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Nowadays, fast-developing communication and information technologies trigger an explosion of data on a scale millions of times larger year-to-year, yet your effort and strain on data management also rises. So you might need to find ways to make your computer both more powerful and easier to use. That is what Microsoft's new Windows 7 Operating System was designed to do.
Windows 7 has better ways to find and manage files—like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews—to help you speed through everyday tasks. It's designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to. With 64-bit support, you can take full advantage of the latest, most powerful processors. Great features like HomeGroup, Windows Media Center, and Windows Touch make new things possible.
Build a Windows 7 Home Premium system, and explore all the great features today!
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- 5
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- 72%
- 4
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- 6%
- 3
-
- 11%
- 2
-
- 0%
- 1
-
- 11%
| Product Rating: |
 
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| Total Reviews: |
18 |
Amazing in every way
- Pros: As a student, I've been using Windows 7 Professional for a month now, and I have never been happier with my computer ever. Seriously, I feel like I'm using a computer in a movie or something, it's incredible. The user interface is simple but amazingly customizable. The resource load is very low: I just installed Home Premium on my mother's 2.6GHz single-core, 1GB RAM system, and it's nearly as fast as Professional on my Quad-Core, 8GB, 2x8800GTS system.
Compared to the other older releases of Windows, this is profoundly stable, secure, adaptable, and compatible right out of the box.
- Cons: My PC was cheaper and is now easier, faster, and better than my Macintosh. Oh, wait, I guess that isn't a con, so nevermind.
- Other Thoughts: Be sure to:
- Get to know the keyboard shortcuts. Put them on a sticky on your desktop so you can remember them. Some quickies:
Win + ? snaps windows to left
Win + ? snaps windows to right
Win + ? to maximize, and down to minimize
Middle-click (scroll-wheel click) to open a new instance of a pinned application
- Get used to holding down the click when you selected a pinned application on the taskbar; good things to pin are your: Control panel, libraries, and media player. With my pinned Microsoft Office Word, I can open my latest documents with just one click.
- Experiment with the location of your taskbar! Since taskbar items are much smaller and not rectangular like previous Windows OS's, it can be much faster to have your taskbar along the left or right side of your screen, especially with widescreen formats
Windows is back in FULL FORCE....
- Pros: Redesigned dock makes navigating the OS easy for anyone with eyes and fingers. Windows 7 does not require anyone to be a technophile to operate it efficiently. The new design is streamlined, extremely refreshing after dealing with Vista. XP has long been the OS of choice for PC owner, but with W7 that will change fast because W7 is just that good.
From first glance someone might thing W7 is Vista 2.0, but that couldn't be further from the truth. W7 is different in all aspects of the OS and in those that are the same, its more fine-tuned to deliver what people expected from Vista. A lot of complaints of the years have been that Windows requires too many restarts after updates, new hardware, or software is installed, but with W7 I have seen a reduction by at least 50%. When doing a fresh install W7 recognized all the new hardware added, installed the drivers, and I kept going. During the entire process I only had to restart the computer three times and that was post-install.
- Cons: W7 says it requires 1GB for the 32-bit install, and 2GB for the 64-bit install, but after playing around with the OS I think anyone running the bare minimum will see some slowdown, but not enough to drive you crazy. I would highly recommend the installation of the 64-bit version if you have a processor capable of 64-bit operation. The 32-bit version is excellent for those that can't run the 64-bit version, but I would HIGHLY recommend more than the 1GB it requires for the min install.
- Other Thoughts: W7's release has brought the Windows haters and Mac fanboys out in full effect, but there is nothing that can be said negatively about W7 as it applies to the casual user. Someone very into technology and programming could probably find a fault in Windows, but that could be said about ANY program ever written. Windows 7 in my opinion is the be all, end all of OS for the PC and functions better than Mac OS X.
| Model | GFC-00019 |
| Version | Home |
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- 5
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- 72%
- 4
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- 6%
- 3
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- 11%
- 2
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- 0%
- 1
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- 11%
| Product Rating: |
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| Total Reviews: |
18 |
It's a heap of Pro's and Cons
- Pros: Direct X 11 support!
Added shortcuts!
Automated driver install.
I did the RC install for Win7 on my "Media Center" PC. Which seemed to work just fine for the most part. I was very impressed that upon install ALL of my drivers were installed automatically and the hardware worked properly.
- Cons: My qualms are with the rudimentary aspects of the OS. I am not a fan of bloat. I'll say it right now, pretty shiny whatevers and fading windows do nothing but make me angry. I aim for performance over pretty. The removal of the "Classic" start menu was not only annoying, but also a disappointment. I do understand that many people like, and prefer, the new menu. Which is wonderful, but when you have people who have used that "classic menu" for almost 15 years, sometimes you dont want to adjust. I'm not saying that the new one should be removed, but like with XP, just have the option of switching it back. Searching directories for files... is agonizing... hard to find anything you're looking for. Try to set up a Raid +1 w/ an AMD based system, would not happen, tried doing drivers via cd via jump drive, no luck. I read some forums, other people with the same problems, no response from Microsoft no fix. Maybe its okay now... maybe it's been fixed. I can only hope so.
- Other Thoughts: Change is good with an OS, but when I see change I would like to see it aimed around improving the performance and versatility of an OS, rather than just make it prettier and calling it good. For now, I'll keep on using XP 64bit. It's simple, functional, and I had no problems setting up a Raid on it. I really enjoyed XP for a very long time. It had great usability and functionality. I really want Direct X 11 w/ my Radeon 5850, but am unwilling to make my PC experience suffer in exchange for it. I wish there was DX 11 for XP 64 (Hint, hint, Microsoft). I did a Suze linux dual boot for awhile... I think I would have alot less trouble transitioning back to linux, than to go forward with Microsoft. I love XP, I guess I'll just have to just love it just a little bit longer.
Great OS!
- Pros: It would take me far too long to list them all. So I'll just say what I tell everyone who asks me. It works better than XP and Vista...and it's prettier. I've had zero problems since installing it. Everything is seamless and loads hyper quickly. If you're on the fence about getting Win7...just take my advice and upgrade. It's totally worth it.
- Cons: None that I can find.
I Like It
- Pros: Works better than XP, 64-bit MS OS that doesn't make me want to pull my hair out.
- Cons: Full format required, make sure you have a spare HD/enough flash memory to backup your goods ahead of time.
- Other Thoughts: My install went very well. Backed up onto an old HD, formatted and installed the 64-bit Win7 in less than 2 hours. I was happy with the time investment and generally like it better than XP. I had skipped Vista all together.
| Model |
| Brand |
Microsoft |
| Model |
GFC-00019 |
| Spec |
| Name |
Windows 7 Home Premium Full |
| Version |
Home |
| System Requirements |
If you want to run Windows 7 on your PC, here's what it takes:
1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
Additional requirements to use certain features:
Internet access (fees may apply)
Depending on resolution, video playback may require additional memory and advanced graphics hardware
For some Windows Media Center functionality a TV tuner and additional hardware may be required
Windows Touch and Tablet PCs require specific hardware
HomeGroup requires a network and PCs running Windows 7
DVD/CD authoring requires a compatible optical drive
Music and sound require audio output |
| Packaging |
Retail |
| Features |
| Features |
Easier to use
Simplify your PC with new navigation features like Aero Shake, Jump Lists, and Snap.
Customize Windows to look and feel the way you like by changing themes and taskbar programs.
Setting up a home network and connecting to printers and devices is easier than ever.
Windows 7 Home Premium supports the latest hardware and software.
It's faster
Designed to make your PC sleep and resume quicker.
Takes full advantage of 64-bit PC hardware and memory.
Connecting to wireless networks is fast and easy.
Best PC entertainment experience
Watch, pause, rewind, and record TV with Windows Media Center.
Watch your favorite DVD movies.
Includes integrated video and Dolby audio codecs.
Best PC entertainment experience
Watch, pause, rewind, and record TV with Windows Media Center.
Watch your favorite DVD movies.
Includes integrated video and Dolby audio codecs. |
Introduction
Nowadays, fast-developing communication and information technologies trigger an explosion of data on a scale millions of times larger year-to-year, yet your effort and strain on data management also rises. So you might need to find ways to make your computer both more powerful and easier to use. That is what Microsoft's new Windows 7 Operating System was designed to do.
Windows 7 has better ways to find and manage files—like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews—to help you speed through everyday tasks. It's designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to. With 64-bit support, you can take full advantage of the latest, most powerful processors. Great features like HomeGroup, Windows Media Center, and Windows Touch make new things possible.
Build a Windows 7 Home Premium system, and explore all the great features today!
Highlights
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Record TV on Your PC
Watch, pause, rewind, and record TV, movies, and other video content with Windows Media Center, updated to manage a single TV guide containing both standard and digital high definition TV shows (additional hardware required).
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Personalize Your Desktop
Easily change backgrounds, window colors, and sounds to reflect your personal style. You can even turn your desktop into a slide show of your favorite photos.
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Share Files across the Various PCs in Your Home
With HomeGroup, it’s simple to share music, documents, printers, and everything else with the other PCs running Windows 7 throughout your house.
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Pin Any Program to the Taskbar
Any program is always just a click away – and you can re-arrange the icons on the taskbar just by clicking and dragging.
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Stream Music Files on Any Network-connected Device
Just open Windows Media Player, right-click on what you'd like to hear, select Play To, and you'll see a list of devices and PCs on which you can play your music.
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Find Virtually Anything on Your PC
Just click on the Start button, and enter a word or few letters in the name or file you want into the search box, and you’ll get an organized list of results.
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Quick Specs
| Brand | Microsoft |
| Version | Home |
| Packaging | Retail |
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Reviewed By: Stavius Dreeg on 10/23/2009
Tech Level: high - Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
