Computer Troubleshooters Likes Windows 7

Published on: December 02nd, 2009

This article originally appeared on PRWeb on December 1, 2009.

On October 22nd Microsoft launched its Windows 7 Operating System, with all the fanfare and media attention it deserved. Many IT professionals, however, remember when Windows 7’s predecessor, Vista, launched with similar fanfare and positive reviews but quickly became unpopular with users and technicians alike. How has Windows 7 held up in it’s first month of real world usage? Computer Troubleshooters (the world’s largest IT support franchise with almost 500 locations globally) surveyed its franchise network in late November to find out.

The results of the global survey bode well for anyone who will be receiving a new Windows 7 computer this Christmas. Almost three-quarters of the Computer Troubleshooters surveyed indicated that they are running Windows 7 on their own personal computer(s). More than half (55%) have already installed Windows 7 on their customer’s computers, and a whopping 93% say that Windows 7 is a reliable alternative to Windows Vista or XP.

But when the question of whether or not to upgrade comes up, the data is more mixed. 48% of the Computer Troubleshooters surveyed recommend clients running Windows Vista upgrade to Windows 7 “immediately” while 45% recommend upgrading but not right away – following the traditional IT viewpoint that major upgrades should be in use for a few months before being considered for mainstream use. For customers running Windows XP the data is less enthusiastic – only 14% recommend an immediate upgrade, with almost 57% recommending upgrading “eventually” and almost 28% recommending sticking with XP. This indicates plenty of ongoing affection for the 8+ year old Windows XP operating system. Similarly when asked which OS is faster – in their experience – fully 84% of the Computer Troubleshooters chose Windows 7 over Vista, but only 36% say Windows 7 is faster than XP, with another 40% saying it’s “too close to call”.

When asked to choose their personal favorite OS, Windows 7 is the clear favorite with 54% of Computer Troubleshooters. Windows XP followed with 37%, and then Mac OSX came in a distant third with 3.7% of the votes. Windows Vista came in last with 1.8% of the vote (about 2% chose “other”, showing just how unpopular Vista has been perceived to be with the IT community).

Another question on the survey asked what “must haves” a customer’s computer needs before the Computer Troubleshooter would consider it for an upgrade to Windows 7. The most popular answers were related to the processor (dual-core recommended), followed by the graphics card (Aero-capable, prefer dedicated not shared), and memory (most recommend 2GB, though many said 1GB was sufficient).

“Overall the survey reflected what we have been hearing anecdotally” said Chip Reaves, CEO of Computer Troubleshooters Global. “[Windows] Seven is popular with the Computer Troubleshooters network, and seems to be equally popular with the IT community in general. It’s not perfect – no OS is – but with the first month under our belts now we’re very happy with the new Windows.”

Survey Results:
Q1: Since Windows 7 officially launched, have you installed it on your own computer(s)?
YES: 74.8%, NO: 23.2%, No Response 1.8%

Q2: Since Windows 7 officially launched, have you installed it on a customer’s computer?
YES: 54.8%, NO: 44.6%, No Response