Trouble in Paradise
I have reluctantly returned to Windows XP after a delightful peek into the future with Windows 7. Much as I would have like to stay with the Windows 7 beta full-time until its formal release its performance issues on my PC precluded that option. Nevertheless, I now look forward to my next PC hardware upgrade when I will finally make the switch for good.
After some research I found a few other people with a similar game frame-rate reductions compared with XP. I also found slowdowns with Flash video, such as YouTube and BBC iPlayer. The cause of this remains a mystery, as many people have reported little difference in performance between XP and Win 7. Resource monitor indicated that my CPU was being pegged at 100% when the display was struggling, and indeed my Windows Experience Index showed my CPU was pulling the rest of my system down.
For non-taxing tasks Windows 7 performed very well. The more time I spent with it the more I appreciated the improvements to the user interface. I briefly considered setting up an XP / Windows 7 dual-boot, but I really don't want to have to reboot to watch YouTube. So, I've taken the opportunity to set up a fresh XP installation, and if there's a public Windows 7 release candidate I may have a look at it again.
Home, Sweet Home
After the breezy installation of Windows 7, which managed to find all the drivers for my hardware, even my TV tuner, I was disappointed by the XP installation experience. From its childish day-glo theme, to the innumerable questions asked, to the need for a floppy with my SATA drivers, and the inability to find many other drivers, it really showed its age. However, it is home.
Since I last installed, smaller, fresher replacements for various bulky but essential programs have appeared. So I have switched from Adobe Reader to FoxIt Reader, AVG Free to ClamWin, and ActivePerl to Strawberry Perl. They all seem to be winners, and my system overall is starting up and shutting down with a speed unseen since its youth.