "FREE" which is what win 7 should be. My Vista is pretty good but i would like faster boot up and shut down. I have fixed other things i don't like.
gendoikari1
August 25, 2009 at 9:36pm
That's why Snow Leopard is a "glorified" (read: paid) service pack
periodhyphenund...
August 22, 2009 at 11:42pm
The only safe copy of Windows is an illegal copy of Windows XP-SP2
Avoid their retail spyware if you really want to be safe!
Security should be your #1 concern
DogPatch1149
August 22, 2009 at 11:00pm
I've said it before, I'll say it again - why pay for an OS that's nothing more than a glorified Service Pack 3 for Vista?
waytoocrazy
August 22, 2009 at 10:19pm
I run Win7 RC1 on my Acer Aspire One with very little fuss. It blows away my Vista attempt on it, and I dare say... compares very well to WinXP that was on it, or even slightly faster than my OEM XP Install. I've already ordered the Home Premium (as that is what's installed on my Dell Studio XPS 435MT) and can't wait for it to arrive. I'm not having much of a problem with Vista, but I still want Win7 instead.
LatiosXT
August 22, 2009 at 10:48am
And I still laugh every time they throw in the DRM excuse. Controls how we play our media? Sure, if you're trying to watch a Blu-Ray movie or something. But it certainly isn't controlling that YouTube video I downloaded nor the MP3 I snagged from the internet. It's all just FUD to be honest.
MleB
August 22, 2009 at 8:51am
XP is fine on my netbook (Asus EeePC 1005HA, since you asked), so no compelling reason to do the leap there - especially given the cost of that upgrade - while my old HP Vista notebook (which also doubled as my home machine) sits languishing in the back of my tech junk drawer since the Eee's purchase.
Would I consider revitalizing the old HP with Win7? Meh, maybe - but only if the upgrade cost under $100 and then, likely only after the new OS kinks get worked out in 6 months - or so. Let's just say I remember the hype surrounding Vista's release...
Otherwise, all I'm reading suggests I won't experience An Ephiphany Moment moving from XP...
Azruelli
August 22, 2009 at 5:39am
I just lost my job. :| So I'll be sitting out on windows 7 for a long time now.
quickone
August 22, 2009 at 4:59am
My university has the MSDNAA , when Vista first came out it costed us $10, while not FREE, it is pretty damn close. As soon as 7 is in my camous' IT store I'll drop that $10 so fast I might get a paper cut.
Those are pretty bad reasons, I guess that speaks to the strength of Win7
mattman059
August 22, 2009 at 6:19am
Interesting...our MSDNAA gave both Win7 and Vista for free (and Visual Studio 2003, 2005, 2008, Server 2005, 2008...the list goes on :P)
ace38
August 21, 2009 at 6:40pm
Already running 7, thanks to an MSDN subscription. In fact, all 4 of my computers (personal, 2 kids and my beta test machine) are running it and its an outstanding OS. I'm already prepping my client list to move up to 7 as soon as GA hits.
grayscare0
August 21, 2009 at 2:47pm
That was probably the worst article I've ever read. None of the points were even remotely relevant. What a moron. If Snow Leopard is a reason not to buy Windows 7, then I suppose DX11 video cards override the need for a PS3 Slim, right?
dracx619
August 21, 2009 at 2:24pm
posted from a commenter on the articel
"Of course you need a clean install if you jump a version , it’s the
same with mac if you wait too long too upgrade between version your
better to do a clean install.The price argument is ridiculous all version of Windows and MacOs have always cost a lot, you want cheap go Linux.
Of Course it’s still Windows and that is why most people want it.
Imagine the nightmare if they were changing the interface completely?
Half the users can’t even ad a printer without help. Adobe Air !!??!!
most people don’t even know what it is and Adobe Air platform is not
really stable by itself to start with.Security, yeah Apple is starting to feel the burn too with malware,
sms attack on the iphone. Security is a personal responsibility. Stop
downloading Junk and opening email from people you don’t know !DRM hum, wasn’t there a story a couple month ago about those Apple Monitor ? let’s not mention the earbuds for the ipod/iphones.
Snow Leopard Is Almost Here ARE YOU SERIOUS !? you just tell us that
120$ is a steep price to upgrade and now you want people to dump $1000+
on brand new Hardware + transfering theirs Data + learning Curve (two
of your points against upgrading !)Yes your are right there is no reasons to upgrade if you don’t need
it. I usually advise people to wait that the first SP comes out before
changing, or to change when they are changing hardware anyway. People
who buy a new computer with Win7 on it will probably be very satisfy
with it. Remember Apple only has is own hardware to support. Microsoft
has to support all the made in Taiwan junk and most of the problems
comes from bad drivers that are not even made by Microsoft."
id state it bette rbut im kinda tired right now
MeTo
August 22, 2009 at 9:16pm
"Microsoft
has to support all the made in Taiwan junk and most of the problems
comes from bad drivers that are not even made by Microsoft"If Microsoft certify s the drivers (WHQL) They dam well better support them.
savior
August 21, 2009 at 1:42pm
Those are pretty poor reasons not to change...They could have cameup with somethign better than those.
SuperiorBeing
August 21, 2009 at 1:18pm
If you have an MSDNAA subscription (lots of colleges and schools offer them) you can get Windows 7 pro for free.
Ghostryderflyby
August 21, 2009 at 12:26pm
Honestly I don't know why Vista is still carrying the train wreck reputation. Granted when it was first released, it was a mess, with more blue screens than Win ME and more swearing from me than with Win ME, but from my perspective, they've fixed it. I've been running Vista 64bit since May of 2007 and most of the problems had been resolved by the time SP1 was released, and any of my remaining complaints were resolved with SP1 and driver updates from my hardware vendors. I have not had a windows crash in well over a year and the OS has been rock stable for me. Sleep mode actually works like it's supposed to with no wake up glitches like previous MS OS's, and that's a first! The only thing left that annoyed me was UAC, and that was easily resolved by using a good internet security suite and turning UAC off. I realize that is not ideal, but is it worth spending 200 bucks just so I can enable a less annoying UAC? I'm not thinking so. If Vista was still the "train wreck" it initially was and really as bad as the Win 7 proponents push it as being, maybe. Since the OS is rock solid for me and works great, I'm finding it hard to justify the upgrade expense.
Modred189
August 21, 2009 at 12:53pm
I was feeling the same way until they offered the upgrades for $50. I had some best buy rewardzone coupons, so two upgrades only cost me~ $75. Hard to pass up.
Now, I probably won't apply the upgrades until next summer (law school starts Monday, NOT the time to tempt Murphy with an OS upgrade).
MeTo
August 21, 2009 at 11:43am
I will wait for win8 i have no problems with vista. If i have to buy a new computer i will go with win7. I should be good for a couple years anyway.
DreadedOne509
August 21, 2009 at 11:38am
Plan on going straight from XP to 7 this time around, skipping Vista almost entirely (it is only on two systems).
XP is a great OS, but the writing is on the wall, so if the reviews are even half accurate, I'll be happy with Win 7 for the forseeable future.
"Thought's of Dread"
Modred189
August 21, 2009 at 11:35am
I like how their issues are that:
-Upgrading from an 8 year old OS requires a clean install. A shocker I know.
-The upgrade is expensive. Compared to what? I suppose you could consider the opposition, Apple, for which the upgrade is $130. Or to itself, where you can still get the upgrade for $50, or if you buy a new PC and it's free? I suppose it's expensive compared to free...(and how the VAST majority of people will buy it).
-It costs time. Yes, it takes some time to set up, but their gripe is in relation to businesses. Moot point. Businesses won't be buying any other OS, so they will spend that time one way or another. After all, those businesses who skipped Vista now have hardware that is at LEAST 4 years old, and reaching the end of their product cycle.
-It's still Windows? What kind of reason is that? And their complaint about recognizing an Adobe Air File? That was based off of a review during the Win7 BETA, and not long after, or just before the release of Air. Again, somewhat of a shocker. 0.0
- AND they go on to say that the OS is just as secure as the user. Wow, another amazing revelation. Welcome to computers
-DRM. Really? you blame the os?
-And then the kicker. The reviewer is a mac user, and ADMITS that he prefers Leopard to Win 7, which, if you think about it is impossible, because his review was based on the RC, and not the RTM. WHich means he prefers something he has used for several years to something he HAS NEVER USED.
These are the reasons I canceled my Wired subscription.
JohnP
August 21, 2009 at 11:35am
There are three computers for my boys and I. One has XP, one Vista, and I am on Win 7. after having to repair the XP copy, I found that I really, really HATE XP now. I have listed my rants about XP before but it is mostly drivers, running apps after boot up, networking, and multitasking. Never will I run XP again.
Expensive for Win 7? Use OEM copies. Clean install? That is all I EVER do. Who on earth would want to keep the crap that is on a years old op sys? Err. Mac? Not on MY games machine, thank you. DRM? Like NO ONE ELSE has DRM build in? HAH!
Windows 7 is the best operating upgrade since Win95 and XP. Try it. You WILL like it.
erolsipar
August 21, 2009 at 11:33am
I would never avoid it I'm using the RTM from Technet I have got and it's a dream come true.
nekollx
August 21, 2009 at 11:25am
man not really trying are they?
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
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