Windows 7

[Mike Ungerman]

Windows 7 is Microsoft's next "new" operating system. It's targeted for release in 2010, but the beta release was made publicly available during the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Let's use this discussion for news, comments, announcements, etc., on the new OS. Comment to this lead posting rather than creating a new discussion or blog.

[Mike Ungerman]

Download the Windows 7 Beta

Here's the link: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/beta-download.aspx

[Mike Ungerman]

From Technology Review

Thanks to Joe Levy, here's a posting from Technology Review on Windows 7:

One week after Microsoft began offering preview downloads of Windows 7 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, experts are generally optimistic about what they're seeing. The full release of the new operating system isn't planned until 2010. But the software giant seems to be hoping that the preview release will allay the concerns of Windows users who were unwilling to switch from Windows XP to its troubled successor, Vista.

Vista, which was released in late 2006, met with some bad reviews and sluggish adoption in the business world. Forrester Research reports that by June 2008, only about 9 percent of its clients had switched to Vista. Microsoft went on selling XP months longer than it had planned. Now, the company is promoting Windows 7 as a response to user feedback.

Windows 7 features a few changes to Microsoft's familiar user interface. Buttons for open windows no longer appear along the bottom of the screen. In their place are larger icons representing active and frequently used (or user selected) programs. When a user hovers the cursor over the icon for an active program, preview thumbnails of the open windows pop up, and the user selects the one that she wants. Certain cursor movements also trigger common changes to windows. Dragging a window to the top of the screen maximizes it, dragging a window to the side snaps it in place so that it takes up half the screen, and dragging the cursor down to the right-hand corner of the screen makes all the open windows transparent so that the user can see down to the desktop. Microsoft also says that it has made it easier for users to create home networks, and that Windows 7 makes better use of resources than Vista did. The system requirements are similar to those for Vista Home Premium, but early reports say that Windows 7 manages memory better and runs faster.

Benjamin Bederson, an associate professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Maryland, says that the user-interface adjustments in Windows 7 are good but subtle. "I don't think that people are going to rush to Windows 7 for these, but they're definitely improvements, and they've definitely removed some of the gravel," he says. Microsoft has listened to its customers, Bederson says, and it has paid attention to what its rival, Apple, is doing with user-interface design. Bederson still finds Apple's OSX a more intuitive operating system, but he considers Windows more powerful for advanced users.

Anyone who wants to make an operating system has to wrestle with the same problems, says Ed Chi, area manager and senior research scientist for augmented social cognition at the Palo Alto Research Center. As computers have become more powerful, users keep more windows open, he says, and designers have been working on how to organize the clutter. Chi says that the thumbnail previews and other improvements to Windows 7's interface will definitely increase users' ability to select the correct window quickly. However, he cautions, it may not increase their productivity, since designs that encourage people to keep a multitude of windows open may help distract them from the tasks at hand.

Windows 7 also continues Microsoft's foray into touch-screen interfaces, previously demonstrated by products such as the Surface, its touch-screen table computer. Kirk Godkin, Hewlett-Packard's manager of business desktops for North America, says that many of the software vendors that he works with are excited at the prospect of an operating system that is engineered to accommodate touch. (At CES, HP announced its dx9000 TouchSmart Business PC, which supports touch as well as the traditional keyboard and mouse.)

But Bederson says that he sees touch-screen computers as a minor market for Windows 7. The much more important thing, he says, is that the operating system is significantly faster than Vista. That means that many people with slower computers, who were unwilling to switch to Vista, will be more likely to upgrade to Windows 7. "It's Vista that works," Bederson says. "They fixed the problems, and they polished it up. Good for them."

Sneak peeks: In Windows 7, holding the cursor over the icon for an active application pulls up thumbnail images of the open windows. Credit: Microsoft

[Hewie Poplock]

What are People saying About the Windows 7 Beta?

from The Windows Experience Blog by Brandon LeBlanc

There are a lot of really good comments from folks using the Windows 7 Beta all over the web –and I thought I’d take a moment to share some favorites with you. These quotes are just some of what is being said about the Windows 7 Beta:

Preston Gralla from Computerworld

This first beta of Windows 7 is a polished piece of work, with few apparent kinks to be worked out. Windows 7 is much further along at this beta stage than Windows Vista was at a similar point.

Peter Bright from ArsTechnica

All in all, Windows 7 is shaping up well. It's a far more modest release than Vista was, but it's no worse for that. The new OS introduces a compelling combination of welcome innovations and much-needed polish, and that's exactly what Microsoft needs right now. Vista's foundation was solid, and Windows 7 just makes it better.

Dwight Silverman from the Houston Chronicle

I’ve been working with the Windows 7 beta for several weeks, and I like it a lot. It feels snappier and more responsive than Windows Vista.

Andrew Garcia from eWEEK

Without a doubt, the first beta edition of the Windows 7 operation system indicates that Microsoft is on the right track to shore up many of the perceived flaws of Windows Vista… And at its heart, Windows 7’s greatly improved emphasis on workflow and organization makes the operating system much more palatable for heavy-duty users used to operating with a large number of open windows and applications.

Paul Thurrott from the Supersite for Windows

As for performance, I think Microsoft is going to surprise people. And if you're working for an enterprise that hasn't upgraded to Vista because it won't run acceptably on your existing PCs, you'll want to look again at Windows 7.

Jason Chen from Gizmodo

We mentioned the Problem Steps Recorder blackbox error reporting app back in our Win 7 Giz Explains, but it wasn't until I tried it for myself that I saw just how amazing it is.

Joe Wilcox from Microsoft Watch

I'm actually having fun using Seven, something I haven't said about a Microsoft operating system since Windows 95.

Chandran Chakkaradeep from Neowin

Windows 7 seems to be much improved than Windows Vista in lots of areas and the beta clearly shows that Microsoft has indeed taken users feedback on Vista seriously.

Mary Branscomb from the Financial Times

Microsoft has taken a disciplined approach to planning, building and delivering Windows 7 (and planning is already underway for Windows 8); this may lack the flamboyance of previous versions but if Microsoft can maintain the quality of the beta, Windows 7 could indeed be the best version of Windows yet.

Remember, if you want to try out the Windows 7 Beta for yourself head on over to Windows.com and register to download the beta.

[Hewie Poplock]

Windows 7 Beta in 10 Video Lessons

written by J. Peter Bruzzese, InfoWorld

Jan 21, 2009 5:20 pm

Now that Microsoft has made the Windows 7 beta available for public download, many people are trying to figure out what's new and different. And many others not willing to risk their PCs by installing a beta OS are curious, too. (Thinking of installing the beta yourself? Use InfoWorld's free Windows Sentinel applet to see if it's compatible with Windows 7.)

Either way, I've put together 10 video tours of Windows 7, explaining what's added, remove, and changed in 10 areas that business users and IT care about. The short videos are quick lessons on what you can expect when Windows 7 ships later this year or early next year.

[ Findout how Windows 7 trumps Vista | See how Windows 7 beta performs in InfoWorld's benchmark tests. ]

Lesson 1: Installation changes

Lesson 2: New desktop features

Lesson 3: The new Superbar and Aero features

Lesson 4: Application enhancements

Lesson 5: The Action Center and UAC settings

Lesson 6: Display and device improvements

Lesson 7: New networking features

Lesson 8: Control Panel applets

Lesson 9: Notable features for IT admins

Lesson 10: Libraries and searching

[Mike Ungerman]

Dual Boot Windows 7 Beta

This video guide will help you create a dual-boot configuration, so you can run the preview of Microsoft's latest OS without destroying your older operating system.

http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-10149138-12.html?part=rss&t...

[Mike Ungerman]

Defragmentation in Windows 7

The Engineering Windows 7 Blog this week covers the subject of defragmentation under NTFS volumes from Windows XP throgh Windows 7, and the improvements in the latest OS:

http://tinyurl.com/cawrw7

[Hewie Poplock]

The end of general availability for Windows 7 Beta is around the corner.

Enthusiasm continues to be so high for the Windows 7 Beta so Microsoft will keep the Beta downloads open through February 10th. Customers who have started but not completed the download process will be able to do so through February 12th.

The shutdown of general availability for the Windows 7 Beta will occur in 3 phases over the course of the next few weeks:

1. Starting January 27th, the Windows 7 page will be updated with a warning that time is running out on downloading the Windows 7 Beta and that they will be limiting downloads shortly. People will be encouraged to register and start the download of the Windows 7 Beta sooner rather than later.

2. February 10th, new downloads of the Windows 7 Beta will no longer be available. People who have already started their Windows 7 Beta download and have not yet finished will still be able to finish their download and are encouraged to do so.

3. February 12th, people will no longer be able to complete their download of the Windows 7 Beta. Anyone who hasn’t finished downloading the Windows 7 Beta will be unable to do so.

Product keys for the Windows 7 Beta will continue to be available. So if you have the Windows 7 Beta but didn’t get a product key you will be able to do so even after February 12th.

[Mike Ungerman]

CNET's Windows 7 Blog

http://news.cnet.com/Windows-7-Moving-beyond-Vista/2009-1016_3-6247...

[Mike Ungerman]

Will Your Games Run on Windows 7?


Check out this blog from Extreme Tech reviewing 22 games that they tried against Windows 7:

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2339538,00.asp

[Mike Ungerman]

All Windows 7 Versions—What You Need to Know

PCMag.com's article on Microsoft Windows' 7 versions tells us everything they're allowed to reveal about their six upcoming Windows 7 SKUs. Find out which one is best for you.

What are the new versions?
Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, and Windows 7 Ultimate. Windows 7 Home Basic will also be sold, but only to emerging markets.

Read full the story here: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2340431,00.asp

[Mike Ungerman]

Windows 7 Beta Takes the Test
The folks at PC Pitstop have put Windows 7 Beta to the test by building a system for it and then testing it with some of their free tools. Check out their review at: http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2009/02/06/windows-hits-lucky-7/

[Mike Ungerman]

Windows 7 Beta Update and Warning

Head's up; if you install Windows 7 as you received it at FACUG Spring Conference, you may have a problem with your music files in mp3 format that Media Player accesses. There is a patch available to TechNet subscribers; not sure how you get it as a straight beta user:

Update for Windows 7 Beta (KB961367) (x86)

Includes: Beta; 01-08-2009
Details
Keys
Download
1.86 (MB)
File Name: update_for_windows_7_beta_x86_kb961367.msu Date Posted (UTC): 1/6/2009 7:15:54 PM
SHA1: 5D89B057874F5D10A4C90EB2021F23EA9850DEB9 ISO/CRC: C370B735
Available to Levels: TechNet Plus SA Media; TechNet Plus (Retail); TechNet Direct (Retail); TechNet Plus (VL); TechNet Plus Direct (VL); TechNet Cert Partner; TechNet Gold Cert Partner; T1;
Instructions and Resources

MP3 files
When MP3 files are added (either manually or automatically) to either the Windows Media Player or the Windows Media Center library, or if the file metadata is edited with Windows Explorer, several seconds of audio data may be permanently removed from the start of the file. This issue occurs when files contain thumbnails or other metadata of significant size before importing or editing them. To avoid this, take the following steps:

To protect your MP3 files
1. Before you install this Beta release, back up all MP3 files that might be accessed by the computer, including those on removable media or network shares.
2. Install the Beta release of Windows 7; then install this update (KB961367).

If you do not want to install the update, you can avoid this issue by setting all MP3 files that might be accessed by the computer to read-only before starting either Windows Media Player or Windows Media Center or before editing MP3 metadata with Windows Explorer. To do this, in Windows Explorer, find the files, right-click them, click the General tab, and then select the Read-only check box. Once you have installed the update, you can safely reset the read/write status of your MP3 files to your preference.