Many of Ball State University's computers have been updated to a new operating system, Windows 7.
Some PC users on campus said they couldn't be happier.
"I loved it, it's like all the best things from Vista with the speed of [Windows] XP," TechTime employee Adam Sickmann said.
Windows 7 is the newest operating system from Microsoft since the release of Windows Vista in 2007. Some Vista users said they had problems with speed, performance and ease of use of the older model, but the new operating system smoothed out the problems.
Fawn Gary, associate director of Unified Technology Support, said when campus computers were updated, they were running well and she received a lot of positive feedback.
"My staff have pretty much all agreed that Windows 7 is a much more reliable system," she said.
Windows 7 is available in three programs — Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate. Ultimate will be mostly available to students for personal use, while Professional will be installed on faculty, staff and other Ball State owned computers. Windows 7 users said they haven't had any problems yet, but are always looking for bugs that need fixing.
With the new software, students can expect more improvements from Vista and XP, including faster navigation and better personalization options, according to the Windows 7 Web site. Users with touch screen PCs can also take advantage of Windows Touch.
"Vista sucked," architecture major Tyler Sall said. "I hope [Windows] 7 doesn't ask you if you want to open things every time you click on something."
The software is available on campus at the Computer Store. Under the Microsoft Campus Agreement, which provides some campuses with discounted prices, students can buy either the 32-bit or the 64-bit system for $14.
"At retail stores, students can pay up to $200 for the new system," Gary said.
Computer labs on campus are scheduled to be updated next summer and the libraries are still waiting for the update.
Gary also said Mac users will be able to utilize the new Windows, but because of the difference in programming, students will need to go through some different procedures.
"I haven't used the new system, but Vista made a lot of improvements from the last system which was hard because XP was so good," graduate student Erin Ware said.
According to the Microsoft Web site, the company improved the following features that were available on Vista:
-The taskbar. On the new version, users can place favorite programs on the toolbar for quick and easy access. Users can also drag and drop to rearrange icon placement on the toolbar. Programs can also be previewed and closed through the taskbar, without needing to open the program on the full screen.
-The search bar. When you start typing in the Search menu's search bar, a list of related documents will drop down on the screen. Windows 7 also allows users to search for files in external hard drives, libraries and networks. Users can narrow results by date or file type, as well.
-The desktop. Windows 7 has three key desktop features: Shake, Peek and Snap. Each one helps users quicklky clean clutter from the desktop. The company has also expanded its database of wallpaper available. Gadgets, which were introduced in Vista, have also been improved to be more flexible and easy to use.
-The domain. In this version of Windows, users can join a domain more quickly. Microsoft's Web site also says the new domain feature will be more secure. A network wizard has been created to help users set this up.
-The virus protection. Windows Defender, in the Action Center, will have more scanning options and more basic notifications about each computer's status. Windows also designed the virus protection to have less impact on the computer's performance.
-The media tools. Microsoft reinvented the look of the Windows Media Center. The system now supports a larger variety of audio and video formats. The new HomeGroup application will make sharing media easier for users. When two or more PCs are operating on Windows 7, they can connect with a password system and share files. There is also a new media gadget feature, which can be put anywhere on the desktop. According to the Microsoft Web site, the company took advice from users when making the improvements to this feature.
In addition to these improvements, Windows 7 offers 13 new features that Vista didn't. Users will be able to quickly navigate multiple open windows, run Windows XP productivity programs and extend their computer's battery life. For a complete list of improvements and new features, visit http://windows.microsoft.com/.
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