Make Windows XP Look Like Windows 7 in Three Steps

To: Yert, Can you please explain to me why I have any obligation to change a computer which works just fine for me ? I think through such changes as opposed to mindlessly following marketing hype. There is nothing wrong with my so-called "weaker" computer and I won't change the hardware or OS until I have an obvious need to do so. I never once saw a feature in Vista which gave me pause to consider an upgrade, not one. The same is true of Windows 7. I won't upgrade until MS forces the issue when they stop issuing XP security patches.

The reason I use XP is because it looks like XP: the OS I've been using forever and know where everything is. Still, I guess it's no harm.

I must be missing something... A chance to run Windows XP and lose all the benefits that came out with Windows Vista and Windows 7 with all the learning curve of a new UI but without 100% fidelity so you end up spending time learning something that won't quite pay off when you switch to Windows 7. Can't quite figure out the appeal there.

@sobrien140: If people didn't get something new, we'd never get new features, and if we never got new features, we'd be stuck with a "good enough" OS that only has a text based UI. It isn't marketing hype. Good enough just never is. Technology is all about something new, its definition of "the practical application of science to commerce or industry " means progress, not just technique. Industry moves forward or gets destroyed. Which will happen to you?

Now now tayme. Don't go confusing mikegalos with logic.

tayme, I didn't suggest people shouldn't run it if they want to. I certainly know that there are people out there (at least 35 million apparently) who enjoy using a modern UI on top of an old operating system. Nor did I say there was no appeal just because I didn't see it, in fact I asked what it was so I could learn whatever it was I was not getting about its appeal.

@mikegalos - I don't see where you asked anything in your post...maybe I am missing it, though. Remember your comment about the question mark? Where is it in your post? Another double standard! In case you forgot, here is what you said just this morning: ""And finally the question Mike could not answer a while ago......." Followed by a statement and not a question. (Which explains why I "couldn't answer" it) You see, Lindy, that little curly symbol in the lower right of the EN-US "QWERTY layout" keyboard that looks like this "?" is usually used at the end of a sentence to express that it is a question. Questions frequently also start with "who", "what", "when", "where", "why", "how" or some other word that indicates what it is that you want answered. I'm just thinking that you might not know that and I'm trying, as ever, to help." --tayme

Hey guys, ease up on Mike, he's obviously green with envy! But seriously, Mike, you make a good point.

danieldecker Actually, my icon's green in support of the students in Iran. But thanks for recognizing that I had a point. (Seems rare here for people to notice or discuss the actual content of a post lately)

wow. we should just beat this to death. if you want to make XP look like 7, here's how. :) Geesh. If you don't, well, don't. :)

@Paul - Exactly my point. mikegalos gets lost in the simplicity sometimes! --tayme

So, mikegalos...it seems that we agree. A person should upgrade when they are ready to do so or are forced to do so by new requirements or failed hardware or another part of the equation no longer meeting their needs...not just because a new OS version is released. That's good to know. Now, about your double standard regarding the opposing "question mark" statements that you made on the same day... --tayme

Got to agree with benjwah and mike - what's the purpose of the looks? Like people said - if you're staying with XP it's because it's something familiar, and you dislike changes. If you do want changes - you're much better off installing real Win7 instead. @sobrien140 - XP is good! Real good! But while I've skipped Vista (just tried it few times, but didn't stick), I've put Win7 RC as my primary OS as soon as it came out (actually few days in advance). I did not feel bad about it.. What I like the most are - libraries. Those, plus indexed search are two things why I'm having trouble at work now with XP. It's not that huge difference overall, it's still Windows. But having any and all files you need right at your fingertips is invaluable. And I do organize files a lot! But it simply can't compare to Libraries+Search functions. One other feature I'm using regulary are jumplists, specially for Windows Explorer. Great thing having often used folders right in the taskbar, and not having to have dozen of shortcuts. There are other things as well, but those which I've mentioned are ones that I use the most, and which are not available in XP. Oh, and don't even try comparing XP's Windows Search to Libraries+Search in Win7. Ease of use and effectiveness is simply several times better on Win7 side. So even if I haven't even scratched the surface on Win7 - I'm real glad that I've switched. And I can't wait to have Win7 in office as well, specially once I start using Win Server 2008 R2 + Win 7 features like AppLocker and DirectAccess.. OFFTOPIC: What's with everyone and Mike? Whenever he makes a comment, even if it's completely valid one, 3-4 people just jump on him. Come on!

tayme I've never said a person should upgrade before they have a reason. But I would say that it's a rare case that there isn't good reason after 3 years and compelling reasons after 6. This is nothing new. Even back in the 1960s IBM used a model of release a product, release it's successor 3 years later, retire the original version at its 6 year mark. Businesses were using that cycle for many years before Microsoft was even founded or the Intel 8080 created. What may be causing you some confusion is that businesses tend to also have long evaluation cycles. If that cycle is longer than 3 years then they tend to buy a product after its successor is out and always run one generation behind. (A bad choice for many reasons but one that does exist). In the case of Windows XP, those businesses were upgrading to Windows 98 or even Windows 95 in 2001 and not XP. In the case of Windows Vista, all but the insanely slow had finally migrated to Windows XP after the double length release cycle. So, when you compare migration FROM a specific previous version instead of migration TO the current version you get deceptive results. If you look at specific adoption you'll find that migration TO Windows Vista is actually better than for Windows XP for any parallel period. What is confusing is that migration FROM Windows XP as a percentage of XP users is slower because it includes all those really long evaluation cycle business that would have previously been two generations back. Almost nobody's still migrating FROM Windows versions earlier than XP so the XP usage is higher than it would have been with a normal 3 year cycle and contains a disproportionately high percentage of long evaluation cycle businesses. Does that clear it up for you?

tayme, I'm pretty convinced you all have a case of jelousy/love/envy or whatever. I had my share of troll-fighting, and seeing fanatics and arguing with them. Yet I never searched for every single post of theirs just to respond to it - even if I had nothing wise to respond with. So while you're talking about his arrogance, double standards, and other "actions", I see just the same in posts from several other people, you included if I'm not mistaken. Because even when he is _proven right_ you people still bash him, so even if he is like you describe him, you're no better than him either. NHF, just an objective thought. I do not endorse Mike Galos (TM) ;)

@Mike kudos to you on you icon then! @Paul great point.

@Mike I assumed you were referring to Mac OS X as well, but let it lay. I thought "what's the point?" You made a factual statement. Old does not imply outdated. UNIX is old. Since the 60s. That's paleolithic in computing terms. The UI is modern. Also, why, oh why bring the discussion down again, when Paul made no mention of the "other side" in his post? Some folks just can't agree to disagree, even when the point of disagreement isn't even a part of the topic!

Lotsa Actually, the Apple estimate was about 33 Million total Macintosh users running add-on GUIs on top of an old OS, plus another 40 Million iPhone and iPod Touch users running add-on GUIs on top of an old OS plus, shall we be kind and say 9 Million Linux users running add-on GUIs on top of an old OS and even a few Solaris and other Unix users running add-on GUIs on top of an old OS. Now add to that the number of XP users doing these shell tweaks plus the users running other shells on top of XP and you've got just about any number or combination you choose. But, you picked Apple.

*ignoring the pathetic pissing match above* This is a pretty neat hack for those stuck on WinXP... and for that matter, I can see it as a great training tool to help transition people to Windows 7's new UI. As they become acquainted with the taskbar groupings and previewing, they can be even more thrilled to get the real thing.

Jesus. Mike, Could you please only pick the fights in the threads where Paul starts the rants about Apple. That's called "on topic". You're worse than Paul and I'm unutterably sick of your "Oh, so you've stopped beating your wife with a boxed copy of OS X" rhetoric. It's not clever; it's just pathetic. And here I was hoping to see a nice XP vs. Windows 7 cat fight and just watch from the sidelines....

DaveInLA, Looks like we learned something new about you.

"I don't tend to back down on a point just because a group of people yell the same factually incorrect answer. That tends to annoy people who are used to getting their way once their friends pile on whether they are right or wrong." You don't tend to back down on a point if you're wrong, either. At best, you stop talking about it. Which tends to annoy people who can lead a valid discussion and know what they're talking about.

->robertsjoe Fortunately, most people will be able to change it, unless they've taken that stupid limitation out. In that case, everyone. Ha ha ha.