Unless you have been hidden under a rock, you'll know that Microsoft has released its latest version of its operating system, Windows 7.
With teething problems with the past two iterations, Microsoft has pulled out all stops stating that it is one of the best yet. I'm not 100 percent sure, because I haven't had a full-on go at it yet, but from what I've seen so far, I like it.
So what can it do? First of all it allows you to connect all your family computers together. It means you can have contact with the rest of your family quickly, easily with little fuss.
Mums and dads will be happy that there is an added security feature so they can not only keep an eye on the kids, but make sure they are doing their homework and not just playing computer games.
It also has Media Player 12 that allows streaming and a "play to" feature, so you can stream to other PCs that have Windows 7 running. You can also have remote media streaming, which means you can play music or videos from your home PC while you're on the road.
Overall, a good product, and I have only scratched the surface as far as its capabilities.
Finally, it is easy to upgrade from XP and Vista by going to this webpage and it will tell you whether your PC can take the upgrade. An upgrade will cost about $140, while as a standalone product it will be about $240.
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Hi, Saw the Today segment regard mobile phones, you menetioned you had a link to App for the iphone to tell you the % of call/usages. I can't find this on this or the Today website. Can you please direct me to the correct site.
Thanks
Reply #1 Andrea 2010-02-25 16:15:13
Hi Andrea
Go to the Apple iTunes store and search for the application. It is called Quota.
I caught your segment on the today show this morning and was wondering where i could find a summary of the broadband providers/offers you mentioned. Could you also please confirm the website which provides reviews of the different providers? Many thanks
Reply #1 Sarah 2010-02-23 14:53:57
I also saw the Today segment "Best Mobile Phone Deals" and am trying to follow up for a summary of the info provided or more information. I'm pretty sure I heard reference to the existence of this info on the website. I've been to the Today Show's website who sent me to this website, but I still can't find more info. I guess I assume there isn't more info?
Reply #1 Charlie 2010-02-10 14:17:56
Hi Vicki
There is no website that I know of that provides an overall summary of the different broadband deals. There are a couple of sites that do a compare and contrast, but they are by no means comprehensive. Here's a link to a site that talks a lot about the different companies that provide broadband services www.forums.whirlpool.net.au/
Hi Charlie.
I heard you on 2ue last thursday where a caller asked if he could remove his installed Windows 7 from one hard drive, then reinstall it to another hard drive on the same PC without any activation issues.
I am going to have a similar situation. I have just installed the full version on my home PC but now considering on buying a new PC (probably one with Vista) as my PC is just too slow. I want to remove W7 from my home PC, reinstall windows xp on it, and put W7 on my newly bought PC.
Will I have installation issues re activation?
Thanks for any advice in advance
When you bought your laptop it would have been pre-installed with Windows Vista. Some manufacturers, to ensure customers did not hold off their purchase of a PC until after the launch of Windows 7, included a free up-grade from Vista to Windows7. There should be a promotional offer included in the box of the pc. If you can't find one, just ring the manufactuers support dept. and see if they offered this to you.
I recently heard you on tv saying that if you have bought a new computer or laptop in the last 6 months, you may be able to get windows 7 for free? how do i go about this and is it still possible if i bought my laptop directly from dell?
Hi Charlie, I went through the Windows 7 advisor and was advised i can update from Vista to Windows 7 32 bit. My concern is that the advisor states that Windows 7 no longer comes with windows mail and that I have to visit other software manufacturers for email software. This is worrying as I have always used the default windows email software with all previous versions of Windows does this mean I would lose all emails currently saved on my HDD? To me it seems a backward move by Microsoft to not include a default email program in Windows!
Reply #1 Charlie 2009-10-23 10:39:33
Good question on the email. I will check out your options. If you purchase Outlook mail for Windows 7 you will be able to access all your email so that is not a problem. However the main thing it sounds like you want to know is, 'is there a free option out there where you can keep all your email?' I will get answer for you.
If after installing windows 7 i find i do not like it can i go back to XP without formatting?
Reply #1 Charlie 2009-10-23 10:35:28
To install Windows 7 from XP is a clean install. So, you will then need to re-install all your software and drivers etc. However if you have the original installation disk for Windows XP and you do not like Windows 7, you can do a clean install back to Windows XP if you like. I need to pint out that doing this exercise will take the best part of a weekend and I am sure you will like the win7 much better anyway!
Can Charlie answer this question please.
Can Windows XP be upgraded straight to Windows 7?
Thank you,
Reply #1 Charlie 2009-10-22 15:32:52
Hi Stephen
Yes you can get an upgrade for Windows 7 at a cost of about $140 for the basic package, quite a bit more for the upper end versions. Remember that you will need to run a 'clean install'. That means all your XP settings, drivers and software will need to be re-installed after installing windows 7. You will not have your files deleted, however I would recommend a back up of your important files before installing win7.
What about my data and programs,,,I suspect data is fine,,,however,,,will all my applications still work without having to reinstall?
I have Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 2 on new HP laptop which is eligible for free upgrade to windows 7
Reply #1 Charlie 2009-10-22 15:39:45
Hi Ken
It should not affect any of your non-Windows applications or programs. I would be very surprised if you had to reinstall any of those programs. Let me know the outcome.
If I load Windows 7 onto my computer will I be able to view, edit, move etc anything that I currently have saved on my current program. I have years of business stuff, photos, thousands of emailed jokes and video clips so I need to know that they will all work with Windows 7.
When we load a new operating system we need to see and use everything we've saved over the years and I'm concerned that when I load Windows 7 I might still have to keep installed on my computer parts of my old operating system or install add-ons so I can see my old stuff.
Will any of the Microsoft Office programs ( 03, 05, 07 ) Accounting programs, WinZip, Netscape, Media players etc all work with Windows 7 and does Windows 7 have a new email program or do we still use our current Outlook Express ?
Hi Charlie,
Is windows 7 compatable with itunes?? my friend said she got it and it's not!!!
Reply #1 Charlie 2009-10-22 16:22:58
Hi Danni, I ran the update analyser and the version of iTunes I have is NOT compatible. Best thing is to up-date to the latest version of itunes and run the analyser again. If it says it is compatible it is, if not then Apple will be working on a fix I am sure.
There are some questions I have about the administration. Because it does it over the family network, does that mean it can only affect internet sites? As well as this, can it affect a different computer, for example if the parent had windows seven, and the child had a mac, could it still affect it? Also, if it doesn't affect the internet, and affects the programs, does that mean if, for example, internet explorer is blocked from sites, does that mean that the person still can't download another internet browser, and use that to bypass the blocks?
Hi, we just purchased a new laptop 2 months ago which runs Windows Vista, we are constantly having to close everything down as it continually locks up and won't do anything, we were not advised at the time of purchase of any problems with Windows Vista. Is this one of the bugs in Windows Vista? and would we benefit from updating to Windows 7.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Reply #1 Charlie 2009-10-22 15:44:59
Hi Sharon
This sounds like it might be a hardware problem. Vista certainly had a few bugs, as do most of these packages, but I have not heard of it locking up. It could be a particularly bug-ridden version of the software. However, if it is only two months old, the unit should still be under manufacturer's warranty, so I'd go back to the shop you bought it from and either exchange the PC or asked for my money back.
Hi,
If I have Vista and want to upgrade will it make my computer slower and use up a lot of memory. I also only have two Gig of Ram so will this be enough?
Is the upgrade package all I need to upgrade from Windows Vista home premium to Windows 7? Plus will there be different upgrade levels similar to what vista had, if so what would the benefits be.
I cannot find details about Windows7 on either the Today Show or your Blog
Site. I have Windows XP If I Upgrade will I need to re enter everything or will it still be on my Computer? Also, is it easy to do or do I need to get a Computer Shop to do it ?
Reply #1 Charlie 2009-10-22 15:51:25
Hi Michael
Check out the link in my answer to question 24. First you have to know if you are compatible. It should have no affect on other programs you are running. It is pretty straight forward to do.
Hi,
I am tossing up whether to get a new touch screen mobile phone or stick to the old keypad phone. What are the pros and cons of the touch screen
ones?
Reply #1 Charlie 2009-10-22 15:50:02
Hi Deborah
I hate questions like this, because there are so many variables and it's one of those 'each to their own' cases. A mini keyboard can be good depending on the size. Some of the slider mobiles have bigger keyboards, and it also depends on the size of your hands. Touchscreens are pretty good though, with two downsides being: 1) It might smear your screen; and 2) with some mobiles the screen is too sensitive and you might accidentally keep on hitting one letter when trying to type in an adjacent one, which can be annoying.
Hi Charlie,
I have windows
XP installed on my PC & laptop. Is it worth my while to upgrade to Windows 7 and if so is it difficult for someone that is fairly computer illiterate
Reply #1 Charlie 2009-10-22 15:38:23
Hi Rick. No it is not that difficult, but I would go the Windows 7 Upgrade Adviser first, which will tell you if your computer is compatible. The link is provided in question 24 where I answered the same question from Robyn.
Cheers
Hi, just wondering if you could give me some advice, we've just bought a new DELL computer however we haven't loaded any software yet, would this be a good choice for us? It's a home computer used for doing the farm books etc, just wondering if a program like this isn't too far out of our league???? We're not the most computer savvy people around!!
Reply #1 Charlie 2009-10-22 15:47:14
Hi Emma
Hhhhmmm, most computers come with some sort of operating system installed already. Are you sure it doesn't have any software? If not, then Windows 7 is pretty good. If it is for doing your farm's books then MYOB software is a popular, Australian-developed software designed with small businesses in mind and is said to be very easy to use and understand.
We have been using Windows 7 for about 2 weeks and it is so much better than anything else Microsoft has released in the past. We find the shutting down of a PC is so quick that if you blink you will miss it as well as the starting up.
The horrible issues of PC hanging are no longer present and that makes life so much easier to deal with and less stressful.
Regards
Reply #1 Charlie 2009-10-23 10:43:25
Thanks for sharing with us Connie. I am hearing a lot of these comments around the traps.
Hi Charlie,
I am about to buy a new computer and want to know if I should get Windows 7 as my operating system.
I currently use XP and my husband has Vista on his computer.
If I buy a full version of Windows 7 with the new computer and I am happy with it, can I then convert my husbands computer to it or do I then have to buy the upgrade for him??
Hope you can help
Hi Charlie,
I bought a new laptop about 3 weeks ago and after I had bought it they told me Window 7
was coming in and I would be able to update my laptop for about $30.
Do you know how I can do this?
Hi Charlie
I purchased an upgrade to vista Home premium a couple of years ago and have never installed it due to all the negative reviews I have read and due to the fact that it is resource hungry.
My question is—can I get a refund from M$ or a credit for a purchase for windows 7? I really don’t see a problem with this course of action as the O/S is clearly being replaced by W7 due to its failings and it really was not ’merchantable quality’ when released
Reply #1 Charlie 2009-10-22 15:42:42
On principle I totally agree with you. All you can do is try. Thing is, it depends how long ago you did it. Is a couple of years ago, literally two years ago, or longer. I think it will depend on the reseller, and do you have a receipt? If this fails, you could try going directly to Microsoft itself here in Sydney. Their phone number is 13 50 28. Good luck.
Hi Charlie.
I have been through the shows website and cant find where to get the fax sheets on the new windows 7..
Could you please email me the link so i can get the faxes..
I do have a fax machine..
0359872081..
Hope you can help me please...
Regards
Lindy Higgins
Hi Charlie,
We run Vista and will upgrade, but my question is will this new software completely stop Cookies and Trojans coming into your computer, I do run the new version of AVG anti Virus but my computer is still getting infected by these Cookies or Trojans. Another question why do people or companies forward these Cookies or Trojans with their emails or when you go onto a website.
Await your reply
Hi Charlie
I have XP on my laptop. I had made a 9 min presentation for my daughters 50th birthday on moviemaker which is on my computer. Although I have Nero and external DVD burner I cannot burn it to a DVD. If we install Windows 7 will we be able to finally get it off my computer and onto DVD?
I have Vista on my laptop and if I upgrade to Windows 7, I am afraid that my printer will not be able to upgrade to that program to connect to my computer. Does it matter if my printer is connected to my computer through Vista and I upgrade to Windows 7? Will my printer still be connected to my laptop?
Hi there,
I am sending this email all the way from Papua New Guinea, as I am working with this IT Company in PNG and was amazed to have watched Today’s Show this morning and was so interested in the introduction of the new Operating System “ Windows 7” which is on the market right now in Australia. My enquiry is that, in Vista, I know there is possibility that we can downgrade to Windows XP Pro, however, in Windows 7, is there a possibility that Windows 7 be downgraded to either Windows XP Pro or Vista? I will greatly appreciate your responses.
I was a little excited when I read your article about the upgrade to Win7 being around $140. But that's not quite true, if you want to upgrade from Vista Ultimate. More like $430 according to the guy at Harvey Norman this morning. So no thanks, will wait till it becomes more affordable or I'll wait till I need a new laptop.
Reply #1 Charlie 2009-10-22 14:29:40
Hi George, yes there is a bit of a price maze when you start looking at the higher end version. However with most families having the Home Premium version, I was discussing that price. Well picked up though!
Charlie I have Windows XP & have run the Advisor & all it has come back with is Thank You for Downloading Windows 7 Advisor but no information about my PC.
How do I find out the results?
Regards,
Trina.
deanm@tpg.co m.au
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