Windows 7
What you need to know when considering Windows 7
Most people have heard of Windows 7 by now, as it was released in the summer of 2009. A few of you might even
have it on a home PC if you've purchased one in the past few months.
While we've had some clients that begun to move to Vista, most have so far stayed on Windows XP. As for moving to
Windows 7, at the moment, the situation is clear: Sage BusinessVision is not yet supported on Windows 7,
(there are several important known incompatibilities), though
there have been stories of people using it.
In the next couple of months, as we see what Sage has planned for Sage BusinessVision 2010 / 7.4, and how
Windows 7 shakes out in the marketplace, we'll be able to offer updated advice; for the moment, we
recommend clients not use Windows 7 for business use, especially those running Sage BusinessVision.
BusinessVision is too important to your operations to run the chance of things not working as expected.
Should I or Shouldn't I?
These are some of the considerations for deciding whether to go with Windows 7 or Vista on a new PC,
or whether to exercise those Downgrade Rights and stick with XP for now.
Considerations Before Deciding on Vista / Windows 7
- Does my older software still un on Vista / Windows 7 ? Some will, some won't.
For example, the current versions of Sage BusinessVision will run on Vista, but are not 100%
compatible with Windows 7; older versions of BusinessVision have trouble even on Vista,
due to issues between Pervasive and Vista / Windows 7
- Do I have the hardware to run it? If your PC is less than a year old (or you're getting a new one), chances are
you'll be OK - but you need to check the specs first, as Vista / Windows 7 are both very hardware-hungry
- Is there any real benefit? Well, yes and no. The security's far better, and the system is very stable and even
more resistant to crashes than XP. But many people view Vista / Windows 7 as a prettier face on an old operating system - it's
not, but that's how they see it
- Do you have anyone who can support it? Vista's been around a long time, so there are people who are
knowledgeable. Our network specialists are quite capable of supporting Vista; Windows 7, though,
is brand new, and there's not a lot of commonly-available knowledge or experience out there
- Do you have the right version for business use? The number of flavours of Vista / Windows 7 is more than a little daunting to most, so
be sure to check that it will be compatible with your office network. Basically, if the version has "Home" in it, that's
not the one you should be using in a business environment
- Should I just wait? Well, Microsoft have taken the plunge and released Windows 7,
more or less on schedule. So far, it's getting excellent reviews.
Still, there are a LOT of people very knowledgeable about Vista (and Windows 7) who are just going
to sit it out and wait for the first Windows 7 Service Pack
Conclusion
The long and short of it is that both Vista and Windows 7 each have hundreds - actually, thousands - of improvements
over Windows XP. The vast majority of those are things the average user will never encounter or recognize,
or they're classed as "eye candy" by users and administrators alike.
Compatibility issues still exist with hardware and software, and the learning curve can be steep. So, in the end,
if you're getting a new system and it comes with Vista, fine (just make sure it's a business version to work with your network).
Go with it. If it comes with Windows 7, pause and think about it first.
If you can stay with Old Faithful XP Pro, stay.
Let's just see what happens over the next few months or so, and figure it out from there.