A lot of people are asking me about Microsoft Windows System 7, the replacement, or upgrade to Windows Vista and Windows XP. Let me start by saying that I LOVE this operating system. It is the best upgrade Microsoft has done in a long time. I’ve read the press and there is a lot of positive news out there, and of course some grumbling, although a lot of that is “why didn’t you do it sooner” type stuff.
We have converted a good chunk of our computers internally at our small business to Windows System 7 and our goal is to be running System 7 on all production desktops within 2-3 months.
The issues we encountered with Vista, mostly Driver related, are almost nonexistent with 7.
Drivers are what make your printer actually print something when you ask it too, they let your iPod successfully attach to your computer, they allow your mouse to work, your keyboard and Hard drive to function and a huge number of other things to take place on your computer at any time. There are Hardware Drivers and there are Software Drivers. If you have no Driver, the wrong Driver or a broken Driver you get stuck and can’t do much. When it only affects one or two ancillary items on your system, it’s not such a big deal, but if your monitor is not working… well there isn’t much you can accomplish.
Let’s face it the PC revolution is all about productivity and Vista, although a really good step in the right direction, especially when you looked at the interface, lacked a number of important drivers. Who builds Drivers? Drivers are mostly built by the manufacturers of the products that are inside or attached to your PC, for example HP would create the Drivers for their printers, Western Digital would create the Drivers for their hard drives, etc., etc., you get the idea.
So why is Windows System 7 so great? They took all the really cool stuff from Vista AND they fixed the Driver situation so now the operating system/computer goes out and gets most of the Drivers for you. Additionally, Microsoft did an awesome job of getting the companies that make the Drivers for their products to actually make Drivers for Windows System 7.
I should also add that they made some upgrades to AERO that really enhance the desktop viewing experience. For example, just by hovering over an icon in the Task Bar (Bottom of the window) Aero shows me all the open windows associated with it, and if I move my cursor over the list, it temporarily hides all windows from view except the one I stop over. If you’re like me and you have dozens of windows open on your windows desktop, this s a real productivity booster!
What I would like you to do is go to the site and run the compatibility checker and see if your system can run Windows System 7
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/get/upgrade-advisor.aspx
The compatibility checker will look at Hardware and Software and tell you what Drivers you will need, and if there are any special circumstances regarding them (e.g. where to find, etc.). Windows System 7 likes RAM (I recommend 4 GB) and it likes newer Video cards with at least 512KB onboard RAM. Don’t skimp on the Hard drive, go 180GB minimum, preferably 250GB or 500GB. Faster RPM’s on the Hard Drive are a good investment to get things rocking. If you are adding a video card, go for one that will handle dual or triple monitors, once you try it, you will never want to go back.
If you are a small business (if you have between 5 and 50 computers) in the Atlanta Metro Area, we would be happy to help you run this on your systems, just give me a call 678-353-3222 x105.
Don’t miss out on this part of the Technology revolution Windows System 7 is awesome!
Thank You,
Mike
Mike Gonsalves
President
StrategicFusion, Inc.
Your Dedicated IT Department

Support: 678-353-3222 Option 1
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