Windows 7: Should You Make the Switch?

April 20, 2010

Denver AbernathyPromethius Consulting, LLC

Outline

•Windows – a brief history▫Where does XP fit?▫Where does Vista fit?

•Windows 7 - Why would ya’?▫Pros / Cons▫ROI▫Downsides of sticking with XP

•Migration Options

The Good…• A better desktop. Windows 7 gets you around

your PC faster than ever. The taskbar has bigger buttons and full-sized previews—and you can pin programs to it for one-click access. Jump Lists provide shortcuts to files, folders, and websites. And Snap, Peek, and Shake give you easy (and fun) new ways to juggle all those open windows.

• Smarter search. Type in the Start menu search box, and you'll see results instantly, grouped by category—documents, pictures, music, e‑mail, and programs. Search in a folder or library, and you can fine-tune your search with filters like date or file type—and use the preview pane to peek at the contents of your results.

• Easy sharing with HomeGroup. Sharing files and printers on your home network should be simple. With HomeGroup, it finally is. Connect two or more PCs running Windows 7, and with a minimum of fuss you can start sharing music, pictures, videos, and documents with other people in your home.

• Built for speed. Windows 7 has key performance improvements to take up less memory and run background services only when you need them. It's designed to run your programs faster and to sleep, resume, and reconnect to wireless networks quicker. And with 64-bit support, you can take full advantage of the latest in powerful 64-bit PCs.

• Better wireless networking. Connecting to wireless networks on your laptop—formerly a bit of a hassle—now takes just a couple of clicks. Choose from the list of available networks in the taskbar, click one, and then connect. Once you've connected to a network, Windows will remember it so you can connect again later automatically.

• Built for speed. Windows 7 has key performance improvements to take up less memory and run background services only when you need them. It's designed to run your programs faster and to sleep, resume, and reconnect to wireless networks quicker. And with 64-bit support, you can take full advantage of the latest in powerful 64-bit PCs.

…continued• Windows Touch. Use your fingers to browse

the web, flip through photos, and open files and folders on a touchscreen PC—for the first time, Windows includes true multitouch technology. With gestures for zooming, rotating, and even right-clicking, it's a whole new way to work with your PC.

• Plays well with devices. Device Stage, a new feature in Windows 7, works like a home page for things like portable music players, smartphones, and printers. When you plug a compatible device into your PC, you'll see a menu with information and popular tasks like battery life, how many photos are ready to be downloaded, and printing options.

• Nag-free notifications. Action Center, new in Windows 7, puts you in control of maintenance and security messages. You can turn notifications on or off for things like Windows Defender or User Account Control. If Windows needs your attention, you'll see a notification on the far right of the taskbar. Click it, and you'll get suggested fixes for any problems.

And the Not-So-Good…• You can't upgrade from Windows XP. You must do a

clean install. Migration tools available (more later).• HomeGroups are disappointing. All machines must

be Windows 7.• Windows Update can still shut you down. ‘Nuff

said.• Licensing is still a mess. 6 SKUs

▫ Windows 7 Starter (limited to three apps concurrently)

▫ Windows 7 Home Basic (for emerging markets)

▫ Windows 7 Home Premium (adds Aero, Touch, Media Center)

▫ Windows 7 Professional (Remote Desktop host, Mobility Center, Presentation mode)

▫ Windows 7 Enterprise (volume license only, boot from virtual drive, BitLocker)

▫ Windows 7 Ultimate (limited availability, includes everything)

ROI

User Favorites• Aero Peek – allows you to more easily and visually manage open

applications and windows using fly-out thumbnails, translucent graphics, etc.

• Aero Shake – minimize all open windows except the one you are working on just by clicking and shaking the titlebar.

• Aero Snap – maximize screens by dragging them to the top of the screen or drag to the upper right or left to fill half the screen with the selected window.

• Sticky Notes (enhanced from Vista version)• Windows + P

Keyboard Shortcuts• Alt+P

Display/ hide the Explorer preview pane

• Windows Logo+GDisplay gadgets in front of other windows

• Windows Logo++ (plus key)Zoom in, where appropriate

• Windows Logo+- (minus key)Zoom out, where appropriate

• Windows Logo+Up Maximize the current window

• Windows Logo+DownMinimize the current window

• Windows Logo+LeftSnap to the left hand side of the screen

• Windows Logo+RightSnap to the right hand side of the screen

• Windows Logo+HomeMinimize/ restore everything except the current window

Downsides of Staying

•Hardware drivers – manufacturers will begin to phase out before Microsoft does

•Miss out on new features•Costs of downgrading•User complaints•Hassles of maintaining multiple Operating

Systems

Administrative Tools• God Mode

▫ Master.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}• Enhanced right clicks

▫ Go ahead, right click everything• Open folder in new process

▫ By default Windows 7 opens folders in the same process. This saves system resources, but means one folder crash can bring down the entire shell. If your system seems unstable, or you're doing something in Explorer that regularly seems to causes crashes, then open Computer, hold down Shift, right-click on your drive and select Open in New Process. The folder will now be launched in a separate process, and so a crash is less likely to affect anything else.

• Resource Monitor Enhancements• Drag and Drop Command Line• XP Mode

Migration Tools• Windows 7 Walkthrough: User State Migration Tool

▫ Safely migrates user accounts, operating system and application settings.▫ Lowers the cost of deploying Windows® by preserving user state▫ Reduces end-user downtime required to customize desktops and find missing

files▫ Reduces help-desk calls▫ Reduces the time needed for the user to become familiar with the new operating

system▫ Increases employee satisfaction with the migration experience.

▫ Migrations that require end-user interaction.

▫ Migrations that require customization on a machine-by-machine basis.

• Windows Easy Transfer▫ Works great for upgrading from Windows Vista other Windows 7 versions.▫ Can be made to work for upgrading from Windows XP.

Windows 7: Should You Make the Switch?

April 20, 2010

Thank you for coming!

Denver AbernathyPromethius Consulting, LLC