My current PC originally came with Windows Vista, I tried to love this operating system as much as XP but it just didn't work between us. On the rebound I went back to my first love Windows XP. We had some lovely times together but I became obsessed with something new, it was shiny and I wanted it. The object of my affections was of course Windows 7, but it was still in beta. I had heard such good things about Windows 7 and I had to have. It was everything that Vista wasn't but oddly it shares so much with this unloved predecessor.
In the end Windows 7 Beta was a complete washout for me, I tried 32 and 64 bit version and none of them would get past the introduction page. As you can imagine, I was not in rush to buy a product that had a good chance of not working. I returned once more to Windows XP and thought no more about it.
A few months later I got involved in a Computer rollout of Windows 7, with server implementation of Server 2008. Windows 7 proved to be a joy to work with it, once you worked out were all the menus had disappeared to. Whilst on the rollout I took the opportunity to see if my computer would actually support Windows 7 now it was a proper operating system with its very own service pack. Sure enough it worked like a dream for several months until one day it fell out of love with me. The messages it sent me got worse and worse with every passing day, and then one day the screen stopped showing the lovely scenes of the United Kingdom and everything went black.
Oddly enough the PC still worked and the updates kept rolling in. I eventually got depressed by the blackness of it all, and went off to consult the Underworld Oracle. The font of all knowledge told me I could have my Windows 7 all shiny and new again. This happened again about 6 weeks later and the process just rolled on for 4 or 5 resets then Windows 7 stopped loving me and the world went black forever. Over the black background a little message in white font was teasing me.
"Windows 7 Build 7601 This copy of windows not genuine".
Now the dilema was what to do? The install had only been a test to see if Windows 7 would install, but could I go back to Windows XP? The answer of course is no way. Then it struck me that my wife has a new laptop, and that all the new laptops are rolling out with 64 bit as you would expect. The version of Office 2010 in the house supports 3 licenses, WoW also now as a 64 bit client, so would my aging PC support Windows 7 64 bit.
The answer is a resounding Yes. Currently installed is Office 2010 and early stage 64 bit WoW client.
I do still have the 32 bit copy to hand if needed. The 64 bit WoW client is a strange beast. The installer is a very tiny 7.2MB in size and this grows to an enormous size very quickly. Currently it occupies about 27 GB but you can play almost immediately, with the proviso of a very poor framerate. I am unable to give my full impressions until it has stopped updating but the early signs are very encouraging.
Now I have Windows 7 64 bit on test for a few weeks, but what happens when it goes black again. Well there is something shiny and new just round the corner, I just need to get hold of that Windows 8 Beta software.
I am definitely not sitting Comfortably Numb.
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