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	Nome and Paul Van Middlesworth - owners - The Computer Factory So What About Windows 7? Last week we discussed how Microsoft’s marketing strategies combined with their near monopoly in PC operating systems permit them to control the industry and keep raking in the do-re-mi even when their flagship product stinks, like Windows Vista. Now Vista is history and Windows 7 is here. Windows 7 looks to be a stable, capable and relatively spook free OS, (operating system) much like what Win XP eventually became. Though Win 7 was introduced only seven months ago, in reality it has been among us for nearly four years. Win 7 employs the Vista “core” and Microsoft’s developers had plenty of time to determine what was wrong with Vista and what features folks liked or disliked. In most respects, Windows 7 is already four years old. There are five versions of Win 7. In ascending order they are: Win 7 Starter-very limited in function and found primarily in netbooks. Win 7 Basic - Essentially a stripped down “bait and switch” Win 7 for super cheap PCs, avoid this one. Win 7 Home Premium - A reasonable OS for home use with good graphics and media center capabilities. Win 7 Professional - Everything that Home Premium has plus XP downgrade rights, Win XP emulation capability, and networking utilities important for server based business networks. Win 7 Ultimate – Everything the other versions have plus some fairly esoteric features that are of little interest to the vast majority of home and business users. Most home and business users will choose Home Premium or Professional. The next decision point will be to choose between the 32 bit and 64 bit versions of the selected OS. If the user is committed to buying new hardware (printer/ scanner etc) and applications software, it’s a “no brainer.” Pick a 64bit OS, it’s the wave of the future. If, however, it’s important for the user to stay with older hardware and applications software, it’s time to take a step back and consider the alternatives. Ask this question. Will my older applications and hardware run in 32bit Win 7? Will they run in 64bit Win 7? While many 32bit programs do run in a 64bit OS, some don’t run as fast or as well as they do in a 32bit OS. Your new PC OS alternatives are: 32bit Win 7, 64bit Win 7, 32 bit Win XP, 64bit Win 7 with 32bit Win XP downgrade rights and 64 bit Windows 7 with Win XP emulation. In a year or so the decision process will be much easier because all the new hardware and software will be 64bit compatible. There are a couple of other alternatives. You can stick with XP for another year or so by either upgrading your old PC or by using your current XP license as the OS in your new PC. Remember, XP is still faster than Win 7 and will run all hardware and software. Whatever the situation we can give you the information that you need to make an informed decision and then help you carry it out. Try that at Best Buy or Fry’s!