Posted on 04/07/2009 6:01:31 AM PDT by big'ol_freeper
After a flurry of blog activity over the weekend, leading into today, concerning the extended availability of Windows XP, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to Betanews early this evening that general Windows 7 users will be given the option of downgrading right over Vista to Windows XP.
(Excerpt) Read more at betanews.com ...
I’ve been using Windows 7 Beta for weeks now and it rocks. Why would I want to go backwards?
I dunno -- overboard DRM possibly (just a rumor)?
my experience with Vista ultimate is just fine. I have no problems with it. I am mystified by the alleged fact that it is unsatisfactory and believe that to be an urban myth started and repeated by those who would complain about not being hung with a new rope.
You haven’t received any patches yet have you? LOL
I appreciate your review of the new Windows. I love XP and want to keep it as long as I can.
That makes for allot of confidence.
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How many new peripheral upgrading and increased memory, etc., will 7 require? Will it bomb due to driver conflicts (a problem VISTA never seemed to overcome)?
The only reason I can imagine downgrading to XP, my second favorite OS, is that it is somewhat less demanding of memory resources than Windows 7 or Vista. That might make it better suited for something like these netbooks which are all the rage.
BTW I've noticed a number of vendors are now offering drivers for Windows 7, nVidia updated my graphics yesterday, which suggest that the debut of the new version won't be plagued by a lack of software support which got Vista off to such a poor start.
I’ve been running Windows 7 here for a while. It’s great. Installs and runs on 512mb of ram on a p4 1.8 without issue.
Vista would have crushed that machine.
I use Vista after being a xp loyalist for a long time. Vista is simply a better OS now and 7 will be even better...as well as using less resources.
I like Windows 7 Beta. I am upgrading to the Win7 RC (Release Candidate) in a few weeks when it comes out.
I have a lot of graphics intensive type stuff on my computer: CS4, video editing, quirky little camera programs.
I've found nothing that won't run on Windows 7. Not a single conflict.
I've kept my XP box plugged in and running only because I have an older film scanner that won't run under the Windows 7 64-bit environment. When the final release candidate comes out in May I urge you make a little space on your drive and install it as a dual-boot experiment. That's what I did over three months ago. After about a week playing with the Windows 7 beta I installed it on my main drive over the existing Vista Ultimate installation. No problems at all and I haven't looked back.
I have Vista Home Premium for my home desktop and, like you, have found it to be a terrific OS that has saved my bacon a few times (like when my wife installed some kid games that, EUREKA!, had spyware on them). She’s been demoted, thank you. Vista’s recovery has been used with excellent results.
That said, I also have a work laptop with Vista Ultimate that recently pulled such a user profile stunt as to permit me to understand why some view Vista as buffoonery from an OS standpoint. It essentially forgot my user profile when attempting to logon to our domain at work and, long story short, this Vista-specific issue required an administrative logon to the machine with the intent of registry hacks to fix.
In our small company’s enviro, this was not a great big problem but in a large-scale enterprise, I could see how this would be a deal-killer.
I still use some DOS-based programs. Does 7 support old DOS programs?
I had to upgrade all my hardware (printer, scanner, etc.) when I went from W98 to XP because the former peripherals didn’t have XP drivers and the manufacturers were either out-of-business or refused to create XP drivers.
It gets expensive to have to buy new peripherals with a new MS-OS — unless that new OS actually adds something spectacular to the computing experience.
What does 7 add?
Being retired, I mainly do home computing and surf the Interent. Windows is primarily a fancified menuing system.
MS didn’t sell me on VISTA — because it required too much in new peripherals and system upgrades.
If 7 requires allot of upgrades, I doubt I will have much interest in it.
[Even the latest XP upgrades cause system conflicts. I had to return to a previous install. And, my system refused installing XP SP3 — which was good, because SP3 had allot of driver conflicts. I cringe every time I get a software notice of ‘upgrade’ or ‘update’. They can cause more problems than they cure.]
They messed up Vista so bad that the DoD refuses to let it on their computers and I do not think they have learned anything from the experience.
The Stalinistic DRM for Vista will probably get even worse for the retail/OEM versions of 7 and I have heard from some developers it actually disables your high def audio even for video that you have made and rendered yourself.
Their quest to squeeze every penny of licensing fees and make us pay for the content of everything, whether it should be paid for or not make their software bloated and totally unfriendly (remember that liberals would kill you for a buck but scorn you if you want to earn a buck yourself).
I finally built three new computers for home and loaded them with XP Pro 64bit. While there is some software that does not work on the 64bit XP I like the added security and how FAST it is with 3.2 Gig processors and 16Gig RAM. Also get to use the High Def audio and video at my leisure.
I have applications that do not run well on Vista if at all, and I use these applications to earn money. Vista’s out for me if I wish to continue use of some critical tools.
Vista is fine if you have or buy current applications.
my only complaint with vista is the constant updates that come across....seems like 2 or 3 big ones every week...other than that, i have had no problems with it
The problems with Vista are widespread and well-documented, and are no "urban myth". Many, such as yourself, have had no problems with it (good for you), but many have had problems and unsatisfactory experiences, including myself.
That is specifically why computer manufacturers and in turn M-soft were pressured by the public to keep XP available longer, and then to offer free downgrades to XP.
When XP is no longer functional (that means patchable for security threats that arise), I’m going full Linux.
This isn’t about Windows 7, this is about Windows Vista.
Every Microsoft OS has “downgrade” rights, which means you can downgrade to one version prior. What they are saying here is that instead of going back to Windows Vista from Windows 7, you can skip Vista and continue to downgrade to XP. This is for companies who don’t yet wish to migrate to the new OS but purchase new computers, for instance.
When they are ready, they will migrate from XP to 7, skipping Vista entirely.
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