Datasheet

12
Part I: Windows 7 Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know
The next two sections describe what Windows 7 offers to Windows Vista
owners, and to those holdouts still running Windows XP.
Why Vista owners will like Windows 7
Vista owners will rejoice at Windows 7, with many folks calling the new oper-
ating system “What Windows Vista should have been.” Windows 7 certainly
isn’t perfect, but it’s a welcome relief for Windows Vista owners. Here’s why:
✓ Easy upgrade path: As a perk for suffering through Vista, you can
upgrade to Windows 7 simply by slipping in a Windows 7 Upgrade DVD.
Your programs, printer, and nearly everything else that worked with
Vista work fine with Windows 7. Windows XP owners face a dirty chore:
They must erase their hard drives and install Windows 7 from scratch.
✓ No more nag screens: Easily the most loudly cursed feature of Windows
Vista, User Account Control (UAC) perpetually popped up messages
asking if you’re sure you want to do something. Windows 7 comes with
a toned-down version that merely warns you if something drastic might
happen. You can even adjust UAC’s warning level to match your comfort
level, from paranoid to relaxed.
✓ Streamlined controls: Vista demanded many keystrokes and clicks to
accomplish what Windows 7 does in a few. In Vista, for example, trying to
turn off a PC brought up two shortcut icons and an arrow that fetches a
seven-option menu. Windows 7’s single-click “Shut Down” key does what
most folks want: Saves work, closes programs, and turns off the PC.
✓ Better backup: In an effort to simplify backing up your PC, Vista made
backup copies of everything, even if you wanted to back up only a few
files or folders. Windows 7, by contrast, lets you back up everything, but
it also offers an option for selecting only a few things to back up.
✓ Runs better on laptops: Vista’s sloth-like performance upset many
laptop owners. Many new netbooks — ultralight laptops built for on-the-
road Internet access and word processing — couldn’t even run Vista,
forcing Microsoft to extend the Windows XP expiration deadline twice.
Why Windows XP owners should
switch to Windows 7
Microsoft releases a new version of Windows every few years. If you bought
your PC between 2001 and 2006, you’ve probably grown accustomed to the
mechanics of Windows XP. That leaves the nagging question, why bother
upgrading to Windows 7 when Windows XP works just fine?
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