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Will Windows 7 Really Run on a Netbook?

Will Windows 7 Really Run on a Netbook?

Netbooks are all the rage and analysts are predicting disruption across the industry. But will they be able to replace a user's standard laptop, and how well do they really run Windows 7? Michael Cherry from Directions on Microsoft puts an Acer netbook through the tests.

I was surprised at how well it actually ran Windows 7, keeping in mind that this is beta code, and could still contain non-optimized debug routines. The Acer took a long time to boot, approximately one minute forty five seconds from power on to being able to log on, and almost another minute to apply user settings before actual useful work can begin. It scored a 2.2 on the Windows Experience Index, which is the same score as a relatively high-end laptop I bought just before Vista shipped.

The Windows Experience Index, a new feature of Windows Vista, assigns a rating number called a "base score" by measuring the capability of your computer's hardware configuration. The scale of the Windows Experience Index ranges from 1.0 to 5.9, and the higher the score, the better your computer will perform comparatively to another, especially when performing more advanced and resource-intensive tasks.

According to Microsoft: a computer with a base score of 1.0 or 2.0 usually has sufficient performance to do most general computing tasks, such as run office productivity applications and search the Internet. However, a computer with this base score is generally not powerful enough to run Windows Aero, or the advanced multimedia experiences that are available with Windows Vista. I found performance to be acceptable, but some operations, such as copying a large number of files across the network, slow the system somewhat.

The netbook with Windows 7 also transitions between working and sleep or hibernate modes better than any of my current Windows computers, and running the PowerCfg report shows the least power management errors and warnings.

Although Windows 7 runs on the netbook, there are still serious issues with attempting to use a netbook as a day-to-day laptop replacement. While the keyboard has a good feel, the keys are closer together than any other computer keyboard I use, which leads to lots of typos as I adapt. The small screen size is also a problem. With Word 2007, scaled at 100%, I can only read 21 lines of a document at a time (versus at least 29 on my usual monitor). It's conceivable that netbooks with Windows 7 may be best suited as lightweight computers for occasional portable use rather than as full-time replacements for a current PC.

What's Next for Netbooks?

Although questions remain about how consumers will look at netbooks going forward. On one hand, they could continue to see them merely as inexpensive computers and buy them based solely on price. This means I may need to modify my definition of a netbook to a compact and light weight laptop computer that sells for less than US $300. If purchasers view them this way, then it is unlikely that they will be willing to invest any more money into the netbook, such as to upgrade from an entry-level edition of Windows 7 like Starter or Home Premium to a more feature-laden and expensive version of Windows such as Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate. Microsoft hasn't released pricing information for the different editions of Windows 7 yet, but based on Vista prices, an upgrade from Starter to Professional (for example) could cost $100-quite an additional investment on $300 computer.

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Tags MicrosoftWindows 7netbooks

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