How good is windows 7 please?
Posted 06/03/2013 - 17:17
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OK thanks, be a good idea, have PC world but I would have to bring the tower in and I am not very good at setting it up again. Is PC world recommeneded?
Always be kind to people
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Posted 06/03/2013 - 17:19
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What you need is a computer shop where they do sales and repairs and you can talk to the owner and/or technician face to face. Some even do house calls.
Best regards, John
Posted 06/03/2013 - 18:01 - Helpful Comment
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Try to avoid PC World like the plague!!.. My experiences of them that they are over-priced, some of the staff talk in "techno-babble", and will sometimes install parts that are not neccessarily required. As John says - either the little "corner-shop" computer guy, or one of the house-call engineers. John has given sound advice too!
Posted 06/03/2013 - 19:27
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I know it's a bit late but DON'T touch Vista - my wife and I had (in fact still have, but I've now also bought a later m/c) 2 identical DELL 1525 laptops. Her's came with Vista Home Premium, and mine, bought later, with XP Pro (on the basis of the bad experience of Vista on hers!).
Later I upgraded hers to W7 Home Premium 32 bit, and it runs a lot cleaner, quicker and better!
W7 64 bit is fine for using the extra memory use (IF you have, or can fit, more than 4GB, which a number of older m/cs don't), but be careful with a tower if you have an older scanner or printer as some of the drivers were never upgraded with 64 bit versions and thus these peripherals can't now be used. Another good reason for finding a good local PC shop (and, again, NOT PC World unless you want to get ripped off!).
John
Later I upgraded hers to W7 Home Premium 32 bit, and it runs a lot cleaner, quicker and better!
W7 64 bit is fine for using the extra memory use (IF you have, or can fit, more than 4GB, which a number of older m/cs don't), but be careful with a tower if you have an older scanner or printer as some of the drivers were never upgraded with 64 bit versions and thus these peripherals can't now be used. Another good reason for finding a good local PC shop (and, again, NOT PC World unless you want to get ripped off!).
John
K-3 II, K-3 and a K-70 from SRS (having now relegated the K-30 /"K-50" to a backup body), & some Sigma and Pentax lenses (and a lot of old 35mm gear!)
Posted 06/03/2013 - 19:48 - Helpful Comment
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howdy folks
XP end of life is in April 2014. There's a bit of time time to make up your mind. Even then it will not stop working, it will simply become more vunerable to hacks, a decent firewall will help.
A Windows 7 licence will be about £50 and I'd imagine a shop will charge you £50 to install it. That is IF your XP machine will take it.
Just keep on using your old machine.
Make sure you have a decent antivirus (avast is free) and keep it up to date.
If you can add some memory to your PC do so, as it is cheap.
If you need more space add a cheap disk.
Put the £100 you would spend in premium bonds.
Save another £200 in the next year.
In the 12 months processing power will have doubled or the prices will have halved (or near enough). A new version of windows will be in the horizon to replace windows 8. Your £300 will buy a decent laptop or a decent desktop with the latest operating system.
Have a look on here for the recent laptop deals lees than £300! OR a desktop for less than £300 here.
I have an XP laptop and will be saving up to replace it in a year or so's time.
If you have £50 burning a hole in your pocket buy a portable hard disk to back up your photos (even if you already have one backup).
You could always buy a windows 7 licence with a hard disk thrown in e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150997906544 oh yes with a free PC too.
XP end of life is in April 2014. There's a bit of time time to make up your mind. Even then it will not stop working, it will simply become more vunerable to hacks, a decent firewall will help.
A Windows 7 licence will be about £50 and I'd imagine a shop will charge you £50 to install it. That is IF your XP machine will take it.
Just keep on using your old machine.
Make sure you have a decent antivirus (avast is free) and keep it up to date.
If you can add some memory to your PC do so, as it is cheap.
If you need more space add a cheap disk.
Put the £100 you would spend in premium bonds.
Save another £200 in the next year.
In the 12 months processing power will have doubled or the prices will have halved (or near enough). A new version of windows will be in the horizon to replace windows 8. Your £300 will buy a decent laptop or a decent desktop with the latest operating system.
Have a look on here for the recent laptop deals lees than £300! OR a desktop for less than £300 here.
I have an XP laptop and will be saving up to replace it in a year or so's time.
If you have £50 burning a hole in your pocket buy a portable hard disk to back up your photos (even if you already have one backup).
You could always buy a windows 7 licence with a hard disk thrown in e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150997906544 oh yes with a free PC too.
Lurking is shirking.!
Posted 06/03/2013 - 20:17
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Just be careful which w7 licence you get, as some will sell you one which will work for about 2/3 months before micros*ft shut it down because it was a development licence
for development only......
for development only......
Posted 06/03/2013 - 20:58
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Windows 7, is a very good operating system, vastly superior to Vista. I echo comments on his thread that recommend finding a reputable independent retailer that can help, so in that respect not PC World or any of the "superstores"
Windows 8 has been mentioned, I have recently changed to that, and I like it because I like gadgets. Essentially it provides a tablet style interface with a traditional operating system a 'a click away'. But I would happily go back to 7 knowing that it I have found it to be reliable and efficient.
Windows 8 has been mentioned, I have recently changed to that, and I like it because I like gadgets. Essentially it provides a tablet style interface with a traditional operating system a 'a click away'. But I would happily go back to 7 knowing that it I have found it to be reliable and efficient.
A very happily using a K30. My wife says I have too many lenses.
Posted 06/03/2013 - 21:20 - Helpful Comment
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Blueforever wrote:
Just be careful which w7 licence you get, as some will sell you one which will work for about 2/3 months before micros*ft shut it down because it was a development licence
for development only......
And there is another potential scam here as well - which I found out about earlier this year because I had been caught unsuspectingly by: the "not for resale" "full copy" of W7 Pro, i.e. the sale of copies of which were sold as bulk licences for large companies to use on their own machines ONLY.Just be careful which w7 licence you get, as some will sell you one which will work for about 2/3 months before micros*ft shut it down because it was a development licence
for development only......
It's explained here:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/windo... - see the george1009 post on 2nd Feb
Eventually, the MS licencing system caught up with me (after 3yrs, but maybe I was "lucky" for it to take so long) and I managed to buy a proper full retail copy, without the "-22x- " in the PID, which is now installed on my old DELL 1525 (and it cost rather more than the original copy that I had bought . If you have one of these, demand a full refund from whomsoever you bought it or who installed it!
Moral: if you have bought a "full retail copy" to install on your machine (or your local PC shop has installed one), then check the full "PID" and look out if it includes "-22x-" because that means it is a "not for resale" copy!
K-3 II, K-3 and a K-70 from SRS (having now relegated the K-30 /"K-50" to a backup body), & some Sigma and Pentax lenses (and a lot of old 35mm gear!)
Posted 06/03/2013 - 21:26
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Dogsbody wrote:
Windows 7, is a very good operating system, vastly superior to Vista. I echo comments on his thread that recommend finding a reputable independent retailer that can help, so in that respect not PC World or any of the "superstores"
Windows 8 has been mentioned, I have recently changed to that, and I like it because I like gadgets. Essentially it provides a tablet style interface with a traditional operating system a 'a click away'. But I would happily go back to 7 knowing that it I have found it to be reliable and efficient.
You'll like W8, or you won't - and I don't as I DON'T want a tablet style interface, and that is why my latest laptop (bought in Jan) is W7!Windows 7, is a very good operating system, vastly superior to Vista. I echo comments on his thread that recommend finding a reputable independent retailer that can help, so in that respect not PC World or any of the "superstores"
Windows 8 has been mentioned, I have recently changed to that, and I like it because I like gadgets. Essentially it provides a tablet style interface with a traditional operating system a 'a click away'. But I would happily go back to 7 knowing that it I have found it to be reliable and efficient.
Definitely a case of "try before you buy" (and for that PC WORLD are good because they don't sell anything else now!)
K-3 II, K-3 and a K-70 from SRS (having now relegated the K-30 /"K-50" to a backup body), & some Sigma and Pentax lenses (and a lot of old 35mm gear!)
Posted 07/03/2013 - 09:54
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Blueforever wrote:
Just be careful which w7 licence you get, as some will sell you one which will work for about 2/3 months before micros*ft shut it down because it was a development licence
for development only......
Where is the best place to get a proper validated Windows 7 system?Just be careful which w7 licence you get, as some will sell you one which will work for about 2/3 months before micros*ft shut it down because it was a development licence
for development only......
Quote:
XP end of life is in April 2014. There's a bit of time time to make up your mind. Even then it will not stop working, it will simply become more vunerable to hacks, a decent firewall will help.
Time to think about changing then XP end of life is in April 2014. There's a bit of time time to make up your mind. Even then it will not stop working, it will simply become more vunerable to hacks, a decent firewall will help.
I know the guy who custome built my tower which has been working fine, but I know another girl who has him to do her pC. the worrying thing is I lost his number and texed her for it, she said she wasn't aloud to give it out without his permission which is understandable. So she apparently rang him up and he said that he didn't want me to have his new number or call him anymore. So I am screwed at the moment, as I don't have anyone else to help me if my pc went wrong. I wasn't given a reason why he doesn't want me to contact him anymore.
There is a place at Downton called Recomite or itiology http://www.itology.co.uk/default.htm who built the first tower I ever had. But I have to bring the tower to them, which is a pain as because of my disability I can't lift heavy weights. And I don't have a car anyway. Thanks for letting me know about PC world.
Always be kind to people
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Posted 07/03/2013 - 10:19
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AuraTodd wrote:
[quote:3496ace15f="Blueforever"]Just be careful which w7 licence you get, as some will sell you one which will work for about 2/3 months before micros*ft shut it down because it was a development licence
for development only......
Where is the best place to get a proper validated Windows 7 system?[quote:3496ace15f="Blueforever"]Just be careful which w7 licence you get, as some will sell you one which will work for about 2/3 months before micros*ft shut it down because it was a development licence
for development only......
quote]
Try here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B004Q0PSMK/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new
At least with Amazon you stand a sporting chance of getting your money back if something goes wrong - but the higher the price you pay, and particularly if you get a non-OEM copy, the more likely you are to get a valid product.
K-3 II, K-3 and a K-70 from SRS (having now relegated the K-30 /"K-50" to a backup body), & some Sigma and Pentax lenses (and a lot of old 35mm gear!)
Posted 07/03/2013 - 10:21
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Hi is there a home Premium version?
Always be kind to people
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Posted 07/03/2013 - 10:27
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One thing I should also add is that you should get your installer to do a "custom install" as it is then quite possible NOT to wipe the C: partition on your hard disk and so to retain all your old info. If you don't, and he does not, then you will lose everything on your C parition unless you back it up elsewhere!
Edited: but you will ONLY keep all the info if you install the 32bit version if your XP installation was 32bit (which it probably was)- otherwise, if you install the 64bit version, then the C: partition will always be wiped anyway.
In that context and many others, I can thoroughly recommend a book called "Windows 7 Annoyances" (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=windows+7+annoyances) as it explains in detail how to do all sorts of W7 installations, including the custom install - and it's actually not that difficult at all as I have done it at least twice without any real problems.
I always buy these Annoyances books as they give far more useful info than most of the rest combined!
Edited: but you will ONLY keep all the info if you install the 32bit version if your XP installation was 32bit (which it probably was)- otherwise, if you install the 64bit version, then the C: partition will always be wiped anyway.
In that context and many others, I can thoroughly recommend a book called "Windows 7 Annoyances" (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=windows+7+annoyances) as it explains in detail how to do all sorts of W7 installations, including the custom install - and it's actually not that difficult at all as I have done it at least twice without any real problems.
I always buy these Annoyances books as they give far more useful info than most of the rest combined!
K-3 II, K-3 and a K-70 from SRS (having now relegated the K-30 /"K-50" to a backup body), & some Sigma and Pentax lenses (and a lot of old 35mm gear!)
Posted 07/03/2013 - 10:30
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AuraTodd wrote:
Hi is there a home Premium version?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_22?url=search-alias%3Dsoftware&field-keywords=windows+7+home+premium+full+version&sprefix=windows+7+home+premium%2Csoftware%2C558Hi is there a home Premium version?
Note that you can buy the 32 OR 64 bit versions separately - or a pack with both.
K-3 II, K-3 and a K-70 from SRS (having now relegated the K-30 /"K-50" to a backup body), & some Sigma and Pentax lenses (and a lot of old 35mm gear!)
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