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## Computers and Technology Discussion

### Windows 7: Worth It? - Page 2

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#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: Abwayax
Date: 2009-10-25 19:05:39
I believe I am eligible for a free Windows 7 upgrade. That said, I may or may not take it.
Edit: I am in fact eligible for a free Windows 7

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: Angrysmurf
Date: 2009-10-25 19:42:23
*swears loudly* I bought my Asus 2 months too late to get the free upgrade.
Oh well,

> Windows 7 looks decent enough but Vista has yet to irritate me like other people

I take the same stance on Vista as Phrawger, so I'll stick with it.

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: Abwayax
Date: 2009-10-25 19:46:52
My ideal setup would be to run the Windows inside a virtual machine. Unfortunately, the only information I can find regarding how to migrate an existing Windows install to a virtual machine comes with dozens of caveats.
Also unfortunately, the Windows 7 free upgrade is only an upgrade, not a full installer.

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: ccbtimewiz
Date: 2009-10-25 20:54:39
It's one hell of a leap from Vista, that is for sure.
Windows 7 is probably the best Windows OS I've seen since XP– I almost prefer it over my Debian system.
Almost.

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: Missing? NO!
Date: 2009-10-25 22:00:25
I heard that Windows 7 will definitely replace Vista, and will slowly replace XP.

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: glitchhunter09
Date: 2009-10-26 20:10:06
I've heard 7 is closer to Windows XP than Vista. I'm not sure if that's true yet though.

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: Wa
Date: 2009-10-26 20:24:57

> Ubuntu Linux is worth it

> IE is useless it crashes and my answer is no. Windows 7 is going to be another failure like Vista, and I bet you in a few months time Windows 7 is going to be the next victim for the Conficker Worm. Vista, XP Windows 7 Beta, and other Windows systems (like Server 2008), is going to be another victim to Conficker. Will I upgrade to Windows 7? Nope. If my Vista/XP goes wrong, I'll turn to Lunix.

I agree with you both. Microsoft has never proven to me that Windows 7 will actually function like the ads say it will - and even if it does, the susceptibility to computer viruses and constant updates, as well as the fact that my current computer was designed for XP, means that I am going to stick with Ubuntu (which successfully fills my need for instant click gratification) until I have solid, hard evidence that Windows 7 will be as fast and as operable as I need.

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: Abwayax
Date: 2009-10-26 23:42:25
Agree with Wa because I'm one of those kinds of people who like to think that machines should be made to do their users' biddings, not those of a manufacturer or software developer.
Case in point: Apple. You shell out HUNDREDS of $$$ for hardware that is not much functionally different than other, cheaper counterparts (in effect paying for the Apple brand) and Apple will maintain that IT, not YOU, controls this hardware. Apple considers it a DMCA violation if you try to make your iPod sync with software other than iTunes; same if you try to install "unapproved" software on the iPhone or make the iPhone use a different carrier than the one Apple wants you to use. There is a recent news item about Apple's claim to a patent on software technology that disables an OS in order to present its user with advertisements. Microsoft is no different. There are cases of Microsoft foisting software on its users through Windows Update (search your favorite engine for details about the .NET Firefox extension or Windows Genuine Advantage, neither of which could be uninstalled easily). Microsoft creates proprietary file formats designed to promote vendor lock-in, including the ever-ubiquitous "Word file" and "Powerpoint"; users of non-Microsoft systems have to effectively reverse-engineer these formats simply to read/write to them. Search "Digital Rights Management" or "Trusted Computing" for information about how your computer can be made to disobey you.
Get GNU/Linux, Windows 7 Sins, and this page on the Free Software Foundation website explain in detail why Windows 7 is in fact not "worth it." Keep in mind that although lots of free software people like to bash Microsoft, other proprietary software vendors (Apple, Macromedia/Adobe, etc) are no different. If you are a consumer of Adobe Flash content (which has around a 98% market penetration I think), you're already experiencing vendor lock-in.

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: Ketsuban
Date: 2009-10-27 10:42:52

> Agree with Wa because I'm one of those kinds of people who like to think that machines should be made to do their users' biddings, not those of a manufacturer or software developer.
> Case in point: Apple. You shell out HUNDREDS of $$$ for hardware that is not much functionally different than other, cheaper counterparts (in effect paying for the Apple brand) and Apple will maintain that IT, not YOU, controls this hardware. Apple considers it a DMCA violation if you try to make your iPod sync with software other than iTunes; same if you try to install "unapproved" software on the iPhone or make the iPhone use a different carrier than the one Apple wants you to use. There is a recent news item about Apple's claim to a patent on software technology that disables an OS in order to present its user with advertisements. Microsoft is no different. There are cases of Microsoft foisting software on its users through Windows Update (search your favorite engine for details about the .NET Firefox extension or Windows Genuine Advantage, neither of which could be uninstalled easily). Microsoft creates proprietary file formats designed to promote vendor lock-in, including the ever-ubiquitous "Word file" and "Powerpoint"; users of non-Microsoft systems have to effectively reverse-engineer these formats simply to read/write to them. Search "Digital Rights Management" or "Trusted Computing" for information about how your computer can be made to disobey you.
> Get GNU/Linux, Windows 7 Sins, and this page on the Free Software Foundation website explain in detail why Windows 7 is in fact not "worth it." Keep in mind that although lots of free software people like to bash Microsoft, other proprietary software vendors (Apple, Macromedia/Adobe, etc) are no different. If you are a consumer of Adobe Flash content (which has around a 98% market penetration I think), you're already experiencing vendor lock-in.

Q F fucking T

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: Bent`
Date: 2009-10-28 09:18:27

> Case in point: Apple.

Apples iPod and iPhone are practically the definition of controlled hardware, but the company really contributes a lot to open source:

- Webkit
- CUPS
- Darwin
- LLVM

Also while Ubuntu is all right, the transition isnt perfect. Trading a bunch of Windows niggles for a bunch of Ubuntu niggles is basically walking in place (though things really get better once you realize you can live without Flash).

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: MissingNo
Date: 2009-10-28 15:29:39

> My ideal setup would be to run the Windows inside a virtual machine. Unfortunately, the only information I can find regarding how to migrate an existing Windows install to a virtual machine comes with dozens of caveats.
> Also unfortunately, the Windows 7 free upgrade is only an upgrade, not a full installer.

Uh, for a simple way of installing Seven via your retail media into a virtual machine?
* Create VM in whatever software
* Tell it minimum 512 MB RAM, minimum ~30 GB HD
* Go into whatever 'options' and add a virtual CD drive mapped to your retail ISO or physical media
* Tell it to boot from that media
* Run the installer

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: Abwayax
Date: 2009-10-28 19:48:18

> > My ideal setup would be to run the Windows inside a virtual machine. Unfortunately, the only information I can find regarding how to migrate an existing Windows install to a virtual machine comes with dozens of caveats.
> > Also unfortunately, the Windows 7 free upgrade is only an upgrade, not a full installer.

> Uh, for a simple way of installing Seven via your retail media into a virtual machine?
> * Create VM in whatever software
> * Tell it minimum 512 MB RAM, minimum ~30 GB HD
> * Go into whatever 'options' and add a virtual CD drive mapped to your retail ISO or physical media
> * Tell it to boot from that media
> * Run the installer

I don't have a retail copy of Vista. It was preinstalled on the laptop. Presumably the Win7 upgrade disk won't do a full install; otherwise it wouldn't be an upgrade disk.

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: MissingNo
Date: 2009-10-29 19:50:08

> > Case in point: Apple.

> Apples iPod and iPhone are practically the definition of controlled hardware, but the company really contributes a lot to open source:
> - Webkit
> - CUPS
> - Darwin
> - LLVM
> Also while Ubuntu is all right, the transition isnt perfect. Trading a bunch of Windows niggles for a bunch of Ubuntu niggles is basically walking in place (though things really get better once you realize you can live without Flash).

Don't forget software - namely - the draconian App Store policies. They block Google Voice but allow scantily-clad Asian models.

> I don't have a retail copy of Vista. It was preinstalled on the laptop. Presumably the Win7 upgrade disk won't do a full install; otherwise it wouldn't be an upgrade disk.

See http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2009/10/23/clean-install-windows-7-with-upgrade-media-the-answer.aspx - it does indeed work as clean install media.

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: Abwayax
Date: 2009-10-29 20:38:12

> > Case in point: Apple.

> Apples iPod and iPhone are practically the definition of controlled hardware, but the company really contributes a lot to open source:
> - Webkit
> - CUPS
> - Darwin
> - LLVM

While it's nice that they contribute some good software to the open source/free software community, the absurd amount of control they have over their gadgets isn't really justifiable to me. At any rate, if anyone wants to spend upwards of $300 on a severely restricted and locked down gizmo, fine by me. I can spend less on something that gives me more freedom.

> Also while Ubuntu is all right, the transition isnt perfect. Trading a bunch of Windows niggles for a bunch of Ubuntu niggles is basically walking in place (though things really get better once you realize you can live without Flash).

Well, I personally like Ubuntu, but feel free to read that as any Linux/BSD-based distro if you wish.

> See http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2009/10/23/clean-install-windows-7-with-upgrade-media-the-answer.aspx - it does indeed work as clean install media.

Awesome. I'll have to try that.

#### Re: Windows 7: Worth It?

Posted by: Bent`
Date: 2009-10-29 23:18:40

> > > Case in point: Apple.

> > Apples iPod and iPhone are practically the definition of controlled hardware, but the company really contributes a lot to open source:
> > - Webkit
> > - CUPS
> > - Darwin
> > - LLVM

> While it's nice that they contribute some good software to the open source/free software community, the absurd amount of control they have over their gadgets isn't really justifiable to me. At any rate, if anyone wants to spend upwards of $300 on a severely restricted and locked down gizmo, fine by me. I can spend less on something that gives me more freedom.

Of course; I dont see the appeal of lockeddown devices either. Just pointing out that the restrictiveness of companies is not necessarily black and white. (To use Apple as another example: Snow Leopard upgrade disks can do clean installs too, and theres not any WGAstyle garbage in it.)

> > Also while Ubuntu is all right, the transition isnt perfect. Trading a bunch of Windows niggles for a bunch of Ubuntu niggles is basically walking in place (though things really get better once you realize you can live without Flash).

> Well, I personally like Ubuntu, but feel free to read that as any Linux/BSD-based distro if you wish.

The nice thing about Linux is its customizability. I just happen to really, really dislike the default setup in Ubuntu, and the huge pain it is to use the nonfree codecs. A more general Linux beef would be the adoption of PulseAudio
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