windows 7
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Windows 7 gets installed on MacBook Pro, explained
We've already seen an early version of Windows 7 installed on a MacBook Pro, but with a brand new, more widely available beta now flooding the internets, there's no doubt quite a few more folks ready to give it a try themselves and, naturally, some have already done just that. Thankfully, there's also some how-tos starting to pop up, and it looks like the entire process is relatively painless, albeit still entirely at your own risk. Hit up the link below for one fairly straightforward walkthrough, and head on past the break for a video of the latest beta in action on a unibody MacBook Pro.
VAIO P, now with more Windows 7
We just couldn't help ourselves, and put this Windows 7 .iso we had lying around exactly where it belongs: on Sony's VAIO P. After mucking around on "the internet" figuring out the best way to install it, we ended up going the lazy route and dragging / dropping the plain files onto a folder on a USB drive, hitting setup.exe and watching the installer do its magic -- and it worked flawlessly! We weren't timing it or anything, but we'd say 45 minutes or so is a good guesstimate for the install. A few thoughts: It boots fast! Not that Vista was that bad on the boot front, but we're pretty happy with this. No Aero. That's to be expected, but the lack of transparency and visual effects makes the OS look quite a bit different than most of the screenshots out there. It's very responsive. To be honest, a lot of that could be from the fact that this is a clean install, minus all the crap Sony loads on. Still, we're very happy for the start menu to pop open instantly, windows to redraw like God intended... it's pretty great. Browsing is 100% better. Internet Explorer pops open in a flash, and pages load in times nearly on comparison with "real" computers. Also, scrolling is ultra smooth, whereas with Vista it was stuttery all the way down. There's a lot more to explore. We've just scratched the surface, but we love what we've seen so far. Update: both videos are after the break!Update 2: for those who've asked: yes, the webcam works, and no, we haven't had any luck getting Aero up and running, though we have the video drivers loaded -- we're not saying it's impossible, in fact, it's likely very possible, since plenty of other similarly specced netbooks can pull it off, but it's just not happening for us just yet.%Gallery-41532%
Microsoft puts full-scale Windows 7 Beta back in action
Nice going, guys and girls. You had officially brought the servers that Microsoft used to host up Windows 7 Beta on to their knees. According to a statement received from the company by ComputerWorld, Microsoft had to put things on hold for some time in order to "add some infrastructure support to Microsoft.com properties." The spokeswoman continued by saying that the company "wanted to ensure that customers had the best possible experience when downloading the Beta." Now, however, we're receiving word that everything is back in action, so we'd suggest getting those bits and bytes a-flowin' before we end up in the very same position again. [Via Digg]
Windows 7 Beta goes public
But this time, you don't have to head over to your favorite torrent tracker to get it. Microsoft just began its Windows 7 Beta Customer Preview Program, which means you can head on over to your favorite internet, download the ISO, burn a DVD and start living the ultra-fantastic lifestyle of a Windows 7 user. The Beta expires August 1, 2009, and Microsoft is of course piling on the caveats in case this destroys your computer with fire -- and limiting this first run of downloads to 2.5 million users. We're hearing reports of sluggish downloads at the moment, but we're sure with a bit of patience you can be rocking this OS -- or, you know... find it on the torrents.Update: Oops. Microsoft's Windows 7 download servers have crashed under the strain as has the Microsoft blog reporting the crash. We'll let you know when the servers (and Windows 7 beta) return.%Gallery-41385%
WoW's EULA and Blizzard's OS support
Cory Doctorow posted on Boing Boing the other day about WoW's EULA being unreadable when installing the game on Linux. And obviously he's right -- Linux doesn't always have the font that Blizzard's installer uses, and so when you try to run it on Linux, you get gibberish, at least during installation. But there's more to this story here -- running WoW on Linux is actually unsupported by Blizzard: you can do it, and it's not against the EULA or ToS (in fact, Blizzard actually worked with the WINE guys to make sure the game ran correctly), but obviously any issues you have are an "at your own risk" kind of situation. So Doctorow's pretty much out of luck (or in luck as the case may be -- it's unlikely a EULA could be enforced on an unsupported system).And Linux isn't the only unsupported major OS out there -- Microsoft will release the beta of Windows 7, the new version of Windows, into the wild on January 10th, and Blizzard has made it clear that they won't support that, either, at least until it gets out of beta and into a release state. Of course, Microsoft has an interest in making sure old versions of Windows software work with the new OS, but if you only have one computer and absolutely need to play WoW on it, you should stay away from Windows 7 until the bugs are ironed out.Then again, there are worse OSes to deal with.
Microsoft CES ninja booth tour: hello Windows 7
It was already a fair bet that Steve Ballmer will be talking about Windows 7 during his CES keynote tonight, especially after the beta keys leaked but we'd say the odds just got better: we just hit up the Microsoft booth a little early and spotted a prominent 7 display. We were hustled out before we got a chance to dig further, but we were certainly intrigued by the black cloth covering up the Windows Mobile display -- we doubt it means anything, but maybe Ballms has some WinMo 7 action to show off as well. Check it in the gallery!%Gallery-40945%
Microsoft announces availability of Windows 7 Beta and Windows Live
The wait is over, folks. Sir Steve Ballmer has announced the availability of Windows 7 Beta and Windows Live here at his CES keynote. The official word is this: "The beta version of Windows 7, Microsoft's next-generation PC operating system, can be downloaded today by MSDN, TechBeta and TechNet customers. Consumers who want to test-drive the beta will be able to download it beginning January 9 at http://www.microsoft.com/windows7." Moreover, Windows Live -- described as "a free suite of communications and sharing applications that make it easy for people to communicate, share and keep their online lives in sync and in one place with one login -- is now globally available. Oh, and did we mention that January 9th is this Friday? Huzzah!
Fresh-baked Windows 7 beta keys now available through MSDN?
Got an MSDN subscription? Interested in checking out Windows 7 without engaging in any shady downloading? According to some tips we're receiving, keys are available right now through official channels -- and they even work. Mr. Ballmer was widely expected to announce the release of the (so far quite well-received) OS into public beta at his keynote speech later tonight, so you might say they've let the cat out of the bag a little early on this one. Give it a try, if you would, and let us know what you find. Sadly our subscriptions were revoked for posting silly pictures of a certain CEO. Update: Seems it's gone. We'll just have to wait for the official word. You know where you can find it. [Thanks, Wayne S.]
Windows 7 beta 64-bit version leaked just in time for Steve Ballmer's keynote
It looks like the usual suspects are at it again, showing their baldfaced contempt for copyright law by disseminating a 64-bit version of the Windows 7 beta. When we saw the 32-bit version a couple weeks ago things looked pretty good, outperforming Vista and XP in "real world" tasks, so we're hoping that its older brother performs on the same level. There's a strong possibility that the public beta will be announced at tonight's keynote, and if it is Engadget will be on hand to dish out all the gory details.
Windows 7 build 7000 already outperforming Vista and XP in "real-world" tasks
You might've heard that crazy rumor making the rounds that Microsoft leaked the Windows 7 beta on purpose to build some positive buzz, and while there's no real evidence (or likelihood) of that of any sort, the seemingly-magical build 7000 is certainly doing well for itself. Following up on wide praise for the fledgling OS, ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes pitted the beta up against XP and Vista in some informal "real-word" tasks like boot up, shut down, file maneuvers, installations and other common tasks. On both test systems, an AMD Phenom 9700 setup and an Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2200 number (with ATI and NVIDIA graphics, respectively), the Windows 7 install soundly bested XP and Vista task by task, with few exceptions. Performance testing is never an exact science, but it's clear that Microsoft is taking performance very seriously this time around -- we can't wait for the next conveniently-leaked beta to bolster this rep even further. Next on the benchmarking agenda? Real World: Brooklyn tasks.[Via Ars Technica]
Windows 7 beta tested, photo'd, deemed 'massive improvement' over Vista
Yes, Virginia, there's a leaked copy of Windows 7 beta floating around, and if you aren't the type to "break the law" and check it out yourself, the folks at Tech Cast News have made for you a picture-laden walkthrough of the installation process and some of the OS's new features, including Alt+Tab doppelganger Aero Peek, the icon-only Taskbar interface, and the Smart Folder-esque Libraries. Overall, they found the beta a major improvement over Vista and predict the final release will put Microsoft in consumers' good graces again. Here's hoping that apparent January beta release comes to fruition so we can sweep that other OS under the rug a little bit faster.Update: Looks like Tech Cast News is down, standby for innovative Ballmer-based conspiracy theories.Update 2: ... and it's back!
Windows 7 beta ISO leaked to internet, world
In case you hadn't heard: delicious, beautiful, mind-bending Windows 7 -- apparently slated for a beta release in January -- has leaked and is now available. That is, if you're willing to, you know, break the law and download the ISO that's floating around on BitTorrent trackers all over the place. The good news here is that the leak is apparently a quite stable, newer beta version (build 7000) than previously spied (6801). We wouldn't know, of course (we try to walk the straight and narrow), but let us know if you've got your hands on it... how's it treating you?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Quanta demos Optical Touch system with Windows 7
It's no secret that multi-touch support is one of the stand-out features of Windows 7, and it's also no surprise that plenty of companies seem eager to get in on the action, one of the latest which is uber-manufacturer Quanta Computer. Somewhat uniquely, however, Quanta is ditching the usual capacitive and resistive touch panels in favor of its new Optical Touch system, which simply uses two cameras placed at the top corners of the screen. That, Quanta says, still lets you perform all the usual multi-touch gestures in the same manner and, depending on the size of the display, could be significantly cheaper than a traditional touchscreen. Details on any actual products using the technology are expectedly a bit light at the moment, but Quanta says it plans to start mass production "soon," with some releases presumably planned to coincide with Windows 7's debut.[Via jkOnTheRun]
Mr. Blurrycam sneaks a peek at Windows 7's new boot video
Sure, you'll have to bide your time until at least January to get your hands on a proper beta of Windows 7, but why sweat out the wait for Redmond's latest and greatest when you can get a taste of the experience in naughty, low-res web video today? Video after the break.
Microsoft Windows 7 beta due out in January 2009?
Not even a full day after hearing that the Windows Vista / Server SP2 beta would be breaking loose for select individuals tomorrow, in flies word that a Windows 7 beta could be out and about as early as next month. Granted, this conjecture is far less written in stone, but on the official MSDN Developer Conference website we're told that "all attendees will receive a Windows 7 Beta 1 DVD." The events are scheduled to run from December to January, and given the whole "attendees at events scheduled for December will have DVDs mailed to them when they become available" coupled with the line we quoted before, it's a pretty safe bet that next month is it. Hang tight, Windows lovers -- your first real peek into the wide world of WinVII could be just around the bend.[Via PC World]
Windows 7 WARP system to allow for DirectX 10 CPU acceleration
We've already heard that Microsoft plans to make use of GPU acceleration in Windows 7, but it looks like the company is also going to be doing its part for the GPU-less out there, with the OS's new so-called WARP system promising to allow for DirectX 10 acceleration using nothing more than a plain old CPU. Among other things, that's apparently being done to avoid a recurrence of the Vista-capable debacle that happened last time around, when some systems that were said to be capable of running the OS were, in fact, anything but. According to Microsoft, WARP (or Windows Advanced Rasterization Platform) will work with as little as an 800MHz CPU, although it says it'll work better on multi-core processors with SSE 4.1. To really put it to the test, Microsoft apparently even went so far as to run a few Crysis benchmarks with the system, and managed to clock in a blistering 7.36 fps frame rate at 800 x 600 on a Core i7-equipped PC, which is actually slightly better than what Intel's current integrated graphics were able to eke out.
Engadget HD catches the Media Center DirecTV HDPC-20 in action
The crew over at Engadget HD was part of a tour of the Microsoft eHome lab and was lucky enough to catch the un-announced DirecTV HDPC-20 in testing. Unfortunately Microsoft wasn't ready to announce any new products and even reminded everyone that things in the lab don't always make it to market. But despite this, we still have our hopes up that we'll one day soon be able to watch DirecTV HD on Windows Media Center.
The Media Center DirecTV HDPC-20 caught in action
Microsoft invited us, with a few others, to tour the eHome team office and lab's and of all the great things we saw -- pictured in the gallery -- the one that got us the most excited was to see the rumored DirecTV HDPC-20 USB tuner in action. Our dreams were a little dashed though, as we were reminded on numerous occasions that although Microsoft tests lots of hardware, not everything makes it to market. So in other words, the presence of any hardware in the lab is no way an announcement of future products. But this here tuner wasn't the only thing we saw, as there were even a few indications that DISH Network was being tested as well, and while we did see DISH multi-switches and a DISH TV screen up on a Media Center PC, we didn't see any specific DISH equipment connected to Media Center. This could mean the tuners are internal or maybe the tuners were just cleared out before we came through. More pictures of the HDPC-20 in action after the jump. %Gallery-37347%
Windows 7 includes a driver for the DirecTV HDCP-20 USB tuner
We all have our hopes up that the elusive DirecTV HDPC-20 dual HD USB tuner for Windows Media Center will have support in Windows 7, but after three years of it being vaporware, we have our doubts. Things are looking up however as our friend Ed Bott found the little gem pictured above in the pre-beta version of Windows 7. This is easily convincing enough to make us confident that by next Christmas, we'll be able to finally enjoy H.264 encoded HD from DirecTV on Windows Media Center. And no, we don't expect this to be OEM only like ATI CableCARD tuners and if we were to guess, we'd say it'd cost about $200, but that's all speculation.
The Onion pits Snow Leopard against Windows 7, everyone wins
After that earlier piece on global e-waste, we thought you might want something to lighten the mood. Fortunately, The Onion is ready with a sardonic, blood-shot eye turned to the respective OS releases on the way from Cupertino and Redmond. Click on through for the full comparison while we pack up things from this lame, euro coffee shop. [Via Daring Fireball]
