Do You Use Windows 7?

[megasoftcorp]

If so, Do you use it as your primary Operating System for testing purposes OR, Just as a Vista Replacement?

Just wondering...

I personally have no complaints with vista but would like to try 7. Even though I wouldn't be doing much testing with it.


Is it ok to use Windows 7 RC on a main computer?

[Mathew Thompson]

I have no intention or desire to use Windows 7. My computer, using Vista, is exhibiting none of the problems I had with XP and runs very stable. The only time it does crash is when some driver wants to play bad.

As far as the Windows 7 ISOs released on technet and MSDN, those are only meant for evaluation (technet) such as migration or software testing or for development purposes (MSDN) such as debugging and testing if pre-existing programs work on multiple systems.

MSDN states, explicitly on their page, that you must have a legitimate copy of Vista if you plan on using Vista for normal, day-to-day, usage.

[XJnine]

I have been using the Windows 7 RC since it came out and I love it. Just little things but it seems much more polished than Vista.

I used Vista since it came out and I liked it once all the driver kinks got worked out but once I switched to Windows 7 I never considered going back to Vista. All that being said, Win 7 RC is still not (obviously) a commercially released operating system and I would never use it for any business or mission critical equipment. Even though I haven't had any problems I wouldn't take a chance with any business on an unfinished OS.

[RagingShadow07]

I've also been using it since Day One of the beta, then upgraded to RC1 on the first day that came out.

I was previously using XP, and having used 7, I'll never go back to XP again.

I seem to be one of the only ones who actually liked Vista. When I was using it, I had no problems with it. I don't know if I was lucky, or just didn't use it enough.

That being said, I'm more than happy with Windows 7. Even in beta it's stable and works great. Not counting a few driver problems (Which were solved by running the driver .exe in Vista compatibility mode) it's worked perfectly. I plan to get an OEM copy of Premium when it's released.

[Olin Coles]

I've been reluctant to move into Windows Vista, although I do have it on one of my test workstations. Windows 7 is very much like Vista, in look and feel, but as XJnine mentions it's more polished. I plan to move all testing into Windows 7 when it's released.

[tomslick]

Installed it today, it's okay, just vista with a lot of tweaks, I only use it for a testing and such.

[Daryl Greene]

I originally had issues with Win7 rebooting my pc everytime it went to screensaver or energy saving, whatever. Now that seems to be gone but my games won't play on my entire monitor. They just won't utilize my wide screen.

As for using it on a main system, you can do it as a dual boot if you have more than one drive set up.

[RagingShadow07]

On the beta version of 7, it had problems resuming from sleep mode, but that seems to be fixed on the RC. I still can't get the NVIDIA PhysX screensaver to work properly, though.

[Olle P]

I haven't used Win7 in any way, but for the past few months tried to read user comments about it.
I've been reluctant to leave XP as my main OS because I use plenty of older software that I don't want to leave behind.
Windows 7 seems pretty nice though, and I'd really love to use the full potential of a 64-bit OS as well, therefore I'm seriously considering using Win7 Premium as my main OS with XP as a dual boot option, beginning somewhere around X-mas.

Cheers
Olle

[Daryl Greene]

On the beta version of 7, it had problems resuming from sleep mode, but that seems to be fixed on the RC. I still can't get the NVIDIA PhysX screensaver to work properly, though.


I couldn't get that screensaver to work right either!

[RagingShadow07]

I couldn't get that screensaver to work right either!

It started throwing up an error message at me after running it once. Did it do the same for you?

[XJnine]

therefore I'm seriously considering using Win7 Premium as my main OS with XP as a dual boot option, beginning somewhere around X-mas

If you go with Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate you'll be able to use the new XP mode and negate the need for dual booting. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/default.aspx

[Mathew Thompson]

If you go with Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate you'll be able to use the new XP mode and negate the need for dual booting. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/default.aspx

With the ease of using Virtual software, such as VirtualBox or the free version of VMware, there's been little need to dual boot OSes for a while.

[XJnine]

I agree however the XP mode built into Windows 7 is quite a bit slicker and easier to use. I've been using it for a while and I love how XP apps run as if they're native Win7 apps, you can't really tell that you're virtualizing them. Is that a word?

[Olle P]

With the ease of using Virtual software, such as VirtualBox or the free version of VMware, there's been little need to dual boot OSes for a while.... XP mode built into Windows 7 is quite a bit slicker and easier to use. I've been using it for a while and I love how XP apps run ...
As mentioned XP mode come only with the two most expensive versions of Win7, and since I'm buying a full version of the OS the extra cost for this feature will most probably be prohibitive.
Furthermore the jury is still out on exactly how well it interacts with software written for MS-DOS, Win3 or Win95... Mind you, I'm having trouble getting these softwares to run properly in XP.

Virtual OS is the other option that's been discussed. I have no experience with this and don't know what's required in terms of hardware, software, licenses, etc. The same compatibility questions as for XP mode applies as well.

What I do have is a straight XP Home OEM license, planning to add a Win 7 Premium full license.

Cheers
Olle

[Mathew Thompson]

I'll just wait for a technet event. I got a free copy of Vista Ultimate last summer and I don't feel like paying for an OS :p