Many unfortunately remember the infamous "Vista Capable" logo disaster. A whole bunch of new computers at the time Windows Vista was launched had a little logo that was supposed to indicate yes, they were capable of running Vista. But as we all found out, many of those new computers were barely "capable." Instead computer owners were treated to a less-than-pleasant computing experience – putting it very nicely.
One of the best things Microsoft ever did was release Windows 7 RC to the general public for testing. A ton of people, including myself, use this OS. I use it as my primary right now. This allowed everybody on both sides (corporate and consumer) to do the best live field testing of Windows since the product came into existence; this has served everybody very well.
Microsoft will be using a logo program again for Windows 7, so you will see those little stickers on new computers if you haven’t already. This time around the requirements to get the sticker are far more stringent compared to the Vista logo debacle.
The logo means the product must work with both 32 and 64-bit editions. This is particularly important for peripheral devices, because it means the driver disc included will have 32 and 64-bit versions included. It also means more rigorous testing has been performed to ensure that yes, it will work.
Part of this program includes "Ready. Set. 7." You can check out right now what developers are building 7-compatible items at www.readyset7.com. The list is extensive, and that’s great because it means that many of the products on store shelves will be compatible right out of the box.
In the end however, what has mattered most concerning 7’s readiness has been end-user testing from Win 7 RC use. I use 7 RC, and this OS proved its worth beyond any doubt by running nearly flawlessly on my Dell Inspiron Mini 10v netbook, which houses only a single core 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, shared video memory and a 160GB 5400rpm HDD.
As far as I’m concerned, if Win 7 can run on this smoothly (which it does,) it can run on just about any computer made in the last 5 years without the need to upgrade.
The logo program is good and is being far better managed, granted, but it’s been the users of this OS that have had the most influence on people. If I thought Win 7 sucked, I would say so without hesitation. If other people thought it sucked, they would say so as well. We’ve all been nothing but honest in our reviews of this OS. And it’s the general consensus that Win 7 doesn’t suck. Not in the slightest. In fact, we all really like it. That’s why we dare to run an RC as our primary operating system. Ordinarily that’s considered computer suicide, but the blunt honest truth is that 7 really is that good.
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