Running Windows 7 64-bit now

[mastacox]

So I've been thinking about going to Vista Ultimate 64bit for a while now, but after talking to my uncle who works at Microsoft I dowloaded the Windows 7 RC (Release Candidate) 64-bit.
Windows 7 RC Download Link

So far, I'm liking it! I just put together a new computer with 4 gigs of ram and an Athlon 64 X2 processor, and have been itching to take full advantage of the ram especially (I'll be upgrading to 8GB soon, along with a GeForce GTX 260). Overall, it's a good upgrade from trusty Windows XP Pro, although searching for drivers for the 64-bit system may prove difficult for some of my legacy hardware.

The RC is good until next summer, at which point you either have to go back or buy the released Windows 7 at that time. Definitely worth it IMO, as long as you don't mind making a dual-boot partition or formatting you hard drive (like I did).

[Seanz0rz]

i have the disc ready to install when i get a chance. everything ive read has been very positive!

[DHC6twinotter]

I'm going to have to try it out. I've heard good stuff about it too.

[YotaFun]

I have heard excellent remarks about Windows 7,
Just don't have a PC capable enough to run it.

Maybe by the time I get a new laptop, it will already come preinstalled.

[oly884]

so, i don't know the details, but what is the advantage of windows 7 over vista?

[Seanz0rz]

Basically win 7 is what should have been released as vista. It's a complete rework of the os. Features and UI are similar, much faster and less taxing on the system.

[oly884]

excellent!

[Scuba]

Cant wait

[paddlenbike]

Wikipedia has an entry for Windows 7 that explains how it compares to Vista & XP.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7

Vista has worked "okay" for me but the startup and shutdown times lately seem like they have doubled. Windows 7 is advertised as being much quicker at those tasks. The fact that there are positive comments out there on the new OS is a good sign.

[arjan]

I have both 64bit Vista & 64bit Win7. I like them both, have nothing against Vista once you turn off UAC.
Win7 seems a lot quicker, that's for sure. It also comes with a nice backup utility now I noticed, and picks up fingerprint readers etc. up and integrates it into the OS.
Nice not to have to used 3rd party software for stuff like that.

Win7 dropped the windows mail program and some other 'standard' programs. I wonder if that has to do with the lawsuits in the EU.