Microsoft Windows Vista was a total disaster for Microsoft. Slow and bloated, Vista was reviled from almost the moment it shipped. Microsoft initially reacted badly, insisting that Vista was a good product, and that consumers didn’t understand the operating system. Reality soon set in, however, with all of Microsoft’s efforts focused on shipping Windows 7 and changing the discussion from the ill fated Vista. With Windows 7 now widely available, it’s time to ask whether this O/S is any good, and whether Microsoft may have finally excised the cancer of Windows Vista.

I’ve used Windows 7 since the launch date. Adopting a “show me” attitude since Vista, I didn’t want to waste any time with beta releases, preferring instead to work with the real deal. My main Windows 7 test system is an HP Pavilion laptop that I first bought with an OEM copy of Vista approximately three years ago. The upgrade was surprisingly smooth, and I was soon logging into Windows 7. My initial impressions have held up over several weeks of continuous use. Basically, Windows 7 is faster, more stable, and more usable than Vista. Several key UI issues have been addressed, including making it easier to connect to corporate VPNs, and setup wireless connections. Additionally, there are genuine overhauls that were hard to get used to, but have started to grow on me. In particular, having the start button - > program icons in a fixed screen area is ultimately an improvement, though it has taken me a while to get used to it.

Some of the Windows 7 changes, however, don’t feel fully realized. The new task bar UI seems too much like a knock off of the Apple OS X dock concept, and is not handled that well. For instance, the graphical representation of minimized but open windows is too obscure to be of much value (Apples dock has the same problem). Consequently, I find myself looking for open programs by using Alt Tab, something I haven’t really had to do this much since Windows 3.1. This is definitely not a step in the right direction.

All in all, I’d say Windows 7 is for me now equal to Windows XP, making it a satisfactory if incremental upgrade. I’m likely to be happy suggesting it for customers, and will be including it on my personal systems. I do think that Microsoft with all of its resources could have made Windows 7 better (why no in place upgrade from XP ?, etc), but given how badly they executed with Vista, Windows 7 is as good as it has to be. Let’s hope that MS recaptures some of its competitive fire with Windows 8 and ships an O/S that really rocks us with innovation.

Michael
Field Notes