Comments on: Windows 7 could change our perception of PCs

Can Windows 7 be the savior that manufacturers like Dell and HP have been waiting for? Don Reisinger thinks so.

[dpd83]

This blog and article are both terrible, probably the worst on the internet.

The word ? Experience? was used 15 times. It?s called a thesaurus ?. Use one.

"Windows 7's taskbar is a game-changer. When you roll your mouse over an icon in the taskbar, thumbnails of every open instance of the application will be displayed."
This is a great innovation in Windows 7, that started with Vista.

---- Way to be on the cutting edge of information.

Vista was broken because 3rd party software was not prepared for it SO NOTHING worked on it, there is nothing wrong with it. When windows 7 launched everything out on the market will already be ?VISTA? compatible and will work flawlessly with Windows 7 so everyone will think ?MICROSOFT FIXED WINDOWS?.

[infinitecupcakes]

I agree that this article reflects, at best, a third grade reading comprehension and writing level. The author should stick with reviewing Flowbee Haircut Systems.

The aforementioned reference study by Forrester examined 5 computer manufacturers: Apple, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, and Hewlett-Packard (HP). The conclusion presented here would only be valid if Compaq, Dell, Gateway, and HP all received low scores based on user perception of the quality of their product.

[jmacholz]

Dell is the problem with Dell branded machines, yes, Vista does have its issues, but Dell's issues makes Vista's insignificant.

Dell had to send me three new computers within the timeframe of 4 months before they kind of got it almost right. Their tech support and customer support is majorly flawed!!! To this date I still have major issues with my machine and I can probably guarantee that it has nothing to do with Vista.

However, I would probably need a day or two to sit with their tech support to correct all the issues I have. Dell Support Forums have been of litte or no use either. I am still a very disappointed Dell owner!

[john55440]

I use Vista SP1 Preinstalled every day, and it works just fine.

If you hate Vista's UAC, turn it off! (I don't have any problems with it.)

My HP complaint is that my computer was delivered with an obviously defective video card. That's not Microsoft's fault.

[myles taylor]

It's interesting how you can count on the worst articles on CNet being written by Don Reisinger.

[john55440]

In addition, HP's Technical Support is terrible. I can hardly wait until my warranty expires, so I never have to deal with those incompetent, stonewalling, clowns again.

Once again, not Microsoft's fault.

[mailbox421]

You can't make an equal comparison between Apple and Microsoft or Apple and Dell. Apple only makes hardware to work with their software and vice versa. They control it all, so they should have better compatibility. That being said, Apple does seem to spend more time and effort on usability. Their hardware and software both give users more "warm and fuzzy" feelings because they spent more time to make it so and they rightfully charge more for it. A more valid comparison would be between Windows and Linux. Both are designed for a variety of hardware and environments.

[DanielHana]

I don?t think this has anything to do with the Operating System, I have a Dell computer and a HP . The only problem I have ever had with them is there support its all moved to India and I am Sick of it.

[R. U. Sirius]

Another junk article. Please Cnet fire these hack writers and get back to your old tech coverage. You are sounding more and more like TechCrunch with each passing day.

[ofmyony]

Is it really so bad, I mean reviews are a little boring. By writing articles that get consumers attention you are providing a forum for users to speak out about what concerns them.

I don't put much emphasis on what the writer's opinions are but I do want to voice my opinion, and that's what's great about any article. It didn't use to be this way. A writer would write an article and you were left fuming, it's no longer this way. So I am for for writers like Don who give opinion as long as I can give mine.

[seslew]

Is it really OK to say we don't like Apple or Mac now? And we won't be called ignorant or anything? Now there is progress in the computer world. The truth for me is PC has always been better. When ever I hear how Apple systems are easier or faster or smarter I laugh. You guys that push so hard for systems that are not PC that you probably don't even know that when everybody is agreeing with you about how PC sucks they just want you to be quiet, please.

[deep_teal]

I've been using Windows 7 (build 7000) for the past 3 months on my macbook and have been generally impressed. my biggest issue is actually the new taskbar interface. doing a lot of instant messaging, I often have 2 Pidgin windows open (one for contacts, one for messages). when I'm doing something else and I receive a message, rather than just being able to click on my messages window, I have to hover over pidgin, wait, then click on the messages window. not too annoying at first, but when you do it several times in a short period of time... anyone know a way around that? perhaps a way that clicking on the icon opens the last opened window in that application?

otherwise, I've been impressed (and I'm generally an Apple person).

[the Otter]

I haven?t used Ms Windows 7 myself, but the features you?re talking about sound almost identical to the features Apple introduced in 2003. While they may be new to you, they hardly sound like something that ?change our perception of PCs,? unless one?s perception doesn?t include most of Ms Windows? features being a half-baked imitation of Mac OS?s.

(To be fair, Apple copies stuff from Microsoft?and others?too; I?m mostly commenting on the title of this article.)

[monkeyfun14]

Please do make a list

[Willie Winkie]

OK, let me first off disclose that I run a Mac and a PC. I've been running the various builds of Windows 7 for some time. It IS the BEST version of the OS to come out of Microsoft since XP. That said however, Windows is STILL at the mercy of TONS of crappy software programs that are buggy and don't play well with each other. In other words, "Life Without Walls" allows for a whole bunch of creepy crawlies and unwanted guests into your computing environment. Apple's Mac OS and the corresponding ecosystem of Mac applications is like an upscale restricted neighborhood with a cop on every corner and strict no vagrancy laws. There are no unkept lawns or purple houses. Indeed, Apple makes sure that there is little or no deviation from the standards of hardware and software they have set forth. And that's why I keep going back to the Mac for anything other than single purpose computing. I may encode a bunch of raw video to quicktime on my PC, but it gets polished into a professional DVD on my Mac. Or to use another analogy, the PC is like a VitaMix blender with a 2 HP motor. It chops, grinds and liquifies any food ingredient in record time. But my Mac is like my expensive cookware, spice rack and dinnerware that turns the ingredients into a meal.

[protagonistic--2008]

I agree and disagree with you. People who get brand new shiny computers and are already Windows users will more than likely be much more satisfied, but then they would probably also be much more satisfied if someone did a clean install on their old system.

The biggest problem I see with Windows 7 is that MS again refuses to break from the past. The single biggest drag on a Windows system over time is the registry and to my knowledge 7 still uses the registry. OS X, Linux and UNIX don't have this problem and until MS decides to correct this mistake they will have a problem.

As one who is using the Windows 7 beta I can say it is a very nice computing experience, but, there is nothing really compelling that would make me want to run out and buy a copy. Most of the "improvements" are features that I have already used for quite some time in the world of other OSs. People coming to 7 via Vista should be very happy with it. Those coming from XP may or may not like it.

[SactoGuy018]

I do think Windows 7 will be a major hit because unlike Windows Vista (which just needed too high level of hardware requirements when it first came out), Windows 7 will run quickly because they designed it so it works well even on "netbooks" that use the Intel Atom CPU. In short, with current hardware, Windows 7 will likely run MUCH faster than Windows Vista.

[yb_lah]

>> "I do think Microsoft's software has a bit to do with it," Temkin wrote.

A "bit" to do with it? Is this genius sure he wants to go out on a limb? Windows has everything to do with it. Bill Gates castrated the beige-box windows pc makers decades ago. HP & Dell have no ability to innovate. Apple's products have been significantly superior for years.

[Angmarr]

on the contrary, what you call superior is the Inability to change alter anything beyond what apple says must happen, and its not superior just to be different. Rather its superior to be able to alter the product.

[pithenumber]

@Angmarr
and that's why Linux pwns

[barcelonafan]

I haven't used Macs that much recently - but I did have nightmares about my experiences with them. Macs tried to dumb things down too much - for a developer, it is a nightmare IMO. I don't know if Apple fixed this.

Frankly, I use Linux now for all my developing needs and Windows for my gaming.

[Fatesrider]

Vista was a game-changer. It was the best thing to happen to Apple in the last 20 years. The myriad of problems Vista inflicted on an unwilling public could (and did) fill a book. As with Windows 7, I remember hearing good things about Vista that ultimately proved untrue in the real world. Being less than convinced that Microsoft has finally gotten it 'right', time will tell whether Windows 7 lives up to the hype.

[monkeyfun14]

Actually FUD was proven untrue.

[pithenumber]

I confirm that Win7 lives up to hype
or at least the Beta does

[Renegade Knight]

Improve the OS and you improve the experinece. Somewhat. It's still Dell behind the computer. The reason I don't like Dell isn't the OS. It's Dell through and through.

[pbookman]

HP and Dell could improve customer satisfaction dramatically with one simple act: get rid of crapware.

[Angmarr]

But that would result in a price increase!

its usually not the crapware itself, but a lot of users doesn't know how to prevent "Crap" from starting up slowing down the startup when windows starts, not to mention clogging up the task bar

[elgarak]

Errr... no.

Windows is a great liability for the platform, but hardware manufacturers also contribute their own fair share to dissatisfaction.

Computers are highly complex machines, consisting of a processor, caches, RAM, harddrives, specialized processors for sound and video (and more) and chipsets that make all of them work together. Performance and user satisfaction can be greatly enhanced by matching all elements, or greatly reduced by mismatching. Apple is the only company that reliably, for all their line-up, pays attention that all works well together. That costs a bit, but I am willing to pay that and not have to do my own research and plugging the machine together by myself.

To be fair, other manufacturers have also good machines, but also a lot of crappy ones, more than good ones for most manufacturers. And it's not really easy for us customers to spot the wheat from the chaff. Unless you, again, do your own research. Sorry, but I want the manufacturer to do the work, and deliver me a good machine no matter what.

And then there's laptops. Can't build them myself. Plus, as opposed to desktops, have additional requirements. A nice stable enclosure for instance. Frankly, last time I shopped around I could not find a laptop with my requirements (which included a nice, robust enclosure, small and portable but still decent size and good battery life. It's a portable computer and should work well on the go) on ANY Windows machine. Not even for ridiculously high prices. (There are, for instance, metal-bodied Windows laptops. But they are more expensive that most Macs, and have outrageously low specs and are low on features. Most Windows laptops, however, jam tons of computing power in ridiculously crappy enclosures and suck batteries dry fast.Why? Because the stickers of computing powers are what drives the sale, and they have to reduce the price somehow.)

So a MacBook it was.

[pithenumber]

I am proud to easily get 8hr of battery life from my ASUS EEEPC 1000HE and even more from the X200