We do IT work for a number of clients... and we always have found it best to wait until at least 4 months AFTER the 1st service pack repair has come out for a new windows operating system before you even think about buying and installing it... Microsoft always uses the period up to the first service pack (after bringing out a new windows operating software system) as advanced beta testing period! ... as in you are helping them to continue to debug their OS even though it has supposedly already gone thru alpha and beta testing protocols... Soooo unless you are using vista and are very unhappy with it you could consider moving to the better Win XP Service pak 2 - or if you are already using Win XP Sevice pak 2 unless you are forced for some reason (specific application software?) to upgrade to Win 7 for some absolute choice one might consider it wise to wait a wee bit...
Using Windows 7 since beta for ~6 months. Stable still in beta. Using RTM for ~ 2 months - very reliable. Last week there was an update.
Aside from the wait-for-the-1st-Service-Pack (a normally wise philosophy with new Windows versions) there's the main issue that there is no upgrade path from XP. If you have Vista you can upgrade straight to Windows 7 and maintain your programs and settings. But if you have XP (as the majority of people do) you can't upgrade, period. You have to back up all your various data files from all your various folders to an external drive, re-format your disc, do a totally new installation of Windows 7, restore your various data files, re-install all your old software (assuming you still have the installation CDs + serial no), and re-configure all your newly installed old software. It's not just all the time that will take (which is considerable), it's also the tracking down and gathering of all the old software that you will need to reinstall. I'm sorry Microsoft didn't see fit to provide an upgrade path from XP, and that means I'm in absolutely no rush to bother with the time and expense even though I would like to eventually end up with Windows 7 on my computers. XP will do quite well for now and the foreseeable future, thankyouverymuch.
Haven't "upgrades" been dodgy historically... such that you'd really want to do a fresh install instead? W7 going to be any different? Doubt it.
There is a very reputable product that my IT contacts have said will help with this exact problem... http://www.acronis.com/ Acronis software.... but always back up at least to 4 different sources... before trying anything... thanks...
I always do a fresh install after formatting the hard disk. Besides I have a new info on how to format the hard drive for maximum speed. So better start a new install from a freshly formatted and disk interleave optimized hard drive.
i'll go to 7 from xp when someone can answer one simple question WHY so far, MS is notorious for introducing massive bloatware for useless 'dazzle' and new places with new names to look for old things you used to do - bloat that REDUCES the performance of your computer - that was vista, in a nutshell. crapware from clueless h-1bs and indian outsourcers if it's simple, doesnt crash or freeze, runs faster and turns on and off like a television, i'll consider otherwise, i'll pass
it didnt occur to thses pin heads that what you just said would be the number one issue for 'users' they just thought you be so 'blown away' by all those keeeewl new features that you'd forget about basics basics such as 'what am i gaining, to justify the *complete* cost?