Download Windows 7 Eh? My NetBook Test Drive

So I've written about Windows 7 here at Blogging Idol, and so it seems is almost everyone now. So I decided I just had to try this for myself – and thought the ultimate test would be to test it out on my LG NetBook.

In fact, for MSDN subscribers, you will be able to download the RC version next week – that's right, before the end of April. But I couldn't wait, so I installed the Windows 7, Build 7100 version on my LG X110, the second NetBook I am test driving, after trying out the Dell Mini 9 for 30 days and being disappointed with performance of the Solid State drive and its awkward keyboard Layout. The LG X110 has a fabulous keyboard and blistering fast hard drive in comparison, but unfortunately cannot be upgraded as easily as the Mini 9. This means I am stuck with its 1GB of soldered, on-board memory. 🙁Installing Windows 7 – Important Teachable Moments1. The first thing you will need to do is get yourself a valid installation key. You can still get beta keys here, but Windows 7 works just like Vista. You can install it in trial mode without a key, and use it for 30 days. Remember, it will stop working on August 1st 2009 — but after all, this is a beta, and you will want to download/purchase the RC version. Piracy is inexcusable, as I am sure we all agree. A sidebar comment – Microsoft is working on a pay-as-you-go model that hopefully will help to reduce the amount of Windows piracy that has history occurred.2. Should you upgrade or perform a fresh install? Going back to the time Windows 95 hit the streets, the right decision has always been install in a dual boot scenario, on a separate clean partition. The game doesn't change here folks, so be sure to do the same – if you are new at this, know this means you should select a custom install, not the upgrade. Besides, this is a beta remember – you'll want to throw on the RC version once you get your hands on it.3. The driver subsystem and model in Windows 7 is the same as that in our (beloved – not) Vista. This means Windows 7 comes with lots of drivers and if you are still missing one, your Vista drivers should work fine.4. Though obvious to most, worth mentioning that the beta download is an ISO image file, that you will need to burn to a CD in order to perform the install.Windows 7 On The LG X110 – Stay Or Go?From an installation perspective, it went on without a hitch. I hooked up a USB external CD-Rom on my beauty of an LG, and just over an hour later, I was presented with my dual boot option screen, and I was on my way to experiencing Windows 7 on my NetBook.Performance was GREAT. For those who heard Microsoft very public comments a couple of months ago, this should not be a great surprise for you. Microsoft has committed to ensuring every Windows 7 “version” will work with the fast-growing Netbook segment. From a Netbook perspective specifically, I would say that performance has increased compared to running XP. I haven't had time to really dig into the Windows 7 configuration screens, so right now we're pretty 'stock” on the OS here in the Cardoso household.Going back to performance, I would say that my battery life is longer by approximately 10-20%, and steady state performance is much snappier – even over time, when compared with Windows Vista. A big change Microsoft did, which I noticed almost immediately, is change the way memory is allocated when it comes to new applications/threads being spawned. I was able to get over 40 copies of explorer up on the screen. This never worked on Windows XP or Vista – without causing a 'core breach” in the windows “reactor core”.Another thing I noticed is that many services are not loaded until they are actually needed – something you need to go in and configure, but when I did that, my next boot up time reduced significantly. (Down To Under 146 seconds!). Just over two minutes…So is Windows 7 staying on the NetBook? Absolutely. I recommend you be sure to download windows 7 as soon as you can, and believe me, you will not be disappointed. If you are running Vista, this “upgrade” is a no brainer. If you are running XP, in particular if you are running some “older hardware”, you may find overall performance (including load time).So, Windows 7 Stays. And I will be buying Windows 7 as soon as I can. What about you?Liked this post? Browse through all my posts here. Thanks…Pedro Or better yet, Subscribe to my blog now!