Windows 7 - whats it like?

[IceT-Bag]

Who has tried the Windows 7 beta(s)?

What are you're overall impressions - better than XP? ...stable? ...faster?

Please let me know as its currently on offer for between £50-£100 if you pre-order.

Cheers

[HanZ]

just ask the lads at G4F (topic linky) or sky, they've been using it for some time.

only problem i heard of so far is the punkbuster issue with cod4.(pb wont fix it untill windows7 is officially released)

word goes that the retail version will be released to the beta testers this/next week (or at least before september).

i will be testing this build as soon as it gets released.(havent tried it yet)

[IceT-Bag]

Cheers for the link Hanz, I've posted on their forum also

[Sky]

I've been using the 32bit release candidate, runs cod4 with PB no probs (did a manual update on install)
GUI is basically vista but the underlying OS has been fixed, a lot of vista's annoyances have been changed (not necessarily improved)
The OEM is being released to manufacturing this month so the big boys can have machines in the shops for oct 22nd. As I'm registered with MS as a OEM system builder I'm trying to get access to this but they're saying that as my volume is lower my lead time is less so small manufacturers (local shops etc) will probably get it a week or 2 early at best.
The european version doesn't come with IE8 and they're still negotiating about WMP.
Runs fine on my Samsung NC10 Netbook (1.6atom, 2gb ram) which vista won't even look at.
Currently priced at £49.99 if you pre order now.
Haven't tried the 64bit yet (I've got the RC iso somewhere and the key is the same for both)
Like all the 64bit editions it supports more than 3gb ram and I think the DX is now 11

[Sky]

Some XP applications won't run on 7 for this you need virtual machine 2007 and their XP VM (free) AND A PROCESSOR/MB THAT SUPPORTS VIRTUALISATION

[LuMbErJaCk]

Windows7 64bit PunkBuster Fix:
http://crysystem.proboards.com/index.cg ... thread=795

[IceT-Bag]

...As I'm registered with MS as a OEM system builder I'm trying to get access to this but they're saying that as my volume is lower my lead time is less so small manufacturers (local shops etc) will probably get it a week or 2 early at best.

Does that mean you would be able to offer Windows 7 for cheaper than retail prices when its released or would it still cost an arm and a leg?

Is the 3GB memory a limitation of all 32bit OS's? Is it only 64bit that make use of more than 3GB?

[Sky]

...As I'm registered with MS as a OEM system builder I'm trying to get access to this but they're saying that as my volume is lower my lead time is less so small manufacturers (local shops etc) will probably get it a week or 2 early at best.

Does that mean you would be able to offer Windows 7 for cheaper than retail prices when its released or would it still cost an arm and a leg?

Is the 3GB memory a limitation of all 32bit OS's? Is it only 64bit that make use of more than 3GB?

wholesale price, ie about the same as ebuyer etc

32bit OS can address 4gb, windows reserves 256mb of adresses for it's own purposes, then reserves address for video ram.
so windows + 512mb gfx = 4gb - 256mb - 512mb = 3.25gb, don't know how linux handles it. there is a work around for windows but it's slow.

[LuMbErJaCk]

Is the 3GB memory a limitation of all 32bit OS's? Is it only 64bit that make use of more than 3GB?

Yes

[scarybaby]

why dont we all use 64bit then?