The one glaring issue I’ve experienced now in both my experience with Windows 7 at home and professionally is printer driver support.

The first experience was with our Lexmark X5400 multi-function device at home. My wife’s laptop got Windows 7 installed and since that time, she’s not been able to print anything to our printer. Was hoping that once the official release of Windows 7 was available, the printer support would come with it, but we’ve seen nothing.

Then I had a client that purchased a new laptop. Installs went great. Connecting the new laptop to his network was superbly easy. Even updating resources and getting rid of the junkware that’s useless on a new machine was as easy as if I’d been running Windows XP on it instead. Windows 7 just feels familiar.

Yet with all that good, the new laptop wouldn’t successfully install one of the printers in his office. Now we’re waiting for updated Windows 7 printer drivers from Lexmark and HP. If you hear of them coming out, let me know will you?

Image: dansflickr on flickr

Post from: EveryJoe

Windows 7 Still Lacking on Print Drivers

Desktop applications on the other hand were purchased through licenses and advertisements downloaded from the net through desktop applications were deemed security issues that security firms like Symantec blocked through their anti-spyware or anti-adware programs.

Steve Jobs is on the other side of the bed as he wants advertising to fill our operating system with ads and has filed a patent that embeds advertisement right on your desktop. Are we getting the operating system for free?

The patent attorneys were focused making sure every aspect and detail of the patent are well explained. One of the sections of the patent says the operating system can halt the operating of the system to make sure the user gets to focus on the advertisement. Again, are we getting paid when that happens? The patent goes even further by making sure they have not identified the personal computer only for the advertisement but it encompass every device that has an operating system which includes tablet PC, portable devices, pocket PCs, celfones, etc.

Microsoft is the largest software company in the world and its operating system is running on 1 billion of the 1.2 billion computers in the world. I wonder what the software giant is thinking about that patent. Should have they thought about that sooner? Or have they thought about it and felt it was plain stupid.

Microsoft is making lots of money through its licenses and I don’t think they would ever change that business model. Apple has been a revolutionary company and they may be able to pull this through especially when they offer to give out rebates or money back to the sale of the operating system whenever their OS has made money through advertising directly to the desktop.

Image from my Windows 7 computer.

Post from: EveryJoe

Advertising Embedded on the Operating System

My experience with Windows 7 has been pretty good. The interface is mostly like Vista, so it’s still taken a bit of getting used to in trying to find things and familiarize myself with the operating system. After spending so much time with Windows XP, there’s bound to be a learning adjustment there. I think it’s probably similar to the interface changes that were seen by users switching into the Office 2007 ribbon interface.

My wife has been pleased with her experience for the last few weeks as well. The only real problem I think we’ve experienced is our Lexmark printer driver hasn’t been working for her since she upgraded to Windows 7. We’re hoping that a new driver will be available Thursday as well, if not soon after.

How many of you will be upgrading to Windows 7 as soon as it’s available on Thursday? Are you using Windows Vista now, or Windows XP? What’s the biggest change or improvement you’re looking to take advantage of with the upgrade?

Post from: EveryJoe

Windows 7 Available on Thursday

The problem though is that from what I read on the Windows 7 download site and installation instructions, it’s a complete fresh install of the OS. Anything on the hard drive is lost. The verbiage talked about having to backup everything and then reinstalling the programs you use once the Windows 7 RC1 files are installed.

I understand that it’s beta software and use at my own risk, but sure wish I didn’t have to lose everything on my wife’s computer to take Windows 7 for a spin. That wouldn’t be much of a Mother’s Day present.

Image Source: www.microsoft.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Windows 7 RC1 Available to Review

There was a new button sitting right next to my "Start" button. I was familiar with the name on the button, as I’ve been generally pleased with my experiences using their products.

It appears in a recent update to my Google Toolbar, which I don’t remember approving automatic updates to my toolbars to be installed with no warning.

My first thought was "Do I really need to give Google anymore real-estate on my computer?" Particularly in my Start / Taskbar? However, I’ll give Google the benefit of the doubt here and see how I like it. Hoping I can remove it later, but I didn’t see any options for that at the time I was digging around in my toolbar settings for how the update got applied automatically.

When you click on the button you’re presented with the following options to choose from. I can see how this would be helpful.

My second thought was that with the ability to start programs and its similarity to the Windows Start button, could this be a foreshadowing of what a Google OS would start to look like?

Anyone else seen this and already using it? What do you think? I’ve got to say that I do love the Google Toolbar as it lets me access all my favorite items / bookmarks on the web, regardless of what computer I’m on.

Image Source: Snagit images from my personal computer. Earth image from www.sxc.hu.

Post from: EveryJoe

Google Continues World Domination w/ Toolbar