Windows 7 Beta

[WiseHacker]

1. Create a Virtual Box VM.
2. Create the hard drive image on an external USB hard drive.
3. Install Windows 7 Beta onto VM.
4. Play around with Windows 7 Beta.
5. Realise that the VM is running faster than the native Vista install.
6. Shout, "WHAT THE?!?!?!?!?!"

Seriously, this is what happened to me.  The next day I got the 64bit version of the Beta and installed it natively.  It runs faster, is more stable and the driver compatibility is far better than Vista.  My own acid test was installing my Audigy 2 Value drivers, drivers that have always held up my Vista shut downs.  Not a single problem.

At last, a Windows OS to rival XP.

[Keizuki]

I would think any Macbook Pro is more than adequate for WoW. Is there a myriad array of add-ons slowing you down?

Not really, about 20 or less. Using about 80MB or so. But with 4GB of RAM I don't think memory consumption is the problem. Plus I try not to have any other applications open while playing, if I do then they are closed pretty quickly after I'm finished using them.

Maybe it's because I'm running dual screen with a 24" display @ 1680 x 1050. But then again WoW seems to before better when running on a bigger screen. Personally I reckon Blizzard really need to address the performance of WoW in Northrend and the latency issues on the server in Dalalag and when WG is running.

Back to Win 7 if it runs faster than Vista while in a VM then you might be right in saying a Windows OS to rival XP... about bloody time we moved forwards rather than backwards.

[aprendiz]

i really hope this windows will break the windows chain of "each new version is worse than the former"

[WiseHacker]

i really hope this windows will break the windows chain of "each new version is worse than the former"

Where did that chain come from?  Windows 2000 was better than 98 (I skip ME as it was just there to milk the hype of Y2K), Windows XP was better than Windows 2000, so they had a good chain there of good operating systems.

Windows Vista, how to describe it?  It's like falling back to Windows 3.11. While there are good features and a nice overhall of the architecture, the account for nothing because they over looked the compatibility issues.

Also, everyone is over looking one thing that happens to all OSes when new versions are released.  The all, there isn't an OS that's immune, have teething problems with a month or two of updates fix.

if it runs faster than Vista while in a VM then you might be right in saying a Windows OS to rival XP... about bloody time we moved forwards rather than backwards.

In spite my defence of Vista, I have to agree.  In spite of all the new features, some of the changes did make Vista a step back.

[Keizuki]

I guess I should say my biggest gripes with Vista (and why I think it's gone backwards to being harder to use and more annoying than ever) are mainly these 4 things...

1. UAC - revenge of the popup ads anyone?
2. Driver compatibility and compatibility in general with other software.
3. Performance - we either want it or need it back thank you.
4. Installation of games - depending on how popular it is or how new it is determines whether it appears in the start menu or in the games browser - serious wtf moments going where are my games installed?!

Almost #5 but not quite - the new start menu. You take lots of options you want to see at once and then hide half of them so you have to scroll. Almost epic fail for me.

Again, almost #6 - installing WoW addons. How fucking annoying is that on Vista... Even with the confirm popups it still doesn't copy the damn files.

Also not being able to see the status of my network connection from the icon in the task bar tray thing whatever the fuck it's called.

If Win 7 can sort this out then Windows will be redeemed and definitely be better than XP when it is released. ^^, I mean lets face it it can't be worse than Vista.

[joshuapohl]

I think 2, 3 and 4 have been fixed. I was really surprised when Windows 7 went and found my wireless card driver that I couldn't even find. I was really thankful.

[Hellmark]

the installer will balk and stop if you have less than 512mb of RAM, but I've run it on 512, and everything seemed to be pretty responsive. I'm sure if you really wanted to, you could get it to run without a problem on less.

[WiseHacker]

4. Installation of games - depending on how popular it is or how new it is determines whether it appears in the start menu or in the games browser - serious wtf moments going where are my games installed?

Mate, that is an issue with Game Developers and the installer they use.  That has nothing to do with MS.

Also, I quite like the start menu, I feel that it is cleaner, but it can get a bit annoying as you can't resize the viewing area.

Finally, the UAC.  You can turn the thing off, it's not worth complaining.

In Windows 7, unfortunately, you can't turn UAC off.  If you do, you can't elevate yourself.  Thankfully, on its lowest setting, it is absent until you need Admin access.  But when you run as a Admin, you still get a "Cancel or Allow" dialogue.  I don't mind it, but I think that if I'm running as the admin, I know what I'm doing.

I'm a bit concerned with your failure to see you network status in the Vista taskbar.  Could you elaborate a bit? Depending on the nature of your network, the icon changes.

[haunted_i]

He means the icon lit up during network activity. A handy way to see where a momentary bottleneck is.

Personally, I wouldn't run OS X without menumeters. Being able to see if a file is still uploading or if it timed out, is indispensable.

I do have a Vista tower in the house, and having no passive feedback is a drag. Why do I constantly hear hard drive activity, even with indexing and auto-scan disabled? Why does it never stay in sleep mode for more than five minutes? Feedback would be nice.

[WiseHacker]

Rather than create a new thread, I'm digging up this old one.

This week, Windows 7 RC 1 is due to be released to the public.  There is no limit on when one can get it and best of all, it expires mid next year.

If anyone plans to get it though, I've found out a few things.  The main problem with it is you cannot update from the Windows 7 Beta to RC1, you have to do a clean install.

The only way to create an upgrade is to modify the image so that when it does the version check it looks for a minimum version below that of the Beta.  Here are the instructions for anyone wishing for an upgrade.

[Axilon]

Ran it on my new rig. amd 720 x3 at 3.5 ghz, 8 gigs of ram.  Topples vista in performance, no slow downs, nothing.  Only problem was... beta sound drivers owned ventrillo.  Had to go to a vista install... I will gladly buy 7 when its out.. with a new sound card in hand well before that.

[Hellmark]

Axilon, why buy a new sound card? Most likely, finalized drivers for yours will be available around the time 7 goes gold.