Windows 7 Early Adopters = Happier Users

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According to a survey by Technologizer.com, early adopters of Windows 7 are a happy lot. That’s a 180 from the Vista mess, and it’s good news for Microsoft, not to mention corporate IT departments.

Eighty-four percent said their switchovers “went off without meaningful hiccups.”

For the survey, which was conducted at the end of last year, more than 550 early adopters were asked about their upgrade processes. Of them, 84 percent said their switchovers “went off without meaningful hiccups.” (Of the users surveyed, 46 percent upgraded from Vista and 32 percent from XP.)

This is significant, writes Technologizer founder Harry McCracken, considering the fact that when XP was rolled out, a PC World study found that more than half of those who upgraded reported installation difficulties.

And then there’s the issue of the actual product and its usability. Windows 7 fares OK there as well. According to the survey, 79 percent of those who upgraded from Vista reported that they are “extremely satisfied” with 7; 61 percent of XP users feel the same.

It’s not all good news, however. Users are having problems with two main issues in Windows 7: missing drivers and application incompatibility – both of which were expected.

Although this is a very early gauge, and, in the words of the survey author, “not a representative, projectable, normalized sampling of all Windows 7 users,” it still gives you some sense of what to expect.

After all, you will face a migration eventually. The more information you have, the better.

Below is an excerpt from an earlier PC Helps Online post, which offers tips from a user’s standpoint, and from IHD’s:

For the Windows 7 User:

What changes will potentially throw off users?

1. With the elimination of the Quick Launch toolbar, users will have to pin items to the Start Menu or the taskbar.
2. The taskbar will include icons only (no text), which may confuse some users.
3. Not being able to turn off taskbar windows previews may confuse or even irritate.
4. Some auxiliary apps such as Windows Movie Maker and Windows Mail are removed or replaced.
5. People who used the Vista Sidebar and gadgets in it may miss it.

What new features will increase users’ productivity?

1. With Federated Search, Windows Explorer can be used to simultaneously search different types of resources such as local drives, network drives and SharePoint sites.
2. Easier use of projectors with the Windows Mobility Center.
3. A significantly improved backup utility allows greater flexibility and granularity in a user-friendly interface.
4. Taskbar changes and Aero Peek make working with and switching among multiple windows easier and more efficient.
5. The addition of Windows key combinations to launch frequently used applications and to control the placement of windows.
6. Jump Lists offer quicker access to frequently used program features and content (files, URLs).

For the Help Desk:

What will break when 7 is rolled out (compatibility issues, legacy system issues, security issues, etc)?

1. Mostly what you would expect to break in an OS migration.
2. Some compatibility issues with older hardware and software have been found, but fewer than with migration to Windows Vista. Legacy items that touch on security or network connectivity lead the list as expected.
3. Sleep mode in laptops has been a problem in betas and release candidates.

What capabilities will be helpful to the IHD/system admins?

1. Loads faster! Loads faster! Loads faster!
2. The Problem Steps Recorder can automatically create a history of a problem complete with screen shots.
3. The Action Center combines functions of several interfaces related to security, troubleshooting and recovery.
4. Built-in management of biometric devices.
5. The utility for creating System Repair Disks is simplified and improved.
6. The second generation of PowerShell makes automating administrative tasks easier and more powerful.
7. Easily running applications with Elevated Rights without restarting them.
8. Ability to burn .ISO images to disk.
9. Installation from USB memory devices.

Download a free Windows 7 Migration Kit.

MORE INFO IN: PC Helps eTraining |Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps

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