Windows 7 Rc Is Knocking On The Door

[Guest Reimar]

The RC of Windows 7 is knocking the door for an entree!

Just get from the Windows Team Blog site:

Windows 7 Release Candidate Update

Posted by: Brandon LeBlanc, 05:37 PM Friday, Apr 24, 2009

There certainly has been a lot of discussion about Windows 7 in the last few weeks. A lot of folks want to know when they can get their hands on the official RC, when we are going to RTM, and what I had for breakfast.

I’m pleased to share that the RC is on track for April 30th for download by MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Broader, public availability will begin on May 5th.

On behalf of everyone here, I would to thank all of our beta testers for helping us get to this point. You guys have been busy. At the peak of the feedback cycle, we were receiving a “Send Feedback” report every 15 seconds for an entire week. Since then, the engineering team has been busy analyzing the feedback, fixing bugs, and working hard to improve the overall experience. Many of your suggestions helped us refine the new and improved taskbar, the behavior of Aero Peek, Touch, Windows Media Player, and much more. In case you have missed the previous E7 blog entry outlining some of these changes in detail, you can read about them here and here.

[Guest Reimar]

For the upcoming Release of Windows an other, for many, great vfeature will be implemented by Microsoft:

Revealing Windows XP Mode for Windows 7

Windows XP mode is based upon Microsoft's Virtual PC technology. Basically it will create a Virtual XP machine within your Win7 Installation.

The big innovation is that it's integrated with your real desktop.

Any application you install will put a shortcut on your real desktop allowing seamless integration. Applications run in a discrete windows that looks just like a regular XP window.

This is some exciting stuff!!!

Windows XP mode will be available as a free download for Win7 Ultimate/Enterprise/Professional customers and will include a valid XP SP3 activation key.

It is currently unknown if it will support 3D acceleration as this was not possible with previous Virtual Machine technology.

You can read more about this HERE.

[siamshot]

Windows 7 Rc Is Knocking On The Door...

...and I'll never let it in...

[regedit]

Reports of an unfixable Windows 7 hack. Hope M$ get this one sorted...

http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/04...7.hack.program/

Edited April 25, 2009 by regedit

[Johnxxx]

For the upcoming Release of Windows an other, for many, great vfeature will be implemented by Microsoft:

Revealing Windows XP Mode for Windows 7

Windows XP mode is based upon Microsoft's Virtual PC technology. Basically it will create a Virtual XP machine within your Win7 Installation.

The big innovation is that it's integrated with your real desktop.

Any application you install will put a shortcut on your real desktop allowing seamless integration. Applications run in a discrete windows that looks just like a regular XP window.

This is some exciting stuff!!!

Windows XP mode will be available as a free download for Win7 Ultimate/Enterprise/Professional customers and will include a valid XP SP3 activation key.

It is currently unknown if it will support 3D acceleration as this was not possible with previous Virtual Machine technology.

You can read more about this HERE.

I have been using the Windows XP mode for the last years already. And all my windows look like real Windows XP windows and it supports 3D acceleration :-))) But strange - to my best knowledge I never installed anything with a 7 to enable all those features.

[RKASA]

As is normally the case we hear great things, then later we get the rest of the story.  I don't need XP in a virtual box to run a word processor.  I need real XP that runs like XP.  I can already put XP in a VM if I wanted that without making me pay for the high end version of 7 first.  This is starting to look like a pig with lipstick.  It runs native everything I have on XP now or it stays off my PC.  Its useless to me otherwise, just like vista is already. 

[Guest Reimar]

As is normally the case we hear great things, then later we get the rest of the story.  I don't need XP in a virtual box to run a word processor.  I need real XP that runs like XP.  I can already put XP in a VM if I wanted that without making me pay for the high end version of 7 first.  This is starting to look like a pig with lipstick.  It runs native everything I have on XP now or it stays off my PC.  Its useless to me otherwise, just like vista is already. 

It is clearly up to you as up to everybody else what to use. Nobody tells you must use this or that or whatsoever!

Same as you can use a Freeware or pay or small or big amount of money for to use any software program!

In this regard VM Ware isn't Freeware as many other software as well. If a company like Microsoft is offering an free program for to do the same or even maybe better work than a payware program you still should feel free for to pay for an program which maybe can't do the job as good as the free offered one and even cost you some money.

But the spread directly a negative view about something which even isn't on the (free) market yet, is one thing. And to ignore why that program will be offered for free is an other negative view which is totally unfounded!

Cheers.

[LivinLOS]

I dont see why vitualization isnt a good thing.. For me I would say that having an OS evolve and not be held back by legacy apps, yet allowing a virtualized solution, is a good way of moving forward. The legacy apps problem is holding back people who want the best progression by people whose cost concerns dont let them evolve or upgrade apps.

I am looking to virtualize my win sessions within linux next rebuild (probably keep a dual boot just in case) as I get annoyed with garmin being win only. With disc sizes growing ever higher I see no reason not to have a VMware XP and win7 etc all in my chosen environment. All the more power.

[RKASA]

My first post (may not be in this tread), but was positive to hear my importent high end apps are going to work in 7.  ( oh joy)  Then we read in google today the rest of the whole story.  Its not a free add on.  You have to get the high end version of 7 to use it. Just like the bait and switch of vista,  and yes there are free versions of vm from sun and others I use it.  But unless it can run high end apps in that vm whats the point of not keeping XP.  I can do this already for free, without win7.

lets see if its going to run those high end apps.  without getting forked for $400.00  thats not being negitive just vary concerned.  I don't get free copies of everything to play with.

[Guest Reimar]

My first post (may not be in this tread), but was positive to hear my importent high end apps are going to work in 7.  ( oh joy)  Then we read in google today the rest of the whole story.  Its not a free add on.  You have to get the high end version of 7 to use it. Just like the bait and switch of vista,  and yes there are free versions of vm from sun and others I use it.  But unless it can run high end apps in that vm whats the point of not keeping XP.  I can do this already for free, without win7.

lets see if its going to run those high end apps.  without getting forked for $400.00  thats not being negitive just vary concerned.  I don't get free copies of everything to play with.

VM Ware is an Trade Mark as far as I concerned! And it's Payware!

Sun has a free named Virtual Box! MS has a free named Virtual PC!

On the other hand I would never use an Starter or Home Version of Windows because of it's limitations! So Business, Enterprise and Ultimate would be the only one I would use and for that the announced Program from MS is FREE!

And now tell me why I should keep an buggy OS like XP with programmed BSOD's every few days (most of the time while on important work!) if I can get an alternate but highly save and stable OS instead? Which by the way even works faster and better on the same environment than the buggy XP!

To be clear, I talk from MY experiences and not everyone's else! But I can take over the same result to the machines of my customers, which quite a lot by the way!

And just a question why $ 400.00 (I think you mean US$) is vista Ultimate OEM or XP OEM just cost's US$ 200.00 +?

Cheers.

[Guest Reimar]

I dont see why vitualization isnt a good thing.. For me I would say that having an OS evolve and not be held back by legacy apps, yet allowing a virtualized solution, is a good way of moving forward. The legacy apps problem is holding back people who want the best progression by people whose cost concerns dont let them evolve or upgrade apps.

I am looking to virtualize my win sessions within linux next rebuild (probably keep a dual boot just in case) as I get annoyed with garmin being win only. With disc sizes growing ever higher I see no reason not to have a VMware XP and win7 etc all in my chosen environment. All the more power.

I'm not against Virtual systems! But I would use the most stable, secure and fastest OS as Main OS.

Don't forget that the PC Market is with app. 90% in hands of Microsoft following by Apple app 8-9% and Linux just 2%!

Why and company of an small size (compare to Microsoft) should spend a lot of money for to produce a software running on Open Source? Most of the Users of Open Source systems are NOT willing to pay for the Software they want! Did you realize how much the development of Software cost's?

Cheers.

[RKASA]

" just cost's US$ 200.00 +?"  

  Last time I checked my wallet that was still a hel_l of alot of money.     I don't use Open source to just get free software,  I put a lot of time back into the system like others.  Plus I still buy and pay for apps I want or need.  Not long ago I got a new PC. It came with linux version I don't use.  I paided for XP pro not a copy, so I could run things on the desktop rather then my laptop which was the only windows I had left.  When I moved my laptop windows into VB (your right vm is a trade mark, I mean like vm) I had to re lic. it ie move the key into VB.  You can't run two copies of the same xp on a pc just because it was oem for that PC.  I didn't have to do that here as you know, but I don't work that way.  When I hear win7 can replace xp.  I should not have to dig up the fine print.   

   So really it comes down to is Enterprise is not buying vista the way they hoped and this may help.  IMHO, maybe just a little.  Most of them still think $200.00 is real money too. 

[LivinLOS]

I am looking to virtualize my win sessions within linux next rebuild (probably keep a dual boot just in case) as I get annoyed with garmin being win only. With disc sizes growing ever higher I see no reason not to have a VMware XP and win7 etc all in my chosen environment. All the more power.

I'm not against Virtual systems! But I would use the most stable, secure and fastest OS as Main OS.

Exactly what I said

I will run linux and then virtualize my win sessions.. So far theres only garmin I really need (and photoshop light room I would like) that I am unable to duplicate as good (if not better). So that I have an XP / Vista / Win7 environment inside the most stable secure and fastest OS

But I dont see why users dislike the idea of backwards compatibility in virtual machines ?? Because either we hold everyone back so a slim minority can use legacy apps, or we provide a way for legacy apps to work but with some small drawbacks, surely that encourages upgrades, retraining, new life cycles ??

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

@Reimar

The VMware Server is freeware, too... everyone can download it for free, it's legal as well. I use that one when i want to do something in Windows, i have Windows 95 and Windows XP in virtual machines on my Ubuntu machine.

Kind regards.....

Thanh

[Guest Reimar]

I am looking to virtualize my win sessions within linux next rebuild (probably keep a dual boot just in case) as I get annoyed with garmin being win only. With disc sizes growing ever higher I see no reason not to have a VMware XP and win7 etc all in my chosen environment. All the more power.

I'm not against Virtual systems! But I would use the most stable, secure and fastest OS as Main OS.

Exactly what I said

I will run linux and then virtualize my win sessions.. So far theres only garmin I really need (and photoshop light room I would like) that I am unable to duplicate as good (if not better). So that I have an XP / Vista / Win7 environment inside the most stable secure and fastest OS

But I dont see why users dislike the idea of backwards compatibility in virtual machines ?? Because either we hold everyone back so a slim minority can use legacy apps, or we provide a way for legacy apps to work but with some small drawbacks, surely that encourages upgrades, retraining, new life cycles ??

Linux is out of any questions for me because I don't like to compromise the security of my network. And that's what I've to do to run a Linux machine within my network! I need to run all of my computers on the network and connected to my Server's as well.

Once I had tested to run linux on an connected machine and was directly facing problems incl. a few Spys and Trojans! I don't mean I was get them from Linux source but as I had to change the Security settings of my Network, it wasn't save enough anymore. Result: NO more any Linux and a secure network. Period.

But Virtual systems a quite well for testing or if there is a need of and different OS pp. without to use an extra computer. That's just fine for that.

Cheers.

[Guest Reimar]

Hi

@Reimar

The VMware Server is freeware, too... everyone can download it for free, it's legal as well. I use that one when i want to do something in Windows, i have Windows 95 and Windows XP in virtual machines on my Ubuntu machine.

Kind regards.....

Thanh

As I wrote before: I do NOT use any Linux on my Network because of security reasons. And I need to run a few Windows Servers (2003 & 2008).

VM Ware Workstation: US$ 179.00

VM Ware Fusion: US$ 80.00

VM Ware Server Support: starting US$ 350.00

VM Ware Server: FREE

Virtual Box from Sun: FREE, no need of Server pp.

Virtual PC from MS: FREE, no need of Server pp.

I wouldn't run a Server for Business in virtual environment! So, I need a Workstation toll and that just cost US$ 179.00 by VM Ware.

Cheers.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

Well Reimar, i'm not running a server either..... to be honest i have no idea what is the difference between the "Server" and "Workstation" versions of VMware, but i have been using VMware "Server" already under Vista (to keep an XP install at the ready) and it worked exactly the same there as it does under Linux.... i.e. i can create new virtual machines, or i simply point it to downloaded ones (like the "Haiku" one that i downloaded to test that OS) and simply run them.

I also tried the one from Microsoft (Virtual PC) before but it had no support for USB devices or DVD/CD burning, while VMware server does have that. Also Virtual PC installed some service under Vista which delayed it's shutdown by close to ten minutes (!!) as that service stubbornly refused to end itself, in the end i had to implement a registry hack to figure out that some entry there (AppKillTimeout or some such) was modified from stock 5,000 to 217,000,000 by Virtual PC (error repeatable - uninstall VPC and reset it, then reinstall VPC and it would be modified to that number again).

Best regards....

Thanh

[Gary A]

Windows Vista didn't impress me at all so I am still using XP Pro. I'm hoping Windows 7 is faster and perhaps even a little lighter. If it will run all my XP programs, I will upgrade provided the cost is not too high..