Windows 7: I Don't Hate It

14 Years Ago khess 0 579 Views

One of my Christmas presents to myself this year (2009) was a new laptop. It's an Acer Aspire 7535-5020 with 4GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive, Wireless LAN, Built-in Camera, GigaBit LAN, Modem (Does anyone use a Modem any more?), a huge 16:9, 17" screen and a full-size keyboard. It has to be the biggest laptop that I've ever seen. It's not as heavy as it looks but it's certainly not as portable as my Acer One Netbook. It came with Windows 7 Home Premium, which I quickly removed in favor of the more robust and feature-rich, Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit, which I need for the virtualization capability. In my short 2 weeks of using Windows 7, I've found that there are some things I don't like about it but I don't hate it.

I have two significant issues with Windows 7. The first is that it isn't Windows XP and the second is that it's not Windows Vista.

Windows 7 should've followed XP and, for me, it did.

It's hard to let go of Windows XP. It's easy to ignore Windows Vista. In fact, I'm pretending that Windows Vista never happened at all. Kind of like that other figment of my imagination: Windows Me.

One of the things I really miss about XP is the right-click search that allowed me to search folders, drives or the whole computer for a particular file and even search for a string inside the file. It must have been some bizarre twist of drug-induced euphoria that caused Microsoft to put search in the Start Menu and remove the right-click search upon which I'd grown to love and depend.
The search applet in the Start Menu is OK and is a welcome addition but to take away my most valued feature makes me want to start the rumor that Steve Ballmer carries a System76 laptop with Ubuntu Linux on it.

While I'm complaining, I'd also like the ability to have my "Classic" Start Menu back. I really don't like the new one. It feels too limited. Oh, and what the heck is up with this "Library" thing. Just give me back My Documents. There was nothing wrong with My Documents.

Private message to Microsoft: Give me back the right-click search. In the immortal words of a very famous writer (yours truly), "If it ain't broke, please don't break it."

Windows 7 feels faster than previous Windows versions. It feels sturdier. And it feels finished. I don't have the nagging funk in the pit of my stomach that tells me to wait for Windows 7B or the first major service pack. It feels ready for prime time. Admittedly, I changed the interface, as much as possible, back to Windows Classic. Sorry, I'm just used to it and I'm efficient with it. And for the Linux folks reading this, It's more KDE and GNOME-like when in Classic mode.

I also installed a full complement of Cygwin on it after all of the customary patching and rebooting finished.

Oh sure, I've seen all kinds of "I Hate Windows 7" rhetoric floating around the Internet. I guess the "hate" entries are more page view worthy but (and this is difficult for a Linux guy to say) I don't hate Windows 7.
Yes, I'm having Windows XP withdrawals but I'm sure that will wane along with my utter bile-scented distaste for Vista. I can't remember how many times I switched back and forth from Windows 3.11 and Windows 95, when Windows 95 first arrived on the scene. I made the change albeit kicking and screaming and clinging to my Program Manager until I learned to click Start->Programs and enjoy the now familiar Explorer interface.

Windows 7 makes me happy with Windows again. There are things about it that I don't care for but it certainly isn't a disappointment.

Now that I've confessed my non-hate for Windows 7, I'm ready to take my knocks from every corner of the Internet, from every fanboy with a piece of virtual chalk, from every blogger who sees this entry and from every Windows 7 hating pundit with whom I've ever crossed-swords. Go for it because, I'm sorry, I don't hate Windows 7.

_orca 0 Newbie Poster

14 Years Ago

Libraries are excellent for those of us who have multiple terabytes of media on dedicated drives. It lets me merge my TV and Movies drives into my My Movies folder.

SonicClang 0 Newbie Poster

14 Years Ago

Try to get used to the new Taskbar, it's awesome. Don't customize it to look like the old one.

Also, like orca said, Libraries are actually really useful. And you can still use My Documents exactly the same way you used to. Libraries just gives it more depth, if you want it. But, in an enterprise environment I wish I could get rid of them. They have no place in the workplace. If you could include network folders it would be awesome, but you can't.

About the start menu classic idea, why click 10 times to find the program you're looking for when you can simply click Start, type the first so many characters of the program name, and hit Enter? I use the Search function on the start menu all the time, and it's infinitely easier to use than the old one.

AndyRun 0 Newbie Poster

14 Years Ago

I do not hate 7, I hate moving from XP to 7. To re-install everything from scratch? B-r-r-r-r-r-r!!!

jeremyk 0 Newbie Poster

14 Years Ago

Andy - there's an app for that :)

Try WET if you only need My Documents,
Zinstall XP7 if you need applications, settings and all the files as well.

Edited 14 Years Ago by jeremyk because: n/a

gregzeng 0 Newbie Poster

14 Years Ago

M$ still fears & hates *nix. I need to locate software so that my NTFS-COMPRESSED drives, programs & data can read-write EXT2, 3, 4.

From Windows I cannot backup my Linux materials. Windows backup software/ firmware/ hardware is far superior to anything available in *nix (for a PCuser, not system administrator or *nix crazy).

mothy007 0 Newbie Poster

14 Years Ago

just upgraded to windows7 web cam and hot keys dont work other wise seems ok hoping an update will come along and fix them says checking for solution but nothing happens early days .......

qlcooper 0 Newbie Poster

14 Years Ago

Win. 7 Ult. is very impressive, and very reliable, everyone just forget about the Vista Era (although Vista Black v2 is pretty rock solid) and upgrade to at least 7 Professional, trust me it's worth buying (or any other acts of piracy to get)

tickleme 0 Newbie Poster

14 Years Ago

Windows 7 or how I like to refer to it, Vista SP2 has some great features. However, I am a developer and it actually slows me down.

Biker920 commented: need less offensive screen name +0

kristain 1 Junior Poster in Training

14 Years Ago

Libraries are excellent for those of us who have multiple terabytes of media on dedicated drives. It lets me merge my TV and Movies drives into my My Movies folder.

1. Peripherals are integrated in a smoother manner in Windows 7
2. Very much improved UAC
3. Brand new taskbar
4. Super fast performance

eoscondor 0 Newbie Poster

14 Years Ago

the only thing i dislike about windows 7 (enterprise) is the
libraries and start menu the rest is fine.
although i still have XP withdrawals

alex8206 0 Newbie Poster

13 Years Ago

There is a way to enable the search which was encorporated in earlier version of windows. Check out Add/Remove Windows Features.

almog 0 Newbie Poster

13 Years Ago

Hi,

I read you're report and it was very helpful. I'm using vista for my business and I just hate it. Should I get windows 7? maybe an apple OS?

thanks,
Almog

Edited 13 Years Ago by Ezzaral because: Snipped advertising.

caperjack 875 I hate 20 Questions

13 Years Ago

Hi,
I read you're report and it was very helpful. I'm using vista for my business and I just hate it. Should I get windows 7? maybe an apple OS?
thanks,
Almog

go for apple maybe ,but you will need a new apple computer to try apple operating system .

if you hate vista ,give win7 ,you might just like it

or did you just post so you could link your find a temp job site ,and make 5 cents a click

Edited 13 Years Ago by caperjack because: n/a

jingda 135 Industrious Poster

13 Years Ago

Try apple platform their macbooks are good, i am saying that cos i am using one right now:D But almog why are you posting this in a dead thread. Seems like most newcomers always do that. maybe most of you share the same character traits

almog 0 Newbie Poster

13 Years Ago

Thanks for you're help...

predator78 22 Junior Poster

13 Years Ago

I need to locate software

No offence but that sums up what most *nix fans seem to say quite often.

jingda 135 Industrious Poster

13 Years Ago

Thanks for you're help...

You are welcome

jeannot 0 Newbie Poster

13 Years Ago

I like windows 7, I Have Windows 7 ultimate for me it's the best windows ever made.

1, fast performance
2, it's stable
3, the look
4, it has many features

flagstar 111 Practically a Master Poster

13 Years Ago

I don't actually hate windows 7 but I actually hate by the facts that M$ wants to ditch Windows XP for good. You can see some windows 7 feature upgrades that is only available to either Vista and 7, not XP which makes XP fans user a bit frustruated... I'm still an XP user and I don't think I want to upgrade mine to Win7 just yet, maybe a couple more years before I changed my mind.

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