Is Windows 7 Really Better Than Vista?

This is really a loaded question. Windows Vista is probably the biggest failure in the history of Microsoft. From day one the operating system was plagued with numerous problems and angry users who suddenly missed their old XP or 2000 operating systems. It was almost impossible for Microsoft to release an operating system that was worse then Vista, or more hated, so if that were the case the reputation of Windows may have been irreparably harmed. That being said, Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system is far superior to not only Vista, but all of the Windows operating systems that came before it.

When Microsoft was preparing to launch Windows Vista, they conducted a test to see what users thought of the installation of the operating system, and the overall impression of how Vista worked after it was installed. This testing did not go well, and in the end neither did the eventual release of Vista to the public. Microsoft also did testing before the launch of Windows 7, again to see what users thought of the installation process, and their overall opinion of the operating system after it was installed. In order to ensure an adequate sampling of different types of users, Microsoft targeted testers who used their computer for personal/home use, testers who used their computers for business only, and testers who used their computers for both personal and business use.

The testing went very well, with very few issues reported, and little difficulty with the installation of the Windows 7 operating system. The issues that were encountered were issues that could arise from the installation of any operating system, such as existing software on the PC that is incompatible with Windows 7, or drivers for certain hardware devices that were incompatible with Windows 7. In these case a patch from the manufacturer of the software or hardware device and probably eliminate the issues altogether. There was a small number of users that ended up having their computers crash during the installation process, but this is also inevitable when installing an operating system, and should not dissuade anyone from upgrading to Windows 7 if they want to.

In general user experience has been beneficial with only about 5% of people reporting that they were not satisfied with the overall performance of the operating system itself. As compared to the test run for Windows Vista before it was released, this had about half the users complaining about it before it got out of the gates.

Windows 7 is a great operating system, and if you are currently using Windows Vista you will probably want to upgrade to 7 as soon as possible. Windows 7 of course has some bugs, which is to be expected, but Microsoft is pushing updated out as soon as they are available. There is no question that Windows 7 is a far superior operating system to Windows Vista, and it is probably the best system that Microsoft has ever released.

By Julie Johnson