Windows 7 Public Beta

[RichardMannion]

In the next hour or so, the public beta of Windows 7 will be available to download from http://microsoft.com/windows7

Worth having a look and play with. I've been doing a lot of work on it, and the performance and reliability is extremely good - and it works well on Netbooks too!

If you have MSDN or TechNet, it is already available to download from the subscriber download portals.

It was reported to be available from 8pm, but everything keeps timing out. [xx(]

Still, I'll keep trying!

[mitchja]

Doesn't look like the download is available yet. It seems MS are adding extra hardware to cope with demand first.

Looking at the Windows 7 forums, it's looking like it will be about a 2.5GB download (DVD iso file) so I think I'll download it over night, so not to take a big chunk out of my monthly download allowance!!

Regards

[RichardMannion]

We're expecting a lot of demand for the public beta, and there will be a cap on the number of beta keys.

quote:Originally posted by RichardMannion
We're expecting a lot of demand for the public beta, and there will be a cap on the number of beta keys.


Which is why I wanted mine before bed, as I can't see many being left in the morning. Ah well. I have work tomorrow, so night night! [|)]

[Scrooge]

I was looking for you on MSN as I had seen that it is supposed to be released in the June/July time frame.

And I guess they filled their quota [:#]

[Luddite]

How does Windows 7 improve business productivity and pay for itself?

[/Luddite]

H

[mitchja]

Still no sign of the download [:?]

Also where does MS get the 7 from? 7 doesn't follow on from previous versions of Windows if you start from Windows 3.0 and work up [:?]

Regards

[HighFlyer]

LOL I remember thinking the same thing. Its the next release after Windows NT 6 (Vista) (Windows 5 = Windows XP, etc) but yeah, 'interesting' release name.

Thanks,
Sarah

[RichardMannion]

quote:Originally posted by mitchja
Still no sign of the download [:?]

Also where does MS get the 7 from? 7 doesn't follow on from previous versions of Windows if you start from Windows 3.0 and work up [:?]

Regards


7th Generation [;)]

1.0 = 1
2.0 = 2
3.xx = 3
9x = 4
NT4/2000/XP = 5
Vista = 6
7 = 7

Not my logic mind you!

The beta download will be back up soon, the demand is immense.

[Darren Wheeler]

Less said about ME the better. [;)]

[mitchja]

The download is now available.

Regards

[mitchja]

OK downloaded and installed here. Got it running on a separate HDD on my home PC and I've finally got in running in Parallels on my MacBook.

Seems OK so far, although the taskbar is a little on the chunky side. It feels very much like Vista in many ways, though I guess it's different under the bonnet.

Regards

[Scrooge]

Downloading it now, James do you care to expand on your thoughts ?

Is it worth playing with right now ?

[Darren Wheeler]

I've downloaded it and will have a play in the week. Now, shall I laptop or netbook it?

[mitchja]

It looks and feels like Vista in many ways.

The taskbar is slightly different (now managed to make it smaller). When you have several windows open at the same time, rather then getting wide boxes along the taskbar, you now have small boxes. If you have multiple tabs open in IE8 and you hover over the task boxes, you see all the open tabs as mini views and hovering over each mini view box displays the full webpage tab (I guess this only shows if Aero is working though)

The start menu is almost the same as Vista except theres now a 'Getting started' section at the top which has shortcuts to a few things like creating new users, transfer files etc.

Instead of a 'printers' menu theres now a 'printers and devices' menu which displays your attached devices as well as printers.

One thing that is different is that after you have opened say Windows Explorer you then get the usual shortcut appearing in the start menu, but now rather than having to click the link to open it again, you can navigate within Windows Explorer from within the start menu as Windows Explorer expands it to create a menu.

Windows Explorer now looks even more like Finder in OS X but is much easier to navigate than it was in Vista (I never liked the Vista version).

It's sightly slower to boot up compared to Vista but displays a similar log-in screen to Vista.

Everything on my Dell XPS420 works OK (just needed an Intel SM bus driver, which I found after Googling it)

The only thing that doesn't work properly is my Microsoft USB finger print reader!! (even with Vista drivers it wont let me register my finger print and the Windows 7 built-in biometric control panel app doesn't see it either.)

As I downloaded the 32bit version, it still wont use more than 3.3Gb of physical RAM (I have 4Gb installed on my PC).

I'll post a bit more as I find more things.

Regards

[RichardMannion]

Still lots more for you to find James! [:D]

[mitchja]

One thing that isn't there, is an email program.

You will need to use one of your own.

Regards

[Darren Wheeler]

quote:Originally posted by RichardMannion
Still lots more for you to find James! [:D]


Ooo, treasure hunt.

[RichardMannion]

quote:Originally posted by mitchja
One thing that isn't there, is an email program.

You will need to use one of your own.

Regards


Windows Mail, and a few other bits have been moved in to the Live family. You can download the new wave of Live programs here:
http://download.live.com/?mkt=en-gb

[mitchja]

quote:Originally posted by RichardMannion
[quote]Originally posted by mitchja
One thing that isn't there, is an email program.

You will need to use one of your own.

Regards


Windows Mail, and a few other bits have been moved in to the Live family. You can download the new wave of Live programs here:
http://download.live.com/?mkt=en-gb




Who's idea was that? I want a proper email client and none of this web mail/IM rubbish.

Regards

[preiffer]

It's one of them there cloudy thingies.... [:w]

[Nottingham Nick]

quote:Originally posted by preiffer
It's one of them there cloudy thingies.... [:w]


What, like the ones Apple have got? [:D]

[RichardMannion]

By moving the mail program out of the OS, it doesn't tie updates to the OS release/refresh cycle. Also removes components that not everyone will want/need - if they do need them, they are free to download. So reduces footprint of the OS.

It is a full app, not a Internet/Cloud based app. It's just falls under the Windows Live branding.
http://download.live.com/wlmail

[mitchja]

quote:Originally posted by RichardMannion
By moving the mail program out of the OS, it doesn't tie updates to the OS release/refresh cycle. Also removes components that not everyone will want/need - if they do need them, they are free to download. So reduces footprint of the OS.


I hope that means a reduction in the final retail cost of Windows 7 then. There's no way I'm would be willing to pay the full price for Windows 7 if it's going to cost the same as what Vista costs minus things like email software etc.

Again we have MS telling users what they do and dont need in an O/S. If mail stays under the 'Live' branding many users will have the same webmail thought as I had before you explained it.

Just had my first BSOD too here [:w]

Regards