Will my old PC run the new Windows (7)?
I have a 6-7 year old computer (that) works very well. Will I need a new computer for Windows 7?
-Leonard
It's pretty amazing how many stories about Windows 7 (the next generation operating system that Microsoft is working on) are circulating around the Internet.
It really does speak to the number of people that are still looking for an alternative to migrating to Windows Vista.
In my interactions with rank and file computer users, it seems that Vista's reputation is causing most folks to avoid it as opposed to any tangible specifics.
The Internet, word of mouth buzz and a clever series of ads from Apple have been far more powerful than all the money that Microsoft has spent promoting Vista, which is actually a pretty solid operating system.
Microsoft's current ads that show people that are excited after playing with the "next generation" Windows only to find out that it's Vista actually mirrors what I see going on in the real world.
Once you actually use a properly configured Vista machine, the fears of a problematic operating system melt away. The key is making sure you verify that the computer hardware and associated software and peripherals (printers, etc.) are suited to run under Vista.
Vista's reputation for being problematic has clearly been blown out of proportion based on some of the initial issues that have been common with every new version of Windows (I heard very similar complaints with the launch of Windows 95 and Windows XP).
The difference with the Vista launch has been the power of the Internet and a healthy competitor (Apple).
Windows 7 won't be available until at least January of 2010 and if the normal development issues crop up, you can bet that it will be later in 2010 before you would have the opportunity to use it.
A 6-7 year old computer needs to run a 6-7 year old operating system (Windows XP or older) as the amount of hardware needed to run Vista and Windows 7 is substantially higher.
Computer years are kind of like dog years...I calculate 4 computer years for every calendar year. A 6 year old system is actually 24 computer years old if you use my scale of measure.
Anyone that gets 3 or more (calendar) years out of a computer is ahead of the curve in my book, so kudos to you for stretching the life of your system as long as you have.
If you keep using older software, you can keep using older hardware, but the minute you want to step into today's software, your best bet is to use today's hardware.
Mixing old hardware (including printers, scanners, etc.) with new software is one of the leading causes of computer abuse (and hair loss) and a big reason why Vista has such a bad reputation.
If the guidelines for implementing Windows Vista were more closely followed, fewer folks would have experienced problems with it, but we all know that 'Reading The Manual' is an outdated concept!
Windows 7 will have some very interesting features and based on the early buzz, will likely offer a landing spot for those that want to skip over Vista, but you will need a lot more processing power and storage than a 6-7 year old computer could possibly offer.
The good news is that you have plenty of time before you even have to think about migrating to Windows 7, so this question clearly falls under the advice we give on our radio show every week: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"!
3 -D desktops, free video . photo and audio editing software. office software. but it's the market NOW, and free to download and distribute. Working on systems from single cpu 1. gig to the highest quad cores.
I realize that most stores are locked into contracts with Microsoft. which all but forbid the mention of anything but "Microsoft " as an alternative to their OS. their contracts with distributors are so struck that I'd be surprised if "they " you allow to publish this. give Linux a fair shake. Or at least mention it in cases like this . where poeple are looking for answers to fair questions that don't include spending a ton of cash for a new system when they have a perfectly functional system already on their desktop. like you said " if it's not broke don't fix it" , and even Microsoft knows Vista is Broke , thats why they'll do what they always do . rush an operating system thats not ready to market. and publish patches that include EULA's that say " it's not our fault if the fix you download makes it worse " of course I'm para-phrasing but the message is clear. "Buy our new products , it's better than the last one and ONLY $200.00...we'll fix it as we go." I'm not a Linux nut just living in America I believe the land of the free should apply to more than it does. God bless and spread the word if you can .
I personally was looking forward to Vista, and have been devoting limited time to becoming gradually familiar with Vista for personal use. My choices for most of my personal computing are Fedora linux, Windows XP, with Vista running third. As for our business, we are unable to transition to Vista until our software vendor fully supports their suite of applications with Vista.