WINDOWS 7

[Skuzzy]

I think GetBack is laughing at the way I said it Ripley.  I could have said it better.  I tend to run short on words over the weekend.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

So as a main os is it more efficient than vista or is it just as much of a hog as far as using so many resources?

It's a bit lighter and so far tests indicate it falls somewhere between XP and Vista in speed. As I said I tried it in 512Mb virtual machine ram and it ran completely fine. Memory footprint 384Mb.

[james]

Thanks ripley I downloaded it but not installed yet. Was getting too late. It says I need to pick a program to open it and by that time the birds were chirping outside. Ill get to it Wednesday and post some things I find good and bad for you if you need. Happy to hear its lighter than vista. Should be good on a dual core I would think.

[Irwink!]

Thanks ripley I downloaded it but not installed yet. Was getting too late. It says I need to pick a program to open it and by that time the birds were chirping outside. Ill get to it Wednesday and post some things I find good and bad for you if you need. Happy to hear its lighter than vista. Should be good on a dual core I would think.

It's an image file. You can't just open it. It has to be burned to a DVD specifically as an image file. Then use the burned DVD to install the OS as in other versions of Windows.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

It's an image file. You can't just open it. It has to be burned to a DVD specifically as an image file. Then use the burned DVD to install the OS as in other versions of Windows.

Actually it is possible to open it but that won't do you much good if you're on XP. Only Vista can be upgraded to W7, XP users need to make a full install.

The contents of the image are transferrable to a USB disc at will though. For most users the only reasonable way is to burn a DVD from the image.

[Nilsen]

So as a main os is it more efficient than vista or is it just as much of a hog as far as using so many resources?

Alot better than vista and faster than a cleanXP on my rig. After several weeks of testing i will say that Win7 is the best microsoft OS yet. The XP fans will not agree and never will whatever happens i suppose.

Using win7 and will never go back. I sold the XP pro discs and license that i bought when vista was released a few days ago just incase win7 also turned out to be junk.

It is beta so may run into trouble at some point, but that is to be expected with most beta software.

[TequilaChaser]

Actually it is possible to open it but that won't do you much good if you're on XP. Only Vista can be upgraded to W7, XP users need to make a full install.

The contents of the image are transferrable to a USB disc at will though. For most users the only reasonable way is to burn a DVD from the image.

couldn't one use something like PowerISO or Alcohol120 or something to mount it then run it? instead of doing an ISO / image burn like using Blindwrite or nero or etc.....?

[MrRiplEy[H]]

couldn't one use something like PowerISO or Alcohol120 or something to mount it then run it? instead of doing an ISO / image burn like using Blindwrite or nero or etc.....?

Yes they can but OS installation naturally won't be possible from that source due to need for multiple reboots and XP not being upgradable.

[Getback]

I think GetBack is laughing at the way I said it Ripley.  I could have said it better.  I tend to run short on words over the weekend.

That would be a big yes. Knew what you intended but it was darn funny.

[llama]

I'm currently using Windows 7 as my main OS for my main laptop, since I'm reviewing it for the April issue of CPU Magazine. In fact, I'm writing it now but procrastinating by coming onto the forum.

My summarized thoughts thus far:

- Windows 7 would probably have been called "Windows Vista SE" were it not for the fact that there is so much (justified) negativity with Vista in the marketplace.

- It is definitely faster than Vista, even with all the beta code running in it. XP is still faster for most things, though.

- The biggest single change: The Taskbar is now completely different. It's like the old Windows Taskbar and the OS X Dock had a love-child. I like it.

- GUI changes make more sense in W7. I feel that Microsoft changed things in Vista just for the sake of changing things. There's some actual thoughtfulness in features W7. For example, most people right-click the desktop to change resolution: in XP you clicked "Properites" and then the Settings tab. In Vista, you clicked "Properties" and did basically the same thing, but it was worded differently and more confusingly for power users (sorry, it isn't in front of me now). In W7, there's a "Screen Resolution" item in the pop-up menu. And by the way, that screen now has a "Connect to a Projector" button - that's very handy, since I can't tell you how many times I've been a meeting and watched someone try to hook up a projector.

- I suspect Windows 7 will be "good enough" for XP holdouts resisting Vista. (And I am one of them.) XP will soon be two versions old, and hardware and software support and drivers for it is going to start to go away sooner than later. (Just look at support for Windows 2000 right now to see what I mean.) Faced with this prospect, and based on the improvements to W7, I suspect it will be much more popular than Vista ever was, and there will be less demand for an XP Downgrade from W7 on new computers.

Windows Vista just drives me insane with each and every little click of its Control Panel, its dialog boxes, and its GUI. Windows 7 doesn't.

I'm not saying my gaming rig is going to switch from XP to W7, but if my next notebook came with W7, I'm not sure if I'd bother reformatting and putting XP on it like I did with my current notebook, which came with Vista.

-Llama

[Skuzzy]

Thanks for the insight Llama.

There are things about W7 that still irk me, but it is better than Vista could ever be.  I figure to give them at least 6 to 8 months, after release, before considering it a serious replacement OS for me.

[FOGOLD]

Yes Im trying it as a dual boot on my gaming rig. It brings absolutely nothing to the gaming table but as a work os I think it will be good. I tried Suse 11 64 bit first and though I think Linux is coming on leaps and bounds I'm afraid even for experienced users Win 7 is going to be much easier to install and work with. I still only get 3gb/4gb ram usable in 64 bit. I suspect it's my dual graphics set up on my ageing Asus A8n Sli causing that. Skipped Vista entirely so far.

 At leat the OS REPORTS 4gb installed.

My set up is A8N Sli Deluxe
4Gb Corsair
AMD 64 4800x2 running at 2.6Ghz
dual 8800GTs (Not a dual card fan but had to try it. AH doesn't like it but that's something in my set up)
XP Pro/Win 7 64 Dual boot
20" NEC Multisync 2070NX

[skribetm]

So as a main os is it more efficient than vista or is it just as much of a hog as far as using so many resources?

in my system, w7(x-64) boots faster than xp-pro/64 by 3 full seconds. i use it as my only o/s in the house. i'll be using it until they come out with the retail box. the beta expires on august 1, but i think "slmgr -rearm" allows for the user to extend evaluation for 120 days more.

antec 902 case
amd phIIx4 940 3.0GHz
mushkin ddr2 1066MHz 4GB
asus m3a79-t motherboard
asus dk ati-radeon 4870 1GB GDDR5
asus blu-ray
seagate 500GB/32MB cache
silverstone da-1000 power supply

read over the reviews for w7(google). i've been using it for a while and in my experience, it is way better than vista. i love the new taskbar.

ah2 plays flawlessly, by the way. and so does counterstrike:source, half-life:2, team fortress, WOW, and COD:WOW.

ht/aces high needs to get listed at steamgames.com, or at impulsedriven.com, both are great gaming content delivery systems.

[Chalenge]

Thanks for the insight Llama.

There are things about W7 that still irk me, but it is better than Vista could ever be.  I figure to give them at least 6 to 8 months, after release, before considering it a serious replacement OS for me.

Service pack 1 again? 

[Skuzzy]

It seems to take them about that much time to get things stable after they rush it out the door.  W7 is on the fast track.  Microsoft wants to put Vista behind them.  To be reminded of that debacle everyday has to be hard on the folks working there.

Anyway, with the rush, I figure it would be smart to wait a bit.