Windows 7 Public Beta available 1

[strongm]

>the only thing I am seeing is the need for more horsepower

Most tests so far, even given that this is beta code, seem to indicate that W7 is faster than Vista (and we're talking faster than Vista SP1, which is around about as fast as XP on appropriate hardware, which is most systems sold in the last couple of years or so)

>offering another OS

Frankly, it's the same OS. Just a few different bells and whistles.

 

[Zelandakh]

Faster, smoother, some bits are irritating but generally looking shiny and feeling good.

 

[BadBigBen]

A better description would be that this is a minor kernel revision (from 6.0 to 6.1)

doesn't make sense with the naming scheme of Windows7... but I'll wait til I have it in my hands and installed to verify this...

and I was correct, it seems that 7even will get a NEW kernel...

Windows Driver Kit: Device Installation
Sample INF Models Sections for Only One Target Operating System

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd419804.aspx

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.

 

[strongm]

I'd have a look at the parent page of the link you provided, if I were you:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd419805.aspx

 

[strongm]

And here's a screenshot from the Release Candidate:

 

[eyec]

XP will be available in virtual mode.

wonder how many will use it or go all the way for W7?

 

[strongm]

Only in Pro and Ultimate (oh, and Enterprise)

 

[dilettante]

XP Mode" isn't meant for home users anyway. Gamers will probably be particularly disappointed because of the way virtualization uses video hardware.

This seems to be meant to help businesses transition from XP. More like a big appcompat shim.

 

[BadBigBen]

Windows XP Mode is specifically designed to help small businesses move to Windows 7. Windows XP Mode provides you with the flexibility to run many older productivity applications on a Windows 7 based PC.

source:

http://bink.nu/

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.

 

[strongm]

Home users, of course, don't use their computers for anything apart from games ...

What they really mean is that their biggest market is business, and that market turned its nose up at Vista, so now MS need to offer every incentive possible to get business to adopt W7

 

[dilettante]

I think they may have misjudged the reasons for Vista's slow adoption in business then. Many established organizations are very slow to move at all.

We just moved from Win2K to XP a few months after Vista was publicly released. I suspect that people who manage large desktop sites get heavily invested in 3rd party tools that have inertia of their own as well. All of the costs and the learning curve involved add up to some pretty extreme conservatism. They have us stuck back on Office 2002 (XP) for the same reasons.

 

[BadBigBen]

We just moved from Win2K to XP a few months after Vista was publicly released.

wow that is early! one of the companies that I work with, or service, have just adopted XP x86 as their main OS 6 months ago... and Vista & XP 64, are not even allowed on company computers, at all...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.

 

[robmazco]

And Admin account is disabled as in Vista?
I still cannot for the life of me why this is. Seems a small thing to pick on, I just cant get my head around the idea...

 

[strongm]

The security best practice advice for years has been to disable the administrator account. The fact that Vista (and now Windows 7) have this as the default is not really a surprise.

 

[smah]

How many XP computers are out there where you can just walk up reboot (into safe mode if needed) and log on to Admistrator with a blank password and do anything at all? In my opinion, this is one of the greatest security problems out there. With that said, I'm not sure that disabling it is the best solution, but it's certainly better. Personally, I would prefer a required, strong password on the Adminsitrator account. When setting up a new machine, I always reenable the local Administrator account, give it a good password and then hide it from the welcome screen.