Microsoft to XP Crowd: 'And we'll be honest, it could take you a couple of hours'
Perhaps people do exist who are truly agnostic when it comes to their preferred computer operating system, happy to work with whatever is at hand. Haven't met many of those. More common are the fervid Mac people or the die-hard Windows crowd or those Linux true believers and so on. Motivations vary but the levels of passion (cultish) of each camp are roughly comparable.
This came up after viewing an online training video from Microsoft on how to upgrade from Windows XP to the new Windows 7 (for those skipping over the much-maligned Windows Vista).
Many PC users never left XP, which had proved reasonably stable and seemed not worth abandoning after the early rumors of Vista's dodginess began to surface. Others simply wanted to get off the hardware/software upgrade merry-go-round and take a breather from boom-fueled PC fleet replacements every 18 months. Factor in the time needed to accomplish an operating-system switch and multiply that by number of seats in the house or the company and Windows XP seemed ... good enough.
That said, if you're thinking of switching to Windows 7 now, please view this helpful upgrade announcement from Microsoft first. Depending on which camp you're in it may seem like unintentional self-parody or a straightforward effort to help you navigate the E-Z task ahead.
Those who've migrated to the comfy-sweater friendliness of Apple's iMac in recent years certainly will have an opinion. Others may think: root canal.
What do you think?
Comments:
Posted Thu, Oct 15, 8:06 a.m. inappropriate
I guess I am one of those people happy to have whatever OS is handy, though Mac seems appealing (but $$).
Though I don't have a Mac, I was impressed that OS X Snow Leopard actually reduced the amount of space it occupies. Curious how much space 7 uses compared to Vista and XP.
Posted Thu, Oct 15, 8:09 a.m. inappropriate
My last root canal (thanks to an excellent dentist) was not as bad as this looks to be.
While this tutorial may be extremely helpful to actually doing the installation, it is very "off putting" to anyone considering Windows 7. I will not be moving any of my small company's computers to Windows 7 - XP is just fine, thank you! Of the 5 machines we have, 3 are PCs and 2 are Macs - our next purchase is to replace two of the PCs with a robust MacPro workstation.
The various Mac 0S updates I've loaded in the last 2 1/2 years have been a snap - put in the DVD, click on "install," come back an hour or so later, and it's finished.
That's how operating system installations should be done!
Posted Thu, Oct 15, 9 a.m. inappropriate
If you're still using XP, chances are your hardware is well-beyond obsolete and Windoze 7 won't like it. It's not worth the headache and worry about possible disaster. Save your pennies and buy a new desktop/laptop with Win7 preinstalled.
Posted Thu, Oct 15, 11 a.m. inappropriate
well, there you have it: microsoft's basic assumption has always been that their customers are as interested in how their computers work as they are. i know that i am NOT. i just want it damned thing to work. apple seems to understand that and so will always get my business.
Posted Thu, Oct 15, 9:59 p.m. inappropriate
A friend said it this way: "Macs are made for humans."
Posted Tue, Oct 27, 9:55 p.m. inappropriate
PC Magazine seems to love local company Laplink's PC Mover Windows 7 Upgrade Assistant, review here http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2353299,00.asp If you bought an XP computer within the last year, as I did, it's probably ready hardware-wise for Windows 7 but the idea of reinstalling applications and settings is daunting. Laplink's product is a $20 download, which sounds like a bargain to me...