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Windows 7 pro !!!

blobert07

New Member
My over zealous IT dept insist on not using win 8 and i want to purchase the Pro 3 can i use Win 7 Pro on the Pro3 or is this just a waste of time and would result in the touch aspects not usable like the Pen etc ?

I also use IBM Lotus notes which i have now established is ok on the Pro 3
 
I'm sure you can setup a dual boot and install Windows 7. My IT manager is the same but I actually just installed to SP3's in my organization and never put on Window 7. I told my boss I could handle the support for Windows 8.1. I think it might be the start of doing Surfaces for the users that travel a lot because he is looking at the Surface as replacing a laptop and an iPad for users that would normally have both. Let him know that it's just you right now and not your whole company moving to Windows 8.x
 
You can do what you want I suppose... but IMHO the Desktop environments of Windows 7 and 8 completely suck on a touch device. I know we have our TypeCovers etc., but I personally wouldn't install Win 7 on the SP3, assuming it could even be done, didn't have major driver issues etc.
 
I don't think it would be better than the WIn 8 that comes with it but I know I had a touch screen with Windows 7 and it worked ok....nothing like this SP3 works.
I would think your major issue would be drivers?

This is just a newbie talking though
 
Use Client Hyper-V to run a Win 7 VM??? then he can run Win 8.1 for personal use. This is exactly the target Client Hyper-V
 
Your IT department isn't necessarily being over zealous. I have to support more than 5000 desktop and laptop units in my geographic location alone and my company supports more than 40,000 company wide. We JUST migrated to Windows 7. Maintaining a consistent OS installation footprint is very important to ensure security on your company network, and reduce the amount of support needed to keep things running smoothly. Cut your IT guys a little slack here.

Having said all of that, we do have some Windows 8 units in our environment that are very segregated for testing purposes, but I foresee our next migration being to Windows 9 (not 8) based on past experience.

To the gentlemen suggesting running Windows 7 on a virtual machine, this could cause a switch security alert depending upon the sophistication of the network, and severity of security protocols implemented on the switch. Some organizations will disable a port as soon as is sees a second MAC address accessing the port (which the VM will create).

Append: On the subject of installing Windows 7 in general practice, I'd certainly be interested in hearing how that goes. I suspect (as mentioned by someone else) that you will run into severe trouble on the driver front, but It'd be interesting to see if you could do it.
 
I'm sure you can do it, but Win 7 might not auto-grab all the drivers for your Surface, Win 7 might not even support them.

Personally I think if you're not using 8.1, you're missing out on most of the amazing features of Surface and should get another device.
 
If your domain is like my domain, you cant use VM....you cant install programs without admin rights..
That's the case with most enterprise level domains. And no personal computers, except remotely through VPN using a certification process.
 
That's the case with most enterprise level domains. And no personal computers, except remotely through VPN using a certification process.
Wow, I guess BYOD is just a nasty rumor. Certainly a VM can be domain joined and conform to all policies.
 
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