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When I get a copy of Windows 7 I will give it a good run through as a secondary system like I have done with Vista but these days I still return to XP for normal use because I am used to it and know where everthing is, although XP was around for three years before it became my main operating system.
My computers always have Windows 98 2e as the principal operating system and then a large HDD or two partitioned into 30 GB sections to use as a multiboot system. I also don't use NTFS if I can avoid it. If I need to use NTFS (vista and probably Windows 7) I will use the minimum size partition and put everything else I need on another FAT32 partition.
Windows 98 2e gives the facility of a DOS (which does not recognise NTFS) mode of operation which coupled with the old menu system I like "1DIRPLUS" allows inspection of the HDD at byte level. DOS is great for removing all sorts of things that do not show in Windows.
As with many oldies like me I started out on computers that booted straight into some form of BASIC (after trying programming with dip switches at bit level) then when the IBM PC and its clones came along I graduated to DOS 2.11 and all subsequent versions of DOS as well as Windows. Somewhere in my old archives I have a copy of the original pilot copy of Windows that worked (awfully cumbersome) on a 8088 1Mhz processor under DOS 2.11. I think it was meant as a challenge to the Mac that had a graphics based operating system.
I still have an old Multitek (1983 vintage) computer that I have upgraded to DOS 6.22, a VGA card, 640 MB memory and a 20 MB MFM HDD. It sits up in the ceiling above the manhole, Hooked up to a power point and everytime I climb into the roof I turn it on to check it out. It Still works. Programs installed are Wordstar, Multimate, DataFlex, Symphony, LOTUS 123 and a few of the old favourites that used a total of 5 MB leaving 15 MB for other stuff.
Barry
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