Before you buy a non-Apple PC think about this
Many people have rushed out to buy a computer with Windows Vista in the hopes that they will be able to right away upgrade it to Vista.This is not necessarily going to happen. Every PC maker uses different hardware and is obligated to write - and debug - their own device drivers. Microsoft does not support hardware - they just sell an OS.
A Mac is a high quality PC and like Dell, HP, and other PC makers, they have taken the time to write driver software to allow Windows to run on their computers.
Here is a video that teaches you how to run Boot Camp on your Macintosh, enabling you to install the retail (non-OEM) version of MS-Windows on your Macintosh.
If you want to run Windows 7 on any computer, wait until it is available for that computer. If it is not a Mac, then just wait until Windows 7 ships on that computer to buy it. If it is a Mac, just check and see when Windows 7 is supported in Boot Camp.
If you bought a Dell, that qualifies for the free Windows 7 upgrade you might not get it. Due to hiccups in Dell Windows 7 upgrade program.
There is no major reason to rush to Windows 7. Like Windows Vista, IE is still dangerous and the IE8 that comes with Windows 7 has a serious known flaw. Windows 7 does not run some Windows XP software applications. Windows 7 has serious DRM issues.
Windows 7 is only a minor upgrade that does not contain exciting and powerful new features.
Windows 7 is the most complicated Microsoft Windows desktop operating system purchasing decisions ever, too. There are many different versions to choose from: home, standard, etc. You do not want to try one version and discover you bought the wrong one, and be stuck with it. Let someone else do that.
Besides, Microsoft is usually quick to drop support for Home versions of Windows - and that is usually what they ship preinstalled on PCs for the first few months. Home versions have more networking difficulties than other slightly more expensive versions. Letting the temporary clunker versions of Windows move through the pipeline before you get your system is obviously a better choice than getting something that is little better than a "trial" version you are going to throw away.
Waiting a month or two, until the turn of the year, should give Windows OEMs (computer makers) enough time to get their hardware compatibility issues - missing or buggy driver software - worked out. A couple months will give Microsoft enough time to fix the bugs that were discovered after after they released the Windows 7 code to manufacturing. It will give other users time to discover and publicize the bugs they have found. If you are in a hurry, wait until December or January to plunge into Windows 7.
If you are not in such a big hurry, wait until Windows 7 SP1 (service pack 1) comes out - probably next year sometime. Service packs usually get the product into the shape you expected the original release to be in. This will save you the aggravation of burning up your free customer service warranty period and calls on Microsoft bugs, rather than individual problems/questions that are unique to you. Waiting will let you get more personal attention from your vendors.
If you have a Macintosh, simple keep checking to see when Boot Camp works with Windows 7. It sounds like it might already work with recent Mac models so check if your is one of them. Also, go find out about Parallels commercial virtualization software and Virtual Box free virtualization software from Sun. You might be able to run Windows applications side by side with your Mac applications, spending little or no money to do it - other than the cost of a retail version of MS-Windows.
Labels: macintosh, mswin, snafus, win7
posted by John Collins @ 9:10 AM
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