Should Small Businesses Consider Windows 7?

The operating system that small business owners choose to use can make or break the success of their enterprise. When many small businesses switched to Windows Vista, they were sorely disappointed; that operating system actually made running a business more complicated in many ways, and many businesses wound up switching back to XP. With Windows 7, Microsoft hopes to reel in small businesses once again and wants to win their favor. Is Windows 7 right for your small business? Read on to learn more.

How Does Windows 7 Stack Up When Compared With Vista And XP?

For all intents and purposes, Windows 7 is largely the same as Windows Vista. While IT personnel should be able to discern many key technical differences, the average computer user isn't going to notice - or enjoy - the vast majority of them. Indeed, it seems as if Windows 7 is basically a clone of Vista; few exceptional differences have been made to the new operating system. When compared with XP, Windows 7 is almost a step down for many businesses. Fortunately, it's possible to run XP-based programs on Windows 7, thanks to Windows 7 Virtual PC running on XP mode.

What Are The Benefits Of Windows 7 For Small Businesses?

Despite the huge number of similarities between Windows 7 and Windows Vista, the new operating system still presents plenty of attractive qualities for small- to mid-sized businesses. Consider these perks:

1. Domain Join - Finally, Domain Join makes it a snap to connect laptops and other devices remotely to office resources via secure server networking.
2. Concurrent Applications - In Windows 7, an unlimited number of concurrent applications can run at one time. This can help improve and enhance productivity, which is always a good thing for businesses that want to wring every last ounce of profit out of their endeavors.
3. Home Group - This feature simplifies the process of sharing printers, media and documents; with it, multiple PCs in an office setting can share data without the need of a domain. Essentially, this creates a point-and-click way to share information across multiple computers in an office.
4. DirectAccess: Windows 7 does away with the need for a VPN, or Virtual Private Network, with DirectAccess. Employees can access corporate resources wherever they are with ease.
5. Remote Desktop Connectivity: Accessing important information on a user's desktop from another PC is streamlined in Windows 7, largely eliminating the need to make copies of important files and other cumbersome processes.
6. Improved Task Bar: Switching between applications is quicker and easier in Windows 7, thanks to a newly designed task bar.
7. Full-Screen Preview: Windows 7 users can quickly scan full-screen previews of open windows without having to switch all the way over.

The bottom line is that Windows 7 doesn't necessarily bring an abundance of new features to the table, but it's not a step backwards for small businesses either.