Tech Review

In January of 2007, I went to three or four stores in my area to buy the Vista upgrade for my Dell 6400. It wasn't that my computer didn't work or that Vista was going to improve my computing experience one bit, it's just that few things are as exciting to a certain kind of personality than an OS upgrade.

It was a very poor decision. Vista turned out to be to XP what Windows ME was to Windows 98, a useless failure that the cynical would call nothing more than the software equivalent of planned obsolescence: Hardware wouldn't work, games wouldn't play, endless hours spent finding drivers. I didn't notice one single improvement, and worst of all, I paid for this frustration.

Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition Upgrade w/ Encryption Coded Software

I've bought a couple of computers since then. They've had Vista and it's been a better experience than that first one, although it still seems that XP was better.

Today, Microsoft allowed people to download the latest version of Windows, 7. Tempting. Hmmm:

Arguments against:

1. My new Dell E6400 is running fine as is the family Gateway and my wife's Dell 1420.

2. Windows 7 has no compelling features: I don't care that I can move programs around on the taskbar or that the hardware icons are bigger.

3. Internet Explorer 8 is about as exciting to me as Solitaire version 8.

4. Even though downloaders will be able to use the program for one year, they still won't "own" them. It seems from the Microsoft instructions that RC testers won't be able to simply buy a license when the program expires. They're going to have to reinstall Windows and all of their programs, a task which can turn into an all-day affair.

5. The OS on my computer won't match the restore OS on my computer or the backup disks.

6. Possible incompatibilities and issues.

Arguments in favor:

1. I'm a squid and this is what we do.

2. I'll be able to use it for a year.

3. I'll be able to upgrade my OS to 64 bit and you can never have too many bits. Most of my programs come in 64 bit (Directory Opus and some Army security apps) versions, but I don't know what advantage there is to 64 bit except that Windows will be able to use 500MB more of my system RAM. The move to 64 bit computing will bring its own headaches, I'm sure.

4. People report a good experience with Windows 7, giving me hope that it will be more like 98 version 2 or XP than ME. People have had very few driver or program issues and seem to like it fine. Plus, I can always test it on somebody else's unsuspecting computer first.

If I decide to get it, I'll get it from here.