I've been using W7 Ultimate since a couple weeks before its official release, thanks to a friend with Microsoft authorization, and I'm quite taken with it. I'm sure some of the features I like most were introduced in Vista, but I've never touched Vista so I wouldn't know. I'm especially fond of the new search integration -- there's a search input right on the Windows explorer, and it automatically searches the current directory and its subdirectories for files whose contents or name include whatever you put there. (It's very handy when searching my directory of job leads to see if I've applied for a position already.) Security is much better -- I like the idea that the Administrator accounts only have Admin power at the moments they need it, and then only by confirmation. The Aero interface, if you machine can handle it, is very very nice. The control panel is much easier to work with. The system is actually kinda intelligent about its own state, and tries to find and fix problems for you. It boots very very fast, and shuts down almost as fast. The desktop gadgets are a nice touch -- I have two running at all times on my system. Oh, and built-in yellow post-its are wonderful. The ability to "pin" favorite documents to the icon for an app right on the startup menu is very useful. Libraries -- pseudo-directories that consolidate multiple real directories containing related files -- very very nice. I don't use them a lot, but they're damned convenient when I do.
What I don't like -- Hmm. A few things. Anything you have that wants to write to its own directory in Program Files (like, for an INI file) is going to bug you, because Windows doesn't like that any more, and will want you to confirm that this program is allowed to run in Admin mode in order to do that -- every damned time you run it. There is a way to scale back such messages, but it works only by reducing system security as a whole, not allowing exceptions for specific programs. Dumb design. And of course, there is the usual Microsoft "if we could make a claim that we actually own your hardware stick in court, we would" control freakery. I have about as legal a copy of Win7 as you can possibly get, and I found the veiled insinuations behind the various antipiracy measures so offensive and insulting that I almost aborted the install. Mm. I don't like the fact that the program menu off the start button is no longer editable -- or even just rearrangeable, as I recall. Hell, I'm not even sure where it's physically located on my disk any more. I remember going looking once and not finding it.
I'm sure I'll think of other stuff later, but this is a good start.
-- Bob
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Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
What I don't like -- Hmm. A few things. Anything you have that wants to write to its own directory in Program Files (like, for an INI file) is going to bug you, because Windows doesn't like that any more, and will want you to confirm that this program is allowed to run in Admin mode in order to do that -- every damned time you run it. There is a way to scale back such messages, but it works only by reducing system security as a whole, not allowing exceptions for specific programs. Dumb design. And of course, there is the usual Microsoft "if we could make a claim that we actually own your hardware stick in court, we would" control freakery. I have about as legal a copy of Win7 as you can possibly get, and I found the veiled insinuations behind the various antipiracy measures so offensive and insulting that I almost aborted the install. Mm. I don't like the fact that the program menu off the start button is no longer editable -- or even just rearrangeable, as I recall. Hell, I'm not even sure where it's physically located on my disk any more. I remember going looking once and not finding it.
I'm sure I'll think of other stuff later, but this is a good start.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.