I made the leap to Windows 7 RC

Borr · July 25, 2009, 10:44:59 AM

Installed it on my laptop last night. Not bad, relatively painless. My laptop is running a lot smoother (but then, that's going to happen with any fresh OS install). My only mistake was to forget to copy my Firefox bookmarks. My RAM usage is down, too.

Curtis Loew · July 25, 2009, 03:12:56 PM

Quote from: Borr on July 25, 2009, 10:44:59 AM
Installed it on my laptop last night. Not bad, relatively painless. My laptop is running a lot smoother (but then, that's going to happen with any fresh OS install). My only mistake was to forget to copy my Firefox bookmarks. My RAM usage is down, too.

I should perhaps get with the times myself, I haven't even installed Vista yet.

EvB · July 25, 2009, 03:14:21 PM

Quote from: Curtis Loew on July 25, 2009, 03:12:56 PM
I should perhaps get with the times myself, I haven't even installed Vista yet.

DO NOT!!

Stay with XP or move right on to Win 7.

VISTA SUCKS!

Marc.Knight · July 25, 2009, 03:20:34 PM

Quote from: EvB on July 25, 2009, 03:14:21 PM
DO NOT!!

Stay with XP or move right on to Win 7.

VISTA SUCKS!

I agree. It should have been called Betavista.

MV/Liberace! · July 25, 2009, 06:58:10 PM

Quote from: Borr on July 25, 2009, 10:44:59 AM
Installed it on my laptop last night. Not bad, relatively painless. My laptop is running a lot smoother (but then, that's going to happen with any fresh OS install). My only mistake was to forget to copy my Firefox bookmarks. My RAM usage is down, too.

i know the perception might be that your system is faster in large part because of a fresh install regardless of what OS you use, but you should forget about all of that. win7 is LIGHT YEARS faster than vista could ever have hoped to be. my system boots FULLY with all background applications running in less than 1 minute from the time i press the power button, and i've been running this copy of win7rc1 for 3 months now.

Quote from: Curtis Loew on July 25, 2009, 03:12:56 PM
I should perhaps get with the times myself, I haven't even installed Vista yet.

i agree wholeheartedly with the above advice. STAY AWAY FROM VISTA. just go straight to windows 7. you can get a free copy directly from microsoft until august 15. it will continue to operate until march 1, at which time it will begin shutting down every 2 hours. hell, that's over 7 months from now, tho. i do a routine windows reinstallation about every 6 months anyway.

bottom line: if you're using xp right now, ditch it. today. go get windows 7. you must have a free MSN or hotmail account to download it. get windows 7 here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/get/download.aspx

Borr · July 25, 2009, 08:42:44 PM

The only trouble I've had with W7 so far is that it's randomly shut down my laptop twice. That might just be some timer I don't know about and need to disable, though. I also get the occasionally screen freeze, but I think a good defrag might be in order. I'm one of those people that believes defragging fixes everything.

moop · July 25, 2009, 10:48:05 PM

I've been using Windows 7 for a few months and it is really nice. It boots and shuts down really fast. I mostly just use it for playing games and use Ubuntu for everything else. I fix a lot of computers and Vista is just a nightmare.

I'm one of those crazy people who think Microsoft is evil so I won't be buying Win 7 but I've enjoyed the free trial.

KnyeGuy · July 26, 2009, 09:38:39 PM

I think anyone who purchased Vista should automatically be given a free upgrade to Windows 7.
It's only fair after sticking us with such a BS OS! Freaking Microsoft bastards...

MV/Liberace! · July 28, 2009, 01:17:51 AM

Quote from: KnyeGuy on July 26, 2009, 09:38:39 PM
I think anyone who purchased Vista should automatically be given a free upgrade to Windows 7.
It's only fair after sticking us with such a BS OS! Freaking Microsoft bastards...

I AGREE COMPLETELY!!!! it's like you've been a beta tester for three years.

oh, and LOL @ the defrag!!!

HAL 9000 · July 28, 2009, 02:17:14 AM

Quote from: Michael Vandevenoh, and LOL @ the defrag!!!

I've had considerable experience with almost every defragger available - and while my favorites insofar as company/features/reliability/speed are considered include O&O, Vopt, and Ultimate Defrag, I have found that, depending on what you're trying to accomplish, each has they're own niche.

Vopt is quick and dirty, pretty much producing contiguous files extremely quickly, though it has an option for "optimal layout."

But I've found that, Ultimate Defrag, by far, has the most options available to the end user, and it also extremely fast. The is almost no option you can thing of as far as desired layout of your files that Ultimate Defrag can't do. Here is a link to a full description:

Click: HERE to get the full desscription.

many screenshots of its capabilities are available here:

Click: HERE to get the many screenshots.

I have the latest version and take requests via PM.

KnyeGuy · July 28, 2009, 03:36:21 AM

Quote from: Michael Vandeven on July 28, 2009, 01:17:51 AM
I AGREE COMPLETELY!!!! it's like you've been a beta tester for three years.

Yeah no doubt. To quote PW : BetaVista! lol

MV/Liberace! · July 28, 2009, 05:46:40 AM

Quote from: V for Vendetta on July 28, 2009, 02:17:14 AM

that makes lots of sense.

Borr · July 30, 2009, 10:06:34 PM

The only problem I have now is that apparently Motorola Phone Tools won't install on Windows 7, so I can't use my phone as a modem. That kinda blows.

MV/Liberace! · July 31, 2009, 09:50:49 AM

Quote from: Borr on July 30, 2009, 10:06:34 PM
The only problem I have now is that apparently Motorola Phone Tools won't install on Windows 7, so I can't use my phone as a modem. That kinda blows.

there are likely other solutions to this. check out howardforums.com for more information.

Borr · July 31, 2009, 02:34:23 PM

I have fixed the overheating issue, though. I took apart my laptop's fan and heatsink and sprayed them out thoroughly with canned air. All I got to say is that I got to quit smoking around my laptop.

Ruteger · August 09, 2009, 11:05:22 AM

Just installed the RTM version last nite. This OS is sweet. FAST. All my hardware is auto recognized. All my progs work great.

I wonder how MS got VISTA so wrong. VISTA should have been Windows 7. I sure hope someone got fired over that stillborn child.

Also got a 24.6" HANNSPREE LCD from Best Buy.

Ruteger · August 09, 2009, 11:07:12 AM

I am sure everyone here knows that if you want to install a NEW OS, you need to nuke your HD and install fresh?

Please, DO NOT even attempt an OS upgrade.

EvB · August 09, 2009, 11:59:20 AM

Quote from: Ruteger on August 09, 2009, 11:07:12 AM
I am sure everyone here knows that if you want to install a NEW OS, you need to nuke your HD and install fresh?

Please, DO NOT even attempt an OS upgrade.

That is SO sadly SO true. Which is what makes me hesitate - cuyz reloading and reconfiguring all your stuff take FOR EVER!

Borr · August 09, 2009, 05:55:11 PM

Fortunately, I store everything on an external HD, so I didn't have any issues.

MV/Liberace! · August 09, 2009, 07:36:00 PM

Quote from: Borr on August 09, 2009, 05:55:11 PM
Fortunately, I store everything on an external HD, so I didn't have any issues.

yeah, but you've got software installation and configuration which can take weeks to get right.

EvB · August 09, 2009, 07:38:01 PM

Quote from: Michael Vandeven on August 09, 2009, 07:36:00 PM
yeah, but you've got software installation and configuration which can take weeks to get right.

Thanks for saying that - THAT is the part I was fussing about.

Caruthers612 · November 27, 2009, 07:12:09 AM

Quote from: Borr on July 25, 2009, 10:44:59 AM
Installed it on my laptop last night. Not bad, relatively painless. My laptop is running a lot smoother (but then, that's going to happen with any fresh OS install). My only mistake was to forget to copy my Firefox bookmarks. My RAM usage is down, too.

Yeah, in view of Microsoft's history with regard to new OS releases, it was with great trepidation that I installed Win 7 64-bit on my schmancy new Alienware M17x "laptop" (Hal might be a more fitting name for it). But so far, all is well. Of course, there will be a lag while various software vendors make ready 64-bit versions of their products, but what can ye do.

M

EvB · November 28, 2009, 12:41:50 PM

Well - I did it - I went Windows 7 pro. AND -- it actually saves all your all docs and settings FOR YOU (though, since I didn't know that - I had already done massive backups. I'm glad of the insurance)

The fact that settings and configurations for most software are saved makes it much easier to reinstall and get everything arranged to your liking.

HIGHLY recommend Windows 7.

Caruthers612 · November 30, 2009, 04:54:31 AM

As mentioned, I installed Win 7 64-bit on my Alienware laptop. Today, though, something not unexpected happened that prompts me to write this query, hoping this one or two of you may have some answers.

I downloaded a game I'd purchased digitally online last night--Need for Speed Shift. The game runs beautifully on my XP box, but not surprisingly won't even launch on the Alienware.

Now, I am assuming that the problem is not only that the game is not Win 7 compatible, but was not written for a 64-bit machine/OS. So, a couple of questions.

a) I thought I heard, at some point, that Win 7 has an XP emulation mode. Is this true, and if so, would the various software programs I run on my 32-bit XP box run within this emulation environment?

b) Is it simply the case--with games or whatever type of software--that those of us who have made the jump to hyperspace...er, 64-bit computing...must simply wait until 64-bit, Win 7 compatible versions of all such software begin to appear? And if so, does anyone have any notion of how long a wait we are in for?

Thanks,
M

MV/Liberace! · November 30, 2009, 10:36:41 AM

Quote from: Mordred478 on November 30, 2009, 04:54:31 AM
a) I thought I heard, at some point, that Win 7 has an XP emulation mode. Is this true, and if so, would the various software programs I run on my 32-bit XP box run within this emulation environment?

win 7 does have an xp emulation mode. a couple of caveats.

1) your processor must support hardware virtualization. in order to make that determination, you can download the test tool here. 2) you must be running win7 pro, enterprise, or ultimate. home premium doesn't provide this feature. after you determine if you have the correct version of win7 and the right processor, you can download xp mode and the required "virtual pc" install here. in theory, anything you can run in windows xp would run in this environment.

Quote
b) Is it simply the case--with games or whatever type of software--thatthose of us who have made the jump to hyperspace...er, 64-bitcomputing...must simply wait until 64-bit, Win 7 compatible versions ofall such software begin to appear? And if so, does anyone have anynotion of how long a wait we are in for?

in win7, 64bit is finally the windows architecture of market choice. many OEM vendors aren't even allowing customers to get a copy of 32bit win7 from them. with that in mind, i'll tell you at the overwhelming majority of applications that run in a 32bit win7 environment will run in 64bit as well.