Archive for October, 2009
As a key decision maker for your company, any significant financial outlay in a time of economic lassitude will be met with scrutiny and pressure for ROI. As we sit on the cusp of a new Microsoft product release, what arguments can be used for (and against) adopting this latest version of Windows?
Here are some points to ponder that relate to both risk analysis and benefit gain.
Supporting Windows XP
Most IT personnel will tell you, supporting Windows XP has become time consuming and tedious. The product has been around since December 2001, and the last Service Pack was over a year ago. A typical ‘Windows Update’ has over 200 megabytes of files covering the time between the last Service Pack and now. While methods of ‘cloning’ an updated XP system exist, the process still requires manual intervention to include up-to-date drivers for system configurations – including peripherals and new computer hardware. A typical ‘bare bones’ XP install – 2 hours minimum. A Windows 7 install – 30 minutes. (On the same hardware). Quicker is cheaper.
Age and the Logistics of Replacement
A lot of computers running Windows XP are three years old, at minimum. Whether this is from a lack of confidence in Vista staling new product purchases, or because XP was doing all that users demanded, the result is the same: older computer hardware is at higher risk for repair. Expired warranties and dwindling manufacturer support further raise the cost of repair. Your IT department now faces a decision. In the event of a significant failure, the decision to repair or replace becomes more weighted towards replace.
Green
New hardware is cheaper to run – period. The majority of systems built today use 35% less electrical power than those built even 2-3 years ago while delivering 3x the performance. This comes as a result of smarter power management with the Operating System and more sophisticated hardware management via Intel’s new technologies.
With Windows 7 and Intel VPro technology, system maintenance can be performed without end-users leaving computers on overnight – saving an additional 12 hours of electrical power use. See ‘Maintenance’ for more relating to Intel’s VPro advantages.
More Memory – Better Performance
Computer users living in a hectic and connected Internet world are looking for more performance and utility from their computer systems. When you run ten (10) programs at once, memory becomes an issue. No matter how much memory your IT staff plugs in, Windows XP Professional only sees about 3.2 gigabytes; barely enough if your team is running PhotoShop, SolidWorks, or a bunch of business applications at once. At a time when memory is the cheapest thing you can do to boost a computer’s performance, a 64-bit version of Windows goes a long way. Too bad that Windows XP and Vista support is so minimal. Windows 7 has improved upon that situation dramatically with a wider range of drivers and tuned 64-bit performance.
Compatibility
The world of specialised software does not turn on a dime. In-house applications and custom designed software need to work. XP has been the corporate standard long enough that many such applications have become entrenched with this version of Windows. Vista’s ability to support for such programs was poor. This has been resolved with a ‘Virtual XP’ in Windows 7. By using desktop virtualization, you can run Windows XP in a box for applications that are too fussy to run otherwise.
The move to 64-bit should be undertaken with some caution. While support for current or mainstream peripherals is excellent in Windows 7, it is not perfect. Various work-arounds exist, but you may be faced with a key peripheral that just won’t work. The time to investigate this is before any significant roll-out of Windows 7.
New Interface
Vista’s Aero interface was an obvious nod to the success of Apples newest Leopard operating system. However, that ‘eye candy’ came at a significant cost to performance. This has been remedied in Windows 7 – and even improved. There are so many new usability improvements, they demand their own column. Suffice to say that changes in the way we compute since 2001 have been reflected in how we find and manage our data in Windows 7.
Security
One key improvement often overlooked in Vista is the tighter security model for data and applications. Unfortunately, this same model made Vista the butt of jokes in a well known TV ad campaign. The underlying purpose for the relentless alerts was real – if annoying – to reduce the likelihood of malicious software taking over a computer and stealing valuable information. With Windows 7, the security is still there, but the alerts better managed.
Some quick facts
- Windows XP Pro was released in December of 2001 – making it almost 8 years old (Google had yet to go public!)
- XP Service Pack 3 was released in May 6, 2008 – over a year ago
- Over 150 megabytes of patches since XP Service Pack 3
- Most hardware running XP is 3 years old or older
- Mainstream support for XP ended April 2009
- Windows XP (32 bit) can only make use of ~3.4 gigabytes of memory
- Windows 7 is built upon the same technology as Microsoft’s latest and most secure server platform using the same development team
- Windows 7 will generally run as fast (or faster) as XP Professional on any hardware more recent than three years
- The cost purchasing Windows 7 licenses can be offset by the energy savings within a 3 year period
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I am a minimalist. When I switched from Windows 2000 to Windows XP, the switch was tough enough, and I stayed there until I was forced to move to Windows 7 under threat of death.
After it was installed, it was all I expected. Pretty graphics and a lot of gimmicky features – a few new ones from Windows Vista. Of course, everything was rearranged compared to Windows XP. This just fed my negativity.
The first thing that got me angry was that right clicking on My Computer didn’t give me the option to open Explorer. I had used that method for years! Next, where was the Quick Launch? I had opening a new IE window down to an autonomic function. My mouse would seek the Quick Launch icon without looking and open a new window. Now it’s gone! I tried to find the “show desktop” button and it has been moved to the whole other side of the screen.
Panic was now setting in. The interface was different, a lot of my long time trained habits were now useless. I had to relearn things… and then… the security pop ups again.
The first few days of using Windows 7 were a nightmare for me. The system would crash completely, locking right up using some programs without even the courtesy of a Blue Screen of Death. Graphics bugs were abound and some programs I had used for years were no longer compatible. I resented the display and graphics, new layout and stuffy security. I would go into the office and openly complain about it to co-workers who thought I was crazy.
My first instincts were to reject it and say that it wasn’t worth the upgrade; Windows 7 is just another failed Microsoft operating system… and then something happened. I double left clicked on the My Computer icon and it opened an Explorer window with Navigation pane on the left. In XP, that would have been a useless Details pane only. It was then it dawned on me that the icon itself was now just Computer instead of My Computer, an element of cheese I have hated since Windows 95. My Documents were now just Documents. My Pictures, My Music… all dropped the My. Call me fickle, but I always found it insulting that Microsoft would assume we didn’t know whose computer we were using.
This warranted further investigation…
Over the next few hours I discovered great new methods of navigating the computer. The Computer tab on the desktop, for example, is almost like a one-stop-shop for accessing your computer needs. You can open and view the most useful options immediately, such as: System Properties, Uninstall a Program, Map Network Drive or Open the Control Panel and even navigate the libraries all from one interface! It’s like a dream.
Not only that, but the libraries themselves allow you to share and access files from multiple folders and locations on your HDD, meaning that you can consolidate files of the same type into one easy to navigate location. This makes using and sharing documents with other users and the public extremely simple and organized.
I began to notice that even running the new security of Windows 7 was easier, with options adjusted simply in the User Accounts control panel, “Manage User Accounts Control settings” button. With those features adjusted to my liking, it was like working in XP again!
…but there was still the issue with crashing and program compatibility. I began to muddle around with the XP Compatibility modes, which allows you to do any one of the service packs. These modes worked for 99% of my incompatible programs, and now they work like a charm. Only one program that needs to work directly with the operating system failed to work… and for those stubborn applications, there’s even an XP Mode that’s like a virtual XP machine running inside of Windows 7!
This was light years ahead of Vista, where everything was breaking when it was first released. I remember the horror stories. Yet still, my system was crashing. The last great barrier to acceptance.
Upon one of the reboots, I finally noticed an option to run the windows memory checker utility. That’s right, Windows comes built in with its own memory checker. I ran it and almost immediately, Windows identified that I had bad memory. Imagine my shock; I had been using bad memory in my XP machine for more than 2 years and never knew it. That would explain the occasional crashes, slowdowns and Lord knows what else that had plagued me intermittently.
I swapped out the RAM and booted up and WOW! This thing was fast. It was a fully loaded system and it booted like a fresh install of Windows XP. Navigating was great, everything was responsive and worked just as I had hoped.
Suddenly, I began to realize that this operating system was actually far superior to XP in every way. That’s something that no one can tell a skeptic, it’s something that has to be discovered on your own. I was fighting against my own prejudices, as dramatic as that sounds, and I found in the end that I was wrong. It’s now been 3 weeks and I haven’t had a stutter in performance.
Windows 7 isn’t just worth considering, it’s a fantastic new operating system that’s going to be the new standard in computing. Check it out and give it a chance… you’ll thank me later.
Windows 7
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Windows 7 has a sleek interface that is functional, practical and performs better than previous versions.
The large taskbar combines the pinned icons of the XP Quick Launch toolbar with full-size icons and the thumbnail previews of Vista. Now the entire task bar is shared by both quick launch icons, and open applications. You can drag these around to rearrange your taskbar as you see fit.
The icons are animated too, showing the progress bar for a download or an overlay indicating new messages or whether you’re signed in.
Aero Peek Feature of the Task Bar
Windows 7 has got a feature called Aero Peek which is enabled when the Aero desktop experience or theme is used.
The Aero Peek feature is used to view the Desktop temporarily without minimizing all open windows or applications, this is particularly useful when we just want to have a quick look at the Desktop and are too lazy to minimize all the windows. Hovering over the application icon in the taskbar will display all the open windows of that application allowing you to quickly identify and switch to the Word or Excel document you are working on.
Additionally, the larger thumbnail includes the title bar identifying the windows and the corner tools if you wish to close the window without actually switching to it. If you right-click an application’s icon on the taskbar, you get a list of previous files you’ve used with that program.
Windows 7 does have its eye candy: there is a new fade out feature, which highlights the window you’re hovering over by fading out all other active windows on the desktop—so not only do you get a window preview in the “peek” window, but you also get a full-on preview of the window as it looks on your monitor.
Overall, the new Aero experience is just the gimmick Microsoft needed to make this OS feel different than past iterations; it mixes beauty with functionality to truly engage the user. Thumbs up!
Windows 7
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Ask anybody in the IT business about the next big thing in computers, and most of them will tell you one thing: Windows 7 (the select few prefer Macs.) If you ask further, they begin describing all kinds of new improvements on both XP and Vista that, on the surface, make no real sense to any normal user. However, their enthusiasm is not without reason, and we will explain some of the biggest improvements that have a direct impact on the average user: the consumer.
• XP Mode – Despite Microsoft’s best efforts to have users upgrade from XP, they have finally conceded that it’s impossible to force people to move away from the undisputed best OS Microsoft has ever released. In the upcoming Professional and Ultimate/Enterprise edition, you can now run a complete working installation of XP inside Windows 7! Say goodbye to compatibility issues for good.
• Power Management – Since XP was released in 2001, significant advances in hardware have been made to make them energy efficient. Combined with greater public concern of energy use and the whole green movement, it’s no surprise that Win7 has made large strides in making your computer use less energy at idle, effective power save modes, and faster boot times.
• New Hardware Support – Besides energy efficiency, Windows 7 catches up on all the new equipment made in the 8 years since XP was originally released. Read: no hunting your drawers for the driver CDs (or heaven forbid, floppies) for that wireless card you installed back in 2006. Also, Win7 paves the way for new technology on the horizon: USB3.0, Multi-Touch displays, SSD, HD Video/Audio, and much, much more.
Microsoft also made major improvements to other areas of the OS. Far too many to describe in this article, but here are some highlights:
• Look and Feel – The “Wow” factor is big. A report on user interface changes can be found on another article in this newsletter.
• Navigation and Interaction – There are new methods of navigation and keyboard shortcuts, all designed to allow the user to more effectively manage the data on his/her screen.
• Security – As good as XP was, it turned out to be a horribly insecure system. 7 makes improvements here to protect you, without annoying you like Vista did.
• Image Backup – Just as the pros do, you can now protect your entire 7 installation with a complete backup image.
• HomeGroup – Remember XP home networking? I wish I didn’t. HomeGroup takes care of all that, and fully integrates with Extender enabled devices, such as the Xbox 360, and other popular media playing devices.
Microsoft has bet the farm on Windows 7, and this time has the support from those in the IT industry. Their hopes are high that 7 will succeed where Vista failed; only time will tell. It is the opinion of this IT professional that within Windows 7 is a worthy successor to XP.
Windows 7
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If you’ve ever worked in a branch office before, and have tried to access files at the head office, you probably know the headaches. High speed lines can suddenly feel like dial-up, and you’re waiting 5-10 minutes for that excel spreadsheet. Windows 7 has a new feature, specifically aimed at branch offices (2+ workstations), that will help to rectify this issue.
This wondrous new feature called “Branch Cache”, enables remote workstations on the same network to query each other to see if they have the file in question before requesting it from head office. This peer-to-peer framework can drastically slash transfer times for frequently used documents.
There’s a secondary mode as well, which replaces the peer-to-peer aspect, with a server in the branch office that stores the cached files. That way you don’t have to worry about who’s workstations are on affecting which files are cached.
The requirements for BranchCache are relatively minor, requiring Server 2008 R2 on the server side, and Windows 7 on the client side. While BranchCache won’t replace a dedicated file server and synchronization systems, it can help to speed things up if your branch office isn’t lucky enough to have one.
Windows 7
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Blue/Edge is pleased to announce that we are now an authorized reseller of Research in Motion (RIM) products, software and services. You can now contact us for your Blackberry Enterprise Server licensing needs, Blackberry accessories and support.
In the past we’ve only been able to assist our clients with their Blackberry purchases. Now, we can deliver discounted rates that will save you money! Call us now for a quote.
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