Windows 7

Stephen · 09-04-2009 08:39PM

One of my colleagues has Win7 working fine on an old IBM Thinkpad with 512MB of RAM.

watty · 09-04-2009 09:37PM

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

That's bull. The new taskbar, the search box in the start menu, libraries and better 64 bit support are some very good features that aren't in xp. I'm sure there are others but they are the only ones I can think up off the top of my head. Vista was meant to be more secure and more modular but I have no idea how true that is.

Those are marketing. Not actual new functionality. Not worth paying even €1 for.

watty · 09-04-2009 09:40PM

Stephen wrote: »

One of my colleagues has Win7 working fine on an old IBM Thinkpad with 512MB of RAM.

And I had NT3.51 Server working fine on 12M RAM 386, and XP Fine on a IBM 300MHz Celeron with 128M RAM. But not exactly exciting.

I'd prefer linpus on a new €150 Aspire to buying Win7 retail for an old laptop.

AlmightyCushion · 09-04-2009 10:17PM

watty wrote: »

Those are marketing. Not actual new functionality. Not worth paying even €1 for.

How are they not new functionality and direct x 10 is?

Amalgam · 09-04-2009 11:45PM

I was in shock a few months back, having inherited a HP Pavilion DV9910US with no official support for XP drivers. I couldn't believe how stodgy Vista was, I just got this sensation of trudging through snow when using it. A permanently lit HD light and a need to disable most of the 'new features' just to get the laptop working like XP on a Barton 2500 I have elsewhere in the house. A dual core processor laptop with 3GB memory and an nVidia card, not my idea of progress.

I got my serial for Windows 7 this morning and things seem better, but only relative to Vista. The Barton in the back room still gives me a better hands on feeling and Firefox 3 is snappier on it.

Considering how many computers, nettops, netbooks and full desktops are being kitted out with Atom (in order?) CPU's and the like, there's still going to be a lot of whingeing.

Some of the network dialogue settings stick now, thank feck.

No sign of a decent network activity icon, they've had enough time to think that one over..

I'd love to know how large commercial enterprises view the direction Microsoft has taken over the last few years.

10-04-2009 12:20AM

I managed to get my Dell Studio 1737 running XP by doing some research. Everything's working except the Dell IR remote but a standard MCE one works. I don't think there is a way of getting it to work either.

The thing I can't get over is the RAM usage in Vista and 7. Right now on XP I'm running IE7, MSN and Outlook Express on 393MB. Vista (even with SuperFetch off) would use at least three times that amount. What's it all being used for?

Dardania · 10-04-2009 08:34AM

watty wrote: »

And I had NT3.51 Server working fine on 12M RAM 386, and XP Fine on a IBM 300MHz Celeron with 128M RAM. But not exactly exciting.

I'd prefer linpus on a new €150 Aspire to buying Win7 retail for an old laptop.

Watty - have you tried Windows 7 Beta?

Peteee · 10-04-2009 05:53PM

watty wrote: »

It's not a new OS kernel either, but a hack of the kernel that they badly compromised in changing from NT3.51 to NT4.0.

What compromises are these? The one I know of is moving the graphics, printer and server subsystems into the kernel to improve performance.

I know that in Vista they moved the graphics subsystem back into userland. I also know that the printer stack got a big overhaul and I presume they moved it out to userland too.

But I used to run XP fine on a PIII 833MHz 512M RAM.

That PC has over twice the RAM and almost 3 times the CPU power as the 'recommended' spec for XP.

I have WRITTEN OSes and programmed security applications. There is no "architecting" or design of security on Vista/Win7, it's a Kludge.

If you want an OS secure by design forget Mac, Win, Linux, Solaris, UNIX. Get deep pockets and start designing. You can't bolt it in after.

And ban use of C and C++ for all OS & driver coding too.

What do you propose using instead? Of course the security on all these OS's are kludges, when most of these were designed the internet was fairly non existent.

karsini wrote:

The thing I can't get over is the RAM usage in Vista and 7. Right now on XP I'm running IE7, MSN and Outlook Express on 393MB. Vista (even with SuperFetch off) would use at least three times that amount. What's it all being used for?

Its actually using your RAM for useful things like precaching applications you use most (Which is released again if something actually needs to use the RAM). Empty RAM is wasted RAM.

Heres a good explanation of it http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000688.html

Edit: Hmm I just see you have SuperFetch off. Even so non used RAM is wasted RAM, I'm sure its doing something useful with it

Unregistered. · 10-04-2009 06:16PM

Peteee wrote: »

.... Even so non used RAM is wasted RAM, I'm sure its doing something useful with it

That's what they want you to think!!:pac:

Dardania · 10-04-2009 08:10PM

Amalgam wrote: »

I was in shock a few months back, having inherited a HP Pavilion DV9910US with no official support for XP drivers. I couldn't believe how stodgy Vista was, I just got this sensation of trudging through snow when using it. A permanently lit HD light and a need to disable most of the 'new features' just to get the laptop working like XP on a Barton 2500 I have elsewhere in the house. A dual core processor laptop with 3GB memory and an nVidia card, not my idea of progress.

I got my serial for Windows 7 this morning and things seem better, but only relative to Vista. The Barton in the back room still gives me a better hands on feeling and Firefox 3 is snappier on it.

Considering how many computers, nettops, netbooks and full desktops are being kitted out with Atom (in order?) CPU's and the like, there's still going to be a lot of whingeing.

Some of the network dialogue settings stick now, thank feck.

No sign of a decent network activity icon, they've had enough time to think that one over..

I'd love to know how large commercial enterprises view the direction Microsoft has taken over the last few years.

Miss the flashing network icon alright...

Running win 7 on an atom netbook and i find it quite good actually...

Amalgam · 11-04-2009 01:01PM

I don't want to start a discussion that might end up with bitter lemons, but I don't feel the computer cycles are used in my favour with this new OS..

I have no preferences, I will use what needs to get the task done, XP, Ubuntu, OSX, whatever is at hand, but I will not accept software that uses up resources just to look good or maintain a framework of DRM or some similar tat running in the background.

I am grateful for Vista, I would have never dabbled with Linux in the last year.

quarryman · 12-04-2009 01:16AM

Been playing around with Windows7 for a few days now. Decided to take the plunge and install it as my main OS. Seems extremely stable so far, the only additional drivers I had to install were the graphics, touchpad and wireless i think.

Anyway, anyone got any tips or tweaks or new features that i may not have spotted yet?

watty · 12-04-2009 10:25AM

Bit premature as you will likely have to wipe and re-install when final version is released next January.

It's not wise to use Time-limited, Beta, RC, Trial etc versions as a "main OS".

quarryman · 12-04-2009 12:09PM

watty wrote: »

Bit premature as you will likely have to wipe and re-install when final version is released next January.

It's not wise to use Time-limited, Beta, RC, Trial etc versions as a "main OS".

meh.

Unregistered. · 12-04-2009 12:53PM

watty wrote: »

Bit premature as you will likely have to wipe and re-install when final version is released next January.

It's not wise to use Time-limited, Beta, RC, Trial etc versions as a "main OS".

100% mortgages are not wise. Beta versions as a main OS can be an inconvenience at most.

quarryman · 12-04-2009 01:03PM

indeed. January is 9 months away. It takes 20 minutes to backup and 15 to install. Not exactly life and death here.

Dardania · 13-04-2009 02:55PM

watty wrote: »

Bit premature as you will likely have to wipe and re-install when final version is released next January.

It's not wise to use Time-limited, Beta, RC, Trial etc versions as a "main OS".

That's after Christmas - I wouldn't mind that if I could live on the wild side until then ;-)

Watty - have you actually tried the Windows 7 beta yet? I'm starting to feel silly here asking the same question over & over - it's almost as though I'm being ignored ...

Unregistered. · 13-04-2009 03:01PM

Dardania wrote: »

That's after Christmas - I wouldn't mind that if I could live on the wild side until then ;-)

Watty - have you actually tried the Windows 7 beta yet? I'm starting to feel silly here asking the same question over & over - it's almost as though I'm being ignored ...

Or that he's ignoring the question rather....

watty · 14-04-2009 10:41AM

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/14/windows_7_rollout_delay/comments/

Peteee · 14-04-2009 01:08PM

watty wrote: »

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/14/windows_7_rollout_delay/comments/

Did you even read the article?

[quote= http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/14/windows_7_rollout_delay/]
"A poll of 1,100 Windows customers has found 84 per cent won't be adopting the successor to Windows Vista during the next twelve months."

"That, in part, is good news because it means a return to normal adoption: businesses typically delay rolling out the latest version of Windows by at least a year and half so software and hardware compatibility can catch up, and so they can do their own tests."

"Eighty three per cent of organizations said they would jump straight from Windows XP to Windows 7."[/quote]

You'd swear everyone dropped 98 and 2000 and adopted XP as soon as it was released. XP was pretty rubbish up until SP2 in 2003, but everyone forgets this because it was so long ago.

Gonzovision · 15-04-2009 09:13AM

Has anybody tried the <snip> version of 7 yet?

NO WAREZ

READ THE CHARTER

cpu-dude · 15-04-2009 09:30AM

gonzovision wrote: »

Yep thats the one. I've been using it on my laptop for about a week. Quite impressed to be honest. Will put the 64bit on the pc I think. I find the right click menu to be very handy in it. Lots of things there by default which I would have used actually.

The version I got doesn't actually have the installed apps listed above.

They're probably in a seperate folder within the ISO. Can we see a few screenshots of how it looks? Especially the right click menu. Thanks!

Gonzovision · 15-04-2009 09:46AM

They probably are alright. Laziness eh?

mmmm paint looks different, hadn't notice

3444385656_c5fae4fb4f.jpg?v=0

Capt'n Midnight · 15-04-2009 09:59AM

Please read the charter - No Warez !

AntiRip · 15-04-2009 09:59AM

Well, coming from a person that detests vista and even reformatted their hard drive on new laptop and installed xp instead, I love windows 7. I dual booted my laptop xp/win7 and although I still continued on using xp for awhile , bit by bit I crept over to win7. I guess the more I used it and installed more and more programs I'm now a full time user of it. It's much more less sluggish and bug free than Vista even though its beta:rolleyes:.

I even installed optional updates a few minutes ago for my graphics card and no problems. When I did this in Vista I kept getting the blue screen of death.

I'm only sorry now that I put it into a 30gb partition, that I didn't half my hard drive into 80gb/80gb.

I really didn't think anything would shift me from my beloved XP but Windows 7 certainly have!

Ru · 15-04-2009 10:18AM

I’m genuinely annoyed with Microsoft for windows 7.... i paid a pile of cash for vista ultimate x64 for my main rig and while I’ve had few problems, the problems I have had have been erratic and annoying. I tried W7 x64 build 7077 on an old VAIO (VGN-FE41S) and its bloody fast. The only problem I’ve had so far is that it won’t install ONE of the vaio programs...... the wireless switch utility; however the Bluetooth and wireless work perfectly anyway, i just have two icons instead of one!!!!

I recently did a complete re-install of Vista as my HDD was causing problems and i like to re-install every year... now i’m wondering should i scrap vista and go for the beta W7.......

ethernet · 15-04-2009 02:15PM

Ru wrote: »

I’m genuinely annoyed with Microsoft for windows 7.... i paid a pile of cash for vista ultimate x64 for my main rig and while I’ve had few problems, the problems I have had have been erratic and annoying. I tried W7 x64 build 7077 on an old VAIO (VGN-FE41S) and its bloody fast. The only problem I’ve had so far is that it won’t install ONE of the vaio programs...... the wireless switch utility; however the Bluetooth and wireless work perfectly anyway, i just have two icons instead of one!!!!

I recently did a complete re-install of Vista as my HDD was causing problems and i like to re-install every year... now i’m wondering should i scrap vista and go for the beta W7.......

You're better off. That crappy wireless utility is pants. Had to uninstall it from every Vaio I've seen as it didn't work right. Use the built-in Windows support.

Give it a spin if you want; nothing to lose (except data)

Capt'n Midnight · 15-04-2009 02:18PM

Yeah I have to agree with wireless utils being pants. Far too many connect automatically rather than making it optional.

seraphimvc · 19-04-2009 06:10PM

hmmm forget about this thread and after i continue to read on the older and latest posts lol i am eagerly of wanna try a W7 now!!

any1 in Belfield/UCD area can show me your W7 on laptop would be great

my laptop is a T8100 C2D 2.1Ghz with default X3100,4Gb RAM.Hate the gayness of the need to turn off the aero effect/UAC/tweak abit to run my laptop well(still with lag sometimes when back from hibernation/heavy duty).imagine that i am running Xp on it,ffs Vista.Safely removed hardware thing/and the new GUI in Vista are the two things that i like about vista.but i can use the EasyEject utility comes with my laptop or change a Windows Style/transbar to have a fancy surface on Xp.Superfetch didnt really impress me at all(i cant see any improved performance tbh),the good use of ram thingy is just a con isnt it?:pac:

i think this is a cycle in the OS/hardware world.remember our 'good spec' pc with 128 ram couldnt run a Xp well back then?we were so angry and slapping the poor Xp.I believe Vista is sorta a same case.but the rushing out of W7 to the market is certainly a catch there:Vista is a sick child?Maybe i should wait awhile for Sp2 of Vista

Rattlehead_ie · 20-04-2009 10:28AM

The RC has been released to MSDN / TechNet accounts with an official public availability to all on the 5th of May.

Currently running Build 7077 and have felt no need to upgrade to the RC as of yet (this build is pretty close to RC anyway)

seraphimvc : I've run this OS on the UCD network and works perfectly with no issue on a Samsung NC10 netbook, 512RAM and a 1GHz Atom CPU with Norton Suite 2009 and not a bit of an issue, its smooth so defo your machine would be happy out running it.

Windows 7

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