Windows 7

[Rod Stroker]

I honestly don't know any businesses that went to Vista.

I work for a large multi-national Telco and they took the decision 2 years ago to roll Vista out. They never went for XP so we were still on Win2K all these years. After resisting the Vista upgrade I finally took it last year but rolled back to 2K after a week because of all the headaches. I'm still on 2K today, hopefully I hold out longer enough to skip Vista and go straight to Win7.

 

[spitlizard]

No worries. Being a beta release it does have a couple of bugs, but no show stoppers, and still way better than Vista.
I think W7 is going to win a few people back who were burnt by Vista. I've been using it for over a week now and it's humming along nicely.

Can anyone tell me exactly what was so wrong with vista?
Look to be honest every man (woman and child) has voiced their dissaproval of this OS but I have to admit, my Vista has run perfectly for the two years I have had it. It has never blue screened once and only frozen on the odd occasion.
Did I just get a dream run or something

 

[Borgsta]

Can anyone tell me exactly what was so wrong with vista?
Look to be honest every man (woman and child) has voiced their dissaproval of this OS but I have to admit, my Vista has run perfectly for the two years I have had it. It has never blue screened once and only frozen on the odd occasion.
Did I just get a dream run or something

Nah I never had a problem with my home one either.

The business version had a very bad start and basically people fled from it pretty early. It was very buggy and they took out a lot of features.

I believe that things like telnet are off by default for some absurd reason.

Many programs didn't work with Vista, even more hardware didn't work with it.

 

[Borgsta]

Windows 7 beta delayed by online rush overwhelming Microsoft servers

MICROSOFT'S mighty servers were overwhelmed today as computer users worldwide rushed to download a free test version of Windows 7.

A virtual queue formed online in the hours before the planned release of Windows 7 "beta" software at noon local time (7:00am AEDT) in Microsoft's Washington State headquarters.

Linky

 

[weevil]

Can anyone tell me exactly what was so wrong with vista?
Look to be honest every man (woman and child) has voiced their dissaproval of this OS but I have to admit, my Vista has run perfectly for the two years I have had it. It has never blue screened once and only frozen on the odd occasion.
Did I just get a dream run or something

At first they attempted to build the entire operating system with .NET. They also got even more ambitious and started to try to move big features that were slated to be included in the next version of windows into Vista.

After a couple of years of development they realised that building an entire OS with .NET was not possible. So they started the whole thing again. As they were moving along with the rebuild they realised that some of the big new features were also more complicated than they anticipated and started pulling them out as well.

All of that meant that the OS was massively behind schedule and they were under tremendous pressure get it out. Which meant that the pre SP1 version of Vista was not as polished and robust as it should have been. Once early word got out that there were problems a queue of people formed who had an axe to grind with Microsoft. It became ‘cool’ to bag Vista.

A lot of the criticism was completely legitimate as there were many people with very real issues. But much of it was ridiculously OTT.

By the time Vista SP1 rolled around virtually all the major issues had been ironed out.

So now to the average user comparing XP and Vista (without all the baggage of the past) there is no contest, Vista is clearly superior. But the damage had already been done to Vista’s reputation, Microsoft are paying for mistakes they made back in 2003/2004.

 

[red+black]

does Vista or Windows 7 come with PowerShell built-in?

 

[SteeleAt11]

does Vista or Windows 7 come with PowerShell built-in?

According to this, W7 yes

http://blogs.msdn.com/powershell/ar...ows-server-08-r2-ws08r2-and-windows-7-w7.aspx

 

[weevil]

The official download link finally appeared this morning so I gave it a spin.

It is super impressive, works really well straight out of the box, very slick and responsive.

Media center is a thousand times better.

Setup was a breeze, no drivers needed for any of my hardware, and no drama with any software (so far).

I have heard it said before but it really does not feel like a beta at all.

Really solid upgrade from Vista and makes XP look Neanderthal.

 

[DoubleA]

If I install it, will I need to re-install my programs such as software or does it keep all the programs?

Im on a laptop and Ive heard the battery life is prolonged with Windows 7, hopefully this is the case.

 

[Rod Stroker]

does Vista or Windows 7 come with PowerShell built-in?

Not sure about every W7 release, but I'm running the W7 Ultimate package which has PowerShell in 2 modes; one with Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE) and one without.

 

[Rod Stroker]

The official download link finally appeared this morning so I gave it a spin.

It is super impressive, works really well straight out of the box, very slick and responsive.

Media center is a thousand times better.

Setup was a breeze, no drivers needed for any of my hardware, and no drama with any software (so far).

I have heard it said before but it really does not feel like a beta at all.

Really solid upgrade from Vista and makes XP look Neanderthal.

Not that I've seen the official beta version on the MS Win7 site, but from what I can tell it's the same as Beta build 7000 from Dec08 that I'm using.

It's been nearly 2 weeks now and still no issues.

 

[Rod Stroker]

If I install it, will I need to re-install my programs such as software or does it keep all the programs?

If you're running XP or Vista then you can do the upgrade option to W7, where all your existing installed programs should be retained.
My advice though is to do a fresh install on a clean hard disk. This way you have a clean OS without any legacy files lying around and your PC will run better.

Im on a laptop and Ive heard the battery life is prolonged with Windows 7, hopefully this is the case.

Can't say I've heard this myself, which doesn't mean to say that it's not true. I installed W7 on a P4 desktop which is obviously running on AC mains power, so I can't comment on battery performance.
What I can say though is the OS itself seems to run more efficiently than previous operating systems, meaning that it uses less PC resources less often and would therefore require less power, which I assume would lead to extended battery life.
This week though I'll probably install W7 on my wifes laptop so I'll let you know how I go.

 

[Rod Stroker]

OK, so here's a summary of my W7 experience after running it for nearly a fortnight:

1) Installation:
Easily the simplest (very few menus) and quickest (start to finish in under 30 mins, inc hard disk format) Windows I've ever installed.

2) Drivers:
Most device drivers installed automatically during the OS install. Only the sound card drivers were automatically fetched and installed when W7 ran for the first time. I do have a problem with my video drivers though; my video card (Intel 865G) is built into my motherboard and unfortunately there are no Vista or W7 drivers for it, according to Intel there won't be any either in the future. I have tried XP/2K drivers but no go. So I'm stuck with "Standard VGA Adapter" for my video setting. Obviously this is not a Microsoft problem if the device manufacturer doesn't supply drivers. No biggie though, as I still have 32 bit display with several resolution options.

3) Desktop Gadgets
I really like these, very handy. The ones I like so far are Weather Forecaster, Currency Converter, Global Clocks. Unfortunately when you change display themes, you lose all your desktop gadgets and you have to set them up again.

4) Show Desktop
In previous Windows versions, the Show Desktop icon used to be on the left of the task bar, next to the "Start" button. It now lives at the other end of the task bar, next to the clock. This took some getting used to.

5) Network Activity Indicator
There is an icon to indicate that you are connected to a network, however there doesn't seem to be any way of seeing if there is any activity on the network connection (sending/receiving packets). This is quite frustrating because you don't know if the connection is idle, active, hanging, etc. To get around this I've had to install NetPerSec, just so I can see what is happening on the line.

6) PowerShell
UNIX type shell environment for admin, scripting, coding, etc. This should have be a Windows feature years ago, like back in the 2K/XP days. Better late than never I guess.

7) Applications
So far I've installed Office 2007, Live Messenger, Acrobat, Flash, Photoshop, Firefox 3, Nero, plus a few others. All have worked without any problems. In fact they seem to run better on W7 than Vista and XP.

8) Beta Release
Although it's a beta release it doesn't feel like it. Features galore, no bugs encountered (at least not yet) and easy to use. This could quite easily have been the commercial release. Having said that, although I've had no problems, I have read cases where other people have not had it so rosy, but these are definitely the minority. If you're going to try it my advice would be to back-up everything first. Also run the Upgrade Advisor to see if your system components meet the requirements.
I have also read that all Beta versions will become inactive in August, but my guess is that by then there will be a new release or a new key available to extend the current release.

Would love to hear other peoples experiences. For me, I'm a fan. Best MS OS yet.
And no I do not work for Microsoft

 

[giantroo]

Was reading the PC Authority magazine and stumbled upon this.

What’s new in Windows 7


by William Maher on Sep 19, 2008

Stewart Mitchell delivers his verdict on the features rumoured to be ready for Windows 7, including the new kernel, multi-touch, and virtual drives.



Microsoft’s next operating system is creeping quietly towards us, under cover because company officials have so far refused to talk Windows 7 up.

The current rumour is that the Windows 7 beta announcement will take place at the Microsoft Professional Developer's Conference (PDC) next month on October 27 (see our story here).

What we do know is that it should be released in January 2010.

Nevertheless, snippets have escaped Microsoft HQ. The biggest hints came at a public display of eye-candy at the end of May. Anxious to reclaim lost ground on Apple,

Microsoft jumped in with an imagination-capturing multitouch display that allows the user to paint with several fingers at once on a touchscreen, play the piano, or move and reshape pictures with specific gestures.

We’ve scoured the rumour mill to separate fact from fiction, and while every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the conclusions are unofficial – and subject to change.

New kernel
Early rumours of Windows 7 promised a sleek, streamlined operating system based on a waif-like kernel called MinWin, which was more componentised than Vista and would improve performance across the platform. According to Microsoft engineer Eric Traut, the idea was about “stripping out all the layers above to create a really clean architecture”. He claimed the revamped kernel could have squeezed into as little as 25MB.

However, Microsoft has since poured cold water on the MinWin prophesy with a statement that it “isn’t creating a new kernel for Windows 7. We’re refining the kernel architecture and componentisation model introduced in Windows Vista”.

Instead, the kernel seems more likely to be a refinement of what we’ve seen in Vista and Windows Server 2008. “The key issue is that making big changes can have a de-stabilising effect on an OS, and creates all manner of compatibility and other issues,” said Michael Cherry, lead analyst for Windows at Microsoft. “The last thing Windows needs at this point is a lot of architectural changes.”

VERDICT Although MinWin elements may feature, Diet Windows is more likely to arrive in the version after Windows 7.

Synchronisation central
As the world moves to always-connected computing, keeping files updated across hardware is critical and Windows 7 should address Microsoft’s weaknesses in this area. For example, mobile phone synchronisation is likely to be built into the operating system.

At a Windows Digital Lifestyle Consortium in Tokyo, Bill Gates talked of Windows 7 having “more connections up to the mobile phone”, and that “if you have two personal computers, your files are automatically synchronised between them, so you don’t have a lot of work to move data back and forth”. The feature would borrow heavily from Live Mesh, a folder synchronisation tool Microsoft has been beta testing.

“I can see file synchronisation being a big feature for people who have more than one computer,” said Gary Kellett, managing director of Microsoft solutions provider Expersys. “Although you can get this by using Groove as part of Office 2007, I suspect it will end up as part of the OS, as the code has already been developed.”

Also improving connectivity – especially in home networks – is HomeGroups, a feature set to make it easier to create secure networks for sharing pictures, music and other files.

VERDICT Better synchronisation is a must if Windows 7 is to meet the needs of consumers with multiple devices.

End of keyboard/mouse era
The most anticipated element of Windows 7 is the hyped multitouch screen capabilities, where users interact with the PC by pointing or dragging digits across the screen.

Microsoft is talking up touch as a replacement for keyboards and mice for certain tasks.
Sneak previews promise vibrant interaction with all areas of the OS, with Paint being the most obvious. Tools such as photo galleries are expected to benefit from touch controls for moving pictures around a desktop, à la Surface, and to zoom in on pictures by pinching two fingers across the screen.

Whether touch will do for Windows what it did for the iPhone is uncertain, and might depend on the price premium for the screens, which could be as little as $50. “The mouse and keyboard are very strong input devices, and it’s hard to see a killer app for this on desktops, but it might be more appealing on laptops,” said Pete Gamby, research director at DisplayCast.

VERDICT A racing certainty, given that Microsoft rolled out both Gates and Ballmer to demonstrate the interface earlier this year.

 

[giantroo]

It seems that Windows 7 will have applications that you have to add on, sorta like how apple do it with the iPhone and the Apple store.

One other thing I heard was that there would be fewer included apps, music, photo editing, etc but they would be available as downloads.

There was screenshots of the beta version but it looks like it's been pulled down.

 

[Rod Stroker]

It seems that Windows 7 will have applications that you have to add on, sorta like how apple do it with the iPhone and the Apple store.

Windows Live in W7 offers applications like Messenger (IM), Mail client, Graphics editor (like Photoshop), movie editor, plus others. They stripped out a lot of stuff that used to come default in Windows, but now it's up to you if you want to download it or not. Makes for a faster and smaller OS install, as well as the OS running more efficiently once it's installed.

There was screenshots of the beta version but it looks like it's been pulled down.

Heaps of screen shots out there. Google is your friend
Instead of checking out other peoples screen shots though, why don't you install it yourself and post your own?

 

[giantroo]

Windows Live in W7 offers applications like Messenger (IM), Mail client, Graphics editor (like Photoshop), movie editor, plus others. They stripped out a lot of stuff that used to come default in Windows, but now it's up to you if you want to download it or not. Makes for a faster and smaller OS install, as well as the OS running more efficiently once it's installed.

Heaps of screen shots out there. Google is your friend
Instead of checking out other peoples screen shots though, why don't you install it yourself and post your own?

I wish my laptop could handle it. Can't even handle Vista. It wasn't even the full version, just a screen layer and the computer started slowing down. Cheap old bastard.

But i'm trying to find a new laptop to buy at the right price.

 

[spitlizard]

I honestly don't know any businesses that went to Vista.

Plenty...and I should know, I'm in and out of different companies networks daily installing our software and machines.

The large corporation rarely jump straight into new O/S and thats mostly for monetary reasons but as for small businesses i.e. One server with about 10 - 50 clients, well there are quite a few out there now.

 

[weevil]

I wish my laptop could handle it. Can't even handle Vista. It wasn't even the full version, just a screen layer and the computer started slowing down. Cheap old bastard.

But i'm trying to find a new laptop to buy at the right price.

The hardware requirements for 7 are less than they were for Vista. You never know it might work on your system.

 

[Rod Stroker]

The hardware requirements for 7 are less than they were for Vista. You never know it might work on your system.

What he said. You can run the Upgrade Advisor first before you install to see if your system can handle Win7.

So has anyone else apart from weevil, Borgsta and myself installed it yet? Am really keen to hear others peoples experiences.

 

[Philhawk]

Did anyone download the beta version that was released a little while ago? I tried to, but by the time I got to the site, there was literally 5-mile long online queue.

If you weren't scarred for life by the crock of shit that is Vista, i'd suggest you give 7 a try - as reports suggest that this one is looking pretty good.

Any thoughts? Will you try it?

 

[Ant_]

Vista was always going to be another Windows ME. All our work SOE's are still XP SP2, my guess is we will jump straight to 7.

 

[Mr Eagle]

Running on it right now...no complaints, very easy install process, although obviously a different interface from what I'm used to with XP takes getting used to.

 

[TheGhostOfJohnBelushi]

Downloaded the official beta, which is build 7000.

Liking it so far. Have only tried it on my media centre PC which is hooked to my TV. Haven't tried it on a network yet.

So far, seems like it has video covered. Covered the driver for my TV nicely, and doesn't appear to require foreign codecs for playing divx. Media player runs very nicely.

Didn't cover the audio driver quite so well. Had to find a generic AC97 driver. Interesting that the Vista installs have had Intel sound drivers that can be sourced from the system, but 7 doesn't.

I have lost my gadgets, ladies and gentlemen. They worked when I first installed. After installing the sound driver, they don't load. Tried a few things but no luck. Not terribly worried.

All in all, as most have said, it feels lighter, more complete but with less bloat, and runs nicely. Will probably install it on another system and have a network play around. Will also probably try it on my 512MB RAM laptop (which, despite what people tell me, handled Vista fine).

Having fun on what is my first beta test experience.

 

[Rod Stroker]

I have lost my gadgets, ladies and gentlemen. They worked when I first installed. After installing the sound driver, they don't load. Tried a few things but no luck. Not terribly worried.

The gadgets, while a good idea and useful, can be frustrating. I'd spent some time setting mine up, configuring them, positioning them, etc. Then I changed my display theme and all my gadgets disappeared I'm not sure if this is a bug or it is intentionally supposed to work like this.

Having fun on what is my first beta test experience

Good stuff!

I've been lurking on the official MS Win7 Beta forum and there's a few horror stories out there. I've posted a couple of questions on it myself. Probably the best place to give feedback so that the developers can be aware of bugs and issues from the user experience.
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/category/w7itpro/