Advantages of Windows 7

[TSE]

I was told by my friend that you can now pre-order Windows 7 upgrade "Home Edition" from Best Buy for 50 dollars. This seems like a damn good deal for a Windows operating system.

Right now I am dual-booting Windows XP with Mac OS X Leopard on a Penryn MacBook Pro. I plan on upgrading to Leopard once it comes out, and maybe Windows 7, but I am not sure if it is worth the money over XP or Vista.

I bought Windows Vista Home Premium Edition about two years ago, installed it, and it worked decent. The only problems I really had with it was I didn't like the new UI, it wasn't slow, but it wasn't fast either, and it didn't run a lot of old games I enjoyed. So I erased it and installed XP and haven't looked back.

I actually prefer XP's default blue UI over the new, corny stuff. If I had it my way, Windows would still be using the Windows 2000 UI.

-What advantages does Windows 7 have over XP and Vista?
-How comparable in speed is it to Windows XP and Vista in gaming and everyday use?
-Is it possible to install older UIs onto 7?
-Should I get 64-bit or 32-bit?
-Can I upgrade from XP to Windows 7?

Thank you.

 

[jbernie]

The $50 upgrade is pre-order only, valid only for a few weeks before it goes back to the normal $99. So even if you may not plan on upgrading straight away, do the pre order at the cheaper price and save some $$$.

 

[baypharm]

Windows 7 is built on Vista and Vista is a resource eater. XP Pro is not. Probably the best bet is to install it and see how it performs on your Mac. If you don't like it you can always remove it. I have XP Pro on mine and have no problems with it or anything else. Maybe I am just lucky!