Windows 7 Public Beta

[Mew*]

So did anyone else get it? I just finished downloading and burning to a DVD. You can download it and a product key on Microsoft's site now. It came out yesterday but it was all messed up from too much traffic.

I'm installing it on my old desktop with only 512 MB ram. Microsoft recommends 1 GB, but I believe I can get away with this. If not I'll put it on a better PC.

Even though they give you a product key, the beta runs out August 1 of this year.

Can't wait for it to finish installing. Supposedly it is similar to the speed of XP (ligherweight yay) but with the sweet features and appearance of Vista and then some.

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

It's installed now and working great so far!

 

[Regis_Neo]

I doubt you'll have much success with it if you have 512 RAM, I mean, Vista needs 2 GB RAM just to work good (not barely like with 1 GB RAM).

 

[Professor_Chris]

I doubt you'll have much success with it if you have 512 RAM, I mean, Vista needs 2 GB RAM just to work good (not barely like with 1 GB RAM).

Yeah, that's a problem with Vista. Windows 7 is supposed to be much less memory intensive.

 

[LegacyEeveeVGC]

What is Windows 7?
I have heard about it but never really looked into it.....

 

[Mew*]

Yeah, that's a problem with Vista. Windows 7 is supposed to be much less memory intensive.

Yeah, I actually can run it. Things aren't as smooth, and there's no cool aero effects on my old pc, but it works and seems very stable. I just wanted to put it on my old PC to test it out before messing up my new one.

What is Windows 7?
I have heard about it but never really looked into it.....

It's the codename of the next version of Windows that will replace Vista. So they're giving the beta version away for free so people can report bugs so they can be fixed in the final version. Microsoft claims the beta already has all the features they plan to include in the final version, so it's a pretty complete copy!

They made significant changes to the task bar, and also how window sizes can be changed different ways. Also they brought back internet checkers

 

[vaporeon]

I might have to get it then but just getting Vista Ultimate, it might be a while before I do but, I do plan on getting a few more computers.

 

[Mew*]

Yeah, well I recommend you download it now and get a product key before it is too late. Then just use it later when you're ready.

 

[unknown]

I have had Windows 7 Beta 1 for over a week now.. I must say that I do like it. I have found it a lot more responsive than Vista. It seems pretty stable. There have been some changes to the GUI, some of those changes to remind me of OSX, that do take some getting used to for pure Windows users.

The public beta has also announced that they are not limiting it to the 2.5 million users any more until Jan 24.

Currently I am running the 32 bit version, about to install the 64 bit version, to see if there is any change in responsiveness and compatibility.

The beta is feature frozen, they will not be adding any more features. They are hoping that the users report any bugs and security issues found with the OS.

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

I doubt you'll have much success with it if you have 512 RAM, I mean, Vista needs 2 GB RAM just to work good (not barely like with 1 GB RAM).

I agree 512 ram might be a little low.. He might be able to run it without Aero decently. Though I have to say that my old laptop had only 1 GB of RAM and it ran Vista great.

 

[Prime]

I don't see the need to upgrade.

Change my mind...

 

[Mew*]

Well, it was working stabily, but I've decided to reinstall XP on the machine. This is because Windows 7 wouldn't let me use my old video card with the right drivers so any animations or dragging windows was laggy, and Comodo (my favorite free protection) wouldn't install. But say in the future when they ship PCs with it loaded with the proper drivers it would be great. I have to say I really didn't like the new taskbar thing, but you can change it back to the old way with text and all that. It actually did boot up and run pretty fast on only 512 RAM with a weak little 1.2 GHz Celeron processor.

OH, and I checked out the new MS Paint and it was pretty sweet! It still looks like you can easily do basic stuff, but they added lots of nice new features!

 

[unknown]

Well, it was working stabily, but I've decided to reinstall XP on the machine. This is because Windows 7 wouldn't let me use my old video card with the right drivers so any animations or dragging windows was laggy, and Comodo (my favorite free protection) wouldn't install. But say in the future when they ship PCs with it loaded with the proper drivers it would be great. I have to say I really didn't like the new taskbar thing, but you can change it back to the old way with text and all that. It actually did boot up and run pretty fast on only 512 RAM with a weak little 1.2 GHz Celeron processor.

OH, and I checked out the new MS Paint and it was pretty sweet! It still looks like you can easily do basic stuff, but they added lots of nice new features!

Yeah so far there are only three antivirus programs that work in Windows 7 (or at least confirmed by Microsoft) Kapersky, Norton, and AVG.

That is good to hear that it worked on a 1.2 Celeron with 512 RAM. What kind of Graphics card? Did you have Aero running?

I actually like the new task bar. To me it seem cleaner, though I would like to see how many instances of the program I am running. Though I have been hearing a lot of mixed reviews about it.

As for Paint.. I haven't used it, until you mentioned it.. surprised they actually changed it. It does look nice.. in an Office 07 way.

 

[Mew*]

No, I did not have Aero running. I don't think my card has Pixel Shader 2.0 or whatever it would need. My graphics card is a Nvidia GeForce4 MX 440 AGP 8X with 128 MB. I downloaded the software panel including driver .exe for my card from the Nvidia site, but when I went to install it the program gave me an error saying that I was not running Windows and it would terminate. So no luck with that and I was stuck with the default generic driver from Microsoft (which wouldn't let me set my resolution high). If I tried doing the automatic driver search it would just leave it the way it was.

 

[unknown]

I don't see the need to upgrade.

Change my mind...

Most people will not see the need to upgrade.. They will only upgrade when they are forced to. To many people a computer is just a device to get work done, as long as it works, why change anything? That does make sense.

I know people still running Windows 98SE on one of their computers.. they don't need anything fancy.. just a way to print out doucments.

People were crying when Windows XP came out (it was too different). People wanted to stay with Windows 98SE / ME (don't get me started on this one). because they wanted to to keep the classic look. Well, things stopped being supported on a 98/ME platform, they were forced to make the move.

The same thing will happen with XP.. Microsoft will stop support XP in April (I think). Once hardware manufacturers stop support XP, you will see the the need to upgrade.

Hardware manufacturers will, however, support (how much they will support is unknown) XP for a year or two more than Micorosoft will. The length of support might be dependent on how well Windows 7 does.

We are seeing software that is Vista only though, video games for example. Microsoft is pushing for Vista Support, consumers (due to bad Vista press in the beginging) are pushing for XP. I feel that Windows 7 will redeem Microsoft from the Vista bad press.

There are reasons people like to jump on these betas. Some are just curious, some need to know how future proof their computers are, and some need to know if the programs they use will work.

Well, I am all 3. And I use these beta releases from Microsoft to test software compatibility. I did some work for a company who used a databse program that was created in 1985. DOS based. Well it worked for what they were using it for, on a Windows 95 machine.. But it started to throw fits when put on a Windows XP machine (it worked, but not too reliable). I had to develop a work around (which was more reliable, but not even at 90%). I had to tell them that it was time to move to another program.

Around the time that Vista was leaving Beta/RC about to go RTM, they started having computer issues. Well that worried me that it may not work. I tested the program out on the Vista RC that I had... It didnt work.

While that wasn't urgent because the first workaround was working somewhat.. It was good to know. Later that month I moved them to a different DB/invoice program.

I am just saying that many people dont see the need to change, until they have too.

 

[vaporeon]

Most people will not see the need to upgrade.. They will only upgrade when they are forced to. To many people a computer is just a device to get work done, as long as it works, why change anything? That does make sense.

I know people still running Windows 98SE on one of their computers.. they don't need anything fancy.. just a way to print out doucments.

People were crying when Windows XP came out (it was too different). People wanted to stay with Windows 98SE / ME (don't get me started on this one). because they wanted to to keep the classic look. Well, things stopped being supported on a 98/ME platform, they were forced to make the move.

The same thing will happen with XP.. Microsoft will stop support XP in April (I think). Once hardware manufacturers stop support XP, you will see the the need to upgrade.

Hardware manufacturers will, however, support (how much they will support is unknown) XP for a year or two more than Micorosoft will. The length of support might be dependent on how well Windows 7 does.

We are seeing software that is Vista only though, video games for example. Microsoft is pushing for Vista Support, consumers (due to bad Vista press in the beginging) are pushing for XP. I feel that Windows 7 will redeem Microsoft from the Vista bad press.

There are reasons people like to jump on these betas. Some are just curious, some need to know how future proof their computers are, and some need to know if the programs they use will work.

Well, I am all 3. And I use these beta releases from Microsoft to test software compatibility. I did some work for a company who used a databse program that was created in 1985. DOS based. Well it worked for what they were using it for, on a Windows 95 machine.. But it started to throw fits when put on a Windows XP machine (it worked, but not too reliable). I had to develop a work around (which was more reliable, but not even at 90%). I had to tell them that it was time to move to another program.

Around the time that Vista was leaving Beta/RC about to go RTM, they started having computer issues. Well that worried me that it may not work. I tested the program out on the Vista RC that I had... It didnt work.

While that wasn't urgent because the first workaround was working somewhat.. It was good to know. Later that month I moved them to a different DB/invoice program.

I am just saying that many people dont see the need to change, until they have too.

Finally someone I can talk too that understand computers and how they work. Everything you said was true.

 

[LegacyEeveeVGC]

Most people will not see the need to upgrade.. They will only upgrade when they are forced to. To many people a computer is just a device to get work done, as long as it works, why change anything? That does make sense.

I know people still running Windows 98SE on one of their computers.. they don't need anything fancy.. just a way to print out doucments.

People were crying when Windows XP came out (it was too different). People wanted to stay with Windows 98SE / ME (don't get me started on this one). because they wanted to to keep the classic look. Well, things stopped being supported on a 98/ME platform, they were forced to make the move.

I myself liked XP when it came out.
Gave more of a color to it,
I grew up with 98 and ME.
My computer are running:
98
ME (I hate ME, but like 2000, go figure)
Vista 64bit
XP Home x3
and a random Linux
Yes those are separate computers.

I am gonna download the Windows 7 and put it on one of my Xp computers.

 

[unknown]

I myself liked XP when it came out.
Gave more of a color to it,
I grew up with 98 and ME.
My computer are running:
98
ME (I hate ME, but like 2000, go figure)
Vista 64bit
XP Home x3
and a random Linux
Yes those are separate computers.

I am gonna download the Windows 7 and put it on one of my Xp computers.

I should have qualified it with "many" since not everybody disliked XP. I also did like XP when it came out, but some people didnt like XP because it was too different (even though it was still pretty similar). I still see some people today using the classic view on machines that can handle the graphics well, not because of the performance, but because they don't like XP's "kindergarten feel".

Currently I have one laptop running Slackware and Fedora (Linux), and Windows XP, and Vista Ultimate x64. The other laptop is running, Vista Home Premium (about to change to Ultimate x64), Windows 7 (about to change to x64), Ubuntu x64. Still thinking what else I want to add to it (500 GB hard drive, why not). I am thinking of just installing one Windows and one Linux and just use virtualization to get the other operating systems.

Windows ME was a horrible OS. Most people (especially tech people) despise ME. Windows 2000 was one of the best; I preferred 2k over ME any day (even though it was considered a downgrade). We used to have a Windows ME computer, didn't last long until we put Windows 98SE on it instead. That was how bad it was, 98SE was so much more stable.

I have on old pc with Windows 95 still laying around.. need to figure out what I can do with it. I want to say that it is a 266 with like 32 MB RAM if that, not is use, but I think it still should work. Do you think I can install Windows 7 on this?

Also have a PIII 500 with 512 MB RAM. Thinking about using it as a file server later. This one has an old redhat distro, XP, and Windows 98SE.

I guess I can say that I grew up with the Windows 4 series (Windows 95, 98, 98SE and ME), or at least that is what I was using when I really started using computers, though I did have a Windows 3.1 machine (which oddly enough, I only crashed once and that was because I caused a buffer overflow in a math operand by filling the screens with 9's pressing the multiply button and filing the screens with 9's again.)

 

[Mew*]

I have on old pc with Windows 95 still laying around.. need to figure out what I can do with it. I want to say that it is a 266 with like 32 MB RAM if that, not is use, but I think it still should work. Do you think I can install Windows 7 on this?

Hah, yeah I have a Windows 95 laptop (someone upgraded to 98 though) and it has 48 mb ram with a Pentium 1 processor... I got it at a yard sale for $5 and I can't even figure out what OS I should put onto it. I want to do some type of Linux though. I want to do Ubuntu but it is too old for that.

 

[Professor_Chris]

I should have qualified it with "many" since not everybody disliked XP. I also did like XP when it came out, but some people didnt like XP because it was too different (even though it was still pretty similar). I still see some people today using the classic view on machines that can handle the graphics well, not because of the performance, but because they don't like XP's "kindergarten feel".

I run XP and Vista both is classic view. I've always liked the simple gray and blue color scheme. Although, in Vista, its mostly to keep my mind off the fact that I'm using Vista.

 

[Mew*]

Aww man, see now I really love the appearance of vista. I reallly really like the search bar added to the Start menu and if you're in classic view I think you're missing out on that (it's also on pages of Windows Explorer). I use it all the time. Type in enough part of program name, hit enter boom! Or quickly search for a file. Luckily Windows 7 has it too.

 

[LegacyEeveeVGC]

I should have qualified it with "many" since not everybody disliked XP. I also did like XP when it came out, but some people didnt like XP because it was too different (even though it was still pretty similar). I still see some people today using the classic view on machines that can handle the graphics well, not because of the performance, but because they don't like XP's "kindergarten feel".

Currently I have one laptop running Slackware and Fedora (Linux), and Windows XP, and Vista Ultimate x64. The other laptop is running, Vista Home Premium (about to change to Ultimate x64), Windows 7 (about to change to x64), Ubuntu x64. Still thinking what else I want to add to it (500 GB hard drive, why not). I am thinking of just installing one Windows and one Linux and just use virtualization to get the other operating systems.

Windows ME was a horrible OS. Most people (especially tech people) despise ME. Windows 2000 was one of the best; I preferred 2k over ME any day (even though it was considered a downgrade). We used to have a Windows ME computer, didn't last long until we put Windows 98SE on it instead. That was how bad it was, 98SE was so much more stable.

I have on old pc with Windows 95 still laying around.. need to figure out what I can do with it. I want to say that it is a 266 with like 32 MB RAM if that, not is use, but I think it still should work. Do you think I can install Windows 7 on this?

Also have a PIII 500 with 512 MB RAM. Thinking about using it as a file server later. This one has an old redhat distro, XP, and Windows 98SE.

I guess I can say that I grew up with the Windows 4 series (Windows 95, 98, 98SE and ME), or at least that is what I was using when I really started using computers, though I did have a Windows 3.1 machine (which oddly enough, I only crashed once and that was because I caused a buffer overflow in a math operand by filling the screens with 9's pressing the multiply button and filing the screens with 9's again.)

I don't think Win 7 will run on it....
Now if was a PC with 512 ram it might run, but run sorta slow.

I am building my own PC and deciding one XP 64x (I think there is a Xp 64bit) or Vista Ultimate 64x.
Not going to go into much detail but, it has a 2.80 Quadcore CPU as of right now and a XFX Nvidia 790i motherboard and I am debating on going with the 1600 wat PSu or the 1000wat PSU...
At best the ram will be 8gb by june since I am starting out with 4gb. The computer I have let my grandpa use is like a file server to me since he has DSl and I am on ddial-up most the time....:tongue: