I typically like to spend more time ripping apart new/updated operating system before posting about it on my blog but Microsoft’s Windows 7 (Release Candidate) has me very excited. If you have followed me for a while or at least know me a little bit, you’ll know I was a huge Microsoft guy, which is until Vista was released. Vista (like Windows ME, Microsoft Bob and other poor Microsoft decisions) really pushed me away from Microsoft, not only forcing me to waste a lot of time trying to make Vista work for my business and home setups but also making me realize Apple’s OS X (Leopard) a lot more.
After stepping back from Windows Vista (Ultimate) and reinstalling XP Pro on all my computers, I was left wanting what I expected to get when dropping over $300 on Vista… a more advanced operating system that is in-tune with today and tomorrow. Apple did a fantastic job of catching my attention and eventually finding it’s place into my home and office; OS X Leopard had what I wanted and it actually worked very well. Although I still run Microsoft Windows XP Pro and even Vista on a couple machines, I have been using OS X Leopard a lot… until last week – that is.
Microsoft Windows 7 is what I wanted to and really expected to see in Vista. I have been using Windows 7 RC for a little over a week now, running all applications I normally run (MS Office 2007 Pro, Adobe CS4 Master, etc) and really pushing this OS hard, trying to crack it like I did with Vista and every other OS I’ve used to date (Linux, BSD, OS X, etc). So far Windows 7 is not just hanging in there but seriously performing; running much faster and way more efficiently than Vista ever did, providing a longer battery life on my laptop, zero downtime and lots of new slick surprises. This is really surprising considering all the non-compatible applications I am forcing it to run on a regular basis.
Windows 7 Release Candidate has me excited about Windows as a primary operating system again and I hope Microsoft continues to really listen to what we want in an operating system. Apple has taken advantage of the Vista tragedy and earned its place in a lot of homes it probably never would of if Microsoft went from XP to Windows 7 (skipping Vista altogether). What excites me about this is we are starting to see some healthy competition as Apple really forced Microsoft to look at them as a company that could take a chunk of their business. Microsoft cannot afford another Vista and with the release of Windows 7 RC they proved they listend, learned and are headed down a smarter path.
If you are currently running Windows 7 RC (not Beta) I would love to hear your experience with it. Thank you!
To learn more about Microsoft Windows 7 or if you are ready to take the dive at give the release candidate a run, click here. I think Microsoft has released Windows 7 RC to the general public or will be doing so this week – very exciting!!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been following windows 7 for awhile (since Build 6801) and Windows 7 has been one of the most amazing Operating Systems that has learn’t what its done wrong with Vista and have now prepared to face the facts and fix them. The superbar is a great new addition to the host of features available in W7 and personalization is diffantly easier and more rewarding than the previous windows operating systems. Althought Microsoft should really consider a rewrite and build it from ground up; Windows 7 will be the best thing that ships out of redmond (ofcourse next to Windows XP).
The Release Candidate is brilliant and has fixed alot of bugs that I’ve noticed throughout the development(leak builds) and well theres still bugs but I’m sure they will be fixed soon.
I am proud to say that I am quite impressed with Windows 7. I’ve been tracking it through Neowin.net since the early 6800 builds, and have been keeping up with every 2-3 builds since the official 7000 beta release. Even during beta, I have had not one crash. Drivers find all of my hardware, the superbar is highly configurable and easy to use, the Aero theme looks a bit more organized with its constant cool shade of blue. Even WMP is great (disregarding the bug many had with it wiping 3-4 seconds off their mp3’s).
Amazing overall experience, especially when you consider the fact that it ran smoothly on my 4 year old Turion x2 1.5GHz, 768MB mem, with Aero turned on and all effects enabled.
Screw the RC, the beta build itself was fit for release imho.