It only took a few days with Windows Vista installed on my PC that I remember thinking there is no way I'm upgrading from WindowsXP for 10 years. The upgrade from WinXP to Vista was a mess. The new features were slow and confusing, basic tasks no longer worked including the majority of my existing programs. And even if you could get your applications going it was a minor miracle to get printer drivers loaded so you could print out your information. After about a week with the Vista OS installed, I realized the sinking feeling in my stomach wasn't going to go away. I knew I wasted my money along with alot of time. So, I sucked it up and re-formatted my PC back to Windows XP.
Needless to say with the recent release of Windows 7 I was a little sceptical. But, with all the rave reviews I decided to give it a try. And it appears that Microsoft heard my concerns and was listening to me. They knew I didn't want to waste my time and money again and with a Windows 7 upgrade. I'm happy to say they do make sure that sinking feeling is no where around with Windows 7; it has superior security (a must in todays environment), a great user interface, and "XP MODE". "XP Mode" is a completely different platform than the ineffective "XP Compatiblility Mode" released with Vista. This mode actually works!
"XP Mode" utilizes the latest Virtual PC platform and provides seamless integration for applications and hardware. If you have an older or custom application which will not run in Windows 7 natively you can install and configure the "XP Mode" and your application will simply look like another icon on your desktop. But it's really running on an actual complete copy of Windows XP with SP3 (Service Pack 3) “virtually”. "XP Mode" supports network drives and has USB support.
To utilize the "XP Mode" you must run Windows 7 Professional or above (sorry no home versions) and your hardware must meet the following requirements. A processor which is virtual capable (AMD-V or Intel VT) check your BIOS, min 2 GB memory, and free space of 15 GB. If you still have hardware questions utilize the Microsoft virtualization detection tool located at http://bit.ly/1qPcbl.
Microsoft has dissipated any fear of the Windows 7 upgrade in my mind. The speed and reliability of the operating system, a great global search feature, and "XP Mode" for legacy hardware and software are all great features. The built in security while connected to a network or accessing the Internet was much needed and may prove to be the best feature of all.
Happy Upgrading!
Author: Josh