Hi all. I am currently using XP and had no experience with Win 7, if all goes well I should have a system running Win 7 in the very near future. I am just asking for some advice on tips, tricks, dos and don’ts for Win 7? Also what software do you find works well with it eg Browsers, Cleaners, pdf viewers etc etc? Also at this moment I still use Outlook Express for e-mail have you got a favourite alternative? Anyone else that has changed from XP to Win 7 have you found it to be a positive or negative experience? Thanks very much in advance for any advice or replies to this matter. Kind regards.
Overall - a positive transition but there is a bit of a learning curve.
It’s not quite as fast as XP on the same hardware but it’s not far behind. There’s a lot of UI enhancements, but there can be a lot more clicking to get to what you need.
I use MS Office 2007 including Outlook 2007, but I turn the preview pane off (as should happen with all versions of Outlook).
Hope this helps
Ewen 
Hey
If you have strong computer and a lot of memory. Then you can try Win7 (try it first on a virtual machine. Download Wmware’s Wmware player). I think Xp takes in general less memory and cpu from the computer. Let’s not forget that Win7 is Vista but improved Vista. Can you give a bit info about your computer… like how much ram you have, what cpu does the computer use.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/get/upgrade-advisor.aspx
If you plan to use Win7 I recommend you this website www.mztweak.com.
I hope you find the info above useful
Regards,
Valentin
Captainsticks,
A friend of mind told me a few weeks ago and said just get Window 7 Pro version why? the pro version comes with XP mode which doesn’t included in the the Home version.
A friend of mind said if you have many XP software as part of your everyday used and you don’t wanted to spend any more money to update all your software requirement, Window 7 Pro is a better choice for home users because you can installed all your everyday XP software used into XP mode platform he also said when you get time to save a bit of money to buy your updated software office, games etc etc whatever you’ve got for Window 7.
So just get Window 7 Pro it comes with XP Mode, do NOT get Windows 7 Home this doesn’t include XP Mode for more information go to Microsoft website for more details about XP Mode.
of what I understand the xp mode that you speak about Speed is available to download for free
Regards,
Valentin
To Panic. I just have the option to try it and I guess if it works ok that my brain will rattle for a while, learning its differences. Outlook will probably be my best bet for emails.
To Valentin. The computer I’m trying it on is a Pentium D 3.4Ghz with only one GB Ram, but if it appears to work ok I will upgrade to Two GB Ram. I don’t know a lot about the computer as yet, because I have never had it going. I am picking up a HDD for it Friday. If it struggles I will put XP on it but I won’t know if I don’t try.
To SpeedyPC. The Win 7 program I already have is Win 7 Ultimate and I think this does have XP mode also.
To the 3 of you thanks for your comments and advice. Any information or advice is useful and helpful. Thanks again Guys.
Captainsticks Win 7 Ultimate does have XP Mode and your okay :-TU have fun with your new OS, let know how you get on with your new Windows 7 as I’m still not ready yet.
I recommend you 3Gb and 5Gb for 64bit. Win7 will few installations take 2Gb and the processor is good.
Regards,
Valentin
Thanks Valentin. To have a bit more definately won’t hurt thats for sure.
XP Compatibility Mode is in Win 7 Home Premium. I didn’t think it was missing from any version except for Win7 Starter.
I agree with the suggestions for more memory. although 3GB is the near enough maximum for 32 bit, Win7 will run quite satisfactorily in 2GB.
Although the addons available from mztweak are quite good, I would recommend not installing them at first. I’d recommend that you gt used to the operating system in its own right before adding any additions to it, if only to establish a baseline for later comparison.
Hope this helps,
Ewen
of what I have seen Win7 will take memory even after optimizing/tweaking. My Win7pro has never used 2Gb but dam close especially if you play games or work with applications that are similar to games (Like matlab, maple, Microsoft Express studio, Microsoft Visual Studio or other similar heavy applications). If you intend to use Wmware then you need 3Gb.
I took games as an example because they are heavy applications.
With 2GB you will be able more or less to run Office and to browse (not many browing windows/tabs).
Regards,
Valentin
It`s not in my Home Premium copy 
but it is in the Pro copy
Totally agree i have a spare box with a P4 3.2GHz with 2GB Ram and 7 is perfectly fine on it.
IMO “tweaking” programs are very much redundant now windows 7 is here, the OS handles pretty much everything fine with superfetch, indexing, etc. All the so call tweaks which claim to improve performance by X% do very little to help 7. Just using a basic program like CCleaner every week or so and you`re fine.
There are a few things you can do like stopping the odd unneeded service (allways make a note of what you did) but 7 is pretty much spot on straight out of the box.
I think you`ll like it captainsticks, when i boot into XP now it just feels old!
Cheers,
Matty
Thanks Matty_R.
If a certain program needs XP mode will it just not work or will it tell you? I am looking forward to the change. Thanks.
XP mode is really just like a virtual machine that is ingrained to windows 7. There are not many programs which don`t work on 7, and the ones that need XP mode are normally specifically written programs such as CAD programs/business software which where designed for XP/pre XP and updating them would cost a lot of money.
Matty.
p.s. One thing which i think is beneficial to 7 is to have a half decent GPU (graphics card).
Definitely Matty. The faster the video card the better.
I’ve been using Windows7 since it was released and it has run perfectly.
If you’re a gamer it’s a whole different world from XP.
I’ve never needed the XP roll back feature.
You won’t really need the ‘areo’ feature.
For a good W7 forum you might like to visit http://www.sevenforums.com/
To answer your specific questions…
Foxit pdf works fine.
Firefox, IE and Dragon works fine.
CSC and CCleaner work fine.
I have no experience with Outlook so I can’t say, but Gmail & Windows Live mail work fine.
I haven’t used XP since 2007 and frankly, I’ve never looked back.
Don’t worry… don’t listen to all the haters (I’m not referring to this forum; everyone here is civilized 8) )
Thanks SpeedyPC, I will keep you posted when its up and running.
Also thanks to everyone else for their advice and positive feedback.
It is nice to know most of the programs I might use should work thanks.
Hi Captain,
My advice – stay with XP as long as you can
In brief - if you will consider Win 7 - use 32bit
You will not gain anything whatsoever using Win 7 (any platform) regarding performance … moreover you will encounter downgrades regarding the matter
Old dual Core tweaked XP with less memory (2GB) / older DDR2 memory/ older HD/ etc. will run much, much faster than dual Quad (“better” & higher processor re: frequency) having the latest DDR3 + 8 GB latest memory
I can write like 4 pages about that … but it will be better if you find that yourself “out there”
There is always “learning curve”, but this one doesn’t make any sense
Win 7 was just slightly cosmetically improved (forever beta Vista ■■■■ = rip off )
This who like GUI embellishments – please use those pathetic systems
Well. true! & Yes … & as above
But a lot more negatives can be added to that
The system is a complete disgrace
Anyway, (repetition) at least stay away from x64 platform – nothing to gain / except problems currently
Then, check the performance of any Linux 32bit on very old PCs … I mean very old , say Pentuim III with EDO old memory 256kB – it will run faster than any Vista with contemporary hardware
… and then test Linux x64 compare to winDos x64 – you will be more than surprised
My regards
and you will find the learning curve is approaching that which Edmund Hillary gazed upwards and onwards at. 
Not true anymore, some Linux distros have becomed convivial enough, and the learning curve wouldn’t be harder then for any Windows first time user (shifting from Ms-Dos to the first version of a Shell and then to Windows was not so self-speaking, was it?).
But the Linux commentary was only made to ask what the real advantages of Seven are supposed to be: we have mostly seen very much larger exigences in terms of hardware and software, and not how they are counter-balanced in regard to XP.
The Everest climbing by Sir Edmund Hillary (factually, by his Sherpas) remains a technical achievement only on the technical means existing at the time, nowadays, everyone or so is able to do it, and the Everest is far from being, outside of its symbol, the greatest difficulty.