Quick & Professional
Windows 7: Should You Take the Plunge?
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Date published: September 1, 2009
Length: 2,134 words
Executive Summary
With Windows 7, Microsoft appears to be making a bold step in terms of functionality over the Vista and XP operating systems. While the software looks similar to Vista at first glance, it has a host of new features under the hood that can make life easier, safer, and more productive for its users. This P-guide takes a closer look at some of those features and offers some key points to consider before you take the plunge.
Introduction
Microsoft's release of Windows 7 just might be the biggest tech news to hit the streets in recent years, and it's not hard to see why. On one hand, there's the simple scale involved with a new OS. The prospect of migrating an entire company to a new operating system is almost always a daunting venture. You'll need to make sure you get a return on the significant investment that you'll make in the product itself, along with the staff time and resources needed to install it and work out the inevitable kinks.
At the same time, however, Windows 7 is also huge because of the bad vibes that still resonate from its predecessor, Windows Vista, which met with almost immediate critical disapproval when it was released in 2007. To be fair, Vista had a lot of improvements over the XP operating system, including upgraded security, file sharing, and search capabilities. But those were largely overshadowed by its shortcomings: excessive use of RAM, an overly aggressive User Account Control (UAC) feature, and hardware incompatibility, among others. The result: Vista adoption was lukewarm, as plenty of potential users-including corporate stalwarts such as Intel-refused to embrace it. A recent Forrester Group report noted that Vista is in use on only 12 percent of all corporate desktops around the United States.
Now comes Windows 7, and if the early reviews are any gauge, Microsoft appears to have ironed out many of the issues that plagued Vista. In fact, some reviewers have touted it as the best Microsoft OS ever. Should you commit to it? This P-guide addresses that question, walking you through five reasons why you should consider converting to Windows 7, along with five key points to keep in mind before you take the plunge.
Five Key New Features in Windows 7
Feature #1: Improved security over XP and Vista
There's no way around it-security is always a big issue with Windows. Witness the flurry of activity and tension that surrounds the typical Patch Tuesday. Windows 7 addresses the issue with a number of security upgrades. For starters, Microsoft has revised the BitLocker full-volume encryption feature that debuted with Vista. The Windows 7 version still uses a 128-bit or 256-bit AES encryption algorithm, but is now more flexible. According to the company, Windows 7 also simplifies drive encryption by automatically creating hidden boot partitions. The result: Users no longer need to repartition their drives after installation. And where Vista users required a unique recovery key for each protected volume, Windows 7 users only need a single encryption key. In addition, a new feature called BitLocker To Go lets users encrypt removable storage devices with a password or a digital certificate and offers read-only access to protected files on non-BitLocker-protected systems.
Feature #2: More and better controls for IT administrators
The convenience of BitLocker To Go highlights another Windows 7 advance: a range of new options that make life easier for IT professionals. For example, consider AppLocker, a control policy that allows administrators to precisely spell out what applications users can run on their desktops, and can also block unauthorized or unlicensed software and applications.
Another new feature, Multiple Active Firewall Policies, offers similar convenience. It also provides a welcome improvement over Vista, which automatically set firewall policies depending on the type of network connection-home, public, or work-that a user had established. If a remote Vista user connected to multiple networks while on the road, or if someone working from home used a VPN, he or she couldn't apply the firewall settings for the corporate network. In contrast, Windows 7's Multiple Active Firewall Policies lets IT professionals create a single set of rules for both remote and desk-bound employees, allowing each user's PC to get and apply domain firewall profile information, no matter what other networks are active on the machine.
In a similar vein, the new DirectAccess feature provides a secure way to manage and update individual PCs. DirectAccess uses IPv6 and IPSec protocols to create a secure, two-way connection from a remote user's PC to the corporate network. Users benefit by not having to manually set up VPN connections. IT professionals enjoy the ease of distributing patches and updates whenever remote workers are connected to the network (even if individual users aren't logged on). They also can configure the intranet resources that specific remote users can have access to.
Feature #3: Enhanced user productivity features
Many reviews have noted that Windows 7 is speedier than Vista. While that ultimately will depend on each PC's RAM level and processor capabilities, Windows 7 does boot up and shut down faster that Vista or XP, in part because the new OS loads device drivers in parallel, rather than serially.
The Windows 7 user interface is also leaner and more streamlined, cleaning up common Vista-related complaints about buried display settings, a cluttered Control Panel, confusing shutdown options, and the like. Even the much-maligned UAC has gotten a makeover. In Vista, the UAC launched pop-up permission prompts when users attempted to make even minor system changes. Windows 7 adds a slider feature that lets users decide the level of UAC interaction they prefer.
Microsoft has also redesigned the taskbar in a style that resembles the Dock feature in Mac OS X. The new taskbar features a customizable lineup of program icons that users can click on to launch or switch between applications. Windows 7 has even done one better than the Mac Dock; right-click on an application icon in the taskbar and you get a list of actions associated with it. For example, the Microsoft Word icon will present a list of the most recently opened files, while Firefox Safari will lay out a lineup of your most commonly visited Web sites. Finally, the taskbar also features Aero Peek, a feature that replaces the Show Desktop command. A user can activate Aero Peek by hovering the mouse over a small rectangle on the edge of the taskbar, which reveals the desktop by instantly making all open document and application windows transparent.
Feature #4: Improved search capabilities
Vista introduced Windows Search 4.0, a search function designed to allow for faster, more thorough searches, and also provide IT administrators with per-user policy oversight and the ability to manage resource utilization by controlling how desktop search accesses network resources. With Windows 7, Microsoft has beefed up those seek-and-find capabilities with Federated Search, which combines desktop, SharePoint, and Internet search methods and allows users to scan external hard drives, networked PCs, and even remote data sources.
Feature #5: Improved disaster recovery and backup capabilities
With Windows 7, Microsoft has updated the Windows Recovery Environment feature it introduced in Vista (and which in turn replaced the Recovery Console in Windows XP). In a nutshell, the tool allows users to perform a range of system and data recovery functions, including checking for defective memory, repairing boot-level startup issues, returning the system to earlier configurations, and more. Windows 7's Backup Utility also gives users control over which folders they want to back up (Vista restricted backups to a per-volume basis only).
5 Points to Consider Before Upgrading to Windows 7
Point #1: XP is tried and true
If your company is one of the overwhelming majority of firms that still uses XP, you're probably hesitant about making a switch. And with good reason: Despite its warts, XP has proven itself over the last half decade. It has broad hardware support and is relatively reliable and stable. XP users are also no doubt comfortable with that system's user interface and will face a learning curve when the time comes to switch.
Point #2: The upgrade factor
Microsoft initially planned to allow Vista users to do an in-place upgrade to Windows 7, but to force XP users to wipe clean and reinstall applications and re-create settings. That changed, however, with the company's introduction of the User State Migration Tool, a scriptable command-line tool that allows IT professionals to create a USB drive that will install Windows 7 while migrating user data and settings from XP.
Of course, a wipe-clean install might not be a bad thing-by doing so, you eliminate the chance that hidden malware, registry errors, and other problems sneak into Windows 7.
Another factor to keep in mind: According to Microsoft's current enterprise licensing rules, companies that buy PCs with Windows 7 preinstalled on them can downgrade them to Windows XP, then later upgrade to Windows 7 when they're prepared to migrate to the new OS. There's a time limit, however. Per Microsoft, you can only take advantage of the offer within 18 months of the Windows 7 release date in October 2009 or until the release of a Windows 7 service pack, whichever is sooner. (To stay up to up to date, you can contact Productive at 800.726.4099 to speak with a licensing specialist to see how it might affect you.)
Point #3: Hardware requirements
Generally speaking, the hardware requirements for Windows 7 are relatively close to those for Vista. As a result, XP-heavy organizations might need to invest in that realm. Windows 7 requirements:
- 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or a 64-bit (x64) processor
- 1GB RAM (32-bit)/2 GB RAM (64-bit)
- 16 GB available disk space (32-bit)/20 GB (64-bit)
- DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver.
Note: Microsoft's free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor can help you decide if your hardware will work; check it out at: www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/get/upgrade-advisor.aspx.
Point #4: Compatibility issues
Some of the more intense Vista complaints involved compatibility issues with software, a lack of proper drivers, along with a lack of overall hardware support. While Microsoft has addressed most of those issues with Windows 7, the new OS does share the same base code with Vista, so there's still at least some potential for problems. There are some tools that can help, however. For instance, Microsoft's Application Compatibility Toolkit allows IT professionals to inventory their applications, decide whether their applications are Windows 7-compatible, and apply compatibility fixes where needed. Windows 7 also offers Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC, a pair of application compatibility features that are designed to run older XP applications in the new OS.
Point #5: Stepping into the unknown
While the early reviews and beta tests make it seem as if Windows 7 is a new and improved take on Vista, the real proof will emerge after the software goes until full release on Oct. 22, 2009. Until then, there's no way to fully anticipate the setup issues and other problems that might arise. In the last few months alone, Microsoft has reported (and fixed) a few decent-sized bugs in Windows 7 RTM (Release to Manufacturing) versions, and several testers have logged some complaints about the installation process. While these sorts of issues aren't abnormal for a new OS release, they do point out some of the challenges that users might face in the months ahead.
Conclusion
Early hiccups aside, Windows 7 appears to be a serious improvement over Vista and a worthy successor to XP. Is that enough to make corporate users migrate to it? Several high-profile companies-including Intel-have already indicated that they'll make the switch soon. And one recent national survey of more than 1,000 small and medium-sized company IT pros found that more than 40 percent plan to migrate to Windows 7 by 2010, which is 14 months after the release of Windows 7. When should you take the plunge? Industry analyst firm Gartner is advising businesses to do so before the end of 2012 to avoid application compatibility problems. Seems like a long way off, but given the time it can take to pull off a successful migration, it's at least time to start planning.
About Productive Corporation
Productive Corporation is a specialized software reseller that helps small and medium businesses across North America with software initiatives in security, storage, and infrastructure. We provide subject matter expertise, access to technical resources, and excellent customer service. We also strive to provide the most relevant resources for our customers.
About the Author
Chris Mikko is a Twin Cities-based writer and editor who specializes in technology topics.
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