Is Windows 7 Worth It?
Harry McCracken, PC World
Monday, October 19, 2009 10:00 AM PDT

          Reading about a new operating system can tell you only  so much about it: After all, Windows Vista had far more features  than XP, [CONJUNCTION] fell far short of it in the eyes of many  users. To judge an OS accurately, you have to live with it. Over  the past ten months, I've spent a substantial percentage of my  computing life in Windows 7, starting with a preliminary version  and culminating in recent weeks with the final Release to  Manufacturing edition. I've run it on systems ranging from an  underpowered Asus EeePC 1000HE netbook to a potent HP  TouchSmart all-in-one. And I've used it to do real work, not lab  routines. Usually, I've run the OS in multiboot configurations with  Windows Vista and/or XP, so I've had a choice each time I turned the computer on: [MODAL] I opt for Windows 7 or an
older version of the OS? The call has been easy to make, because Win 7 is so pleasant to use.
          So why wouldn't you want to run this operating system?  Concern over its performance is one logical reason, especially  since early versions of Windows Vista managed to turn PCs that  ran XP with ease into lethargic underperformers. The PC World  Test Center's speed benchmarks on five test PCs showed  Windows 7 to be faster than Vista, but only by a little; I've found  it to be reasonably quick on every computer I've used it on - even the Asus netbook, once I upgraded it to 2GB of RAM. (Our  lab tried Win 7 on a Lenovo S10 netbook with 1GB of RAM and  found it to be a shade slower than XP; for details see "Windows 7 Performance Tests.").
           Here's a rule of thumb that errs on the side of caution: If  your PC's specs qualify it to run Vista, get Windows 7; if they  don't, avoid it. Microsoft's official hardware configuration  requirements for Windows 7 are nearly identical to those it  recommends for Windows Vista: a 1-GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM,
16GB of free disk space, and a DirectX 9-compatible graphics  device with a WDDM 1.0 or higher driver. That's for the 32-bit  version of Windows 7; the 64-bit version of the OS requires a  64-bit CPU, 2GB of RAM, and 20GB of disk space.
           Fear of incompatible hardware and software is another  understandable reason to be wary of Windows 7. One  unfortunate law of operating-system upgrades - which applies  equally to Macs and to Windows PCs - is that they will break  some systems and applications, especially at first.  
           Under the hood, Windows 7 isn't radically different from  Vista. That's a plus, since it should greatly reduce the volume of  difficulties relating to drivers and apps compared to Vista's  bumpy rollout. I have performed a half-dozen Windows 7  upgrades, and most of them went off without a hitch. The
gnarliest problem arose when I had to track down a graphics  driver for Dell's XPS M1330 laptop on my own - Windows 7  installed a generic VGA driver that couldn't run the Aero user  interface, and as a result failed to support new Windows 7  features such as thumbnail views in the Taskbar.
           The best way to reduce your odds of running into a  showstopping problem with Windows 7 is to bide your time.  When the new operating system arrives on October 22, sit back  and let the earliest adopters discover the worst snafus. Within a few weeks, Microsoft and other software and hardware   companies will have fixed most of them, and your chances of a  happy migration to Win 7 will be much higher. If you want to be really conservative, hold off on moving to Win 7 until you're  ready to buy a PC that's designed to run it well.
           Waiting a bit before making the leap makes sense;  waiting forever does not. Microsoft took far too long to come up  with a satisfactory replacement for Windows XP. But whether  you choose to install Windows 7 on your current systems or get  it on the next new PC you buy, you'll find that it's the  unassuming, thoroughly practical upgrade you've been waiting  for ? flaws and all.

                                                 (Adapted                    from  http://www.pcworld.com/article/172602/windows_7_revi...)

IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS

For your protection, please read these safety
instructions completely before operating the appliance, and
keep this manual for future reference.

Carefully observe all warnings, precautions and
instructions on the appliance, or the one described in the
operating instructions and adhere to them.

POWER SOURCES - This set should be operated
only from the type of power source indicated on the marking
label. If you are not sure of the type of electrical power supplied
to your home, consult your dealer or local power company. For
those sets designed to operate from battery power, or other
sources, refer to the operating instructions.

OBJECTAND LIQUID ENTRY - Never push objects
of any kind into the set through openings as they may touch
dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in
a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the set.

ATTACHMENTS - Do not use attachments not
recommended by the manufacturer, as they may cause
hazards.

CLEANING - Unplug the set from the wall outlet
before cleaning or polishing it. Do not use liquid cleaners or
aerosol cleaners. Use a cloth lightly dampened with water for
cleaning the exterior of the set.

OVERLOADING - Do not overload wall outlets,
extension cords or convenience receptacles beyond their
capacity, since this can result in fire or electric shock.

ACCESSORIES - Do not place the set on an
unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The set may
fall, causing serious injury to a child or an adult, and serious
damage to the set. Use only a cart stand tripod, bracket, or
table recommended by the manufacturer.

WATER AND MOISTURE - Do not use power-line
operated sets near water - for example, near a bathtub,
washbowl, kitchen sink, or laundry tub, in a wet basement, or
near a swimming pool, etc.

SERVICING - Do not attempt to service the set
yourself as opening or removing covers may expose you to
dangerous voltage or other hazards. Refer all servicing to
qualified service personnel.

SAFETY CHECK - Upon completion of any service
or repairs to the set, as the service technician to perform
routine safety checks (as specified by the manufacturer) to
determine that the set is in safe operating condition.

(Adapted from SONY manual - Sony Corporation - 2000 - Printed in Japan).

Subways: The New Urban Status Symbol
Business Week - December 5, 2007
by Jennifer Fishbein

It seems like everywhere you turn these days, a new
high-speed train is whisking more passengers across longer
distances faster than ever before. A [NOUN] to Paris from
London is quicker than flying; Japanese bullet trains traverse the
320 miles from Tokyo to Osaka in two and a half hours; and
magnetic levitating trains in Shanghai cut through the city at 268
miles per hour. But while high-speed trains may grab all the
glamour, the more mundane business of subway construction is
what's driving the biggest growth for transportation companies.
Indeed, the world is seeing an unprecedented boom in new
subways and expansion to existing systems. Thanks to surging
economic growth and urban populations, demand for subways is
soaring in China and India. Lots of other places around the
world also are building new lines, from Dubai to Santo Domingo,
capital of the Dominican Republic. And many European and
American cities ? including even such improbable locales as Los
Angeles and Phoenix ? have caught the transit bug.

Problem-Solving and Prestige

Some cities build out of necessity. Rising prosperity
prompted Dubai residents to buy so many cars that they realized
they could [ADVERB] longer drive these cars because they
were stuck in traffic. Others are keen on the environmental
benefits of metros, which produce far less pollution and
encourage drivers to leave cars at home. Some places, mainly
in the Middle East, are looking to diversify their oil-dependent
economies. And others, to be honest, are chasing an urban
status symbol. Building a metro won't turn any old town into
Paris or London, but it does tell the world that you've arrived.

"You have in some cases a prestige issue, which is more
the case in young cities in need of an image," says Jean-Noël
Debroise, vice-president for product and strategy at Alstom
(ALSO.PA), the French transport company that has built a
quarter of the world's metros.

Rennes is an example of the new trend. The city of about
212,000 people in northwestern France was looking to raise its profile when it installed a metro in 2002. It raised the bar by
opting for a driverless system made by Siemens ? just like the
shiny new No. 14 line in Paris ? protecting passengers from the
French penchant for transit strikes. Turin, Italy, did the same to
help win its bid for the 2006 Winter Olympics; its driverless
system opened just before the games. Even the Spanish island
of Mallorca inaugurated a short metro line in April in hopes of
luring even more tourists to its capital, Palma. Alas, it closed
indefinitely in September due to flooding, amid charges of
mismanagement.

A Boon for Transit Builders

The world's three largest metro manufacturers, Montrealbased
Bombardier (BBDB.TO), Alstom, and Munich-based
Siemens (SI) report high demand for mass transit, including
tramways and light-rail systems that run both under and
[PREPOSITION] ground. The global subway market was worth
9.3 billion dollars in 2005 and is projected to grow at a rate of
2.7% per year until 2015, according to a 2007 study by the
European Railway Industry Assn. Subway lines [TO BUILD] or
extended in 20 European cities and five Middle Eastern ones,
and dozens of towns are constructing light-rail systems, reports
the Brussels-based International Association of Public
Transport.

The size of a city determines its need for a metro system.
Cities of a few million people ? or those anticipating huge
population growth ? really can't do without a mass transit
system. But cities of one or two million inhabitants can choose
between a subway and a surface tramway, which costs far less
but also runs more slowly. [CONJUNCTION] funding is an issue,
cities usually will spring for a subway, says Debroise. "The
tramway has a very old image of the 19th century, with horses in
the streets," he says.

(Adapted from http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/
content/dec2007/gb2007125_600001.htm?chan=top+news_
top+news+index_global+business)

When I talk with librarians about thinking of themselves
as designers, sometimes they demur. "Designer? I can't even
draw a stick figure!" But you don't need to. Whether you know it
or not, you're already a designer.

Every time librarians create a bookmark, decide to house
a collection in a new spot, or figure out how a new service
might work, they're making design decisions. This is what I like
to call design by neglect or unintentional design. Whether library
employees wear name tags is a design decision. The length of
loan periods and whether or not you charge fines is a design
decision. Anytime you choose how people will interact with your
library, you're making a design decision. All of these decisions
add up to create an experience, good or bad, for your patrons.

When we are mindful of our roles as library experience
designers, we can make more informed design choices. This
awareness can provide better experiences for our patrons and
demonstrate that we care about them.

Really. People will notice, [CONJUNCTION] not
necessarily consciously, if we [VERB] the time to think about
them when we're developing our services. The secret here is not
to think of library patrons, users, or customers: we need to think
of people. We need to consider their lives and what they're trying
to accomplish. This act, which can only be done by cultivating
the skill of empathy, is the most important ? and perhaps the
most difficult ? part of user experience design.

(Adapted from
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6713142.html?nid=2673
&source=title&rid=1105906703)