Windows 7 Available for Free

[Veldor]

Just a note to let everyone know that the non-beta version of Microsoft Windows 7 (Technically speaking whats called the last RC version) will be available for all end-user audiences on Tuesday free of charge for your usage for at least a year. It was available to inside audiences through MSDN, Technet, and other programs last Thursday. This is, of course, an unprecidented first for Microsoft and meant to help show their extreme confidence in this version.

Compatibility is way up, Performance is twice what Vista was, the new major bell & whistle is Multi-Touch Support (ie. Two fingers simultaneously detected and traced on your multitouched enabled monitor or Microsoft Surface Coffee Table) as well as an OS-X style Doc at the bottom. Personally I just like the simple post-it note app (I've used others but none worked quite so elequantely as this one). Some bones thrown to Corporate users also like true multiple network profile support etc.

Really there is no need to go through all the features or even debate the supposed performance or compatibility gains. Why? Because you can simply try it for yourself and continue to run it.

And yeah, many a Matrix games runs even better in Windows 7 untouched...

Can't wait to see how the Microsoft H8ters still manage to turn this one into a negative...

PS. If you wish to actually pay for it, retail boxed copies MIGHT be available as soon as late August. Also, on the Microsoft Surface thing, rumor is MS wants a 5K version available within 18 months or so (Currently I believe they are generally priced around 10k). I still think it would be neat to play a computer boardwargame this way against an opponent. Sitting across from one another and moving pieces with your hands.

Not unlike the Wii, the true power of Multi-touch will come down to what developers manage to do with it creatively. For those who have seen multi-touch at work in the commercial and industrial sectors, you know that in the end it provides quite a positive and rich experience over soon to be "legacy" style applications.. (Of course, in contrast, for gaming there really is no broken ground yet so its usefullness there remains to be seen though I've faith in the creativity of developers).

[JudgeDredd]

I don't quite see this as the "coupe" you do Veldor. I'm a glass half empty guy, and all I see is Microsoft getting their foot in your door to stump you for another £200 a year down the road!

But then I guess you'll always come across the doubters [:'(]

I might just take them up on their offer to get that Vista rubbish off my laptop and free up some resources though!

[killroyishere]

Where can we download it from Veldor you didn't provide a link?

[Lützow]

ORIGINAL: Veldor

Really there is no need to go through all the features or even debate the supposed performance or compatibility gains. Why? Because you can simply try it for yourself and continue to run it.

Would still mean to download several gigabytes and a new Windows installation. Frankly, if not for performance issues I don't see any reason why one should even care about Win7. The 'virtual XP' is useless, as not working with directx, there are no native drivers yet, new features are marginal and nobody knows if MS doesn't charge money in the near future, from those who installed it by now. I can hardly imagine they develop a new OS just to give it for free afterwards, for anyone interested.

In order to convince me, Win7 would need to have a better XP compatibility as it's precursor and run games which don't work under Vista anymore.

[hadberz]

Windows 7 = Windows Vista renamed IMO. I have Vista and like it, I don't see any reason to buy it again with a new name, unless I buy a new computer, that would be the only reason to get it.

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: Veldor

This is, of course, an unprecidented first for Microsoft and meant to help show their extreme confidence in this version.

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

Somebody let me know when service pack 2 is released......

[Peter Fisla]

I bought a laptop for my fiancee and it came with Vista...it's horribly slow...even after complete clean up of the hard disk. So I installed Windows 7 7057, a lot faster and it took about 400MB of ram on boot up. Vista takes 1GB of ram...it's ridiculous. The beta build 7057 is very stable, it's been running fine for 2 months and no problems. I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. I do believe of course that Windows 7 is basically cleaned up Windows Vista. However Microsoft has to do a stellar job or they are going to be seriously in trouble. Vista was a big flop, hence why MS is working on quick replacement with Windows 7. I'm still running primarily with Windows XP, though I will have a dual boot with Windows 7 RC when it comes out this week. I'm doing some development and I need to support Win XP/Win 2003 Server with Visual C++ 2005. The good thing about Windows 7 is that Vista drivers will work on it...so that's a major plus. I had no problem installing HP laser printer and even old scanner.

Peter

[Jeffrey H.]

Well we might as well compare it to the current version of XP, because that's going to be the ultimate benchmark for corporations.

[Obsolete]

Can't wait to see how the Microsoft H8ters still manage to turn this one into a negative...

M$ negativity is well deserved...

[E]

I can personally only stomach every third version of windoze...
1) 3.1 sucked
2) 95 sucked
3) 98 was okay
1) ME sucked
2) 2000 sucked
3) XP was okay
1) Vista sucked
2) Windoze 7 should suck
3) [insert title here] should be okay

So the release after the one this thread is about, is when I will leave XP. *grin*

Bring back DOS!! Better yet, Apple ][ Forever! *grin*

[sabre100]

Windows 7 is what Vista should have been.  Vista sucks, Windows 7 rocks hands down.  The RC is even more stable then the beta.  This  product is faster than XP as well.  Windows 7 is a true replacement for XP and runs all games so far flawlesly and speed is so much better even boots up faster then XP.  I have Windows 7 RC on my work laptop, new home desktop and I have XP on 2 other laptops and windows 7 blows both my XP installs out of the water in speed, and performance, and boot up time.  I for one was very shocked to see MS produce something better then XP so far I only regret the money I spend for Vista that was a joke.  I think every person who purchased Vista should get a free or very substansial discount for Windows 7.  If you haven't tried Win 7 yet don't rule it out until you do with a free download to try it doesnt hurt.  I even upgraded my desktop which had Vista and a whole bunch of games from Matrix and others to Win7 and it upgraded with zero problems and everything working except my printer which I need newer drivers for most likely.  I like to look at all OSs and my favorite has been Mac which I have on a Mac Mini and Macbook pro but I can say Win7 is up there with OS X.

[E]

ORIGINAL: sabre100

Windows 7 is what Vista should have been.

That sounds fair... 98 was what 95 should've been.

ORIGINAL: sabre100

Windows 7 is a true replacement for XP and runs all games so far flawlesly and speed is so much better even boots up faster then XP.

Combat Mission with an Nvidia card?

DOSbox?

AppleWin 16.0.0?

ORIGINAL: sabre100

If you haven't tried Win 7 yet don't rule it out until you do with a free download to try it doesnt hurt.

Actually I highly doubt that it wouldn't hurt (here). Every installation of Windoze is an exercise in pain and frustration here (you wouldn't believe what I have to do to trick my DSL modem into working on ancient-unsupported drivers). I just got a new machine (first in 10 years) and it took 2 painful weeks to get Windoze running close to the way I'd customized it over the previous years (stupid stuff, like remembering how to turn off autostart on CD's, etc, etc). If I install a time-limited Windoze, that would guarantee at least one more installation of Windoze (either the release or back to XP). Though I do understand your stance, for me personally, I'll wait and see if the love is overwhelming for this version. Otherwise, I'll wait until SP2 for the next version as history has shown to be prudent (for me at least). (funny things they say about "history" i.e. 'learn or repeat' *grin*)

[pad152]

Microsoft giving something away for free, what's the catch, a nasty suprise on day 366?

Basic Rule of Thumb - Never use a MS OS until there's a service pack 2 available for download.[:-] Who knows by then there may even be stable device drivers available for your hardware!

[sabre100]

Sounds good each his own, I dont mind reinstalling but I understand it is a pain. However a good re-install every now and then is actually good and you will be suprised how much faster your new re-install is once you get rid of all the junk you have over the years like wrong DLL version, libraries, and files left over by uninstalled apps that do not properly uninstall, etc. Supposedly the RC version you can upgrade to a final version without doing a reinstall from what I read but could be wrong. As far as device drivers and old DSL modem drivers that has nothing to do with Windows that has to do with driver vendors, Nvidia, ATI, or whomever make the drivers not Microsoft. Granted they include drivers in Windows for most hardware but it is up to the hardware vendor to have proper working drivers nothing to do with Microsoft. I think people seem to confuse that, many say Apple works well in that arena and I do have 2 Apple Computers however Apple is locked down to their hardware only and they can easily work with vendors or make the drivers when you have to support 1000 different clone's and various other hardware it is not that easy. Ask any of these developers here at Matrix and I am sure they have challenges as well with making sure their games work with every possible flavor of graphic drivers etc, it is not an easy task at all. Now this may sound like I support MS and I could care less about that but I am giving them credit for doing a swell job on Win7 and that is in part because they listened to so many users but it is no excuse for giving us crappy Vista and taking our money. They are not giving anything for free actually they are letting you use a non so final version of Windows 7 for a full year until June 2010 hoping you love it so much you go an purchase the final retail version. They figure if they give you enough time you would grow to love it I guess.

[Prince of Eckmühl]

ORIGINAL: Hertston

Somebody let me know when service pack 2 is released......

Uh, this is SP2...of Vista, that is!

PoE (aka ivanmoe)

[V22 Osprey]

So Windows 7 is THAT awesome huh?If Microsoft has made thats that better than XP then the world must be about end...

[sabre100]

yes it even does your laundry and makes your bed for you..so make sure you buy 20 copies of it when it comes out and give it to your friends and family and sing songs of joy around a camp fire about Windows and how it does it all for you.  It even makes wargames on the fly the kind you can only dream off, just speak into the microphone and tell it what you want the game to be like and what you want it to do and whola instant game is compiled right in front of you using some of the most advanced AI ever seen in the history of computers. [:D]

[Fred98]

Veldor, please install all the Matrix games you have, on a PC running Windows 7 and please let us know whether they run OK

Thanks!

-

[Lützow]

Instead of giving away Win 7 trials they should rather lift DRM protection and license policy from XP. Back to the day you could purchase a single Windows copy and install it on all of your rigs. Actually nobody needs a new OS, nor another Office suite, but Microsoft.

That being said, there is one free quality software from MS, supposing you need it: Visual Studio Express.

[E]

ORIGINAL: sabre100

Sounds good each his own, I dont mind reinstalling but I understand it is a pain. However a good re-install every now and then is actually good and you will be suprised how much faster your new re-install is once you get rid of all the junk you have over the years like wrong DLL version, libraries, and files left over by uninstalled apps that do not properly uninstall, etc.

I understand the theory. But as it turns out, my continual efforts to keep my machine clean and lean did pay off... a new & clean install is not noticibly faster here. (But still, I agree it should've been faster).

ORIGINAL: sabre100

As far as device drivers and old DSL modem drivers that has nothing to do with Windows

Never meant to imply it did. Updated drivers are no longer available. Getting these old ones to work with newer and newer versions of windoze is the real pain and problem. Enough so, that I don't wish to do any reinstalls of windoze that I don't have to (not to mention re-accomplishing the personalizations/customizations).