• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

WoW! Everyone can download Windows 7 this Friday !!!

VinDSL

VinDSL

Diamond Member
SOURCE

LAS VEGAS ? Microsoft is opening up its new Windows computer operating system to anyone brave enough to download it early.

On Friday the public will be able to fetch a pre-release, test version of Microsoft (MSFT) Windows 7, the successor to the oft-maligned Windows Vista. CEO Steve Ballmer made the announcement Wednesday night on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show.

Trying out the software this soon is risky for all but the most tech-savvy. Beta software tends to be buggy. Moreover, the program will expire in about six months, while the for-sale versions of Windows 7 aren't expected until late this year or early next. So testers must revert to Windows Vista, XP or some other alternative.

Ballmer told USA TODAY that a range of people will want Windows 7 now (to be available at http://www.microsoft.com/windows7). "Certainly a lot of techies will, a lot of corporate IT people will, my 14-year-old son. ? He'll go out and get one because he's a PC enthusiast."

Pundits have criticized Vista as bloated, overly intrusive and requiring powerful hardware to make it run properly. "Microsoft will do everything it can in 2009 to get the market away from focusing attention on Vista and really driving Windows 7 as the future," says analyst Michael Gartenberg of Jupitermedia.

Microsoft has sold 180 million copies of Vista. It's a "very successful product that's been perceived as a failure in the marketplace," Gartenberg says. Microsoft says nearly 90% of its Vista customers are satisfied.

The latest operating system promises the kind of multitouch capabilities Apple has in the iPhone. "Windows 7 is definitely a big step forward in user interface, simplicity, the integration of touch, better integration of handwriting ?" Ballmer says. "We focused on the basics: performance, reliability, speed, power management."

Of course, Microsoft is spreading the Windows 7 gospel at a time when the economy is reeling. "Our job has got to be to continue to innovate," Ballmer says. "There will be some things that probably don't make as much economic sense because the market has contracted. But by and large none of the things that we're excited about change because the economy is down. We may sell less, but still enough in most cases to make very good money doing it."
Click to expand...
 
Shee-it. Ballmer's kid has to wait til Friday to run the beta ? Haha, yeaaaa right.

Thanks for the info, Vin ! The press so far likes this one compared to Vista ( go figure).
 
This is actually really interesting, normally MS is extremely protective of mainline Windows releases. I may be wrong here, but I don't recall MS ever releasing public betas or release candidates of XP or Vista; only of things like XP x64 Edition (aka Server 2003 minus the Server bits) and Windows Home Server where they were low-interest products that MS needed to attract more testers to.
 

I downloaded the XP 64 beta when MS issued it, but never got around to installing it.
But I've still got the ISO CD. 🙂

 
Originally posted by: pcslookout
So where will you be able to get it and what timezone on Friday ?
Click to expand...
Their servers will be getting hit hard Friday.
I'll try sometime Saturday.

 
Originally posted by: Blain
Will 7 require 64-bit hardware or will it install on a 32-bit machine also?
Click to expand...

Word on the street is that the hardware requirements are at the low end of what Vista was at and that it's much less of a resource hog than Vista. Sounds like MS realized with the XP fiasco that there are plenty of machines still out there that are in need of a supported OS that doesn't require brand new hardware. So they aren't going to force 64 bit editions or anything like that.
 
Originally posted by: Blain
Originally posted by: pcslookout
So where will the free public beta be ?
Click to expand...
Aren't you reading the posts in this thread?
Click to expand...

Yes I see Microsoft Connect, MSDN, and Technet links. Those are not free though. I thought you would download it directly from Microsoft.
 
Already using the beta, but I'll grab the official x64 when it's available. Still not on my MSDN yet! 🙁
 
Originally posted by: mc866
Originally posted by: Blain
Will 7 require 64-bit hardware or will it install on a 32-bit machine also?
Click to expand...

Word on the street is that the hardware requirements are at the low end of what Vista was at and that it's much less of a resource hog than Vista. Sounds like MS realized with the XP fiasco that there are plenty of machines still out there that are in need of a supported OS that doesn't require brand new hardware. So they aren't going to force 64 bit editions or anything like that.
Click to expand...

The irony is that Vista even runs like **** on a 4 core 3.5Ghz PC w/ 4GB ram.

Vista: DIE !!!! DIE!!!!!!! DIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Cant wait to get rid of it.

 
Originally posted by: flexy

The irony is that Vista even runs like **** on a 4 core 3.5Ghz PC w/ 4GB ram.

Vista: DIE !!!! DIE!!!!!!! DIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Cant wait to get rid of it.
Click to expand...

It runs great on my machine. I don't know that I'll be upgrading to Win7. If I can score a free copy of Win7, I'll more than likely give it to my daughter.
 
Originally posted by: flexy
Originally posted by: mc866
Originally posted by: Blain
Will 7 require 64-bit hardware or will it install on a 32-bit machine also?
Click to expand...

Word on the street is that the hardware requirements are at the low end of what Vista was at and that it's much less of a resource hog than Vista. Sounds like MS realized with the XP fiasco that there are plenty of machines still out there that are in need of a supported OS that doesn't require brand new hardware. So they aren't going to force 64 bit editions or anything like that.
Click to expand...

The irony is that Vista even runs like **** on a 4 core 3.5Ghz PC w/ 4GB ram.

Vista: DIE !!!! DIE!!!!!!! DIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Cant wait to get rid of it.
Click to expand...

User error above for sure,I know it runs fine on my very humble X2 3800+ CPU and 4GB,as to Win7 you do know its more or less updated version of Vista with added features.

Personally I still want my Win8,we'll see a whole new OS not minor updates/improvements like Vista to Win7.

Nothing wrong with Win7 buts its not a huge improvement like some users here are saying.



 
Originally posted by: Mem
Originally posted by: flexy
Originally posted by: mc866
Originally posted by: Blain
Will 7 require 64-bit hardware or will it install on a 32-bit machine also?
Click to expand...

Word on the street is that the hardware requirements are at the low end of what Vista was at and that it's much less of a resource hog than Vista. Sounds like MS realized with the XP fiasco that there are plenty of machines still out there that are in need of a supported OS that doesn't require brand new hardware. So they aren't going to force 64 bit editions or anything like that.
Click to expand...

The irony is that Vista even runs like **** on a 4 core 3.5Ghz PC w/ 4GB ram.

Vista: DIE !!!! DIE!!!!!!! DIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Cant wait to get rid of it.
Click to expand...

User error above for sure,I know it runs fine on my very humble X2 3800+ CPU and 4GB,as to Win7 you do know its more or less updated version of Vista with added features.

Personally I still want my Win8,we'll see a whole new OS not minor updates/improvements like Vista to Win7.

Nothing wrong with Win7 buts its not a huge improvement like some users here are saying.
Click to expand...

I realize it's built around Vista but I guess the reports are that it's more slimmed down and optimized which is a welcome change if you ask me, though I've never had much trouble with Vista to begin with and have been happy with it for the most part.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top