I thought I would try this here. Mods move it if you think it better elsewhere.
Windows 7 beta download available here for those who want to try it. It is 3.15GB, and Microsoft servers have been overwhelmed by demand. Not sure how long it will be available.
Based on past experience with M$, I think I will wait…
I’ve been beta-testing it for about a week, and my initial conclusion is that it is superior to Vista in every way. I’ve yet to encounter ANY performance problems, and there are VAST performance improvements when running certain high-end games/emulators (although I’m not sure if it’s because I just installed a fresh OS which is still tidy). I’m a pretty hardcore Windows user, and I don’t even get an impression that I’m running a beta OS, so if you have any fears of using a half-completed OS, then don’t worry.
The biggest feature being talked about is improved compatibility - if it worked with XP, it’ll work with W7, even if it didn’t work with Vista. And that includes device drivers! It’s so nice being able to use my scanner with my primary computer again!
The new taskbar is very funky (and even more of a OSX ripoff) and I haven’t yet gotten used to it. It’s possible to switch back to the taskbar that’s been around since Windows 95, the only problem is that the quick launch (aka the little icons that link to your programs) is totally gone. Instead they’ve integrated quick launch and the taskbar together, so that a program will ALWAYS have an icon on the taskbar, which will launch the program if it isn’t already open, and will substitute (with an ugly box around it) as a taskbar button when it is. Only problem is I used to have about 40 quick launch icons (in its own row on the taskbar) and therefore I’m given a choice of having tiny icons being used as taskbar links, or having two rows of big icons, therefore losing more desktop space than usual. Still working on a good solution there.
Advice to anyone thinking about beta testing - get to the link in the OP NOW, so that you can at least get a valid serial #. You can always get the iso image later, but once they hit 2.5 million downloads (which’ll happen soon, especially with people stocking up on serials), the site closes and you miss your WINDOW of opportunity. This beta will run until August 1, by which time there will be a newer beta/RC to upgrade to.
I managed to grab the ISO yesterday (and finally got a key this morning). I’m running it as a VM with only 512 MB of RAM and am very pleasantly surprised by the performance so far.
Of course, I haven’t installed any applications yet…
I’m downloading as I type.
Getting a product key was easy, getting the download to start was not.
GRRRRR
Windows 7 is great.
I JUST WISH I COULD DISABLE ALL THE FUCKING AQUA HIGHLIGHTS. UGHHH.
Why can’t they let me run win2k colorscheme with Aero? Or better yet, create a choice of skins, some of which without all the visual noise and disgusting colors. The Color Picker is just a cockslap in the face. Oh, look, you can change the colors! HA! No you can’t.
Who, WHO at Microsoft has the giant boner for ugly shades of blue? First XP, which was bearable, and now this. Yes, the thing that was wrong with XP’s Mickey Mouse blue is that it was not fluorescent.
Why are people stocking up on serials? Are they eager to beta test or can you use the serial and upgrade the beta version to the full version down the road and avoid buying it?
To sell them on ebay?
To who? People who are so eager to beta test that they’ll pay for it? Or do the serials have any value to people who aren;t eager to beta test for some reason? Personally I find the idea of anyone paying to beta test absurd.
I think it’s mainly a panic of geeks worrying that they’ll get locked out, so JUST INCASE they plan on installing it on 5 computers, or JUST INCASE they want to reinstall 5 times, they’ll have the extra #'s to go around.
Well, I’m d/ling it now, both the 64 bit and 32 bit versions, and due to the fact that Firefox wouldn’t work with their download manager, I’ve now got about 6 product keys. Go figure. E-Bay here I come!!!
ETA: So what happens when a OS goes from beta to live? Does the Beta shut itself down? Can you run it in perpetuity and just not receive updates? Does it switch over to the full version? Do you get to buy it at a different price than the retail version?
So far, I just got eight green dots chasing each other in a circle.
Are you using Firefox? If so you need to use Explorer. On Firefox I just kept clicking download and it wasn’t doing anything. Once I opened the link up in Explorer it started downloading right away.
I was still using IE6, so it did the same damn thing as Firefox. It wasn’t until I went though the FAQs I found that little tidbit out.
This beta expires on August 1. The RTM release (in other words a “it all looks good on our end, so make it work on YOUR end”) will be out before then, and the retail version is expected to drop this Autumn. You should be able to upgrade from beta to RTM to Retail, although the latter will not be for free and each upgrade will require a new serial #. This also gives the underground scene 6 months to get a never-expire patch ready.
Chances are that if you try to use the beta after August 1, you’ll get nag messages and it will log you out of your account after 1 hour.
So, with the good things I’ve been hearing about Windows 7, does this mean Vista’s going down in computer history as about as bad as Windows ME?
I ask in all honesty, as the only experience I’ve had with Vista is my wife’s laptop that came with it. The only thing I hate about using it is the constant asking of “ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT ME TO RUN THIS?”
I guess I’ll look more into W7 whenever the official version is released. At this point, I don’t see a point in upgrading - XP’s working fine for me. The only real incentive I have for upgrading at this point is for Direct X 10, and there’s not enough games that support it out yet to really make me care.
I’m running the Windows 7 beta now. It seems pretty fast, especially IE. My only major complaint is that they took away the Quick Launch and the Show Desktop button that I used to use all the time. I’m also not a fan of the fat taskbar but I’ll get used to it.
Vista wasn’t that bad. It just had high hardware requirements and a lot of people tried to run it without bearing those requirements in mind. As I understand, Windows 7 actually has lower system requirements than Vista.
There’s a tiny button at the right end of the bar which is a ‘show desktop’ toggle.
The problem with ME was, so many things either didn’t work with it, or worked poorly. I’ve used Vista for two years at home and at work, and haven’t had anymore problems than I’ve had with XP. Plus it’s a lot prettier than XP. As for its nagging “are you sure” messages, those can be disabled by turning off UAC.