The Latest And Daily News About Windows 7

[Guest Reimar]

Microsoft may adjust limitations on Windows 7 Starter

According to Paul Thurrott, Microsoft will be lifting the three running application limit for Windows 7 Starter Edition.

Previously with XP and Vista, Starter Edition was designed to run on low end equipment and be sold in what Microsoft called "developing markets." But for Windows 7, Microsoft moved Starter Edition into the rest of the world and decided to sell Home Basic in the developing markets instead. Starter Edition is expected to be sold on netbook class systems, so even if there isn't a software coded limit to how many applications you can run at one time, the limited amount of processor and memory resources in the computer will continue to be the deciding factor.

Even so, since Windows 7 has been engineered to work better on systems with fewer resources, many users report a positive experience even running the Ultimate edition of the beta and RC on lower end equipment. As we reported and proved today, even older systems running with 1.3GHz Celeron processors and 512MB of RAM can easily run Windows 7.

According to TechARP, Microsoft is also adjusting the guidelines for systems that can be sold with Starter Edition. This information has not yet been confirmed by Microsoft.

CPU: Single core processor that operates at 2GHz or less and uses 15W or less of power

Screen Size: 10.2 inches or smaller (previously 12.1")

RAM: 1GB of less

Storage: Up to 250GB hard drive or 64GB SSD (previously 160GB or 32GB SSD)

Graphics: No restrictions on touch screen or graphics

Some have pointed out, such as blogger Ed Bott, that the three application limit isn't always hard and fast, and that may be why Microsoft has chosen to simply dump the restriction all together. Bott himself did say on Twitter today that he cannot confirm that there will be a change to this restriction, saying he thought it was "under discussion, not decided yet."

Other restrictions currently in place on Starter Edition users include the inability to change the desktop background. No word yet on if this restriction will be removed as well, which for many users would be more annoying than the application limit.

Source

[Guest Reimar]

Microsoft readies Win7 netbook specs

Microsoft is readying a set of maximum specs for Windows 7 netbooks –or, as Microsoft prefers to call them, “small notebooks” — that will likely dictate which PCs will qualify for lower per-copy Windows 7 pricing.

The alleged Windows 7 netbook specs were published earlier this month on the TechARP technology enthusiast site.

Microsoft established a similar set of specs for XP and Vista netbooks, a category the company had been referring to as ultra-low-cost PCs (ULPCs). The ones it is developing for Windows 7 are designed for netbooks that have smaller screens and single-core 2 GHz CPUs, TechARP said.

(Just to be clear: Microsoft’s Windows unit isn’t confirming any of the information that TechARP is providing and updating regularly about Microsoft’s alleged plans for Windows 7. But a lot of what the site is getting surely seems plausible — and if I were guessing — is coming directly from OEMs.)

A quick refresher as to what Microsoft has said to date about Windows 7 on netbooks:

* All Windows 7 SKUs will be able to run on netbooks. But the ones Microsoft expects most netbook makers to preload are Windows 7 Starter Edition and Windows 7 Home Premium.

* Starter Edition will limit users to running three concurrent applications. Windows 7 Starter Edition, unlike XP Starter Edition, will be for sale to users in both developing and developed nations.

* Microsoft has not shared publicly what it intends to charge PC makers per copy of Windows 7. But it is said to be charging them about $15 a copy for XP when they are preloading it on netbooks — a price significantly lower than it charges PC makers per copy of XP or Vista preloaded on full-fledged laptops and PCs.

Read the full article here.

[Guest Reimar]

Windows 7 pricing to be revealed next month?

Microsoft's pricing details schedule reveals that they plan to announce how much us ordinary consumers will have to pay for the next version of their operating system in mid-June, according to details seen by Tech ARP.

Whilst earlier this month Microsoft finally confirmed that Windows 7 is on target to be released in time for the holiday season this year it is yet to reveal any details of the pricing for the different editions. Whether Windows 7 is indeed launched on October 15, October 23 or some other date entirely, around about now seems like a good time to announce how much the next version of Windows will set you back.

According to the NDA schedule on Tech ARP, OEMs are already aware of how much it will cost them to install on new systems and retailers have also been informed of how much the boxed editions will cost them to sell. This seems to have been confirmed by Dell who have already revealed they know that "the licensing tiers at retail are more expensive than they were for Vista," and that they fear that the cost will be quite a major obstacle for consumers.

Read the full article

[Guest Reimar]

MS InkSeine Beta 1.2.1720.0 for Windows 7

Microsoft Research has updated InkSeine, a project designed to let Tablet PC users search from ink, to work on the next iteration of the Windows client. T

The prototype now works with not only Windows XP and Windows Vista, but also Windows 7. The update, which takes InkSeine up to version 1.2.1720.0, went live on the OfficeLabs auto-updater at the end of the past week. In addition to Windows 7 support, Microsoft indicated that it managed to increase inking performance. The result is faster drawings snapping because of the evolution of ink stroke capturing and rendering capabilities. Microsoft promised that the difference in user experience related to speed would be nothing short of dramatic on UMPCs, including Samsung Q1 series and OQO Model 02.

Additional improvements include: “Hide / Show the Arc - the arc with all your pens and other tools on it now has a small +/- symbol on it. Just tap it to hide or show the tool arc. Tool Ring in task tray - the InkSeine Tool Ring now resides in the system task tray. For the many people who run the "ScrollControl.exe" application separately from InkSeine, this will make it easier to manage. Print margins bug fixed. Printing from InkSeine now always scales the page correctly so that the entire page will be visible on the printout; previously InkSeine would sometimes clip off the margins. File loading bug fixed. We fixed an obscure bug that on rare occasions would cause opening of certain InkSeine files to fail,” revealed Ken Hinckley of Microsoft Research.

The update also adds new page view options as well as new scrolling capabilities. InkSeine Beta 1.2.1720.0 delivers a greater level of flexibility when it comes down to displaying content. This because the prototype is now capable of fitting a page to the screen real estate space available. The additional scrolling options go hand in hand with the page viewing evolution. Scrolling the pen on the InkSeine tool ring will allow users to scroll the page up and down, and even from one page to another. Of course, there is no scrolling bar.

Download: Microsoft InkSeine 1.1.1720.0 Beta

[Guest Reimar]

Windows 7 Beta and RC Shutdowns and Expirations:

Windows 7 Beta and RC will go to two different phases to remind about the Expiration of the Pre-Release OS.

Windows 7 Beta build 7000 will expire on August 1. 2009. Prior that date Microsoft will send e-mails to the registered users of Windows 7 Beta build 7000 as reminder and ask to consider to move from Beta to RC (buils 7100) which will extend the period of free use of Windows 7 uninterrupted til March 1. 2010.

For Windows 7 build 7000 will be an bi-hourly shutdown starting on July 1. 2009

From March 1. 2010 there will be an bi-hourly shutdown of Windows 7 build 7100 onward and the final expiration will be on June 1. 2010.

Brandon LeBlanc, a Manager from Windows Client Communication Team stated: “If you’re still on the Windows 7 Beta, you should certainly look at giving the Windows 7 RC a try.”

[Guest Reimar]

Upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 for free

On June 26. 2009 Microsoft will debut an free Windows 7 Upgrade Program which will give the owners of Windows Vista the opertunity for an free upgrade to an corresponding version of Windows 7.

Acer, one of the major PC and Notebook Manufacturer already began to promote that initiative in Australia, by offering marketing materials advertising the debut of the program. “Beginning June 26, 2009, customers who purchase a qualifying ACER Vista-based PC will receive a comparable version of Windows 7 when available,” reads the message of a slip included with new purchased Acer Computer.

It's a Marketing strategy from Microsoft to convince to buy new computers preloaded with Vista to get the free upgrade to Windows 7. An startegy which will really count for many.

The Vista version which will be able to be free upgraded to Windows 7 are Home Premium, Business, and Vista Ultimate. A genuine License must be present for that upgrade option.

[Guest Reimar]

Windows 7 RC Immune to 0-Day DirectX Vulnerability

Windows 7 RC, as well as its precursor, Windows Vista, and the R2 and RTM/SP1 releases of Windows Server 2008 are immune to a zero-day vulnerability affecting DirectX on older versions of Windows.

The security hole makes Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, Windows XP (including SP2 and SP3), and Windows Server 2003 vulnerable to exploits but not the later versions of the Windows client and server operating systems, since the code containing the flaw was removed in Vista.

Christopher Budd, security response communications lead for Microsoft, confirmed that the company was “aware of limited, active attacks that exploit this vulnerability.” Budd explained that the vulnerable code was contained in the QuickTime parser in Microsoft DirectShow. DirectX 7.0, DirectX 8.1 and DirectX 9.0 are impacted.

Read the full article here: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows-7-R...ty-112890.shtml

[Guest Reimar]

Five Vista perception problems Windows 7 must overcome

Carmi Levy: Wide Angle Zoom You can just feel Apple getting ready with a new slate of "I'm a Mac" ads featuring Windows 7. They'll have to roll off Microsoft like Teflon.

Poor Windows 7. Months before its official launch, it's already fighting to live down the reputation of its older siblings. It's bad enough it has to fight perceptions of insecurity (I'm looking at you, XP) and bloated incompatibility (Vista, anyone?). But like the poor kid entering a high school after his older brothers have spent years being serially suspended for misbehaviour and general hooliganism, Windows 7 has an uphill battle ahead of it. Whether the perceptions are earned or not is irrelevant. Undoing them is a monumental process either way, and it all rests on the shoulders of a kid whose only mistake seems to lie in carrying the family name.

But undo these perceptions it must. Windows 7 promises to be Microsoft's most crucial launch ever because the company's very future has never been in as much question as it is now. Its two cash cow franchises, Windows and Office, are mooing a little less deeply these days thanks to a seismic shift away from the traditional PC model. While Vista's problems are more perception than anything else, there's no escaping the cruel reality that the age of Windows-everywhere-by-default is over. As conventional desktop and laptop PCs give way to all sorts of new form factors running all sorts of new operating systems and connecting to the outside world in all sorts of unconventional ways, Microsoft can't afford another lukewarm Windows launch.

So far, at least, Windows 7 looks like Microsoft's best bet yet to lay to rest long-held perceptions that its OS offerings are bloated malware magnets that needlessly clutter end-users' lives. Before Microsoft declares ultimate victory, however, it needs Windows 7 to overcome five key perception challenges:

1. It's a security nag

Microsoft blew it big time with its nag-in-a-box approach to Vista security. While more savvy users could easily tweak the settings to stop the annoying reminders from popping up every third mouse click, most users lack the time and ability to dig into the guts of the OS and make the changes themselves. Windows 7, which promises to ship with even more robust security capabilities, will at least be configured out of the box to be somewhat less annoying than a late night infomercial pitchman.

2. It's a security black hole

Dominating the market for so long makes you an easy target for all sorts of malevolence. Hackers and criminals target Windows because it's more fun to inflict damage on hundreds of millions of Microsofties than a few million Linux users. As much as critics like to knock Windows for being the security equivalent of Swiss cheese, Microsoft's become quite effective at identifying vulnerabilities and closing gaps. Windows 7 should only extend that robustness -- assuming end users continue to hold up their end of the bargain.

No discussion of Windows security is complete without putting it into an Apple context. While Apple fans fervently believe their beloved Macs are completely impervious to viruses, Trojans, worms and related nasties, the sad truth is Macs have gotten off because their single-digit market share wasn't large enough to make the investment worth it for hackers. As Apple's market share continues to grow, that will almost certainly change.

(And before you slam be for being anti-Apple, a bit of disclosure: I've got an iMac and a Mac mini in my home office, happily coexisting alongside Windows Vista, XP and, horrors, 98. I love my Macs, too, but I don't believe in blind worship.)

3. Macs do stuff that Windows can't

I get that some things may be easier or more elegant on one or, to be fair, the other. I often find myself shifting work between Mac and Windows machines because my brain works better in that OS for that particular task. For everyone who says only a Mac can do video or music production, I can find two people who beg to differ. I have no problem being a multimedia maven on my Vista machine, and my experiences with Windows 7 betas convince me the experience will only improve. It's time to discard 1980s-era OS-based xenophobia. Times have changed.

4. It's bloated

Microsoft knew it had a problem when users openly campaigned to extend XP's availability and support. The fact that Vista has almost zero presence in the fast-growing netbook space illustrates how critical it is for Microsoft to return to a lean and mean OS methodology. We don't need slick-looking interfaces that subsequently bog down system performance. We need elegant, simple environments that make the best use of whatever modern hardware we may be using.

Now that Microsoft has decided to remove the silly three-application limit from Windows 7 Starter Edition, Windows users looking for a light and agile OS that runs on lower-powered hardware no longer have to downgrade to XP. Windows 7 on netbooks is the clearest message yet that this is not your father's Vista.

5. It has lousy compatibility

Microsoft deservedly took it on the chin for chintzy driver compatibility when Vista was first released. It's done a much better job reaching out to hardware vendors throughout the Windows 7 development process to minimize the number of stranded pieces of hardware this time out.

Can you ever hit 100% compatibility? No. But the scanner that I never managed to get working with Vista worked just fine with the last Windows 7 beta. And, no, not even my Macs could make that claim.

Although it's still too early to divine whether or not Windows 7 will save the franchise for Microsoft, we do ourselves no favors by writing it off simply because of broad-based -- and often wrongly-formed -- perceptions. Like that high school kid forced to live down his older brothers' reputations, we at least owe him the courtesy of hearing him out and letting him perform on his own merits before we cast judgment. People, after all, can change. Families can, too.

SOURCE

[Guest Reimar]

Windows 7 Starter Edition

It was reported in some IT News already that Microsoft were planning to remove the 3 Application at time limit form the Starter Edition of Windows 7. That is now down and the limit of the running Application at the same time is now set by the available memory.

But users of the Windows 7 Starter Edition should realize that the following isn't included:

* Aero Glass, meaning you can only use the "Windows Basic" or other opaque themes. It also means you do not get Taskbar Previews or Aero Peek.

* Personalization features for changing desktop backgrounds, window colors, or sound schemes.

* The ability to switch between users without having to log off.

* Multi-monitor support.

* DVD playback.

* Windows Media Center for watching recorded TV or other media.

* Remote Media Streaming for streaming your music, videos, and recorded TV from your home computer.

* Domain support for business customers.

* XP Mode for those that want the ability to run older Windows XP programs on Windows 7

[Guest Reimar]

Windows 7 RC2

The website CNBETA (http://cnbeta.com) reported the neary ready release of the Windows 7 RC2, which will be build 7200 and also shown a Changelog wehich I place in an translation from Traditional Chinese to English below. The original (in chinese) could be found HERE.

According to CNBETA the release of RC2 will be June 11. 2009 via Microsoft Connect.

There will also a third branch, the Server (fbl) line involved.

The Roadmap for the release of Windows 7:

Predicted Roadmap of Windows 7 From RC to Final release:

RC (7100) May 2009

RC2 (7200) August 2009

RTM (7300) September - October 2009

Public Release January 2010

The public release could be much more early to well informed sites.

There 2 other websites reporting the release of Windows 7 RC2 as well: WZOR and iHackintosh (http://www.ihackintosh.com). Both sites very well known for their reliable insider information which having proved to be true in the past.

From WZOR:

Wzor confirmed that Windows 7 build RC2 is true. We are just going to assume that RC2 = RTM earlier it was rumored that build 7200 = RC2 and Build 7300 = RTM. The information provided by Wzor indicates that Microsoft recently cooked build 7225 on 29 May’09. Source is so confirmed and promised to provide screenshots within the week. Many souurces declined the possibility of RC2 earlier but Wzor confirms it. According to source There are three main branches (branch) the development of Windows 7, the main branch (winmain), branch (winmain_win7ids_sp), and finally server (fbl) branch. In each of these branches are collected assemblies numbering assemblies through, but the dates are different assemblies not to mention the creation of the assembly.

Finally here is the proof VIA Wzor In the near future we will be providing screenshots but so far is this screen from the Windows 7 build 7200.0.090529 Service Pack 1.

And so, in each of these branches on 29 May, there have been significant changes, so yesterday we published number of assemblies (winmain_win7ids_sp) branch and the actual assembly was 7141.0.winmain_win7ids_sp.090528, but now we are seeing here this assembly: 7200.0.winmain_win7ids_sp.090529-xxxx, as they say feel the difference!The same picture we have seen in other branches of assembly, right there it went even further, so the server (fbl) assembly line, we have witnessed the emergence of general assembly: 7225.0.090529-xxxx

All the information above are NOT confirmed! But as they are from reliable source, they may be true.

[Guest Reimar]

From Starter to Ultimate: What's really in each Windows 7 Edition?

Over the course of its Windows 7 development effort, Microsoft has been incredibly controlled about releasing details, pursuing an agonizingly deliberate disclosure plan. This week, they finally announced the official release dates: RTM next month, on sale beginning October 22. The last remaining pieces of the puzzle? There’s the price list, of course, which I don’t think will be revealed publicly until close to the on-sale dates. The other missing detail is the exact breakdown of features in each edition.

I’ve been pestering contacts at Microsoft for an official features list for months, and they’ve politely but persistently refused every one of my requests. So, as part of the research for Windows 7 Inside Out, I did the work myself. I installed copies of each Windows 7 edition from the Release Candidate (build 7100) code on a single machine, resulting in a five-way multiboot system. Then I tallied up which features were in each edition, trying out each one to see if I could identify unexpected behavior.

Read the full and very detailed article: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=1031&tag=nl.e589

[Guest Reimar]

Some prices of Windows 7 leaked:

Starting June 26 there also will be a presell program kicking off at Best Buy, via which Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade copies can be ordered for $49.95 and Windows 7 Professional Upgrade copies for $99.99. (Note: These are upgrade license prices, not the price for a brand-new retail version of Windows 7. Microsoft still hasn’t released officially any Windows 7 price lists. )

Note: This are leaked infos which maybe not 100% accurat.