@jetRink: What are the downsides of using the RC? If I install the RC, then they come out with the official retail release, should it be a seamless transition?
Would anyone recommend me avoiding putting this on my work machine and wait for the final release or at least RC2? Or do you think that because its an RC, its going to be reasonably stable and reliable enough? I don't mind about the odd glitch.
I'm just pretty fed up of the slowness and problems I've had with Vista (its been begging for a format anyway), and can't wait to give Win7 a whirl at work to see if it helps with productivity.
@jtj: Naturally, anything that isn't an official release should be treated with caution & without any guarantees - Even more so for work purposes.
That said, the Build 7000 beta has been surprisingly stable for me personally (much more than I expected beta-wise). I doubt RC1 would have any particularly major issues (although that's what RCs are for in the first place).
If you've got a spare PC you can use to test W7, you may want to give RC1 a try.
@Jonax: Unfortunately I haven't got a spare PC - at least, not one that'll run Windows 7. Might try dual-booting it, so I can always fall back if I run into serious problems.
@jtj: I've been using Windows 7 Beta Build 7100 as my primary OS on my VAIO since the release and have had no substantial problems other than the oddball piece of hardware that doesn't work because Sony didn't make a driver.
Basically, I can't transfer over Bluetooth. That's it. Otherwise, it indeed feels "snappier" than Vista Small Business, which ran just fine on it too.
You might want to go out and drop about $25 on RAM to max out the memory in your laptop, but that's about it.
Agreed, dissing apple will cause much worse problems. Once a PC user goes to the mac side they tend to stick there to the death. There's just some things PCs with Windows were meant to do that macs aren't made to do.
@xbrav: Yeah, lucky you. My sound card isn't supported on anything other than XP; the site says so, and Creative stands by that. So that's basically a dealbreaker. *sigh*
@Sri Ramanujam: @xbrav: Compatibility mode isn't just for software or for use after an install -- you can actually force some older drivers to install by running the installation file under compatibility mode. This might solve your issues, and actually is how I got a Creative Audigy 2 card working.
You do realize a XP -> Vista Home Premium upgrade is only $70 right? Ultimate is $140. (Which coincidentally is almost exactly that $100 upgrade path when averaged out.
@PreachingLlama: well, probably, but the same article that said that [www.computerworld.com] says: Microsoft said it was working on ways to help Windows XP users make the move, but it did not get more specific. "Microsoft plans to have other tools and ways to help people get through that process, but we don't have full details on that at this time," a company spokesman said today.
The technical merits of the 7 OS are moot at this point. Purely from a business perspective, it makes no sense to release a new OS at this time. The economy is tanking. Most of the MS market is business oriented, and no one is making large hardware purchases. Even if they are, they still have legacy machines that are going to need to use XP, because they don't have the horsepower for OS 7. It would make more sense to like release a $100 upgrade path to XP.7 or something that gives XP a shot in the arm with some of OS 7's new approaches, but won't require replacing all the boxes in your enterprise. Then do a better job honing the final release of OS 7, and get it ready for opening up when the economy recovers.
@Jim Halpert: The only issue I'm having is an occasional hang up of the trackpad but other than that I'm very happy with W7. I expect that should be resolved by the time the final version is released.
@OMG! Ponies!: agreed, without meaning to I sorta "moved in" to Win7. I still have an install of XP that is completely kitted out that I could use to do everything I need. But my girlfriend is really the only one that ever uses that XP install anymore (for Sims 2)...
I'm still really hoping that when they actually release the retail version there will be an option in the setup to install over a beta version...
@OMG! Ponies!: For the real thing you'll of course want a clean install, but people say the successive betas upgrade over each other so I'd assume the RC will, and that might be worth doing to get the benefits of the RC until the final release.
05/05/09
05/05/09
05/05/09
05/05/09
Really wanting to do this on my PC.
05/01/09
05/01/09
I'm just pretty fed up of the slowness and problems I've had with Vista (its been begging for a format anyway), and can't wait to give Win7 a whirl at work to see if it helps with productivity.
05/01/09
That said, the Build 7000 beta has been surprisingly stable for me personally (much more than I expected beta-wise). I doubt RC1 would have any particularly major issues (although that's what RCs are for in the first place).
If you've got a spare PC you can use to test W7, you may want to give RC1 a try.
05/01/09
05/01/09
Basically, I can't transfer over Bluetooth. That's it. Otherwise, it indeed feels "snappier" than Vista Small Business, which ran just fine on it too.
You might want to go out and drop about $25 on RAM to max out the memory in your laptop, but that's about it.
04/18/09
04/19/09
04/19/09
Agreed, dissing apple will cause much worse problems. Once a PC user goes to the mac side they tend to stick there to the death. There's just some things PCs with Windows were meant to do that macs aren't made to do.
04/19/09
Anyway, it doesn't matter, because Micro$haft will have to push mighty hard to get this son of a pig OS to fly.
Linux 4ever.
04/18/09
My only issue with 7 was the lack of drivers available and the incompatibilities at the time. Now to debate... XP or 7?
04/18/09
04/20/09
03/05/09
03/05/09
Yep, Win 7 FTW.
02/21/09
Can you skip a version when upgrading? XP -> 7?
02/21/09
02/22/09
02/23/09
Microsoft said it was working on ways to help Windows XP users make the move, but it did not get more specific. "Microsoft plans to have other tools and ways to help people get through that process, but we don't have full details on that at this time," a company spokesman said today.
02/21/09
02/21/09
02/21/09
02/21/09
02/21/09
Please fix all the bugs and crashes!
02/22/09
02/21/09
02/21/09
True, the least they could do is admit their mistake and release 7 as sp2
02/21/09
Now THAT, I agree with.
Or make Windows 7 a discounted upgrade for 1/3-1/2 of the price to anyone who legally obtained a copy of Vista.
I wouldn't complain to much, because in all fairness there are a few features on 7 that aren't on Vista at all.
02/21/09
Not enough to justify a $300 price tag.
I dont see any reason to pay over 300 for it when macs can already do everything windows does.
Make win7 100 and im all over it
02/21/09
"I dont see any reason to pay over 300 for it when macs can already do everything windows does."
So my options are, spend $300 for an upgrade to a much more stable and useful OS. Or spend ~$1k+ for a new computer with a known good OS...
I'm not saying anything bad about macs, just pointing out the simple facts about what would be involved in your statement.
So I am left wondering what you actually meant.
02/21/09
02/21/09
I'm still really hoping that when they actually release the retail version there will be an option in the setup to install over a beta version...
02/21/09