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Microsoft Windows 7 Test Drive, Part 1

Dec 14, 2009 12:00 PM, By Jan Ozer

It's time to look at Microsoft Windows 7, which I'm doing in two phases. First, I'll upgrade an existing Windows XP installation and detail the experience and my first impression of Windows 7. Then, using a multiboot computer, I'll test the performance of Windows Vista against Windows 7, and if the stars align, perhaps even Windows XP.

Today, I'll walk you through the process of converting from Windows XP to Windows 7 on an HP Z400, which was manufactured in 2009 and has a 3.2GHz Intel Nehalem-based Xeon W3570 CPU with 8GB of RAM, currently running 64-bit Windows XP. I start by inserting the DVD into the drive, which loads a splash screen with three options: a clickable link to "What to know before installing Windows," a button to check compatibility online, and another button to forge on and "Install Now." I click the "What to know" link and learn that I can either upgrade the computer and save my programs, install Windows 7 on a partition I select, or overwrite XP. I decide to delay this decision and click "Check compatibility online."

This takes me to a web page where I can download the "Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor." I do, and am told to make sure that all peripherals that I typically run on this machine are turned on so the Upgrade Advisor can check them as well. I do this and click Start Check. The program tells me that the check will take "a few minutes," but it returns in about 2 minutes with bad news: Since I'm running XP, I can't upgrade, I have to run a "clean" install, which means that none of the programs installed in XP will survive—I'll have to install them all manually after installing Windows 7.

At this point, I flash back to a Stephen Wildstrom column in BusinessWeek I read a few months ago, grumbling about how hard it is to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7.

For the record, here's Microsoft's full statement on the subject: "Microsoft remains committed to making the transition to Windows 7 easier for all customers. With tools, guidance, and the work we're doing with industry partners, it is our belief that this will be an improved process. Furthermore, we expect most customers who upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 will be doing so through the purchase of a new computer, thereby making the upgrade virtually effortless. That said, Windows XP customers planning to upgrade to Windows 7 will need to perform a clean installation."

Wildstrom said he felt that this was a good decision because "the upgrade from XP to Vista was very difficult and often unsuccessful and people trying to upgrade of XP to 7 would likely face the same or greater difficulties. And the overwhelming majority of consumer and small business PCs running XP most likely lack enough memory or processing power to run 7 effectively, even though it appears to be somewhat less demanding of hardware than Vista."

While this is generally true, I think that many video editors eschewed Vista in favor of XP even on their most current purchases—which, like my Z400, should be more than capable of running Windows 7.

I'm not going to dwell on the statement, "We expect most customers who upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 will be doing so through the purchase of a new computer, thereby making the upgrade virtually effortless," but doesn't it sound strangely like "Let them eat cake?" I'm not a Mac snob by any means, but I'm recalling how painless it was to install Apple Snow Leopard on multiple computers, which took about 30 minutes and required no reinstallation of any programs. I can't help but think that Microsoft really, really needs to do a better job making its newer technologies accessible. I mean, I'm going to pay up to $300 for this and then have the privilege of reinstalling all programs on my computer?

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