Windows 7 upgrade

[Addanc]

Unfortunately need to use Windows occasionally, having said that I'm quite impressed with the Windows 7 on the machine at current gig, it's bomb proof compared to Vista.

Now thinking of dumping Vista on my dual boot laptop; 32bit or 64bit that is the question? Any known issues with 64bit? Looks like I will not have a complete set of drivers for 64bit.

What is the cheapest source for legal copy of Windows 7 Professional.

 

[xoggoth]

Apart from one registry problem with very old app (VB6) not had any trouble at all on 64 bit. Even some major apps (eg Flash player) do not come in 64 bit version but 32 bit progs normally run on 64 bit transparently, it just bungs them in Program Files (x86) and does some sort of emulaty thing.

 

[VectraMan]

I'm amazed how little difference 64-bit has made to anything. I was expecting some pain; but nothing whatsoever.

The lack of 64-bit Flash is only an issue if you run the 64-bit browser, and there's no point running the 64-bit browser. The 32-bit ones are the default, so it's only a problem if you go looking for one.

The cheapest source was from Amazon back in July as part of the pre-release offer. But that probably doesn't help you much.

 

[Durbs]

I went from 64 bit Vista which did cause me problems, albeit all eventually resolved, to 64 bit Win 7 which has worked flawlessly since release day.

This is on older hardware too (hence the original Vista issues).

Cheapest i suppose would be the Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade. Around £67 on Overclockers.co.uk (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?groupid=33&catid=1555), maybe cheaper elsewhere but Overclockers are normally a safe bet.

 

[gadgetman]

FYI, if there's no specific 64 bit driver you will oftten find the Vista versino will work.

I had no driver issues with x64 on my HP laptop.

 

[vetran]

On windows 7 both main machine (GL1115 with Geoforce 9400 and various rare add in cards which 7 detected flawlessly 64 bit) and HTPC (Scaleo e with Kworld capture card that Mythtv wouldn't touch 32 bit) I love it.

Runs fast and pretty much effortlessly on both. Had Vista before hated it. Do wish they hadn't moved the control panel round though. People already found windows easy to use, its like office 2007 us dinosaurs need to learn all over again.

 

[Addanc]

I was assuming that driver level binaries would have to be 64bit; I didn't think Windows had a micro-kernel hence the drivers would be linked into the kernel (i.e. execute in a kernel context) and as consequence would have to be built 64bits; I have not had a need to look-up the x86 64bit operation yet, but a got the impression that it is a distinct mode of operation as real-mode is protected-mode (I'm ready to be corrected)

Then laptop OEM web-site only lists Windows 7 (32bit) drivers.

 

[VectraMan]

I think drivers do need to be 64-bit.

I wouldn't panic though. I couldn't find 64-bit drivers for my Canon printer, and started to think I was going to have to install the 32-bit OS instead. Then as a last resort I tried plugging it in and switching it on: 64-bit Windows 7 detected it, installed the right driver, everything worked.

Unless you've got some really obscure hardware it's probably not going to be an issue. Everybody says the driver support in Windows 7 is extremely good; you probably just have low expectations because you're used to Linux.

 

[xoggoth]

Hard to be sure as also have much faster machine anyway but Windows 7 seems pretty darn good.

MS seems to get slightly more than every second Windows OS right on average, 3.1 good, 95 crap, 98 good, ME crap, 2000 good, XP good, Vista crap, win7 good. Watch out for Windows 8, chances are it will be awful.

 

[Fred Bloggs]

Runs fast and pretty much effortlessly on both. Had Vista before hated it. Do wish they hadn't moved the control panel round though. People already found windows easy to use, its like office 2007 us dinosaurs need to learn all over again.

Does Win 7 have a start menu "classic" mode (looks like Win 95 etc..) that you can choose?