I have been getting alot of questions about the new Windows 7. I have anticipated this for a long time. In fact, I started running Windows 7 Beta in April of this year as my primary operating system. Then in August the RC (Release Candidate) came out for the Microsoft Testing Techs, and I am still running this to date.
I have been extremely impressed with Windows 7 from Day 1. Alot of you have heard me say for months that with the release of 7, Microsoft will stop losing market share to Apple. I have now read a few articles of “experts” that are actually saying the same thing.
Here are a few common questions and answers that people are wondering:
Q: Is Windows 7 Secure and Functional?
A: Microsoft is doing all the right things with this version of Windows. Windows is targeted by almost all malware programs, because Windows owns most of the market space. If Apple owned 90% of the market, you would expect 90% of malware and viruses to target Apple. That is just not the case. Finally Microsoft is doing some good things to prevent all this malware from infesting the operating system so easily.
Q: What does this mean to the average non-techie?
A: This means you can expect more speed, reliability, and less chances of an accidentally infested computer. You still need to have basic “smarts” and know how to recognize bad software (see my previous post).
Q: What do we still need to do to protect ourselves while running 7?
A: You need security on multiple levels. Firewall and Antiivrus (VIPRE) are the two most important things you will need to continue to use.
Q: So if this is the case, how is Windows 7 more secure?
A: The new operating system adds alot of features, including the Action Center, coordinates third-party applications. Windows 7 improves the user’s ability to view and configure these important security features, which means better security.
Q: Should I wait for Windows 7 to have been out for a while before I upgrade to it, to let the bugs out?
A: In my experience this is typically a good course of action. However with Windows 7, they have really done a solid job of putting together a complete system. When XP came out, it was not reliable until SP1 came available. When Vista came out, we should’ve avoided it until SP1 came available. For the first time however, I believe we have an operating system that is ready and I would not recommending holding out for 6 months like I would’ve recommended in the past.