If your computer is running slower than usual, or if your hard drive is reaching capacity, these may be signs indicating that it is time to purchase a new computer.
If your computer is running slower than usual, or if your hard drive is reaching capacity, these may be signs indicating that it is time to purchase a new computer.
Microsoft’s newest operating system, Windows 7, is their fastest and most advanced OS yet. It’s user-friendly environment caters to the needs of everyone from the inexperienced beginner, to the computer guru who’s been around the block since Windows ’95.
To make things easier across the board, Microsoft has added a lot of great features that are new to Windows 7.
Here are 10 tricks that make Windows 7 even easier and better than before:
Is Windows 7 the flop that many expected? Is Windows 7 simply a slightly more stable version of Windows Vista?
I’m a Mac user, through and through, so you might wonder what, if anything, could I possibly have to say about Windows 7, the latest operating system from our friends at Microsoft. I’ve never been a big fan of Microsoft products, and I hated Windows XP, and I hated Windows Vista even more. We found this great article at PC World online, and if you’re wondering whether or not to upgrade to Windows 7, you’ll find this article to be of huge value.
And remember, when you are ready to upgrade, Make It Work’s in-house technicians are available to make sure the transaction goes smoothly!
Author Credit: Julie Sartrain
Microsoft has sold 150 million copies of Windows 7 in nine months–that is, seven copies per second. It’s the fastest-selling operating system in history. Vista, by contrast, was such a flop that users couldn’t wait to get rid of it.
Many consumers just got stuck with Vista because new PCs, for a while, were preloaded with it, and there were no other options. Some vendors still offered new, coveted systems with XP, for a lot more money. Yet, in the beginning, retailers even told consumers there was no way to uninstall Vista and reinstall XP.
What does the new operating system mean for the business community, especially all the little guys and mid-sized companies that can’t afford to make another hefty investment in a rotten lemon?
Thankfully, Windows 7 is not the lemon Vista was, and its big, positive features are well-known by now. For example, multitasking makes it easier to navigate, and Windows 7 is more stable and secure. The new OS requires less memory and disk space. It has easier, more proficient file organization, less clutter and garbage, and more efficient networking setup and management. Windows 7 also touts a fancy new taskbar and system tray, better backup options, and some great entertainment features.
These five additional selling points of Windows 7 may surprise you.
1. XP Mode
One of the best features for companies who still want to use many legacy XP applications is XP Mode, which runs in the Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise versions. This was a lifesaver for me, because I have dozens of old graphics programs that I use several times a week.
Customer satisfaction is on the rise for Microsoft — enough to overcome ire sparked by Vista release.
Christina Tynan-Wood, Infoworld
The American Customer Satisfaction Index recently released its annual measure of customer satisfaction, which includes some interesting results, most notably for Microsoft. Remember when the company released Vista? Did anything about that piss you off? If you answered yes, you’re in good company, according to this survey, which is considered a predictor of consumer spending.
“At the beginning of 2007, when Microsoft released Windows Vista, customer satisfaction plunged 4% to an ACSI score of 70, well below the industry average, where it remained for the next three years,” reads the ASCI’s commentary on the data. On any given year, Microsoft — the only software company large enough to be named in the survey — rates a customer satisfaction index lower than the aggregate of the rest of the industry, and its worst year came later, in 2008, when it sunk to 69.
Opinion is on the rise, though, for Microsoft, at least according to the ASCI.
“In October 2009,” reads the report, “Windows 7 was introduced. It took three weeks for the new software to reach a 4% market share compared with seven months for Windows Vista, as consumers were in a hurry to upgrade. By March 2010, more than 90 million Windows 7 licenses had been sold.”
We get a lot of questions about what to look for when buying a new computer. Windows or Mac? How much RAM do I need? Keep reading to find out what Make It Work Neighborhood Technology Consultants recommend.
*Note: This is article is part of a series. Next week in Part II, we’ll discuss alternatives to a typical computer, like netbooks and the Apple iPad, and talk about what they can and can’t do.
Desktop or laptop?
Gone are the days when desktop computers completely trumped the functionality of laptops. Laptop computers can now be just as powerful as desktop machines. Laptops are great because they require less space and fewer cords. And of course the flexibility to bring your computer with you wherever you go is very appealing. However, if you like gaming or doing a lot of audio/video stuff, then we would advise to stick with a desktop.
If you want to get the best of both worlds, there’s also the option to get a laptop set up to connect to a full screen monitor. This way you can work with a big screen when needed, but still be able to take your computer with you when you leave the house.
Windows or Mac?
Windows is still the most widely-used operating system in the world, and by far has the most available software, 
peripherals, and other components. Windows 7, Microsoft’s newest operating system, is the best Windows OS yet.
Mac is a little more limited when it comes to available software and components, but this is becoming less the case now that they are becoming so popular. Mac computers are touted as being very secure and “virus-free”, which is mostly because Apple computers make up a very small market share when compared to Windows.
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