7 by the numbers. at Robert Pogson

Many have been pushing the idea that XP on netbooks will be replaced by 7. The numbers say different. SJVN has tested 7 out on a netbook and a more p0werful PC and the performance compared to XP and, presumably, GNU/Linux is dismal.

“I tested both machines using Microsoft’s Windows Experience Index, the performance benchmark that’s included in both Vista and Windows 7. On a scale running from 1.0 to 7.9, the Dell Mini 9 came in at a 2.0, while the EliteBook showed a 3.1 result. (In contrast, a high-end system with DX10 graphics is expected to score somewhere around 6.0 or higher.)

…

In theory, Windows 7 is better than XP at battery life, but I discovered that this wasn’t the case when it came to displaying videos. To test this, I disabled the Wi-Fi and removed all USB devices. I then ran videos I placed on the SSD. Windows 7 was knocked out after not quite two hours of use. XP made it to just over two and a half hours, while Ubuntu was still playing video at the three-hour mark.”

So, when you get to numbers and not hype. 7 is not better than GNU/Linux by a long shot. Imagine a netbook running anti-virus stuff as well. Don’t buy vapourware. Buy GNU/Linux. It is here now.

My Mission

My observations and opinions about IT are based on 40 years of use in science and technology and lately, in education. I like IT that is fast, cost-effective and reliable. I do not care whether my solution is the same as yours. I like to think for myself.

My first use of GNU/Linux in 2001 was so remarkably better than what I had been using, I feel it is important work to share GNU/Linux with the world. I have been blessed by working in schools where students and school systems have benefited by good, modular software easily installed in most systems.

I have shown GNU/Linux to thousands of students and hundreds of teachers over the years and will continue in some way doing that until I die in spite of the opposition.