New Puter in Town
By alaskanray
@alaskanray (4636)
United States
July 17, 2011 2:32am CST
Okay, so my old computer was good while it lasted. After three and a half years, though, it was time for a new one. I shopped around and toyed with several models, finally settling on the Toshiba Satellite 4gb.
This one came with Windows 7 as they all do these days. 
I have to say at the outset that I am not liking 7. I miss my XP!
With XP I had an option on the start menu that said "Recently Used Documents". I could just mouse over that option and get a list of the last dozen or so documents I had opened and used. Well, with 7 that option is gone. I have to open documents, go to the folder that the document is in and open that, as well, and then open the document I want. What I used to be able to do with just one action now takes three. 
Another problem I am having is with my browsers. The features that I use all the time are hard to find and the edges of all my windows (not just the browser windows but also the documents and operations windows) are transparent so the background on my computer shows through. This makes a depth perception that is disconcerting to say the least.
And then there is the computer itself. First of all, the sound quality just isn't there that was on my old computer. It also lacks the external video and audio controls that were on the old one. To top it off, this one only has two usb ports! It's a good thing I have a hub! I have to use headphones to hear any movies I watch on this baby...and it's hard to share a movie with my daughter if I have to wear head phones.
Mind you, all is not bad with the new computer. At least the WiFi is working so that I'm not tied to the router with the ethernet cord. I also like the layout of the keyboard...it has a 10-key! I have missed that 10-key very much with the old computer.
I imagine a lot of what I don't like with this new baby will just take some getting used to. But I swear I prefer XP to 7. What do you think?
I have to say at the outset that I am not liking 7. I miss my XP!
With XP I had an option on the start menu that said "Recently Used Documents". I could just mouse over that option and get a list of the last dozen or so documents I had opened and used. Well, with 7 that option is gone. I have to open documents, go to the folder that the document is in and open that, as well, and then open the document I want. What I used to be able to do with just one action now takes three.
Another problem I am having is with my browsers. The features that I use all the time are hard to find and the edges of all my windows (not just the browser windows but also the documents and operations windows) are transparent so the background on my computer shows through. This makes a depth perception that is disconcerting to say the least.
And then there is the computer itself. First of all, the sound quality just isn't there that was on my old computer. It also lacks the external video and audio controls that were on the old one. To top it off, this one only has two usb ports! It's a good thing I have a hub! I have to use headphones to hear any movies I watch on this baby...and it's hard to share a movie with my daughter if I have to wear head phones.
Mind you, all is not bad with the new computer. At least the WiFi is working so that I'm not tied to the router with the ethernet cord. I also like the layout of the keyboard...it has a 10-key! I have missed that 10-key very much with the old computer.
I imagine a lot of what I don't like with this new baby will just take some getting used to. But I swear I prefer XP to 7. What do you think?3 responses
@leeloo (1492)
• Portugal
17 Jul 11
Congrats on the computer, hope it works out well and trouble free.
I think getting used to a knew computer anything takes a while. Just changing keyboards can make difference, the not having a 10-key really frustrates me when using computer boards that don't have one as I end up having to look for the keys.
In relation to the previously opened documents here is their official page, it is a box you can tick off and in theory you will have the list again
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Clear-lists-on-the-Start-menu-and-taskbar
The rest, you will probably adapt, in much the same way as you adapted to XP, I always find changing operating systems challenging and annoying, but in the end it works out so, it won't be long before you look at an old XP and miss features that you have on the Windows 7.
1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
17 Jul 11
Your link was about something entirely different. It was talking about clearing the start menu list, not finding the other list that XP had. 7 simply does not have what I want. The start menu only holds three or four items in addition to the permanent function items on it.
But thank you for trying. I think I just prefer XP. 
@leeloo (1492)
• Portugal
17 Jul 11
Sorry it was the wrong link, this is from a computer magazine site, I did not find the official page right now :
http://www.dkszone.net/enable-recent-opened-documents-items
I had to install this a while back for a friend and knew it existed, don't know if it is as reliable or easy to use, but it exists.
1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
19 Jul 11
Sometimes I really wish I was a computer geek!
1 person likes this
