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Head to Head: Windows 7 vs Windows Vista

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By Benny Har-Even, 4 Nov 2009

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In our latest head to head, Windows 7 faces its immediate predecessor, Windows Vista. Will Vista be able to mount any kind of challenge?

Other subtle improvements include the fact that the New Folder button is now available from all explorer Windows, not just inside the ‘organise’ drop down.

The interaction with the icons at the right of the tasks bar is another massive improvement for Windows 7 over Vista. Now, most of them are hidden away so that you’re not bothered by too many flashing distractions. Our favourite aspect is simply how you join a Wi-Fi network. In Vista you have to click the confusing network icon, then click ‘Connect or disconnect’, you then have to scroll down an awkward list of detected networks and double click to enter the security key.

In Windows 7, one click on the improved network icon brings up a full list of all detected networks with signal strengths, which you can scroll through without having to move the mouse – you then just double click the chosen hot spot to gain entry.

Multi-monitor support is also very easy and intuitive in Windows 7. It’s easier to use and does a far better job at choosing the correct native resolution of your monitors.

Our favourite little Windows 7 enhancement is the Window Snap feature. Using the Windows key and arrow key together lets you snap your Windows to either side of your monitor and organise them, which is so handy you wonder why no one had thought of it before.

Overall, there so many small enhancements in the Windows 7 user interface that it kicks Vista in the teeth. Hard and long. Windows XP at least has the excuse of being eight years old whereas Vista just feels unfinished.

Winner: Windows 7

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4 comments

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I am running Vista Ultimate and feel...

ripped off by Microsoft because ... [we] never received the extras we paid good money to get," said "Hellfire" in a long comment. "The very least that they should do is offer a heavily-discounted upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate to those that have lost money by purchasing Vista Ultimate.... (quote itworld)

By JaKowal on Wednesday Nov 4

Lack of drivers & problems with older applications

I bought a new machine and dual booted with XP and Vista 64. XP wouldn't install on SATA only system and had to slipstream (combine drivers and services packs onto a DVD). Vista 64 wouldn't work with some of my perpherials like a serial A4 graphics tablet and there where no update drivers for scanner and film scanner and no support for video and TV hardware. The support came for some things 18 months after launch, but was lacking for others. In upgrading to Windows 7 (leaving XP alone) it hung for 4 hours with no indication of what it was doing. All the software had to be installed again, even though this was W7 64 Ultimate over Vista 64 Ultimate. Most of the software to be installed would not run. There are no SCSI drivers, even for current Adaptec cards, no drivers for a current HP printer and it is hard to find a method to enable installation as Vista 64. Having installed and fixed compatibility to XP SP2 the application prompts for permission everytime it is run. Never did that in Vista. The background for Vista was okay, neat. The W7 is terrible. I have switched it to plain, making it more like my XP screen. Over all this was the hardest upgrade to install since Windows 3 days before drivers where on the internet. It would seem the age old advise for products from M$ remains true - don't get any until at least the first service pack.

By Ip_gfge5146c4406 on Friday Nov 6

No version of Windows can be purchased

@Benny Har-Even: "with its relative affordability, free alternatives have lost some of their lustre..." Let's get this straight once and for all, one can only buy a *licence* to run a copy of a Windows OS, one can never *own* a copy. In contrast to this abomination, a user always *owns* their copy of the "free alternatives" to which you refer.

By 6tricky9 on Friday Nov 6

No drivers?

For those having trouble locating Windows 7 drivers for SCSI cards and the like, it can be worth taking a look at the Windows Server driver offerings, as they often work. I've now got Windows 7 running on a Dell PowerEdge 2600 server, the fiddly bit being the driver for the onboard PERC4/DI RAID controller. If I recall correctly the Server 2003 driver worked a treat. Older HP printers have a generic driver, but for some unfathomable reason Microsoft then decide, if you have two such printers (e.g. a Color LaserJet 4500 and a LaserJet 5000), to hide one behind the other, making switching between printers a pain.

By MartinP on Tuesday Feb 22