Windows 7 RC

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx

The RC will expire on June 1, 2010. Starting on March 1, 2010, your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. Windows will notify you two weeks before the bi-hourly shutdowns start.

Free operating system for about  a year?

Giving it a go soon.

for a moment there, I thought you were talking about the free copy that all windows vista users are supposedly getting.

for a moment there, I thought you were talking about the free copy that all windows vista users are supposedly getting.

D: not gonna happen. If we were getting free copies, they wouldn't have made vista's support time frame years past the windows 7 release.

Wait-Wha?!

Initials:

- Holy crap I didn't have to pull out my driver disks.
- Wow this taskbar saves time/space
- Just as smooth and responsive as vista was (but I assume slower systems will notice the improvements)

Later on:
- Program  compatibility is spot on  (not that I had issues with that on vista 64 bit either)
- Fucking finally desktop widgets are useful/actually on the deskop :O
- Memory usage relatively the same ( a bit less, nothing marginal)
- Window sizing is epic win.
- File browsing (my computer) is sleek in design and a breeze to use.
- For once I'm not thinking about a mac

more later ;]

Sounds like you already have a mac.

DESKTOP WIDGETS OMG <333333

You could always put sidebar widgets on the desktop, even without the sidebar.

DESKTOP WIDGETS OMG <333333

You could always put sidebar widgets on the desktop, even without the sidebar.

and now I know ;p
That dumb thing went away everytime I hit windows + D (desktop)

Sounds like you already have a mac.

Nah, he can actually do stuff without having to load another operating system.

EDIT: Minus the

Sounds like you already have a mac.

Nah, he can actually do stuff without having to load another operating system.

EDIT: Minus the

XP compatability API for programs that aren't compatible with 7...

D: not gonna happen. If we were getting free copies, they wouldn't have made vista's support time frame years past the windows 7 release.

hmm...I'll have to look up more info then.

So if we get the RC, we can keep it until 2010 until we need a retail copy of 7?

Sounds fuckawesome. I'm hearing good things about 7 too.

So if we get the RC, we can keep it until 2010 until we need a retail copy of 7?

yes ;]

Sounds fuckawesome. I'm hearing good things about 7 too.

It's amazing so far. I still can't believe how useful this darn taskbar is ;0

how long does it take to install?
is there a way to skin it yet?

Install took me about 10 mins, the disk wipe took 25mins

skin, dunno. I'm loving the default though.

edit:
The icons in the tray are all one color, looks clean <3

I wish there were some reviews about the bad parts of it, too. Sort of sickening and shabby to only read 20 articles stating how much it has improved >_>

Install took me about 10 mins, the disk wipe took 25mins

skin, dunno. I'm loving the default though.

edit:
The icons in the tray are all one color, looks clean <3

program compatibility?
how about hardware drivers?

program compatibility?
how about hardware drivers?

- Holy crap I didn't have to pull out my driver disks.
- Program  compatibility is spot on  (not that I had issues with that on vista 64 bit either)

drivers installed automatically. all my programs that worked in vista worked fine--and keep in mind im running 64bit windows so that's an achievement to most people's standards.

You could always partition an external and install it on there if you want. Change boot devices in bios to load usb's before your hardrive.

All of the good things that I've been hearing about it are things that you can do in XP with 3rd party software. Everything other than that is all worse than XP, ie. memory use, compatibility, annoying protection software. It sounds like Vista's release all over again. I'll probably try it out just to see for myself, but so far, I'm not impressed.

Everything other than that is all worse than XP, ie. memory use...

Because when you play CS:S it requires a higher end video card and more memory than 1.6. How about every new game as compared to back when XP was around? Do any of them actually look/play better but require less hardware than it's previous?...ah....no. Now you need faster processors, and larger graphic cards to play them.

compatibility [issues]

not here, and again im running 64bit which also claims even less compatibility.

But sure, I'd say give it a try and see how you like it.

drivers installed automatically. all my programs that worked in vista worked fine--and keep in mind im running 64bit windows so that's an achievement to most people's standards.

You could always partition an external and install it on there if you want. Change boot devices in bios to load usb's before your hardrive.

I have a 70 gig partition that I can use to install it and try to dual boot.
Going to wait until this semester at school is done first, though.  that'll give me time to re-download any torrents or anything for programs I want to keep, just in case it fails.

Because when you play CS:S it requires a higher end video card and more memory than 1.6. How about every new game as compared to back when XP was around? Do any of them actually look/play better but require less hardware than it's previous?...ah....no. Now you need faster processors, and larger graphic cards to play them.

My point is that to play any game on Vista and 7, you need an additional GB or so of RAM, as opposed to XP. XP can look just as good as (if not better than) Vista if you have the right mods, and it uses way less resources. So comparing it to games doesn't make a lot of sense. It's just an OS, and its purpose is to let me get into the things I want to run. I see no need for it to have 3D windows, and all of the other useless stuff that takes up memory.

XP can look just as good as (if not better than) Vista if you have the right mods, and it uses way less resources. So comparing it to games doesn't make a lot of sense. It's just an OS, and its purpose is to let me get into the things I want to run. I see no need for it to have 3D windows, and all of the other useless stuff that takes up memory.

hypocritical...a bit?

Why run more useless system processes if that's what you're against?

 If you see no need for it to have '3d' and other useless stuff that takes up memory, why in the blue hell are you going through mods to beautify what you said in the first place doesn't need to look good? Are you running with styles disabled? I mean after all the styles are unless if you use the OS as a stepping stone to your game.

;o

Compatibility? Once XP is dropped by microsoft, I'll ask you how compatible you are with newer software.

I use ObjectDock, for ease of use. That's all. I didn't say that I used desktop mods, I said that it was possible for XP to look better than Vista with them, and not use as much resources. Please read what is written before you reply. Also, my argument isn't that newer software isn't compatible with Vista, it is that older software isn't compatible with Vista. Obviously, eventually more games will use things like newer DX revisions, and will not run in XP, but for now I still see no real reason to switch.

I use ObjectDock, for ease of use. That's all. I didn't say that I used desktop mods, I said that it was possible for XP to look better than Vista with them, and not use as much resources. Please read what is written before you reply

right, like you mentioned what you do and don't use above?



unless your xp looks like that, don't complain about needing system resources for your gaming.


edit: don't forget xp virtualization.

Don't even get me started on that. But yeah, I'll have to just try it out and see for myself.