What's the best strategy regarding upgrades to your desktop and netbook operating systems? Should governments move to Windows 7, Linux or wait for Google's new Chrome OS?
Everyone is talking about Microsoft's recent launch of Windows 7. In describing the benefits of their new operating system, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer called Windows 7 "simpler, faster and more responsive" than Vista. Annoying prompts and frequent pop-ups have now been eliminated, and Windows 7 offers better security and fewer resources - actually running smoothly with less memory. Windows 7 can sleep and wake up faster, and if you are still running XP, the overall improvements that you experience will be even more significant.
Analysis from around the world has been generally positive, with global experts proclaiming that Windows 7 is like Vista but good. Here's an interesting quote from the United Kingdom:
"All round, then, Windows 7 is generally good, and some Windows fans reckon it's better than Apple's Mac OS X. It's certainly easier to use than Mac OS X if you are already familiar with the Windows way of doing things. Also, Windows 7 - released to companies on August 6 - has so far proved to be a lot less buggy than Apple's Snow Leopard, which has even lost users' data....
Windows 7 is simply the best version of Windows you can get."
So what's a government technology manager to do at this point? Are you planning to upgrade? USA Today's Byron Acohido writes that Despite Windows 7, Linux raps harder at company doors .
"IBM, whose Lotus Symphony programs work well on Linux, for years has pushed to get companies to dump Windows for Linux. More recently, Google has promoted Google Docs, a Microsoft Office-like suite of programs delivered over the Web. And Google's Android smartphone uses Linux technology....
Still, of the 655 information technology buyers recently surveyed by Forrester, 66% said they expect to move to Windows 7 computers. 'Users have historically voted for Windows above Linux," says Charles Smulders, tech industry analyst at Gartner.'"
Information Week ran an article saying that Uncle Sam Mulls the Move to Windows 7, but despite the fact that many government agencies participated in the Windows 7 beta, the public sector is expected to trail the private sector in early adoption."Of federal IT managers with plans to move to Windows 7, 60% plan to make the move in six months or more.... Among the factors influencing Windows 7 adoption by federal agencies are the time required for management approvals and any related IT upgrades. According to Dell, 60% of federal agencies with Windows 7 migration plans will make the move as part of their normal PC and laptop refresh cycle...."
The article goes on to describe current Microsoft deals. "Microsoft is ramping up its Windows 7 push in the public sector. It's offering 15% discounts on Windows 7 professional edition for small government customers, will host a Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 virtual event on Nov. 10, and is preparing a Windows 7 e-book for government customers."
In Michigan, we are one of the governments still using XP desktops and laptops. Like many others, we have very few users of Vista. We have traditionally waited for service pack one to be released and/or to migrated to a new OS as a part of the PC and laptop refresh cycle. We have not made a decision regarding Windows 7 at this time.
However, I do use Vista on my home (family-owned) desktop PCs and laptops. (With a family of six, we have two desktops and two laptops. One of my daughters also wants a new laptop for Christmas.) I plan to migrate one of our home laptops to Windows 7 to check it out. I'll let you know my thoughts over the holidays.
So what are your thoughts and/or plans regarding on Windows 7?
Hi Dan - I was just reading your post and wanted to share something else that might be interesting. Windows 7 can help bring old computers back to life - here is what he sent in a note -
"Something you said on Monday afternoon made me give Windows 7 a try today, with pretty impressive results. I picked up a Family Pack at Costco. I got it home and did a clean install on a 1995 HP tablet that I had retired over a year ago because an old favorite machine had just stopped working, component by component.
Once I found enough hard drive space for it, the Windows 7 install was seamless and easy. And wouldn't you know it, that old machine sprang back to life, found the wireless network and started acting like an almost new machine. (It only has half the recommended memory for W7 -- which I will probably fix if I can -- but even with one arm tied behind its back, it is working impressively well.) So, thanks for the tip."
What I love about this is that governments don't even have to wait for their hardware refresh - this can help them realize savings by bringing old machines back to live. Check out my blog for more info on Windows 7 & Government - www.brightsidegovernment.com.
Hmmmm, I just put LinuxMint (a version of Ubuntu) on an XP laptop with 256MB memory, and after I shut off the eye candy it ran great. Installed a new wifi dongle, found my wireless printer, click click. This is the way computers are supposed to run!
At work we are on a treadmill of upgrading just to please Microsoft's appetite for more power to drag around their OS and the requisite anti-malware and security junk. Now we have just "upgraded" to Vista, and the upgrading cycle begins again. Sigh.
Yes, all of these organizations should dump Windows and go for Linux now. They must realize that migrating to Windows 7 or Linux is a MIGRATION either way. Sure, you can migrate to Windows 7, but be prepared to get out your wallet again and again to pay Microsoft your dues. Migrate to Linux and get around the initial learning curve, and you are free from software licensing forever.