Windows 7 – Upgrade or not???
Posted by Simon Salvin on 25. Aug 2009 on PC, Simple PC, TechnologyWindows 7 is coming, and coming fast, and with a huge public beta and Microsoft listening to public requests it looks set to be the best operating yet.
The OS has now reached RTM (release to manufacturing) so it’s complete and making it’s way into packaging ready to hit the shelves on October 22nd.
On the 15th July Microsoft released an undisclosed number of Home Premium and Professional versions for pre release and reports showed a massive take up with most retailers selling out within the first day. I ensured I purchased my 2 copies!
The most worrying report comes in the form of upgrading, all the pre release copies sold are upgrade packages, but Microsoft has more recently been in trouble with the EU Commission over anti competitiveness claims by bundling their internet browser ‘Internet Explorer’ with the operating system.
Microsoft have claimed an upgrade will not function without the browser being present and so have planned to remove the browser from their complete retail disc, normally retailing for much more money, and placing this disc in to upgrade packaging. This will require a clean install of the operating system, and leaves possibly the inexperienced user in a vulnerable position, having not backed up their data, inserting the disc and choosing install believing they are performing an upgrade only to find a shiny new OS and no data as it will have formatted the drive and keep my phone ringing for weeks, it may sound good for me, but I’d rather be in the position of helping to install the OS in the first place and ensuring the data is backed up and restored safely rather than having to use time consuming recovery software to get back an itunes collection!
It has been said that a Windows update will then offer a window with a browser choice where you’ll be able to choose from IE8, Firefox, Chrome & Opera browsers. A first for Microsoft with the ability not to have IE even installed, although for me I use IE as a good back up to my first choice of Chrome, although I hope 6 months to a year down the line I won’t require that backup with Chrome becoming more established and certain missing features coming to fruition, the first being ftp support.
I recently read that a deal had been reached between MS and the EUC and that Windows would be delivered to Europe with IE intact while still rolling out the browser choice window, in which case we could still see and upgrade disc in that packaging. For the IT professional out there, the retail option is preferable purely for the clean install option and with both 32 bit & 64 bit discs being supplied in the box its the perfect time to make the change to 64 bit computing which wouldn’t be possible with an upgrade.
The downside to all of this is the prolonged release date and while the OS is complete and will be available to certain channels before October, the 22nd Oct seems a million miles away and perhaps gives MS the chance to iron out its issues with the EU, making a safer option for the average consumer, but for me I’d like the retail disc and a clean 64 bit install for my laptop, and once that’s in place I’m going to pile in the memory!!!
I’ll keep you all posted with the latest developments as they emerge.
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