Dear Readers,
Windows 7 is a very large topic to write about, and it can certainly not be written in 1 day, and within 1 mail. so i am going to write this review in parts, as days go by, i will keep on mailing you the follow ups. I might not cover each and every detail of the OS, else it would take me almost a year to complete it, but i will definitely tell you about the points that matter..
Almost 3 years ago, Windows Vista was officially launched to the world. That was after 5 years of successfully capturing the Operating System (OS) market with Windows XP. The changes were significant. It was a revolutionary upgrade from Win XP. By bringing in new graphical interface, upgraded networking stack. Enhanced security and other nifty features. The changes were all good. But what good are all those features when the OS is bloated, buggy and unstable. At start Vista received good reviews from computer enthusiasts who used Vista on a very high end computer. But as the market started adopting it, more and more people ran into problems. I will not discuss the issues here, as this is not a Vista review. After all the negativity surrounding Vista, Microsoft had to come back with a bang. They had to keep all the good features vista had, but make it stable and reliable. And Microsoft rose to the occasion beautifully with their latest OS, Windows 7 (Seven).
Introduction
Windows 7, by comparison to Vista, is a more compelling version. By offering enhanced usability, dramatically better performance, and seamless compatibility with older hardware and software. The major reason of its stability is due to the fact that they released MANY test builds of Win7 to their beta testers. Microsoft released test releases to the testers, the testers used and reported problems and bugs with the new version on a weekly base. This helped Microsoft iron out all the troubles it had. It is safe to say that Microsoft has tested Windows 7 for almost 1 year before finally releasing their product. Win7 has been finely tuned to provide a better work environment to make you more productive in the time you spend on the PC by simplifying your common activities.
Mind you, Windows 7 is not flawless. There are some minor problems , which i have been complaining to them since beta releases, have still not been sorted out in the final release of Windows 7. I will of course include my dislikes in this review.
So lets begin !!
Product Versions and Prices
When Vista was released, Microsoft burdened users with 6 different versions of Vista. This was a headache for people looking to buy the retail version of the OS. It was so much easier in the days of Windows XP, when we only had 2 version, Home Edition and Professional. Although Windows 7 has a total of 6 product editions. Not all of them will be available to end users like us. There are only 3 versions of Win 7 you can buy as a retail package or upgrade package. Most of the users in East Africa will only get their version pre-installed with their laptop or desktop. But this part is for those who want to buy the OS separately or want to buy an upgrade from their current Vista.
Editions that DON'T matter to us. And CANT buy!
Windows 7 Start
This is Microsoft's lowest end and the cheapest model. This will probably be only bundled with low-end computers like the 9" Netbooks. And it is likely that it will not be available as a retail product.
Windows 7 Home Basic
This will be sold in emerging markets like India only. And they will be bundled with low end laptops.
Windows 7 Enterprise
This version will not be available to the general public. Only Microsoft's corporate partners will be getting the enterprise license.
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Editions that we CAN buy as a retail product or upgrade.
Windows 7 Home Premium.
Retail CD : 200$
Upgrade CD : 120$
This is the version which 95% of all laptop manufacturers will bundle with their laptops. And probably this is the version which most of you readers will encounter in the future. This edition of Win 7 is targeted for most home and small scale business owners. With almost all of Win 7's major features installed in it. So if you are not buying a new laptop with Win 7 and want to enjoy the goodness of Win7, this is the version for you to buy
Windows 7 Professional
Retail CD : 300$
Upgrade CD: 200$
This is targeted mostly at businesses that run a corporate network. It has key network oriented features like support for Active Directory, Remote Desktop, Automated Network Backup etc. If you are not part of a corporate network, then this version is probably an overkill and the extra price is not worth it for you.
Windows 7 Ultimate
Retail CD: 320$
Upgrade CD: 220$
This is the BIG DADDY of Windows 7. It has all the features that Win 7 can offer. Including features only available in the Professional category. But the extra features that this edition offers is really not worth the extra 120 $ you are going to pay for. The added feature is called Bitlocker. Which is a disk encryption tool. Not worth the extra $$$ in my opinion.
It is clear, in my opinion, anyone who wants to purchase Windows 7 separately. The best and most logical option would be to chooseWindows 7 Home Premium.
Part 2 : Coming Soon.......
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