Microsoft Windows 7 Professional

Pros: Work great and I've no compatbility issues with it whatsoever!

Cons: Typical, overpriced Microsoft OS!

Pros: Microsoft's best Operating System. It runs all my games great.

Cons: Not Linux/open-source

Pros: For a windows operating system this is an easy software to install and use. I have built Pc's ranging from Window 98 to Windows 7 for many small businesses and home use computers throughout the years.

Cons: Only thing I would watch out for is making sure the computer hardware that you have is 32 bit compliant or 64 bit compliant for the operating system install.

Pros: Ease of installation. Smoothness of navigation within the OS itself. Price.

Cons: Eventhough the OS is a good one, it still has its drawbacks as follows: (1) only one installation capability (2) can only use 4GB of memory (3) automatically installs IE10 as your browser(Google Chrome is much more responsive & faster) (4) support, or the lack thereof

Other Thoughts: If you plan to use this operating as your mainstream OS, then be prepared to purchase it every time that you build a system. MicroSoft did a wonderful job with the features of this operating system, but they "intentionally" incorporated the "one-time installation" hub. For me, and other systems administrators, this is actually unacceptable. This incorporation simply robs the low profile end-user of funds that could be used for upgrades to the basic system for which the OS is initially intended. MicroSoft doesn't care about the basic end-user, just the funds that come their way for their product.

Pros: Supports up to 192 GB of RAM in 64 bit version.
Reliable.
Good driver support.
Best software compatibility for users who wish to avoid a steep learning curve.

Cons: INESSENTIALS-
-Most users will not need so much RAM. A 32-bit system with 4 GB RAM should satisfy most users, or 2GB RAM/2GB GPU for gamers. For 64-bit, Win 7 Home OEM ($80) with 8 GB RAM/2GB GPU ran my games wonderfully.
-A lot of software inessential to most users. It hogs system resources, thereby reducing performance. Streamlining the system post-installation requires a lot of time and learning.

LICENSING-
-It was the case with former versions of Windows that the retail version could be installed on multiple PC's whereas the OEM could only be installed on one. Now, both can only be installed on one.
-Assuming the license hadn't changed (no mention of it here or even on the box) I bought for $300 what I could have gotten for $135 or less.
-The licensing change seems to me just a sneaky way for Microsoft to get extra cash out of its customers. I have been tricked this time but will not be again, and hopefully you won't be either.
-I discovered this fact while waiting for tech support call back. Eventually an operator with poor English did call me back, and when I explained that I had discovered the OS is licensed for only one computer (so my issue was essentially resolved), she offered to transfer me to the Activation department. Hoping they might be a little understanding and activate it on my other computer, I waited 20 minutes through some terrible music, then got hung up on without even the sound of another human voice.

I want to give this product 0 eggs for these reasons but I can't in all honesty say it's a bad product. It's just way too expensive for one computer. Heck, it's quite expensive for the 3 computers I had expected to be able to put it on. So the egg deductions are for inefficiency/bloat, poor customer service, and licensing/price, resulting in a final score of 2/5 eggs.

Other Thoughts: Get the least expensive thing that will satisfy your computing needs currently and for the foreseeable future.

-For strictly gaming, the most you will need is 8GB RAM and a good 2 GB graphics card. Win 7 Home OEM ($80) satisfies. It supports up to 16GB total so you could even SLI/Crossfire 4 2GB cards with the 8GB RAM.
-If you must have more than 16GB RAM, the OEM version is fine ($135).
-If you are willing to do some learning, Linux can do anything you want it to for free, and will do it better because it is programmed more efficiently with less bloat. Several games and applications are easy to use in Linux from the get-go, others will take more effort to make compatible but it can be done if the user has sufficient knowledge and is persistent.

Megalithic corporations do not care about you. Invest your time and money in viable alternatives whenever possible. Even if it incurs additional short-term dollar cost, the eventual result is the rise of competitors forcing better product, service, and support, which is a win for everyone in the long term.

Pros: Came with 32 bit and 64 DVDs.

Came with sticker of SKU and other information on the open box -- which had been pre-cut in the center for proper tearing. Although, this is also a con.

Clean install worked fine (after diagnosing that my HDD had problems).

Activated automatically via internet connection, with optional manual activation (online still required).

Price was dropped down to $265.99, instead of $299.99.

Partitioned the HDD as requested, with a bonus 100MB partition reserved for system files (to give a boost to boot and shut down speed). This reserve was filled with 14MB prior to install, and another 12MB after install. It also sped up the shut down and booting of my computer down to 1min 36sec average.

Cons: As stated before, the sticker was placed as a seal on the box containing the DVDs and the Product Key / Instructions inside. This is possible to tear the seal improperly. Plus, with the pre-cut, when I placed on clear tape and removed the seal prior to opening, it lost an SKU # :(

The Windows 7 rating system does NOT work for a integrated Intel Pentium 4 graphics; thus, does not complete the rating, and cannot tell me what rating my computer has overall.

Other Thoughts: I wish it had a manual activation that didn't require internet connection, but you can't always have everything.

Upon activation, it claims that it is a Genuine OS. This calls into question what type of Ungenuine OS's are out there in relation to Windows 7? Unless it's torrents they're protecting from, I have no idea what they could consider "Ungenuine."

The rating system is odd. It's minimum rating given is a 1.0, while it's max rating given is a 7.9 -- why not 10 max and 0 minimum!? No explanation given.

The instructions have about 90% of its pages filled with information regarding how to upgrade from Windows XP, rather than how to run a clean install. However, instructions can be found online via microsoft.com or a tech site.

Pros: Its is Windows. What is more expected.

Cons: I use Linux for several years and got spoiled that all my hardware works after installation. Windows on the other hand still requires drivers to be installed such as a network interface card. The other problems is as follows.

* Provide some unified drivers for all hardware like Linux does. Does not need to include all features of the hardware, but just the basics.
* A DVD disc is not required for Windows 7 if Microsoft is not going to use it in a usefulness way by including hardware support.
* Takes several gigabytes for it self
* Network printers are not discovered, so I have to manually install them.
* BIOS is set in EFI mode and Windows does not utilize GPT for partitions, but yet Linux installed on GPT partitions and boots just fine.
* I am not sure if "Windows Install" align sectors to 4096 bytes instead of 512 bytes because my hard drive is a advance format version. I use a Seagate drive that features Smart Align, so it does not affect me too much. It will to other people.

Other Thoughts: Besides the set backs or delays of downloading the drivers and installing them. Windows is Windows. Windows is still is a single user operating system that tries to be secure by disguising it self with warnings when an installation process is going to be executed or any hardware setting medication. In that case it is best to setup users as administrators unless you have someone that you do not want to mess around the computer, so you put them as users. Just understand that Windows is a whining operating system when accounts are set as users and administrator accounts have to take care of tasks of installing programs and hardware modifications that those users wants.

Pros: for the pros it is windows 7 and I will never change to 8 unless I absolutely have to. Windows 7 hasnt given me any problems and has always been a reliable OS for me to use.

Cons: No cons as of yet.

Other Thoughts: Great OS if your still not looking to upgrade to win 8

Pros: As far as Windows operating systems go, Windows 7 is THE operating system of choice. It fixes everything that was wrong with Windows Vista, and is a superior product to Windows XP, provided your system can handle it.

As an added bonus, it's far easier to use with a keyboard/mouse setup than the disaster that is Windows 8.

Cons: Not an ideal OS if you want to use a touch screen. This OS was designed with keyboard and mouse in mind.

Like all versions of Windows, it is virus prone. Make sure you use a good virus scanner and firewall.

This is a poor OS to use if you are using a 1st or 2nd generation Atom CPU or AMD equivalent.

Other Thoughts: You really want a minimum of 32 GB hard drive space and 2 gigabytes of ram if you're using the 32-bit version. For the 64-bit version, a dual-core CPU or better and 8 gigabytes of ram is highly recommended. I don't recommend using a monitor that has a smaller resolution than 1024x768.

Pros: It was good.

Cons: It quit the first week i had the computer up and running. Everything was fine then my computer just shut down like i had a power loss. Plus i cant even send it back cause my 30 days are up.