Seven or XP?

[SquonkSC]

Maybe you're XP hasn't been tweaked too well,it's hard to believe it's starting up only in 12-20 seconds!


I think that too,for me Windows Seven it's like an update for Vista,a little bit faster(a tweaked vista)!
It's all about marketing!

For the record I just booted all the machines and timed it with a watch this time instead of just counting.

from just after bios post till login screen.

1a. HTPC (4gb ram) Win7 x64 = 19 seconds
1b. HTPC (4gb ram, 3gb usable) Win7 x86 = 14 seconds

2. Studio PC (32gb ram) Win7 x64 = 22 seconds

3. Laptop (1,5gb ram) Win7 x86 = 26 seconds​

Note: On all machines but laptop swapfile is disabled.

Note2: I tweaked XP to the same extremes as I do Win7.
Under XP the tweaks just made a smaller difference than under Win7

Note3: I ditched XP on all machines, so I cannot clock it, but I can assure you it took minutes, not seconds.

As for your statement of Win7 being a tweaked Vista, I agree with you for the most part.
I wouldn't call it a tweak though but more an overhaul.

Under the hood it's 95% the same, but the GUI overhaul is too extensive to write it off as just a tweak.

MS did one hell of a job turning a nightmare of an OS (vista before sp1)
into a lean and very efficient Win7.

I can only commend them on a job well done.

I am not bashing XP.
It has been the best thing before Win7, and I had many happy hours working with it,
and I wouldn't tell people to move to Win7 unless they have good reason to, and the right hardware.

But for me Win7 is a blessing and actually solved long unsolved issues I had on XP, especially on my StudioPC and HTPC.


Greetz

 

[andych]

Why?Because it's new,right?

With all due respect......it really doesn't seem to matter what anyone puts in here to support their view that Windows 7 is their preferred OS you will try and shout it down with comments like the one above...or :it is all marketing hype" etc.
You have stated that you have not used it...yet you also say it is full of bugs...
Windows 7 is not even commercially available yet....however it starts faster than a standard install of XP...your copy apparently is tweaked to provide maximum performance....just wait for a couple of months and there will be Win 7 installs tweaked and tuned...stripped and chopped to blow XP to the weeds.......
There has not been that much "marketing hype" as you state....the hype has been built up by individuals like those in this thread who have been testing and evaluating the various versions over the last 7 to 10 months and have found enjoyment and excitement in the features, speed etc of this new OS.

This thread will continue in a never-ending loop as 2 people predominantly will come up with a negative for every positive raised about Windows 7.

I trust you will continue to enjoy the use of your 9 year old OS while the rest of us work and play more efficiently with a richer and higher developed set of tools.

 

[visy199]

With all due respect......it really doesn't seem to matter what anyone puts in here to support their view that Windows 7 is their preferred OS you will try and shout it down with comments like the one above...or :it is all marketing hype" etc.
You have stated that you have not used it...yet you also say it is full of bugs...
Windows 7 is not even commercially available yet....however it starts faster than a standard install of XP...your copy apparently is tweaked to provide maximum performance....just wait for a couple of months and there will be Win 7 installs tweaked and tuned...stripped and chopped to blow XP to the weeds.......
There has not been that much "marketing hype" as you state....the hype has been built up by individuals like those in this thread who have been testing and evaluating the various versions over the last 7 to 10 months and have found enjoyment and excitement in the features, speed etc of this new OS.

This thread will continue in a never-ending loop as 2 people predominantly will come up with a negative for every positive raised about Windows 7.

I trust you will continue to enjoy the use of your 9 year old OS while the rest of us work and play more efficiently with a richer and higher developed set of tools.

Sorry for that post,but some news things are not necessary better than some old ones(vista dissapointed me)
I said i've tested it on anther machine and I'm not so impressed,maybe it's not tweaked well and also it have some bugs!
I would like to test it more on my pc,but only way to do that properly it's to upgrade it or maybe to buy a new one!

People can say their own oppinion about these two OS!


Thanks for reply,I will be more silent!

 

[Xander]

Errm Windows 7 without question.

Yes I did used to use XP both 32 bit and then 64 bit when I realised how advantageous it is (esp at the time cause lots of buggy software didn't code for 64 bit and hence you couldn't use it and stuff up your PC).

Windows 7 is kinder to the eyes, it has more capability, it's friendlier to tweak (basically because MS now expects you to want to mod it instead of acting all shocked), it has nice visual distractions for when the computer inevitably makes me wait, I can place my files where I want them a whole lot easier, it's more secure, the setup supports things other than IDE drives natively, it's more organised, it's more integrated...

Ooo I don't know why I changed, I'll change back...

NOT.

Don't get me wrong, I like XP64 but Win7 is like using a decent bit of kit as opposed to XP which just seems old, tired, confused and in need of retiring.

Oh and Win7 is much, much, much better for the average user. If it crashes those little reports saying "it was that mean ol graphics driver" with a link to the exact place you need to visit to update the aforementioned driver. As the person everyone goes to with PC problems amongst a group of like a dozen people (this is home users) it's so nice when there's on screen instructions to follow. All I have to do is guide the nervous ones through once and they gain confidence.

Thumbs up.

 

[SquonkSC]

Errm Windows 7 without question.

Yes I did used to use XP both 32 bit and then 64 bit when I realised how advantageous it is (esp at the time cause lots of buggy software didn't code for 64 bit and hence you couldn't use it and stuff up your PC).

Windows 7 is kinder to the eyes, it has more capability, it's friendlier to tweak (basically because MS now expects you to want to mod it instead of acting all shocked), it has nice visual distractions for when the computer inevitably makes me wait, I can place my files where I want them a whole lot easier, it's more secure, the setup supports things other than IDE drives natively, it's more organised, it's more integrated...

Ooo I don't know why I changed, I'll change back...

NOT.

Don't get me wrong, I like XP64 but Win7 is like using a decent bit of kit as opposed to XP which just seems old, tired, confused and in need of retiring.

Oh and Win7 is much, much, much better for the average user. If it crashes those little reports saying "it was that mean ol graphics driver" with a link to the exact place you need to visit to update the aforementioned driver. As the person everyone goes to with PC problems amongst a group of like a dozen people (this is home users) it's so nice when there's on screen instructions to follow. All I have to do is guide the nervous ones through once and they gain confidence.

Thumbs up.

Excellent well founded post.

+rep

 

[Kari]

Why?Because it's new,right?

No. Xp is like having sex alone, with yourself: you get the job done but it doesn't feel as good as the real thing. Of course you don't know what the real thing is if you've never tried, but once you've tried your soul is sold to the devil

 

[visy199]

I've watched at system specifications from the people who posted here and i think i understand it!
People with old pc's(like me)like xp because that's the better OS for them!
People with average pc's and high-end pc's like Seven because it looks better,it's new,improved,it's simple to use and it's perfect for their pc's!

 

[Xander]

I've watched at system specifications from the people who posted here and i think i understand it!
People with old pc's(like me)like xp because that's the better OS for them!
People with average pc's and high-end pc's like Seven because it looks better,it's new,it's simple to use and it's perfect for their pc's!

It's more likely that those who like to tweak and get new stuff would snatch up a new OS to go with their new shinies where as those who "if it ain't broke then don't fix it" won't change OS the same as they haven't changed their graphics card (for example). Either lack of resources or desire means they don't feel like trying it. Those who are suckers for new and improved (myself being one) love it partially because it is new. However none of that is the entire story.

Personally I tried it cause it was supposed to be new and improved, I stayed with it (over both XP and Vista and Linux even) because I found out that yes it IS improved and I like it.

 

[Sammy]

Windows 7 is the new XP in my book

 

[zigzag3143]

I have 4 "old Pc's", P-IV's with max 2 gig's of ram and after 1 week of running the win 7 beta i converted over and haven't looked back. win 7 does have its quirks, but after all, all OS's due when they are released.

Ken

 

[TheTeZ]

these are two vastly different operating systems, personally i have had less problems with XP, ive had a lot more crashes with 7. and theirs a lot more compatibility problems with 7 than xp, Obviously this will change over time, so i have already bought my copy of win7

 

[SquonkSC]

Let's not forget that a lot of the problems people report about win7 are due to:

1. inexperience with the new OS
2. inexperience with any OS, but they try setting it up themselves anyway.
3. people trying to install Vista and XP drivers in absence of Win7 drivers.
4. drivers being in there first stages of development
5. people trying to install Vista and XP tweaks on Win7
6. people expecting miracles on their old hardware
7. win7 being an OS that isn't even for sale yet. (I bet it will have a dozen updates already when it is in the shops)

Let's be fair and refresh our memories.

1. XP has had the largest amount of patches, updates and fixes in the history of any OS.

2. It took 3 giant service packs to make it what it is today, and still every week there are new patches and updates, and even security holes that will never be fixed.

3. it has 9 years and millions of hours of 3rd party development on tweaks and hacks to make it better.

4. it has 9 years of driver development, to fine tune every aspect of it, and even today there are still updates for XP drivers being made.

note:
Windows XP without service packs is so full of security leaks, your pc will be infected with 200+ different types of trojans and viruses before you have even downloaded the first updates.

XP before SP1 gave more blue screens than any other OS before (except for "windows millenium")


Now compare that to Win7 and be fair to conclude the Microsoft developers have come a long way.

By the way, Xp is a fine Os now too.

.

 

[Klaw117]

I'm using Windows 7 and I absolutely love it. I started out with XP Professional x86 (I wanted to get x64, but my cousin advised against it) and it was pretty fast and stable, but I just felt like I wanted more, so I downloaded the Windows 7 RC and I have been using it ever since. I have noticed that my apps tend to crash more in Windows 7, but I blamed this mostly on the fact that Windows 7 was still only a RC at the time while XP has gone through 3 Service Packs. For a RC, Windows 7 is actually performing very well. It's very fast (apparently faster than XP) and the system itself is quite stable. I haven't gotten BSODs at all while on XP, I got one while trying to install the Zune Software.

Also, when my applications do crash, it's much faster to get them back up and running than it was in XP. In XP, you had to go into the task manager and press End Task, which took forever, or just press End Process. However, in Windows 7, it will automatically detect that something has stopped responding and try to fix it on its own. I have never had to go into the task manager and press End Task or End Process. Usually something will just pop up saying "*Insert App Name Here* has stopped working" and then all I have to do is wait while it sends info to Microsoft. In roughly less than a minute, everything is fine again and I can restart the app while in XP, clicking End Task and waiting for it to finish took roughly 5 minutes. Clicking End Process near instantaneous, but I never liked to do it because the system warned that it could damage the system.

I would also like to point out that the System Restore function on XP was somewhat flawed. There were many cases where you could not restore your system because antivirus was interfering with it or it just did not work. In Windows 7, I have performed numerous system restores and it has worked perfectly fine.

Overall, I must say that Windows 7 is much better and deals with crashes better.

 

[Dzomlija]

silly question - the great majority of us on this forum have chosen 7 - the clue is in the domain name.

i'm also surprised 7 isn't performing well on your hardware - driver issues?

a lot of us have spent many years with xp, and it's always difficult stepping outside of your comfort zone, having to learn how to solve new problems and using new methods and techniques.

but that's what i like doing, learning new stuff - it's one of the things that separates us from the animals (and indeed, the duller majority of humanity).

back in the day, my sinclair spectrum fulfilled all my computing needs, but time and tide move on, and it's up to us to move with them, unless you like being left behind tinkering with antiquated technology.

You too? I Also got started on a ZX Spectrum. The +3 to be precise, which I still have for sentimental reasons

But like you, I prefer 7 because I also like learning new things. That's the beauty of being in this business in the first place - it's constantly evolving.

The poll should not be taken too seriously, because the OP negleced to include Vista as a choice, but even if he had, I would have voted for 7 (as I did) because it's faster, more stable and more secure. Everything about 7 is just better.

 

[Zidane24]

For me, Windows 7, bar none.

couldn't have said it better

 

[Zidane24]

Let's not forget that a lot of the problems people report about win7 are due to:

1. inexperience with the new OS
2. inexperience with any OS, but they try setting it up themselves anyway.
3. people trying to install Vista and XP drivers in absence of Win7 drivers.
4. drivers being in there first stages of development
5. people trying to install Vista and XP tweaks on Win7
6. people expecting miracles on their old hardware
7. win7 being an OS that isn't even for sale yet. (I bet it will have a dozen updates already when it is in the shops)

Let's be fair and refresh our memories.

1. XP has had the largest amount of patches, updates and fixes in the history of any OS.

2. It took 3 giant service packs to make it what it is today, and still every week there are new patches and updates, and even security holes that will never be fixed.

3. it has 9 years and millions of hours of 3rd party development on tweaks and hacks to make it better.

4. it has 9 years of driver development, to fine tune every aspect of it, and even today there are still updates for XP drivers being made.

note:
Windows XP without service packs is so full of security leaks, your pc will be infected with 200+ different types of trojans and viruses before you have even downloaded the first updates.

XP before SP1 gave more blue screens than any other OS before (except for "windows millenium")


Now compare that to Win7 and be fair to conclude the Microsoft developers have come a long way.

By the way, Xp is a fine Os now too.

.

This post s so true that it hurts...most people are so thick they don't relaize that if you work on something for almost 9 years I would expect resonable progress out of it. Honestly I think those XP comparisions to 7 should be made with Windows XP Pre-SP1 to Windows 7 Pre-SP1. That is a no contest if there ever was...Hell XP Pre-SP1 vs. Vista Pre-SP1 was also a no contest. Vista starting out was bad but XP was so terrible...If in 5~6 years we compare XP SP3 to 7 SP3 you will see that it has never been a contest...7 will always win

 

[zigzag3143]

couldn't have said it better

Great minds think alike It win 7 hands down

Ken

 

[Zidane24]

these are two vastly different operating systems, personally i have had less problems with XP, ive had a lot more crashes with 7. and theirs a lot more compatibility problems with 7 than xp, Obviously this will change over time, so i have already bought my copy of win7

Again your comparing your experience with an OS + 3 SPs + updates with a pre-release version of an OS that already trumps that. Take this in consideration

 

[Zidane24]

Sorry for that post,but some news things are not necessary better than some old ones(vista dissapointed me)
I said i've tested it on anther machine and I'm not so impressed,maybe it's not tweaked well and also it have some bugs!
I would like to test it more on my pc,but only way to do that properly it's to upgrade it or maybe to buy a new one!

People can say their own oppinion about these two OS!


Thanks for reply,I will be more silent!

I can't iterate this enough...maybe I should make a banner about it. Your comparing XP + 3SPs + updates to Pre-Release 7...Compare XP Pre-SP1 to 7 Pre-SP1 and come back

 

[RootAdmin]

after dual booting xp and win 7 for a month or so, and realizing _everything_ i use on xp works perfectly on win7(even if in compatiblity mode or with a program update) i made a backup of the xp disk and deleted it!

Love windows 7, even if it does eat abit more resources and tend to make the pc run abit hotter, the eyecandy, compatibility, security, built in features all make it worth it!

there are even afew programs that i use that run MUCH better on 7 than they did on xp, which was the main reason for me making the switch.
The only thing i dislike is not being able to use the onboard videocard and the pci card i have at the same time and keep aero on, which can probably be fixed with enough tweaking, but seeing as i barely use a 2nd moniter anymore let alone a 3rd(which is what the onboard was for xp), theres no need