As I mentioned, a couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to pick out a computer (courtesy of Microsoft) at Staples so I could test out the new Windows 7. Having no idea what I was doing, I turned to my friend Matt, and he gave me great advice on which laptop I should buy (Me: Let’s pretend you had to go to Staples tonight & buy a Microsoft laptop. What would you get? Him: Get this one {link}. Me: Sold.) (I love twitter.)
But I digress.
Windows has come a long way since I installed Windows 98 on my brand new (enormous) desktop before I headed off to college. One of the biggest changes is the amount of things you can customize to make your computer look and run the way you want it to. First, you can pick out a theme, which determines the pictures, colors, and sounds on your computer. Also, you can choose the Aero desktop experience you want. Here’s an example:
The aero experience “includes distinctive visual styles that combine the appearance of lightweight, translucent windows with powerful graphic advances. You can enjoy visually appealing effects and appearance and also benefit from better access to your programs.”
In other words, you can make your computer look pretty.
Another cool thing for those of you (like us) who have multiple computers in the house – HomeGroup allows sharing between machines. No more emailing documents to yourself so you can get them onto the other computer! “Now, you can easily connect two or more PCs running Windows 7 on your home network to automatically start sharing printers—and your media and document libraries—with other people in your home.” That is pretty sweet. Better yet? You can make files “read only” so your family members don’t jack up your stuff.
Speaking of having files at the ready, Windows 7 (combined with Windows Live) allows you to create a “cloud” so you can have everything at your fingertips. Check it out.
Overall, we have been really impressed with Windows 7. My husband, who is admittedly non-techie, commented tonight on how intuitive the program is. I think that is critically important for busy parents!
Here’s the fun part – we’re giving away a $50 Staples gift card! To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling us what Windows 7 feature you’d like to check out!
The contest will end at 5:00 p.m. on March 18, and a winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!
Ok so Windows 7 wasn’t my idea, but I sure wish I had thought of it! Designed to simplify everyday tasks (and who couldn’t use that?), the new version of Windows has a ton of new features, including live task bar previews so you can preview open files (I currently have 19 Word docs open, so I am a prime candidate for this feature!), jump lists that take you right to your most used files/websites, and much much more.
I haven’t tried out Windows 7 for myself yet, but I am about to because last night I had the opportunity to buy a new laptop at Staples. Making big purchases like this can be stressful, and while I did a little research on their website before going in the store, mostly I was counting on the salesperson to point me in the right direction – which I realize is always a gamble. Fortunately, the Staples guy couldn’t have been more helpful (shout out to Jarrod at store 1677!) and I felt confident going with his recommendation. He made sure I got a computer that would fit my needs, but also made sure I got a great deal, which I really appreciated. And, he made sure my computer was going to come fully loaded with Windows 7, thanks to their free PC set up!
Here’s the best part (I mean, other than the sweet new computer) – I took my old, piece of junk desktop into Staples with me last night. They are not only going to transfer all my files, pictures and music to my new computer, but they’re going to run a tune-up on my old one, free of charge (so now I might keep it instead of putting it in the recycle bin). Honestly the only reason I’ve kept that computer around is because I hadn’t yet transferred the files to my laptop… the one I bought three years ago. But now, the lovely people at Staples are going to do it for me. I’m marking that off my to-do list.
Additionally, Staples offers a free Windows and Office online training to go along with the purchase of a new PC. I’m sure this comes as a great surprise (not), but I loooooove Excel spreadsheets. Love them. I can’t wait to check out the training on the new features and see what kind of other fun stuff I can now do with my spreadsheets. (Yes, I know I’m a nerd.)
So, if you’re in the market for a new PC, now’s a great time to buy one at Staples. They’ve even got a price-match guarantee, so you can rest assured you’re getting the best price – and just like the commercials say, Staples really does make it easy.
Stay tuned for my next post, after I’ve given Window 7 a go. I’ll tell you what I think about the new system, and I’ll have a fun giveaway for all of you!
