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Belkin's refreshed Easy Transfer Cable makes Windows 7 migration a little too easy

by Darren Murph posted Oct 8th 2009 at 5:42AM

Okay, so maybe nothing can really be too easy, but Belkin's really stretching things by asserting that you need a dedicated cable to use Windows Easy Transfer, an application bundled with Windows 7 and detailed by yours truly right here. At any rate, you may recall that this very outfit milked the whole upgrade situation in a similar fashion when Vista hit the scene, and now a slightly redesigned version is out to transfer files easily between your existing Vista / XP-based machines and what will become your new Windows 7 system. Of course, this thing's really only important if you're buying a new Win7 machine rather than upgrading the rig you already own, and if you're willing to pay $39.99 to have your hand held through the migration process, you can be our guest on October 23rd.

Continue reading Belkin's refreshed Easy Transfer Cable makes Windows 7 migration a little too easy

XP Mode is ready, will be a free download on October 22

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 2nd 2009 at 6:29AM

Microsoft Download Center, October 22 -- add that to your already-busy Windows 7 release party itinerary. That'll be the quickest and most painless way to enrich your hot new OS with the now finalized code for XP Mode, a virtualized Windows XP environment for those who just can't let go of their legacy software. The solitary hitch is that you'll need to have purchased a copy of Windows 7 Professional or higher to get in on the fun, but you already knew that, right? Oh, and you might also want to check that your hardware manufacturer hasn't disabled virtualization as part of some overzealous security / party-pooping measure.

[Via Ars Technica; Thanks, Eugen]

Sinchun's 8.9-inch UMPC-891A holds onto the past with XP

by Paul Miller posted Sep 15th 2009 at 5:17AM

Sinchun got the price right: 2999 Yuan (about $439 US), and the netbook-style specs make a lot of sense for this form factor. Unfortunately, Windows XP does not. Paired up against a stylus-driven 1024 x 600 touchscreen, Atom processor, 1GB of RAM and a variety of smallish SSD options, there's plenty of room for 7's touch enhancements to shine on the UMPC-891A -- but not enough expanse for them to choke up. Of course, there's nothing stopping you from slapping it on yourself. The biggest point of caution here is the 2 hour quoted battery life -- let's hope the Archos 9pctablet brings us a truly helpful amount of battery life in the UMPC space.

[Via Cloned In China]

Kohjinsha's 11.6-inch EX6 convertible tablet says XP, means Windows 7

by Thomas Ricker posted Aug 20th 2009 at 3:36AM

With Windows 7 on the horizon, multi-touch support in tow, people are suddenly interested in tablets all over again; a form factor that didn't quite revolutionize portable computing as envisioned by an enthusiastic Bill Gates showing that first prototype way back in 2001. And with an Apple event just weeks away (presumably), fanboys of both persuasions seem convinced that tablets are once more the future of mobile computing. Manufacturers are certainly on board. Case in point: Kohjinsha, that just announced its EX6 convertible tablet with 1366x768 pixels slathered across a 11.6-inch LED-backlit ~~capacitive~~ resistive touchscreen. Inside you'll find a 1.6GHz Atom N270 and 945GSE chipset, up to 2GB of memory and 160GB of disk, 802.11n WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, a pair of front and back-facing cameras, 2600mAh battery, 2x USB, and slots for SDHC/microSDHC, ExpressCard 34 cards, and even DVDs. Unfortunately, it'll be shipped with XP when it hits retail at the end of this month for ¥59,800 (about $635) -- something we expect you'll rectify on October 22nd. As to whether it'll support multi-touch under Win7, well, anybody see the appropriate sticker?

How-To: Install Windows 7 and live to tell about it

by Tim Stevens posted Aug 11th 2009 at 6:40PM

So you're thinking about going to Windows 7, eh? Chances are your head is swimming in a sea of TLAs and confusing charts -- enough to have the most adamant Microsoft defender reaching for a something with an Option key. Fear not, noble purchaser of legal software. Though XP users have been punished for skipping Vista by not being able to directly upgrade now, the process of backing up your data, formatting and installing Windows, and then restoring your goods again has never been easier -- even if you're on a netbook with less storage than your smartphone. Vista users have even less to worry about. We'll have our full impressions of the finally finalized OS later this week, but for now let's journey hand in hand down the gently sloped path of the upgrade process.

Continue reading How-To: Install Windows 7 and live to tell about it

Sony laptops can't use Windows 7's XP mode due to disabled hardware virtualization

by Nilay Patel posted Aug 10th 2009 at 1:15AM

Bad news for VAIO owners out there hoping to use Windows 7's XP mode or run any other hardcore virtual machine applications -- Sony disables the required hardware virtualization features of its laptops for "security reasons." That means XP Mode won't work on any VAIOs, but there's hope yet: Sony's Xavier Lauwaert says that the company will re-enable VT on "select models." We'll see what that means going forward -- XP Mode is a niche feature, but it's still pretty lame for Sony to be intentionally disabling hardware features.

Read - The Register
Read - Xavier's post on the Windows Partner Blog (scroll down to his comment)

[Via Sony Insider]

Official Windows 7 upgrade chart is ridiculous

by Nilay Patel posted Aug 6th 2009 at 4:29PM

This is seriously Microsoft's Windows 7 upgrade chart, and it's ridiculous. It manages to highlight the insanity of shipping multiple OS versions while totally minimizing the good news: most Vista users will be able to upgrade in place to the corresponding 32- or 64-bit version of 7. That should cover the vast majority of people running Vista, but if you're still on XP or you're trying to do anything out of the ordinary you'd better get ready for some pain: all those ominous blue boxes require you to back up, wipe your drive, and reinstall a totally clean copy of 7. You heard that right -- the Windows 7 installer won't even try to retain your data and programs if you're not updating from the corresponding version of Vista. Pretty lame move, considering Microsoft is currently selling millions of copies of XP on netbooks and will sell XP downgrades until 2011 -- sure, we get that most netbook owners aren't going to spring for 7, but it's insane that you can't just pop in a disc and upgrade. Of course, now that 7's been released to manufacturing and the final bits are available there's not much to be done, so let's all just take a moment to contemplate the fact that Ed Bott at ZDNet managed to totally outdo Redmond's infographics people with a much friendlier chart with "about an hour" of work -- check it below.

Read - Original chart at AllThingsD
Read - Ed Bott's revised chart

Continue reading Official Windows 7 upgrade chart is ridiculous

Microsoft giving Europeans with Windows XP and Vista choice of browser, too

by Ross Miller posted Jul 29th 2009 at 12:33AM

As it turns out, it won't just be Windows 7 that'll be giving Europeans a choice of what web browser to use. In fact, the lengths that Microsoft is going to appease the European Commission is quite extreme. Ars Technica did some digging and here's the fine print of the proposal. Within three to six months of the EC's approval, an update will be sent out to Europeans with Windows XP and Vista, labeled "high priority" or "important." User who install the update and have Internet Explorer as the default browser will see the ballot screen on next log in, which will show up to ten different browsers with at least a 0.5 percent share of the market in the European Economic Area (EEA). Users can then choose to download something new, ignore the screen, or defer until an indefinite time in the future. Windows 7 users will get the ballot update within two weeks of the Commission's decision or by its October 22nd launch, whichever comes second. Extreme? You betcha -- but we can't argue over having more choice.

[Thanks, Adrian]

Acer's dual-boot Android and XP netbook launching in August?

by Thomas Ricker posted Jul 13th 2009 at 5:39AM

You remember Android right, Google's other OS that actually exists? Well, Acer's set to launch what could be the world's first Android-based netbook in August. At least that's what DigiTimes is reporting second-hand via Chinese-language Apple Daily. While two suspect sources won't turn a rumor into fact, Acer's already on record with plans for an Android netbook in Q3 in dual-boot XP configurations. So hearing that Quanta and Compal will have these out smack in the middle of the quarter isn't much of a stretch.

BenQ S6 MID back for vengeance... XP-style

by Nilay Patel posted Jul 12th 2009 at 7:33PM

The BenQ S6 MID didn't exactly light the world on fire when it was launched back in 2008, and although we assumed it had faded into irrelevance along with the rest of the category, it looks like the company's bringing it back -- preloaded with Windows XP instead of Linux. It actually makes a certain insane kind of sense, since the S6 is built on an Atom processor, but we're just not sure anyone wants to pay $424 for XP on a 4.8-inch screen with an 800MHz processor -- especially since you'll have to fly to Taiwan to pick one up. On the other hand, can you really put a price on "100% Web Experience?"

[Via Pocketables]

Bristol's ViewSurfer TVs let you use XP from 10 feet away

by Thomas Ricker posted Jul 6th 2009 at 3:58AM

Face it, we're not normal. Most consumers don't want to convert their home PCs into media centers. That doesn't stop them from wanting a single device serving as both their TV and PC, however. That's where the 22- and 32-inch Bristol ViewSurfer PC/TVs carve out their niche. Each set features a FreeView tuner and an integrated, netbook-like, Atom-based Windows XP computer with 160GB of storage, 1GB of memory, 4x USB, and Ethernet. The PC lacks integrated WiFi, oddly enough, and the TV seems to function in complete isolation from the computer processing -- so no integrated DVR, for example. The £500 (about $814) 22-inch model does feature a 1680 x 1050 pixel resolution, well above the 1024 x 600 display found in most netbooks. Not that you'll be pushing Flash-based video from YouTube or BBC's iPlayer full-screen as these ViewSurfers are undoubtedly saddled with Intel's integrated 945GSE netbook graphics. Bristol remains mum about the specs on the 32 incher. Available in October if you're still game.

Microsoft extends XP downgrade availability to 2011. When will it end?

by Donald Melanson posted Jun 19th 2009 at 1:53PM

Hold onto your hats folks, 'cause Microsoft has just done the unthinkable and extended availability of its Windows XP downgrade option, again. This latest move, of course, follows complaints that new licensing issues with Windows 7 could cause some serious headaches for businesses still hanging onto XP, and basically force them to either stock up on XP-ready systems before April 23rd, 2010 or face the possibility of Vista-only downgrades thereafter. The new deadline isn't quite as clear cut as past ones, however, with Microsoft saying only that the XP downgrade option will be available for 18 months after the release of Windows 7, "or until the release of a Windows 7 service pack, whichever is sooner." So, as ComputerWorld notes, if Microsoft pushes an SP1 update out the door six months after Windows 7 is released, folks could well be out of luck yet again -- at least until Microsoft sets a new deadline, that is.

[Via Electronista]

Windows 7 licensing situation a "disaster" for businesses?

by Donald Melanson posted Jun 18th 2009 at 2:35AM

Doom and gloom warnings about a new Microsoft operating system from some corners sure aren't anything new, but it looks like a particular licensing issue with Windows 7 could well cause some serious headaches for businesses transitioning from Windows XP. As InfoWorld reports, as things stand now, businesses that buy PCs before April 23, 2010 with Windows 7 preinstalled will have the option to downgrade them to Windows XP, which will let them upgrade to Windows 7 whenever they're finally ready to make the transition. Businesses that buy Windows 7-loaded PCs on or after April 23rd, however, will only have the option to downgrade to Windows Vista which, as Gartner analyst Michael Silver notes, is obviously of little help to XP-based organizations. Of course, Windows 7 does have its much talked about XP Mode, but Silver says that won't help many businesses since their IT departments would still be faced with the added workload resulting from managing a whole new OS. There are, however, a few workarounds, like Microsoft's Software Assurance Program, but those all involve an added cost, added work, or both.

Mtube II mixes an Android tablet with an XP netbook

by Nilay Patel posted Jun 5th 2009 at 1:07PM

Been thinking about settling down with an XP netbook but can't get the idea of an Android tablet out of your mind? We understand your pain -- and so does Taiwan's Institute for Information Industry, which is showing off the Mtube II netbook / tablet at Computex. The slick remix of an HP Mini 1000 runs XP when in netbook configuration, but then switches over to Android on an unspecified ARM processor when the screen is pulled off and used as a tablet. Yes, it's basically the product most of us have daydreamed about for ages -- much like the Touch Book -- but there are some tradeoffs here: first, the Atom in the netbook base has been swapped for a VIA C7-M, so it's not exactly a rocket, and second, the screen is connected by VNC, so video performance isn't going to be all that great. We're hoping the additional year of development III says it needs will solve some of those problems, but until then you know we'll be doodling this thing all through math class. Videos after the break.

Continue reading Mtube II mixes an Android tablet with an XP netbook

Best Buy memo explains that Vista doesn't work, details Windows 7 upgrade plans

by Darren Murph posted Jun 5th 2009 at 11:44AM

Ouch. We're guessing this is one that the suits at Best Buy would like to have back. A leaked company memo detailing how the retailer will handle Windows 7 upgrades has accidentally given the world a tasty tidbit to opine upon. The note starts off as such:

"Microsoft is launching Windows 7 in mid-October 2009. This new operating system isn't just a "Vista that works" program - it's a new operating system with improved productivity, functionality and creativity that uses less computer resources."

Never mind the fact that we never knew an OS could posses "improved productivity" -- how about admitting that Vista, in effect, doesn't "work." Moving on, the note also makes clear that any PC sold with Vista Home Premium, Business or Ultimate between June 26th and the Windows 7 launch day (October 22nd) will be eligible for a free upgrade to Win7. Better still, the individual OSes also qualify for the update, and starting on June 26th, Best Buy will begin "pre-selling" the Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade ($49.99) and the Windows 7 Professional Upgrade ($99.99). Have a look at the full letter below, and if you've come here for advice, here's the best we've got: don't buy a PC at Best Buy until June 26th.