Windows XP Continues to Live Within Windows 7

If you upgrade to Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate, then you'll be pleased to know that it will come with a virtual engine running Windows XP. Despite their efforts, Microsoft won't be letting Windows XP die. Since I still have a few old computers laying around, I run XP on them. I've tried Vista and even Windows 7, but at the end of the day, XP wins. I'll be glad to replace Vista with XP. I've just had so many problems with Vista that it's been refreshing to use XP. Windows 7 is a light at the end of the tunnel for those of us still running Vista and hitting various roadblocks in our productivity.

Interested in Testing Windows 7 RC?

Want to read a bit about the latest build of Windows 7? It's the Release Candidate (build 7100) and you can see how it runs on the Samsung Q1 Ultra by reading this: Testing Windows 7 RC (build 7100)

Windows 7 Much Better than Vista and XP

I didn't have high hopes for Windows 7. I didn't think that Microsoft could build an operating system that was more efficient than XP for slower machines like ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs). For these reasons, I've been running Windows XP on my Samsung Q1 Ultra which has a very slow processor (single core, 800 MHz). It's not like my Lenovo Thinkpad X200 Tablet that has a blazing Intel Core 2 Duo processor.

My hat's off to you Microsoft. You've learned from your mistakes (and failures) on Vista and you've created a great operating system with Windows 7. I'm very impressed by the way that Windows 7 is running on my Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC). I had tried a few of the earlier builds of Windows 7 on my Samsung Q1 Ultra and they were not better than Vista. However, the latest build of Windows 7 (build 7077) has been fast, efficient, and very responsive. If you're still running Windows XP, I urge you skip Vista and go to Windows 7.

The End of Mainstream XP Support

It's finally happened:

"On April 14, Windows XP will transition from the mainstream support phase to the extended support phase, as planned and previously announced."

I'm so glad that Windows 7 is coming soon. I've been running a beta version of Windows 7 build 7077 and it has really impressed me. The engineers at Microsoft have done an outstanding job creating this operating system and I'm very pleased. I think most people will have similar experiences with Windows 7.What's great is that Windows 7 runs quite efficiently, even on older and slower computer. That certainly wasn't the case with Vista. You can get ready to kiss all those Vista-related headaches goodbye as you prepare for Windows 7.

Experimenting with Windows 7 (Build 7077)

I have to admit: I did not have high expectations for Microsoft Windows 7. I had the chance to test some of the earlier beta versions of Windows 7 (including the public beta) and they didn't really impress me. However, I recently installed the latest build (build 7077) and I have to say that I've been very impressed. I installed this version on a convertible tablet (Fujitsu) and an ultra-mobile PC (Samsung Q1 Ultra) It's very fast and responsive and it doesn't lock up like Vista. If you have an older notebook/laptop, you may want to give it a try.

Windows 7 Build 7077 Runs Well on the Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC

I'm happy to report that Windows 7 (build 7077) actually runs quite well on the Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC (or Q1U, for those who like to differentiate them from the original Samsung Q1). I had tested a few of the earlier builds on my device and they did not work well at all. Somehow, the engineers at Microsoft have refined Windows 7 so that it actually runs fairly well on a slow machine that has an 800 MHz processor. I've been pleasantly surprised by Windows 7, so I've removed the Vista partition on my device and I've replaced it with Windows 7. I still have XP as a backup, but over the next few weeks I'll be mainly using Windows 7 to see how well it works on my mini tablet device.

Windows 7 Build 7048 on Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC

I decided to give Microsoft Windows 7 another try on my little Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC. This is the older model that is thinner but also slower. The 800 MHz processor just isn't fast enough to run Vista effectively. I have to admit that Build 7048 is much better on the Q1 Ultra. I had tested some earlier builds and they just didn't work well at all.

There is another Build of Windows 7: Build 7077. I haven't had the chance to get my hands on that version yet, but that will be my next project (maybe I'll get to it next weekend). In the meanwhile, I will play around with Build 7047 this week and write about my findings. I've been running XP on my Q1 Ultra, but this week I plan to use Windows 7. My excitement for Windows 7 has been renewed. I'm not being overly optimistic (yet), but I am hopeful that this OS may replace XP on my Q1 Ultra.

Windows 7 Build 7077 on the Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC

This is my next project: Windows 7 Build 7077 on my Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC. This build 7077 is rumored to become the RC or Release Candidate version of Windows 7. The last time I installed Windows 7 on my Q1 Ultra, I was not impressed by the results. However, now that Microsoft has had a chance to fix some bugs, clean the code, and make some improvements, I'm willing to give it another try.

The future of medicine relys advances in technology such as mobile computers, UMPCs, gadgets, and other devices. It's exciting to see how the world of medicine is changing because of technology.

Downgrading from Windows 7 to XP

Looks like Microsoft XP continues to live on. According to rumors, consumers will be able to downgrade from Windows 7 to XP. Maybe the netbook version of Windows 7 will really be XP with a new skin. I still use XP on most of my machines and I run Vista on my Lenovo Thinkpad X200 Tablet PC. To be quite honest, my expectations for Windows 7 are not very high. I've been doing some beta testing and I haven't been impressed with the new OS. I hope to be pleasantly surprised, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Are You Ready for Windows 7?

Have you tried Windows 7? I've been so unhappy with Vista that I've gone back to XP on most of my machines, including my mission critical PC. However, I'm quite intrigued by Windows 7. We will probably see a slim (or lite) version of Windows 7 for UMPCs and netbooks. I'm still running XP on my Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC and my OQO model 02. Will Windows 7 be the ideal operating system for power PCs and ultra-low-cost machines?

In the healthcare field, XP will probably continue to dominate for a few more years because of the way many EHR/EMR systems are configured. Plus, you're often using older peripherals like scanners, printers, bar code scanning devices, and other devices. Some ambulatory EHRs have an EKG attachment that hooks up via USB. My guess is that most of those older connections will only work on PCs running XP. So, I think that health IT will lag behind other industries and we'll be using XP for a long time.

Samsung Isn't Giving Up on the UMPC

Samsung has a long history in the UMPC market. It was one of the first UMPCs that came out when the "origami project" was unveiled. Now, it is preparing to come out with the Q1EX (or NP-Q1EX). Who can keep up with this crazy naming convention?

Since I'm a Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC user, I am probably quite biased. My tiny tablet has been a good, functional machine, but it's not a multi-tasking power PC. It has a very slow processor, but in exchange, I get long battery life. It's a compromise, but one that I'm willing to make. In the healthcare field, doctors need to carry these things around everywhere, so portability, durability, and weight are critical factors.

I'm curious to see what people will think about this new Samsung UMPC. The Q1EX lacks any buttons, knows, or keys on the front. They went with a very simple and basic tablet. It almost feels like they went backwards, but maybe they are depending on all the great features that will be included on Windows 7. Multi-touch? Capacitive touch? Doubtful.

Windows 7 Build 7048

There are more circulating rumors about Microsoft Windows 7 (in this case, it's about build 7048). Some don't seem to think that this is the Release Candidate version of Windows 7. It seems like Microsoft still has many things to fix before Windows 7 is ready for the world.

It's been refreshing to use XP on my main PC at work. I had Vista on it, but I was having so many issues that I finally decided to go to XP. I still have Vista on my Lenovo Thinkpad X200 Tablet, but that's primarily because the tablet features are so much better on Vista. Almost all those nice tablet features will also be found on Windows 7. I use the on-screen touch pointer quite a bit when I'm tapping on the screen. Otherwise, I rely on the active Wacom digitizer found on my stylus pen.

So are you excited about Windows 7? I used to have more enthusiasm, but recently that's dwindled significantly. I'd like to see Microsoft continue support for XP since it will probably still be the dominant operating system on netbooks and UMPCs (well, it will be for people who want a sleek, refined, stable operating system that takes up minimal hard drive space).

Vista SP2

So when is Vista SP2 going to be available? Some are speculating that it may be within the next month or so. My gut tells me that SP2 will be the final service pack for Vista. All the focus will go towards Windows 7. In my opinion, Windows 7 should be called "Vista SP3." After all, if Windows 7 is going to be a minor upgrade that fixes many Vista problems and streamlines the operating system to be more efficient, then shouldn't that be considered a service pack?

I'm getting closer to a Mac each day. I'm sure all my friends who are devoted Mac users are just waiting for the day when I make that switch. Give me a tablet Mac!

Blaming All My Problems on Vista

I'm starting to get more and more problems with my laptops that are running Vista. I'm at the point where I think I'll install XP and wait for Windows 7.

Vista was fine for a while, but then after some updates got loaded, I started having all sorts of problems with my display driver and my Wi-Fi connection. I've disabled all the eye candy, so I don't really need Vista unless I'm using something that has a touch screen. I like the on-screen mouse pointer and the handwriting recognition is far better on Vista. So, I'll probably end up keeping Vista on my tablet PC, but I think I may install XP on my dual-display workstation.

I got my wife a MacBook Pro. Maybe I need to get one too.

Giving Windows 7 Another Chance

I've decided to give Windows 7 (beta build 7022) another chance on my Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC. I had build 7000 on it earlier and I'm not expecting any major changes, but I'm the type of person who has to try something new. Build 7022 has been out there for a while, but I've just been too busy to download and install it. Hopefully this experience will be a better one for me.

First BSOD on Vista Business 64 bit

I experienced my first blue screen of death (BSOD) on my Thinkpad X200 tablet running Microsoft Windows Vista Business 64 bit. Everything seems OK now, but all my applications froze and were unresponsive before I got the BSOD. This is my first experience running the 64 bit version of Vista, so I guess we'll have to see how things go. I anticipate that once Windows 7 gets released, I'll be installing that and getting rid of Vista.

Windows 7 Build 7048 Release Candidate 1

According to some reports, the Release Candidate Version 1 of Windows 7 is Build 7048. I think it may be out there - somewhere. Good luck finding it. I used to be more excited about Windows 7 because I wanted to install it on my Samsung Q1 Ultra, but it doesn't run any better than Vista.

OQO model 02+

Do you plan on getting one? There's a tight knit community of OQO users on OQO Talk. Among them, it seems like 34% have either ordered one or plan to order one. That's dedication!

I don't personally plan on ordering a model 02+ right now. The OQO is a great little device, but it's not as practical for me as some of my other UMPCs. Therefore, I will stick with what I have and maybe I'll upgrade one of them in 2010. By then, most (if not all) will be running Windows 7 and devices should be much faster overall.

Windows 7 Build 7022

Looks like Windows 7 build 7022 is out there - somewhere. Shall we say, a "leaked version?"

Have you installed it yet? I've had such a bad experience with Windows 7 on my Q1 Ultra. However, will build 7022 be different? I highly doubt it. I don't think the slow processor can effectively handle Vista or Windows 7.

Free upgrades to Windows 7

Buy a PC after July 1 this year and you can get Windows 7 for free! As more rumors circulate, I'm starting to wonder: Fact or fiction?

XP is here to stay (in my book).
Vista was nice while it lasted. Goodbye Vista, welcome 7!