Are You Pre-Ordering Windows 7 ?

[archer6]

As many of you know by now, tomorrow is the day that Microsoft begins offering Windows 7. Let us know your thoughts about Win 7 and if you are going to migrate to it.

Here is an excerpt: "Windows 7 Pre-Order Offer. Be first. Save half."

Please come back tomorrow (6/26) to pre-order Windows 7. You'll get it for at least half off and be one of the first to get it. Hurry, quantities are limited.*
It's pretty simple

Windows 7 is coming on October 22, 2009. Here's an easy way to get it fast and save a bundle: Pre-order a Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade for $49** or a Windows 7 Professional Upgrade for $99.** That's about half off the estimated retail prices. This offer is available through participating retailers. Pick one below and pre-order today. They'll tell you how to get your copy when Windows 7 is available.

source: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/of ... order.aspx


Cheers...

[basketb]

It certainly is tempting and this is an attractive price point. However, for me personally, I am still missing the killer application to move off of XP right away. Once 4GB DIMMs and SSDs become dirt cheap, it's a different story.

[ZaZ]

I might for my HTPC, but I got wait to see if there's a AHCI driver for the nVidia chipset. I'd like to run Windows 7 for the better WMP software, but as it stands right now, I can't get Vista to install on the thing due to the lack of a AHCI driver for Vista. XP runs fine, but no Vista, which seems to odd to me. I'm keeping XP on my notebook for the better Blu-ray playback. XP is doesn't hiccup during playback while Vista does, which I suspect Windows 7 would be the same.

[tomh009]

At $49/$99 it really is quite a deal. I expect to do so for my X200s (which will see all the benefits of W7). Am undecided yet on the X31, which should still work well, but won't have the horsepower to do everything. And on that one you also need to do the "forklift upgrade" and reinstall all your apps as well.

[archer6]

I agree the pricing during this pre-order period is a good deal. I'm doing clean installs on my ThinkPads, as I normally do once a year anyway, no matter what OS I'm running. The way I have my data backed up makes it very easy to start fresh. I'd much rather do that than an upgrade any day.

Cheers...

[tomh009]

I'm doing clean installs on my ThinkPads, as I normally do once a year anyway, no matter what OS I'm running. The way I have my data backed up makes it very easy to start fresh. I'd much rather do that than an upgrade any day.

It's quite easy to do a clean install, even with a single partition on disk. However, the pain involved is really correlated to the number of applications you need to reinstall, reactivate and reconfigure. (Based on the number of ThinkPads you have, though, archer6, I have to suspect that they are not all[/] fully loaded with application software?)

I used to do annual reinstalls in the Windows NT and Windows 2000 days. I really only do that now when I switch laptops, every 2-3 years.

[archer6]

However, the pain involved is really correlated to the number of applications you need to reinstall, reactivate and reconfigure.

Agreed. And I do run a lot of apps. There's just something nice about a fresh start. Perhaps I'm too obsessed with "housecleaning"...ha...ha...ha....

I must admit I'm super organized (sick)...Yikes....

There's nothing like a finely tuned ThinkPad.

Cheers...

[xcandrew]

The microsoft link and pre-order pages there and on Amazon didn't explain the difference between full and upgrade. I just bought a used T60p. It has an XP Home COA sticker on the bottom, and came with home made T60p XP Pro recovery CDs (created by Thinkvantage, I think). Do I qualify for purchasing the upgrade edition, to install on the T60p? I also have an A31 with XP Professional COA that I bought new in 2002, so I have the original OEM XP Professional installation CDs for that. Would any of those CDs enable me to install an upgrade version on the T60p? I plan to keep my A31 on XP Professional.

If I have the proper material to qualify for the upgrade pricing, is there any other difference between the upgrade and full editions? If I don't, I guess there's no point in pre-ordering, because they don't have the full editions on sale.

This is all assuming that it would be a good idea to run Windows 7 on the T60p in the first place. I'm guessing that it is recent enough to run Windows 7 well - if not, let me know.

[SaberX]

I'm going for it.
Up here in Canada the Win 7 home Per is $64.99 (reg $129.99).
I have the Win7 RC on my T43P for a few weeks now and find it great.All hardware works great.I find it just as fast or faster then XP.I have my T43P set up as a duel boot with XP Pro and Win7 RC and i think i booted up into XP Pro once or twice.99% of the time i boot up into Windows7.

[pianowizard]

I will definitely upgrade from XP to Win 7, though I won't be buying the upgrade because I expect that my institution will obtain a site license for it, i.e. I will get to upgrade for free.

[dstrauss]

My ThinkPad mini-fleet (two x60s and one x61s - gotta love those old 4:3 screens) are all going Win 7. I've used the beta and RC on all, and I can't ever see going back to XP or Vista ever again. I have found only one flaw in the entire time (power management won't shut down an external screen - but I still believe this is a Lenovo problem) that is more of an annoyance than a problem. Faster, more stable, and adequate eye candy without bogging down resources. Sleep mode is almost as reliable and fast as my daughter's black MacBook (don't laugh; it is the one feature of OS X that I found unbeatable - close the lid, instant shutdown; open lid and up and running in seconds, EVEN if you move locations/networks). At first I thought I'd hate the new Taskbar, now I wonder how I ever lived without it. I tend to work with 5-7 Word docs open at all times, and at least 4 Outlook windows open, and now switching between windows is a snap with the thumbnails (no more Alt-Tab cycling). And the little nuggets - the ability to quickly size and move two windows side-by-side on a larger monitor (each using one-half of the monitor) is heaven sent when doing research or comparing documents.

I truly feel it is going to add years to each of my computers. In fact, the x61s with the 7200rpm HD and 8gb ram flat flies (can't wait for prices to slip on large SSD drives).

[GomJabbar]

What was it P.T. Barnum said?

[lifrancis]

What was it P.T. Barnum said?

P.T. Barnum is right. I have tried Win 7 on both my T30 and T41 (running in a separate hard drive in ultra bay tray). With all the visual effects turn off, Win 7 can match the speed of XP. But without the visual effects or any other performance boost, what is the point in switching OS?

In some small ways, Win 7 is better than XP, just like Ubuntu, it managed to installed all the drivers without my input (except it will not take the ATI driver and insists that a plain VGA driver is better for me). Some of my programs will not load: Zonealarm, Diskeeper. There is still no Chinese MUI from Microsoft.

[archer6]

What was it P.T. Barnum said?

Ten points for your terrific humor, the best laugh I've had all day......

[archer6]

I have tried Win 7 on both my T30 and T41 (running in a separate hard drive in ultra bay tray).

This is exactly the setup I've been using to test Win 7

In some small ways, Win 7 is better than XP

Well said... "in some small ways". I think for myself, it's just having a change that motivates me to try Win 7 for awhile on one of my ThinkPads.

[dsvochak]

The thread topic is "Are you pre-ordering Windows 7?" while the poll is "Are you migrating to Windows 7". My answers are "No" and "Yes".

The reasons I'll migrate are "location aware printing", what appears to be significantly improved networking (including wireless) and general improvements in responsiveness.

The reasons I'm not pre-ordering are: 1) Windows 7 RC is good for another year (for free) and 2) I have no idea what hardware I may be using July 1, 2010. For all I know, I'll have machines that came preloaded with Wndows 7 by then.

[Radioguy]

Also, MS will likely offer free copies of this after touring seminars or after online presentations. I'll wait for those.

[archer6]

For all I know, I'll have machines that came preloaded with Windows 7 by then.

Yes, I know I will... I'm such an early adopter and laptop addict...ha...ha...ha...

[GomJabbar]

Yea, I'm a sucker.

Just bought the upgrade for Windows 7 Professional before I made the post above. I almost didn't. I have a full retail copy of Windows Vista Ultimate and I wanted to upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate. However when I looked at the SKU's today, I saw that Windows 7 Professional has everything I am looking for. It has more than Vista Business or Vista Home Premium does. AFAIK, the only features I will be missing not getting Windows 7 Ultimate are: Branch Cache, Direct Access, and BitLocker.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/wind ... -come-to/2

The thread topic is "Are you pre-ordering Windows 7?" while the poll is "Are you migrating to Windows 7". My answers are "No" and "Yes".

I am just the opposite. My answers are "Yes" and "No". I'll likely still be using XP as my main OS on this dinosaur T42, but I will also be using Windows 7 and Linux (currently Mandriva 2009.1). When I eventually do buy a new laptop, I anticipate it will have Window 7 Professional on it.

[DeAnna]

I might boycott it out of simple pique, since it appears the cut-off date for free upgrade is just 2.5 weeks before I bought my T400 w/Vista Business 64.

(I know they had to draw the line somewhere, but that just stings. )

[jdhurst]

I voted No because I am not pre-ordering. When it comes out Preloaded on an IBM Thinkcentre Desktop, I will probably purchase it. ..... JDH

[tomh009]

Just bought the upgrade for Windows 7 Professional before I made the post above. I almost didn't. I have a full retail copy of Windows Vista Ultimate and I wanted to upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate. However when I looked at the SKU's today, I saw that Windows 7 Professional has everything I am looking for. It has more than Vista Business or Vista Home Premium does. AFAIK, the only features I will be missing not getting Windows 7 Ultimate are: Branch Cache, Direct Access, and BitLocker.

Even the Home Premium is pretty good -- but I do want the ability to join a domain, so Pro it must be.

[jdhurst]

<snip>
Even the Home Premium is pretty good -- but I do want the ability to join a domain, so Pro it must be.

Some people wish for world peace; some people wish for an end to poverty; I wish that Microsoft would stop selling Home systems. ... JDH

[tomh009]

Agreed. And I do run a lot of apps. There's just something nice about a fresh start. Perhaps I'm too obsessed with "housecleaning"...ha...ha...ha....

I just realized that I'll need to do a clean install, too, as I figure that this is the time to move to the 64-bit world.

I must admit I'm super organized (sick)...Yikes.... There's nothing like a finely tuned ThinkPad.

But once my ThinkPad is finely tuned, I hate to start all over again!

[Aroc]

No. However I will use non-production copies from Technet Plus Direct in test environments. I will also have Windows 7 available free from charge from my school's MSDNAA program. In testing Windows 7 x64, I'm not seeing the speed increases over Windows Vista x64 that others are seeing. On this T61p it seems that Windows Vista Business x64 SP1/SP2 is the most responsive O/S, with Windows 7 x64 builds 7000/7100 being nearly as responsive, and Windows XP x86 SP2/SP3 being the (somewhat) least responsive of the 3. The difference isn't much, but it is noticable. Maybe when Lenovo releases production Windows 7 x64 drivers for the T61p (if ever) this may change for me.

I've read speculation that superfetch on Windows Vista may be more aggressively tuned that it is in Windows 7. Perhaps there is sort of a performance inflection point where certain hardware may perform better with Windows Vista yet a different hardware compliment may perform better with Windows 7.

With that said, I will probably get Windows 7 pre-installed on my next Thinkpad, which will most likely be Spring 2010.

[dsvochak]

Perhaps there is sort of a performance inflection point where certain hardware may perform better with Windows Vista yet a different hardware compliment may perform better with Windows 7.

Interesting theory. My experience on a T61 is similar, yet Windows 7 performs better than XP on a T41.

[neenee]

Even though I may not pre-order, I will definitely purchase Windows 7 Professional.

[erik]

i voted 'no' because a) i'm migrating to server 2008 R2 and b) won't need to pre-order.

[john518]

I voted no because the two laptops (T42 & R52 ) that I use will not meet min. specs. for the video card.

[barrywohl]

No, because I am running Vista Ultimate x64 on two ThinkPads, a T61p and a W700, and there is no discount on the pre-order discount for the upgrade for Vista Ultimate.

That's right. The upgrade offered for Vista Ultimate is ONLY the Windows 7 Ultimate, and the price for that is $219 per machine with a 0% pre-order discount.

As far as what I've found on line, the Vista Ultimate users are not even offered the "upgrade" from Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Professional for the $99 price. That upgrade is only for XP Professional and Vista Business.

What was Microsoft thinking! I feel like I've been suckered.