Re: Windows 7

[BobRoosth]

Over the weekend I transitioned from Windows XP to Windows 7 64-bit. The computer has been alive for several weeks, but installing software is time-consuming. I am not done, but I finally have enough to do my work. And the old machine is still available if it is needed.

A couple of observations:

-- USB support is odd. I have an Epson Perfection 4490 Photo. When connected via a hub, it is available in Device Manager but neither Epson Scan nor Photoshop can connect. Connected directly to a USB port on the computer, it works just fine!

-- Ditto for one of my digital cameras, a Canon Powershot SD1200. Could not connect via a hub, but could directly.

Fortunately, this motherboard comes with eight USBs on the rear panel.

Most of my software is new enough to not be an issue. The exceptions: Ventura 10 needed a workaround to install. Fortunately google found the solution. And my Quicken 2000 is working, but behaves a bit differently than it does under XP. Yes I know that is 10 year old software, but it does everything I need. I hate the newer versions.

Printer drivers are a bit of an issue. HP has not chosen to publish drivers for the LJ 1320, neither PCL nor Postscript. I told Windows it is some other HP printer and the drivers seem to work. It is connected via the network, so Windows can't tell exactly what it really is.

I am still using a Palm that is not a phone. Palm did not write USB drivers for Vista or Windows 7 64. Fortunately, I found a Zire 72 that has Bluetooth. That connection is a bit tricky to set up, but now that is syncing with Outlook works well.

Windows also claims to see by Motorola phone over BT, but have not found anything I can do with the connection.

I have not run into any font issues, but I have also not done much with ID or Draw to make them surface. I do have Bitstream FontNav installed. I expect it install fonts as Ventura and Draw need them. I'll have to handle InDesign docs as issues arise.

So far the machine is fast and stable. Win 7 does come with one feature that is largely not noted in the press: a useful backup system, esp. with Professional and Ultimate. It does both a file and an image backup and restores can look backwards in time. It's not the spiffy TimeMachine interface (which I find rather annoying), but it has much of the functionality.