Some of my testing for Windows 7 is being done on an old Dell Latitude D400, a four-year-old laptop with 1GB of RAM, a 1.8GHz single core Pentium M, and a 12″ display with a resolution of 1024×768. Vista was a slug on this computer, but I’ve found Windows 7 to be pleasantly usable. That being said, if you brought the same computer to me and asked me if you should upgrade it to Windows 7, my answer would probably be no.
Driver problems
Why would I say this if my experience has been mostly positive? The first reason is driver support. This particular Dell uses Intel’s Extreme Graphics chipset, which while miserable for 3D even when it was new is more than capable of rendering the Windows desktop in 2D. Windows Vista includes a basic driver for this graphics card. Windows 7, for whatever reason, does not, and I couldn’t find one using Windows Update either. This left me with a postage stamp-sized 640×480 screen.
This driver situation is true not just of this particular Intel chip, but of basically any graphics processor that doesn’t support the new Windows Aero effects.
The solution? Download the XP driver from the Dell Web site and install it in XP compatibility mode. People who tinker with computers are used to this kind of thing, but try explaining that to a family member who’s having trouble. And imagine the problems you’d have if you didn’t know what kind of video card you had beforehand!
This poor driver support can also lead to other problems. This particular laptop supports Intel’s Speedstep technology, which slows down a processor to use less power when it is not being heavily used. Windows 7 detects this automatically for most modern Intel and AMD processors and chipsets, but this laptop just didn’t get it. As a result the processor never slowed down, and the laptop ran hot, its fans were loud, and its battery life suffered.
No support for Windows Aero
As I mentioned before, this laptop’s graphics chip doesn’t support Windows Aero. Most of Windows 7′s features still work without Aero – you can still shake windows to make others minimize, and Windows 7 Aero Snap still makes viewing documents side-by-side or using multiple monitors much more pleasant, but without the animations it’s just missing a certain something. You can’t use Aero Peek, Flip 3D (Windows + Tab) or Live Thumbnail preview at all.
The new taskbar, useful as it is, takes up more screen real estate than the old one, making 1024×768 feel even more cramped. The Windows 7 Basic theme is ugly and not as customizable. Applications like Windows Live Movie Maker require Aero to run. Need I go on? Aero is an essential part of 7, and going without it makes the operating system less pleasurable to use.
Widescreen vs. fullscreen
Old laptops like this one also use a fullscreen monitor with a 4:3 aspect ratio, as opposed to the 16:9 or 16:10 widescreen monitors found in almost all modern laptops. For office work, Aero Snap’s ability to view two documents side by side suffers because there’s just not enough space to put two documents next to each other. While you’re watching widescreen movies and TV shows in fullscreen mode, a large portion of your screen goes unused. Again, this old laptop can edit documents and play video files, but the experience isn’t as good as it could be.
The cost equation
My final argument against upgrading an old laptop such as this one to Windows 7 is cost. If you’re paying Microsoft’s upgrade price for Windows (and let’s assume you are, for the sake of argument), you’re spending at least $120 for an upgrade license of Windows 7 Home Premium. For that much money, I’d urge you to visit your nearest retailer, or the computer store of your favorite laptop maker. These days, a decent laptop with a widescreen display, moderately fast dual-core processor, a DVD burner, lots of RAM and full support for Windows Aero can be had for only $500 or $600, and sometimes less if you’re willing to buy refurbished or get a good sale price. Netbooks go for even less, and add extreme portability and great battery life into the mix while performing about as quickly as my four-year-old Dell.
Laptops are cheaper than ever, and when Windows 7 ships on October 22nd you’ll be able to get a great deal that will blow your old laptop out of the water.
In conclusion
Some of you have probably had better experiences with your old laptops than I did with mine, and some of you may be able to live without that widescreen monitor or the flashy new graphical effects. And people with computers just a year or two old will have hardware that fully supports all of Windows 7′s features – a good rule of thumb is that if your computer runs Vista well, the upgrade to 7 is definitely worth it.
Still, while Windows 7 runs just fine on some older computers that would never run Vista, I think your experience will be better if you buy a new PC on or after October 22nd. You’ll get fast hardware for a low price, and a very good operating system to go along with it – sounds like a good deal to me.
