Is Windows7 more convenient than XP?

While W7 is very smooth to operate, I have heard people complaining about certain features that cause headaches.

Removing Windows Metafile Format (.wmf ) from its defaults is one example. Others include incompatibility issues with old printers, scanners and other peripheral devices that worked fine with XP. If W7 is to be a multimedia experience like never before, does it have to be an extra burden of buying new gadgets?

And I wonder, despite all the new security features incorporated in W7, why should we continue to spend hefty amount annually on third party 'security' specialists like McAfee, Norton and others?

well, in matters of security, MS security essentials and windows firewall and defender are way too behind. W7 is smooth, has got a good hardware support but its difficult to get drivers of old hardware. Thats a real headache. I dont deny the fact that W7 gives you a whole new computing experience as its fast, it has improved directx and hardware and driver support is vast. But its a matter of choice in the end. If i were u, i would take dual boot option to suit my best interests. After getting used to W7 and solving issues, i would remove xp.

WMF is in my defaults and (by default) opens with Paint.
Xpå is quite old now. Hardware that worked and had drivers, has probably been succeeded by more up to date hardware. I have had no incompatibility problems with late XP/ Vista drivers, but, naturally, have not tried all.
If progress is the intention then I would have to say, Yes, it would probably be needed to update some hardware peripherals if you wish to move on.
It is up to you if you wish to put in third party security products.
MSE succeeds Defender, so the two programs cannot be dumped into the same comparison. MSE is a free program which offers straightforward anti virus control, collecting definitions on a scheduled basis from the same sources as most other free anti virus programs. If you wish for more features then, I agree, you will have to purchase a mode advanced program. Windows 7 also offers a free anti malware program, running resident.
Firewalls have, imo, little differences. Windows 7 Firewall is reasonably configurable. For my own purposes, I have it off, as I use my router firewall.

With every windows upgrade there have been issues with driver support for old hardware and issues with running old software, this is especially true when going from 16 to 32bit and now from 32 to 64bit. Microsoft provided the upgrade advisor to warn of potential problems but I can tell you it is far from complete. I believe the companies encourage the upgrades just to force you to buy again.

I bought a used computer but better than the one I had and it had shipped with Vista which I knew I didn't want so I used my old XP harddrive, but I couldn't get sound drivers to work and that is what pushed me to try 7. Knowing what I know now I should have tried harder to find alternate sound drivers for XP.

My sound works now but, I use a logitech trackball that I have had for over 15 years and if you are not a trackball user it would be harder to relate because their are sooo many choices in mice, but finding a trackball that fits perfectly in your hand with perfect positioning of the rollerball and the keys, well it is hard to replace. Unfortunately, l the old drivers won't work and logitechs new driver software doesn't recognize it any longer. We are talking 3 buttons and a scroll wheel here, not one of these new monsters with 7 buttons and scroll wheels that also tilt. Microsofts basic drivers handle everything except functionality for my center button, yet logitech can't be bothered to fix one button. Personally, had this one little thing come up in the upgrade advisor, I may not be a member here now because I may still be running XP with a PCI sound card! As is, I have their newer version trackball in the mail. I have held it in the store and I do not like the new key layout but I will try it for a week and if I can't get used to it then I am going to have to see if I can kitbash its internals with my old one.

Everything in life has a cycle and like a fly, a computers life span is quite short. You will want new hardware or need to run software that doesn't work in the old OS, so they will catch you sooner or later. I came from XP and there are some changes I really hate so if you want this to be a thread about pet peeves with Win 7 changes let me know and I'll write a book on it (from what I've been able to find while researching them, most were actually issues introduced in Vista so I was able to delay my woes 3 years or so, but alas, here they are today)

I haven't heard about that. I am interested in a replacement for Malwarebytes. What is it called?

He may be speaking of MSE, it's an AV & malware protection, all in one. While I do use the program for my everyday protection, I run Malwarebytes once weekly. I have the free version, so before I do a scan, I do manually update it. It would be hard to find a program of it's kind as good as Malwarebytes is. I highly recommend the program to all, as a backup to whatever AV you run.

I don't think he was talking about MSE, because he was talking about it just before.

Well I'd like to see it, but I haven't heard of it. I already have MSE & Avast 5.0 running together, I don't think I want another security program running all the time. If there is a such a product, I would like to evaluate it, on my laptop. I don't place new products on my desktop, without first extensively testing it out on my laptop. So if there is a new program, bring it forth for all to see. I hope it's not that tool we already have, we get a new one during the monthly update, that's the Malicious Software Removal Tool. You can run it manually in Windows 7 by typing "mrt", w/o the quotes, and either do a short or full scan. Hopefully, davehc will come back and tell us. He's always been reliable with his information, and has been a solid contributer here at Windows 7 forums for a long time. The only other possibility that I'm aware of is Windows Defender. It ships with Windows 7, but if you have MSE, it's shut down.

One could easily make the argument that Windows XP is 10 years old. I grow weary of people complaining about how their antique scanner, printer, or some other ancient piece of software/equipment no longer works.

Ten years in the PC industry is like 30 years in the car industry. Do people not realize this? Ten years is an antique.

Thank you, Thrax! I couldn't have said it better myself. Why do so many computer users live so far in the past, then complains that their older software/hardware no longer works is beyond me. There is a scanner for this, it's been available for a long time now, the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. Make sure ALL of your accessories are plugged in and turned on during the scan. It's that simple. If you're planning to invest in a new OS, be ready to upgrade everything together. That way, you shouldn't have problems. As I've stated elsewhere on the forum, you cannot move forward by embracing the past.