Taking the Plunge!

[Neil]

Hi Guys!

I've made the plunge, and I'm installing Windows '7 as I type (on another machine).

I decided to take a double plunge because not only am I installing Windows 7, but I'm going 64 bit as well. Kind of a hairy install because I literally have to reinstall all my applications and carefully copy my data from one HD to another.

So far, it's a pretty snappy operating system, and there is cause for it to be popular. If you have learned a thing or two on how to best install or use this operating system, please share!

By the way - I went with Windows Home Premium. Anyone try the extra features from Professional and Ultimate? Anything worthwhile?

Regards,
Neil

[cybereality]

Yeah I am thinking about taking the plunge as well (double-plunge, as you say, to Win7 64-bit). I am still going to keep Vista 32-bit as my main OS, but I think it will be fun to try the latest and greatest. I really wish MS had just killed the 32-bit and went 64-bit only. I mean, there is something to be said for legacy support but there comes a time when the industry needs to move forward.

[cirk2]

I've done the pluge some time before: I've got Vista already in 64bit. ad use Win7 since the Open beta.

If you have learned a thing or two on how to best install or use this operating system, please share!

Make a fresh install (sice your changing arcitecture you have to). I would do this everytime, since I don't want to upgrade the failures...

Use native 64bit software where it is possible. (Not realy because of incrased speed or something but to get used to it an to state intrest)
Some usefull apps in 64bit:
7Zip (File compression) http://www.7zip.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Daemon-Tools (Virtual Disk Drive) http://www.daemon-tools.cc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (currently it conflicts with the IZ3D driver, see my report http://forum.iz3d.com/viewtopic.php?t=1859 )
Klite 64bit Pack (Video Codecs) http://www.codecguide.com/klcp_64bit.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

By the way - I went with Windows Home Premium. Anyone try the extra features from Professional and Ultimate? Anything worthwhile?

I have Profesional.
the XP-Mode is nice. It is a higly intengrated version of Virtual PC (Virtual machine) with a free (!!) copy of win XP inside. It crates shortcuts to apps inside the machine directly to the Host's Start-Menu. Also all windows are shown seemless on the host desktop (you don't have a window with the second OS inside and inside that the App window).
Ultimate only adds support for Language packs (pretty useless in my opinion) and Bitlocker (I don't work for the Army so I don't need it). That aditional 30 dollar you can save

[gisabun]

Neil:

If using the 64-bit version of Windows [any version] you must install both the 32-bit and 64-bit of all runtimes and codecs as most of what you will install will function in 64-bit Windows but is still using 32-bit code.

I have Vista 64-bit Ultimate. I don't find much of the extras useful. Bitlocker [not available in the Home version] is nice for laptops and should of been in all versions. The media center stuff has no advantage as far as I'm concerned.

Here's a "base" compaison: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/window ... fault.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not all features in the 32-bit versions have been ported to 64-bit versions. As an example, there are some software in Soundblaster drivers that aren't available in the 64-bit version such as the DVD Audio player. Microsoft is slowly moving to 64-bit applications.

64-bit is only available now for the Server 2008 R2 editions but that's because they could use the extra RAm and processing features.

But for home users, it's different. Most applications and GAMES are 32-bit and won't take advantage of the 64-bit CPU. Some [older] may not even run on a 64-bit OS.

If Windows 7 is not the last 32-bit OS it will probably be the second of last.