updated: 8/3/2010

Windows 7 is the replacement for Vista. And it couldn’t come out soon enough for Microsoft. Vista was a disaster.

By all reports Windows 7 is faster, more stable and has less annoying pop-up security crap. Oh, and a very Mac looking task bar that launches things. Its very early days but it might be ok.

Frankly, I’m not the guy to review Windows 7. I won’t be using it. I gave up on Windows and went Mac. Never looked back. When I absolutely have to use Windows, its XP. A perfectly good, working, compatible version of Windows. That is what you should be using today.

I personally find Windows 7 hard to use. Microsoft has a bad habit of making new versions of their products with frightening regularity. New year, new version, more money to “upgrade”. Each new version hides features deeper in the menus, pushing function out of sight. I don’t like that. I get frustrated having to dig around to find things I use every day.

The networking side of Windows 7 drives me batty. I just can’t figure it out. There doesn’t seem any easy way to do things that just used to work for me. This scares me as in all modesty - I am the networking guy, it’s what I do and I’m not too foul at it. If I can’t drive it, what hope for the masses?

Maybe I’m a grumpy old man, maybe I am having a “boy look” and can’t see what is right there in front of me, I don’t know. I do need to use Windows, I just don’t like version 7.

We have seen less problems with 7 than Vista. I think if you are new to Windows and never used XP, you might like 7.

Certainly I know several IT guys that like Win 7. I respect their opinion.