Windows 7 Looks Good, but XP Migration Is Key
John Fontana, Network World
People who read this also read:
People Who Like This Also Like
Vista Service Pack 2 Now Ready for Download 24760800 Apple Co-founder Wozniak Claims CEO Jobs Is Healthy 24807222 Windows 7: I'm Rolling It Out Right Away 24609732 Windows 7 Prices May Be Announced in Mid-June 24678670 Office 2000 Nears End of Life 24781744 Windows 7: Already Slipping in the Polls? 24578070
Related Searches:
windows upgrading
windows 7
windows xp
Related Terms:
windows upgrading
Windows 7
windows xp
Find a Review
Select Category Cell Phones Desktop PCs Cameras Hard Drives Monitors Notebooks Optical Drives Printers Projectors
Sort By Rating Rating Date Performance Price
Get Reviews
Close Thursday, May 28, 2009 2:26 PM PDT
Corporate migration to Windows 7 may be less about evaluating the new Microsoft operating system and more about how to properly gauge the correct time to get XP off client desktops.
The equation corporate IT pros will have to figure out is how long it will take to get all their XP desktops to Windows 7 before XP support runs out or before application vendors quit producing XP versions of upgrades or new software, which some predict could come as early as 2012.
Windows 7 is the shiny new operating system from Microsoft slated to arrive this fall to replace Windows Vista, which after 30 months has failed in the eyes of IT buyers.
Windows 7 offers a host of tantalizing corporate features such as AppLocker, DirectAccess, Branch Cache and XP Mode, a virtualization technology that should buy time for users who migrate but must hold on to key legacy applications.
Gartner predicts that more than half of the corporate Windows user-base is skipping Vista and aiming at Windows 7.While that means XP users won't have to tangle with Vista in name, it doesn't mean they will avoid the application compatibility issues that gave Vista a black eye right out of the blocks in November 2006. Windows 7 is built on the Vista code base.
"If you are on XP, Windows 7 isn't going to solve a lot of Vista's migration problems," says Brett Waldman, a research analyst for IDC. "Going from Vista to Windows 7 should be a much easier transition than XP to 7."
Users who have deployed Vista have an easier path because Microsoft provides an upgrade option not available to XP users, and because they have already solved their application compatibility issues.
Microsoft says nearly all applications that run on Vista will run on Windows 7 and early testing by users is beginning to validate that claim.
In addition, hardware upgrades made for Vista are relevant for Windows 7 rollouts.
While those rollouts won't be painless for Vista converts, it is those on the XP side who will have to tap into their planning and organizational skills.
The XP equation
The predominant migration questions among those coming off XP are "when" and "how."
"What we are saying is that by the end of 2012 you should be off XP," says Michael Silver, vice president and research director at Gartner. With most large corporations taking 12 to 18 months to test and pilot a new operating system, the migration clock is ticking.
"If I target the end of 2012 to get XP out then you have your migration window," he says. "Organizations really need to be poised to do a lot of migrations on new machines and some existing ones in 2011 and 2012. That will be the mainstream of the migrations."
Silver says Gartner's recommendation is a conservative one that provides a 15-month buffer before XP support ends on April 8, 2014. Mainstream support for XP ended in April 2009, just a year after XP SP3 shipped.
Microsoft for its part told XP users last month (MAY) that if they are just starting to test Vista that they should switch to Windows 7.
Silver recommends users in that boat switch only if it means less than a six-month delay in their current planning. "You don't want to lose momentum. If you have already done lots of testing or might be set to deploy you should continue with Vista," he says. "One of the big issues here is that Vista is a difficult decision politically at this point, but the folks that have migrated to Vista are generally happy."
Hitching the migration horse to the Windows 7 wagon, however, doesn't mean users won't have to take along issues that polluted Vista acceptance.
Applications that were not compatible with Vista won't work on Windows 7. The new XP Mode, available with professional, ultimate and enterprise editions, will give users a bit of a respite, but not a panacea.
With both Windows 7 (the host operating system) and XP (guest) running on a single machine, users will be forced to maintain and patch two operating systems per desktop.
Analysts such as IDC's Waldman and Gartner's Silver say it's a short-term solution.
"To take full advantage of new enhancements in Windows 7, which is what users are paying for, the app needs to be built for Windows 7," Waldman says. He says XP Mode is likely a one- to two-year Band-Aid.
Users are gearing up
"XP Mode might be the way we get around the fact that some of our institutional apps are behind the technology curve; it could be the answer," says Jeff Allred, manager of network services at the Duke University Cancer Center. He said patch management tools will make it easier to manage two operating systems on a desktop and that XP Mode's administrative considerations are not a showstopper
Allred is in the process of testing Windows 7, which he says is faster, more stable and seems leaner than Vista. "We are much happier with Windows 7 RC than Vista in its full shrink-wrap version," he says.
He said a Vista migration would have meant upgrading 60% of his hardware, something he was not prepared to do. With Windows 7 and its smaller footprint, the majority of his hardware is already compatible.
The same is true for Wesley Stahler, senior system consultant at Ohio State University Medical Center, who is testing Windows 7 from an Asus Eee netbook.
He says the medical center is just now beginning migration discussions to move off XP.
"We have some clinical-based apps that work great on [Internet Explorer] 6, but on IE 8 [with Windows 7] not so much. Those are the thing we will have to look into," he says.
He says XP Mode might help, but "as someone who has to maintain the environment I would prefer not to support two operating systems."
Stahler says there are other features that are enticing or will help save money.
"Right now we are using two different products to do what BitLocker can do, so we could save money and administrative headache," he says. BitLocker is a full-disk encryption feature introduced with Windows Vista and available in Windows 7.
Microsoft's input
For its part, Microsoft is offering its range of migration tools to help with a move to Windows 7.
Microsoft also has added tools to its Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK), specifically to ease the management and deployment of Windows images.
The Windows System Image Manager lets users do low-level customization of an operating system image. The tool works with System Center Configuration Manager, which adds an administrative UI that lets users replicate information across their network. Integration with System Center management tools supports rollouts that scale to enterprise deployments.
Windows 7 also features updates to Microsoft's ImageX command-line tool, which lets users capture, modify and deploy Windows images. The tool is rolled into Configuration Manager and given a GUI interface.
Deployment Image Servicing and Management also is part of WAIK and is used to apply updates and drivers to Windows images.
Microsoft also is updating its User State Migration Toolkit with a new feature for hard-link migration, which keeps desktop data on the machine during the operating system upgrade, cutting deployment time from hours to minutes.
And the forthcoming Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 is an updated version of the Business Desktop Deployment Kit that shipped with Vista. It is now integrated with System Center Configuration Manager and builds off WAIK tools. Microsoft will release version 6.0 of its Application Compatibility Toolkit once Windows 7 ships.
"The capability to centralize and bring into one admin console the ability to customize and deploy an [operating system] with applications and updates is where the Windows division with System Center is a great story," says Jeff Wettlaufer, senior technical product manger for System Center.
Now the only other story left to tell is if Windows 7 will deliver on its promises
By PC World
Friday, May 29, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
new
Windows 7: Release Candidate Review
5/12/09, 21:40 GMT
Last week Microsoft released Windows 7 Release Candidate to the general public to download & test.
Microsoft: There will only be one Beta for Windows 7
2/13/09, 17:45 GMT
At the end of January, in a posting to the Windows 7 Engineering Blog, Steven Sinofsky senior vice president for the Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group made it clear that Microsoft will only ship one Beta of Windows 7 before releasing a Release Candidate (RC).
Windows 7: Beta 1 Review
2/07/09, 18:05 GMT
With the first beta of Windows 7 available to the general public to download, I will take you through an overview of Windows 7.
Microsoft Announces Windows 7 Editions
2/03/09, 21:25 GMT
Today Microsoft announced the SKU lineup of Windows 7, and while the company says it will focus mainly on two editions: Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional; Microsoft offers a total of six different Windows 7 versions.
Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1
1/27/09, 20:30 GMT
Yesterday Microsoft announced the release of Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1 (RC1). This release is the first update sice the public Beta 2 release last August.
Windows 7: Public Beta Available
1/08/09, 13:40 GMT
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last Wednesday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the beta release of Windows 7 (and Windows Server 2008 R2) to the public this week.
Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Public Beta
12/13/08, 14:05 GMT
Early this month Microsoft released a Beta of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 via their Customer Preview Program (CPP). The beta was released in five languages: English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.
Windows 7: Public Beta Soon
12/12/08, 20:15 GMT
There have been several reports that indicate that a public beta of Windows 7 would be available in early January. What's more, according to several sources (ZDNet's Ed Bott, Internet News.com Andy Patrizio and last week WinInfo's Paul Thurrott) Windows 7 will ship this summer (a June 2009 shipping date is being mentioned) - way earlier than Microsoft has (so far) indicated.
Windows 7: The new Taskbar
11/28/08, 19:00 GMT
Microsoft did a lot of work on the new taskbar for Windows 7. They looked extensively how people where using their computers and started making improvements based on those observations.
Windows 7 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
11/11/08, 09:25 GMT
Frequently asked questions and general information about Windows 7
more headlines...
5/12/09, 21:40 GMT
Last week Microsoft released Windows 7 Release Candidate to the general public to download & test.
Microsoft: There will only be one Beta for Windows 7
2/13/09, 17:45 GMT
At the end of January, in a posting to the Windows 7 Engineering Blog, Steven Sinofsky senior vice president for the Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group made it clear that Microsoft will only ship one Beta of Windows 7 before releasing a Release Candidate (RC).
Windows 7: Beta 1 Review
2/07/09, 18:05 GMT
With the first beta of Windows 7 available to the general public to download, I will take you through an overview of Windows 7.
Microsoft Announces Windows 7 Editions
2/03/09, 21:25 GMT
Today Microsoft announced the SKU lineup of Windows 7, and while the company says it will focus mainly on two editions: Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional; Microsoft offers a total of six different Windows 7 versions.
Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1
1/27/09, 20:30 GMT
Yesterday Microsoft announced the release of Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1 (RC1). This release is the first update sice the public Beta 2 release last August.
Windows 7: Public Beta Available
1/08/09, 13:40 GMT
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last Wednesday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the beta release of Windows 7 (and Windows Server 2008 R2) to the public this week.
Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Public Beta
12/13/08, 14:05 GMT
Early this month Microsoft released a Beta of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 via their Customer Preview Program (CPP). The beta was released in five languages: English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.
Windows 7: Public Beta Soon
12/12/08, 20:15 GMT
There have been several reports that indicate that a public beta of Windows 7 would be available in early January. What's more, according to several sources (ZDNet's Ed Bott, Internet News.com Andy Patrizio and last week WinInfo's Paul Thurrott) Windows 7 will ship this summer (a June 2009 shipping date is being mentioned) - way earlier than Microsoft has (so far) indicated.
Windows 7: The new Taskbar
11/28/08, 19:00 GMT
Microsoft did a lot of work on the new taskbar for Windows 7. They looked extensively how people where using their computers and started making improvements based on those observations.
Windows 7 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
11/11/08, 09:25 GMT
Frequently asked questions and general information about Windows 7
more headlines...
Friday, May 15, 2009
Windows 95
Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft,[2] and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products. During development it was referred to as Windows 4.0 or by the internal codename Windows Chicago.
Windows 95 was intended to integrate Microsoft's formerly separate MS-DOS and Windows products and includes an enhanced version of DOS, often referred to as MS-DOS 7.0. It features significant improvements over its predecessor, Windows 3.1, most visibly in the graphical user interface (GUI). There were also major changes made at lower levels of the operating system.
In the marketplace, Windows 95 was a major success, and within a year or two of its release had become the most successful operating system ever produced. It also had the effect of driving other major players in the DOS-compatible operating system out of business, something which would later be used in court against Microsoft. Some three years after introduction, Windows 95 was succeeded by Windows 98.
Contents [hide]
1 User interface
2 Technical improvements
2.1 Long file names
2.2 32-bit
3 Release
3.1 Beta
3.2 Final
4 Internet Explorer
5 Editions
6 System requirements
7 References
8 External links
[edit] User interface
The basic elements of the interface introduced in Windows 95 -- including the taskbar, Start button and menu, and the Windows Explorer file manager -- remain fundamentally unchanged in later versions of Windows, such as Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7, more than a decade later. The word "Start" was dropped from the button in Windows Vista in 2006, with the company preferring to label the button with the Windows logo ("Start" is still present as a tooltip and in the classic GUI mode).
When released for Windows 95, Internet Explorer 4.0 came with an optional shell update known as Windows Desktop Update that changed the user interface significantly. That update gave Windows 95 (and Windows NT 4.0) features that would become the graphical user interface of Windows 98.
[edit] Technical improvements
Windows 95 included support for 255-character mixed-case long filenames and preemptively multitasked pseudo-protected-mode 32-bit applications. Whereas earlier versions of Windows are optional "DOS extending shells" requiring an MS-DOS or MS-DOS compatible operating system (usually sold separately). Windows 95 incorporated MS-DOS into a consolidated operating system, which was a significant marketing change. The release of Windows 95 also marked wider acceptance of Plug and Play standards on the IBM PC platform.
[edit] Long file names
32-bit File Access is necessary for the long file names feature introduced with Windows 95 through the use of the VFAT file system. It is available to both Windows programs and MS-DOS programs started from Windows (they have to be adapted slightly, since accessing long file names requires using larger pathname buffers and hence different system calls). Competing DOS-compatible operating systems released before Windows 95 cannot see these names. Using older versions of DOS utilities to manipulate files means that the long names are not visible and are lost if files are moved or renamed, as well as by the copy (but not the original), if the file is copied. During a Windows 95 automatic upgrade of an older Windows 3.1 system, DOS and third-party disk utilities which can destroy long file names are identified and made unavailable (Microsoft Anti-Virus for Windows indicated that the upgrade program was itself a computer virus). When Windows 95 is started in DOS mode, e.g. for running DOS programs, low-level access to disks is locked out. In case the need arises to depend on disk utilities that do not recognize long file names, such as MS-DOS 6.x's defrag utility, a program called LFNBACK for backup and restoration of long file names is provided on the CD-ROM. The program is in the \ADMIN\APPTOOLS\LFNBACK directory of the Windows 95 CD-ROM.
[edit] 32-bit
Windows 95 followed Windows for Workgroups 3.11 with its lack of support for older, 16-bit x86 processors, thus requiring an Intel 80386 (or compatible).
The introduction of 32-bit File Access in Windows for Workgroups 3.11 meant that 16-bit real mode MS-DOS is not used for managing the files while Windows is running, and the earlier introduction of the 32-bit Disk Access means that the PC BIOS is not used for managing hard disks. This essentially reduces MS-DOS to the role of a boot loader for the protected-mode Windows kernel. DOS can be used for running old-style drivers for compatibility, but Microsoft discourages using them, as this prevents proper multitasking and impairs system stability. Control Panel allows a user to see what MS-DOS components are used by the system; optimal performance is achieved when they are all bypassed. The Windows kernel uses MS-DOS style real-mode drivers in Safe Mode, which exists to allow a user to fix problems relating to loading native, protected-mode drivers.
[edit] Release
[edit] Beta
Several Windows 95 betas were released before the final launch.
Build 58 introduced a Start menu prototype. It divided the functions of the Windows 95 Start menu up into three buttons. Future Chicago builds combined these three into the Start button still recognized today.
Build 58 included a new File Manager, Chicago Explorer, which remained relatively unchanged in the initial version of Windows 95 and in Windows NT 4.0. Build 58 still included Program Manager as found in Windows 3.1, although this application was supplemented by the new desktop and taskbar/Start menu designs.
This build also introduced shortcuts (Chicago referred to them as Links) and native right click functionality, which Windows 3.1 lacked. It also introduced long file name support.
Prior to the official release, the American public was given a chance to preview Windows 95 in the Windows 95 Preview Program. For US$19.95, users were sent a set of 3½" floppy diskettes that would install Windows 95 either as an upgrade to Windows 3.1x or as a fresh install on a clean computer. Users who bought into the program were also given a free preview of The Microsoft Network (MSN), the online service that Microsoft launched with Windows 95. The preview versions expired in November 1995, after which the user would have to purchase their own copy of the final version of Windows 95.
[edit] Final
Microsoft Windows 95 operating system cover shotWindows 95 was released with great fanfare, including a commercial featuring the Rolling Stones song "Start Me Up" (a reference to the Start button).[3] It was widely reported that Microsoft paid the Rolling Stones between US$8 and US$14 million for the use of the song (from the 1981 album Tattoo You) in the '95 advertising campaign. According to sources at Microsoft, however, this was just a rumor spread by the Stones to increase their market value, and Microsoft actually paid a fraction of that amount.[4] A 30 minute promotional video, labeled a "cyber sitcom", featuring Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry, was also released to showcase the features of Windows 95. Microsoft's US$300 million dollar advertising campaign featured stories of people waiting in line outside stores to get a copy.
In the UK, the largest computer chain PC World received a large number of oversized Windows 95 boxes, posters and point of sale material, and many branches opened at midnight to sell the first copies of the product, although these customers were far fewer in number than publicity had suggested.[citation needed]
In the United States, the Empire State Building in New York City was lit to match the colors of the Windows logo. In Canada, a 300-foot banner was hung from the top of the CN Tower in Toronto. Copies of The Times were available for free in the United Kingdom where Microsoft paid for 1.5 million issues (twice the daily circulation at the time).
The release included a number of "Fun Stuff" items on the CD, including music videos from Edie Brickell[5] and Weezer.
[edit] Internet Explorer
Windows 95 originally shipped without Internet Explorer, and the default network installation did not install TCP/IP, the network protocol used on the Internet. At the release date of Windows 95, Internet Explorer 1.0 was available, but only in the Plus! add-on pack for Windows 95, which was a separate product. The Plus! Pack did not reach as many retail consumers as the operating system itself (it was mainly advertised for its add-ons such as themes and better disk compression) but was usually included in pre-installed (OEM) sales, and at the time of Windows 95 release, the web was being browsed mainly with a variety of early web browsers such as Netscape (promoted by products such as Internet in a Box).
Windows 95 OEM Service Release 1 was the first release of Windows to include Internet Explorer (Codenamed O'Hare) with the OS, including version 2.0. While there was no uninstaller, it could be deleted easily if the user so desired. The included version switched to Internet Explorer 3 when it came out. The installation of Internet Explorer 4 on Windows 95 (or the OSR2.5 version preinstalled on a computer) gave Windows 95 active desktop and browser integration into Windows Explorer, known as the Windows Desktop Update. The CD version of the last release of Windows 95, OEM Service Release 2.5 (Version 4.00.950C), includes Internet Explorer 4, and installs it after Windows 95's initial setup and first boot is complete.
Only the 4.x series of the browser contained the Windows Desktop Update features, so anyone wanting the new shell had to install IE4 with the desktop update before installing a newer version of Internet Explorer. The last version of Internet Explorer supported on Windows 95 is Internet Explorer 5.5 which was released in 2000. Windows 95 shipped with Microsoft's own dial-up online service called The Microsoft Network.
[edit] Editions
Release Version Release Date Internet Explorer USB Support FAT32 Support UDMA Support
Windows 95 Retail 4.00.950[6] 1995 ✗[7] ✗ ✗ ✗
Windows 95 Retail SP1 4.00.950A 31 December 1995 2.0[8] ✗ ✗ ✗
OEM Service Release 1 4.00.950A 1996 2.0 ✗ ✗ ✗
OEM Service Release 2 4.00.950B (4.00.1111) 1996 3.0 ✗ ✓ ✓
OEM Service Release 2.1 4.00.950B (4.03.1212 or 4.03.1214[9]) 1996 3.0 ✓ ✓ ✓
OEM Service Release 2.5 4.00.950C (4.03.1214) 1997 4.0 ✓ ✓ ✓
While Windows 95 was originally sold as a shrink-wrapped product, later editions were provided only to computer OEMs for installation on new PCs. The term OEM Service Release is frequently abbreviated OSR, as in OSR1 or OSR2.1. Thus, for example, OSR1 was the OEM release that was identical to Windows 95 retail with Service Pack 1 applied (with the addition of Internet Explorer). In order to maintain compatibility with existing programs, Windows 95 has an internal version number of "4.00.950", regardless of the internal build number, thus reflecting Windows 95's alternative identity as "Windows 4.0" (similarly, the original edition of Windows 98 has an internal version number of Windows 4.10.1998.) Later versions are sometimes referred to by the trailing letter appended to this version string, such as Windows 95 B for OSR2 and OSR2.1.
Windows 95 partially supports USB as of OSR 2.1, though it is disabled by default and is limited by driver availability.
[edit] System requirements
Official system requirements were an Intel 80386 DX CPU of any speed, 4 MB of system RAM, and 50 MB of hard drive space. These minimal claims were made in order to maximize the available market of Windows 3.1 converts. This configuration was distinctly suboptimal for any productive use on anything but single tasking dedicated workstations due to the heavy reliance on virtual memory. Also, in some cases, if any networking or similar components were installed the system would refuse to boot with 4 megabytes of RAM. It was possible to run Windows 95 on a 386 SX but this led to even less acceptable performance due to its 16-bit external data bus. To achieve optimal performance, Microsoft recommends an Intel 80486 or compatible microprocessor with at least 8 MB of RAM.[10]
Windows 95 was superseded by Windows 98 and could still be directly upgraded by both Windows 2000[11] and Windows Me. On 31 December 2001, Microsoft ended its support for Windows 95, making it an "obsolete" product according to the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy.[12] Even though support for Windows 95 has ended, the software still remains in use on some home and school computers because of budget issues, a lack of knowledge or lack of desire to upgrade to newer editions of Windows. In addition, some video game enthusiasts choose to use Windows 95 for their legacy system to play old DOS games, although some other versions of Windows such as Windows 98 can also be used for this purpose.
Windows 95 has been released on both floppy disks and on CD-ROM, as some computer systems at the time did not include a CD-ROM drive. The retail floppy disk version of Windows 95 came on 13 DMF formatted floppy disks, while OSR 2.1 doubled the floppy count to 26. Both versions exclude additional software that CD-ROM might have featured. Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 was also available on floppy disks.
[edit] References
^ "Windows Life-Cycle Policy". Microsoft. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/default.mspx. Retrieved on 2006-09-02.
^ Washingtonpost.com: WashTech
^ Microsoft detractors were quick to point out that the second verse of Start Me Up begins "you make a grown man cry" (a line which is repeated throughout). The phrase subsequently featured as a humorous reference in many critical expositions of Windows 95.
^ Michael Gartenberg (2006-08-22). "The Story behind "Start Me Up" and Windows 95". Jupiter Research. http://weblogs.jupiterresearch.com/analysts/gartenberg/archives/016913.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-02.
^ "Good Times" release on release disk
^ This version of Windows 95 is sometimes called "950r6" because there were five prior release candidates of build 950. Release candidate 6 was the build that shipped in retail boxes.
^ Internet Explorer v1.0 was available with the additional purchase of Microsoft Plus!.
^ Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 CD-ROM Readme.txt File
^ How to Determine the Version of Windows 95/98/Me in Use
^ "Windows 95 Installation Requirements". Microsoft. http://www.support.microsoft.com/kb/138349/. Retrieved on 2006-08-07.
^ Windows 2000 Server
^ "Windows 95 Contact Support". Microsoft. 1 January 2002. http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/support/contact/default.asp. Retrieved on 2006-10-06.
Windows 95: The hype and beyond, Guardian Unlimited
With Windows 95's Debut, Microsoft Scales Heights of Hype, Washington Post
Windows 95 Installation Requirements, Microsoft
Windows 95 end of support date, Microsoft
Description of Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 Components
Description of Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 Updates
Description of Windows 95 OEM Service Release 1
Availability of Universal Serial Bus Support in Windows 95
Implementing Windows 95 Updates
Schulman, Andrew (1994). Unauthorized Windows 95: A Developer's Guide to Exploring the Foundations of Windows "Chicago". IDG Books. ISBN 1-56884-169-8 (paperback).
Windows 95 was intended to integrate Microsoft's formerly separate MS-DOS and Windows products and includes an enhanced version of DOS, often referred to as MS-DOS 7.0. It features significant improvements over its predecessor, Windows 3.1, most visibly in the graphical user interface (GUI). There were also major changes made at lower levels of the operating system.
In the marketplace, Windows 95 was a major success, and within a year or two of its release had become the most successful operating system ever produced. It also had the effect of driving other major players in the DOS-compatible operating system out of business, something which would later be used in court against Microsoft. Some three years after introduction, Windows 95 was succeeded by Windows 98.
Contents [hide]
1 User interface
2 Technical improvements
2.1 Long file names
2.2 32-bit
3 Release
3.1 Beta
3.2 Final
4 Internet Explorer
5 Editions
6 System requirements
7 References
8 External links
[edit] User interface
The basic elements of the interface introduced in Windows 95 -- including the taskbar, Start button and menu, and the Windows Explorer file manager -- remain fundamentally unchanged in later versions of Windows, such as Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7, more than a decade later. The word "Start" was dropped from the button in Windows Vista in 2006, with the company preferring to label the button with the Windows logo ("Start" is still present as a tooltip and in the classic GUI mode).
When released for Windows 95, Internet Explorer 4.0 came with an optional shell update known as Windows Desktop Update that changed the user interface significantly. That update gave Windows 95 (and Windows NT 4.0) features that would become the graphical user interface of Windows 98.
[edit] Technical improvements
Windows 95 included support for 255-character mixed-case long filenames and preemptively multitasked pseudo-protected-mode 32-bit applications. Whereas earlier versions of Windows are optional "DOS extending shells" requiring an MS-DOS or MS-DOS compatible operating system (usually sold separately). Windows 95 incorporated MS-DOS into a consolidated operating system, which was a significant marketing change. The release of Windows 95 also marked wider acceptance of Plug and Play standards on the IBM PC platform.
[edit] Long file names
32-bit File Access is necessary for the long file names feature introduced with Windows 95 through the use of the VFAT file system. It is available to both Windows programs and MS-DOS programs started from Windows (they have to be adapted slightly, since accessing long file names requires using larger pathname buffers and hence different system calls). Competing DOS-compatible operating systems released before Windows 95 cannot see these names. Using older versions of DOS utilities to manipulate files means that the long names are not visible and are lost if files are moved or renamed, as well as by the copy (but not the original), if the file is copied. During a Windows 95 automatic upgrade of an older Windows 3.1 system, DOS and third-party disk utilities which can destroy long file names are identified and made unavailable (Microsoft Anti-Virus for Windows indicated that the upgrade program was itself a computer virus). When Windows 95 is started in DOS mode, e.g. for running DOS programs, low-level access to disks is locked out. In case the need arises to depend on disk utilities that do not recognize long file names, such as MS-DOS 6.x's defrag utility, a program called LFNBACK for backup and restoration of long file names is provided on the CD-ROM. The program is in the \ADMIN\APPTOOLS\LFNBACK directory of the Windows 95 CD-ROM.
[edit] 32-bit
Windows 95 followed Windows for Workgroups 3.11 with its lack of support for older, 16-bit x86 processors, thus requiring an Intel 80386 (or compatible).
The introduction of 32-bit File Access in Windows for Workgroups 3.11 meant that 16-bit real mode MS-DOS is not used for managing the files while Windows is running, and the earlier introduction of the 32-bit Disk Access means that the PC BIOS is not used for managing hard disks. This essentially reduces MS-DOS to the role of a boot loader for the protected-mode Windows kernel. DOS can be used for running old-style drivers for compatibility, but Microsoft discourages using them, as this prevents proper multitasking and impairs system stability. Control Panel allows a user to see what MS-DOS components are used by the system; optimal performance is achieved when they are all bypassed. The Windows kernel uses MS-DOS style real-mode drivers in Safe Mode, which exists to allow a user to fix problems relating to loading native, protected-mode drivers.
[edit] Release
[edit] Beta
Several Windows 95 betas were released before the final launch.
Build 58 introduced a Start menu prototype. It divided the functions of the Windows 95 Start menu up into three buttons. Future Chicago builds combined these three into the Start button still recognized today.
Build 58 included a new File Manager, Chicago Explorer, which remained relatively unchanged in the initial version of Windows 95 and in Windows NT 4.0. Build 58 still included Program Manager as found in Windows 3.1, although this application was supplemented by the new desktop and taskbar/Start menu designs.
This build also introduced shortcuts (Chicago referred to them as Links) and native right click functionality, which Windows 3.1 lacked. It also introduced long file name support.
Prior to the official release, the American public was given a chance to preview Windows 95 in the Windows 95 Preview Program. For US$19.95, users were sent a set of 3½" floppy diskettes that would install Windows 95 either as an upgrade to Windows 3.1x or as a fresh install on a clean computer. Users who bought into the program were also given a free preview of The Microsoft Network (MSN), the online service that Microsoft launched with Windows 95. The preview versions expired in November 1995, after which the user would have to purchase their own copy of the final version of Windows 95.
[edit] Final
Microsoft Windows 95 operating system cover shotWindows 95 was released with great fanfare, including a commercial featuring the Rolling Stones song "Start Me Up" (a reference to the Start button).[3] It was widely reported that Microsoft paid the Rolling Stones between US$8 and US$14 million for the use of the song (from the 1981 album Tattoo You) in the '95 advertising campaign. According to sources at Microsoft, however, this was just a rumor spread by the Stones to increase their market value, and Microsoft actually paid a fraction of that amount.[4] A 30 minute promotional video, labeled a "cyber sitcom", featuring Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry, was also released to showcase the features of Windows 95. Microsoft's US$300 million dollar advertising campaign featured stories of people waiting in line outside stores to get a copy.
In the UK, the largest computer chain PC World received a large number of oversized Windows 95 boxes, posters and point of sale material, and many branches opened at midnight to sell the first copies of the product, although these customers were far fewer in number than publicity had suggested.[citation needed]
In the United States, the Empire State Building in New York City was lit to match the colors of the Windows logo. In Canada, a 300-foot banner was hung from the top of the CN Tower in Toronto. Copies of The Times were available for free in the United Kingdom where Microsoft paid for 1.5 million issues (twice the daily circulation at the time).
The release included a number of "Fun Stuff" items on the CD, including music videos from Edie Brickell[5] and Weezer.
[edit] Internet Explorer
Windows 95 originally shipped without Internet Explorer, and the default network installation did not install TCP/IP, the network protocol used on the Internet. At the release date of Windows 95, Internet Explorer 1.0 was available, but only in the Plus! add-on pack for Windows 95, which was a separate product. The Plus! Pack did not reach as many retail consumers as the operating system itself (it was mainly advertised for its add-ons such as themes and better disk compression) but was usually included in pre-installed (OEM) sales, and at the time of Windows 95 release, the web was being browsed mainly with a variety of early web browsers such as Netscape (promoted by products such as Internet in a Box).
Windows 95 OEM Service Release 1 was the first release of Windows to include Internet Explorer (Codenamed O'Hare) with the OS, including version 2.0. While there was no uninstaller, it could be deleted easily if the user so desired. The included version switched to Internet Explorer 3 when it came out. The installation of Internet Explorer 4 on Windows 95 (or the OSR2.5 version preinstalled on a computer) gave Windows 95 active desktop and browser integration into Windows Explorer, known as the Windows Desktop Update. The CD version of the last release of Windows 95, OEM Service Release 2.5 (Version 4.00.950C), includes Internet Explorer 4, and installs it after Windows 95's initial setup and first boot is complete.
Only the 4.x series of the browser contained the Windows Desktop Update features, so anyone wanting the new shell had to install IE4 with the desktop update before installing a newer version of Internet Explorer. The last version of Internet Explorer supported on Windows 95 is Internet Explorer 5.5 which was released in 2000. Windows 95 shipped with Microsoft's own dial-up online service called The Microsoft Network.
[edit] Editions
Release Version Release Date Internet Explorer USB Support FAT32 Support UDMA Support
Windows 95 Retail 4.00.950[6] 1995 ✗[7] ✗ ✗ ✗
Windows 95 Retail SP1 4.00.950A 31 December 1995 2.0[8] ✗ ✗ ✗
OEM Service Release 1 4.00.950A 1996 2.0 ✗ ✗ ✗
OEM Service Release 2 4.00.950B (4.00.1111) 1996 3.0 ✗ ✓ ✓
OEM Service Release 2.1 4.00.950B (4.03.1212 or 4.03.1214[9]) 1996 3.0 ✓ ✓ ✓
OEM Service Release 2.5 4.00.950C (4.03.1214) 1997 4.0 ✓ ✓ ✓
While Windows 95 was originally sold as a shrink-wrapped product, later editions were provided only to computer OEMs for installation on new PCs. The term OEM Service Release is frequently abbreviated OSR, as in OSR1 or OSR2.1. Thus, for example, OSR1 was the OEM release that was identical to Windows 95 retail with Service Pack 1 applied (with the addition of Internet Explorer). In order to maintain compatibility with existing programs, Windows 95 has an internal version number of "4.00.950", regardless of the internal build number, thus reflecting Windows 95's alternative identity as "Windows 4.0" (similarly, the original edition of Windows 98 has an internal version number of Windows 4.10.1998.) Later versions are sometimes referred to by the trailing letter appended to this version string, such as Windows 95 B for OSR2 and OSR2.1.
Windows 95 partially supports USB as of OSR 2.1, though it is disabled by default and is limited by driver availability.
[edit] System requirements
Official system requirements were an Intel 80386 DX CPU of any speed, 4 MB of system RAM, and 50 MB of hard drive space. These minimal claims were made in order to maximize the available market of Windows 3.1 converts. This configuration was distinctly suboptimal for any productive use on anything but single tasking dedicated workstations due to the heavy reliance on virtual memory. Also, in some cases, if any networking or similar components were installed the system would refuse to boot with 4 megabytes of RAM. It was possible to run Windows 95 on a 386 SX but this led to even less acceptable performance due to its 16-bit external data bus. To achieve optimal performance, Microsoft recommends an Intel 80486 or compatible microprocessor with at least 8 MB of RAM.[10]
Windows 95 was superseded by Windows 98 and could still be directly upgraded by both Windows 2000[11] and Windows Me. On 31 December 2001, Microsoft ended its support for Windows 95, making it an "obsolete" product according to the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy.[12] Even though support for Windows 95 has ended, the software still remains in use on some home and school computers because of budget issues, a lack of knowledge or lack of desire to upgrade to newer editions of Windows. In addition, some video game enthusiasts choose to use Windows 95 for their legacy system to play old DOS games, although some other versions of Windows such as Windows 98 can also be used for this purpose.
Windows 95 has been released on both floppy disks and on CD-ROM, as some computer systems at the time did not include a CD-ROM drive. The retail floppy disk version of Windows 95 came on 13 DMF formatted floppy disks, while OSR 2.1 doubled the floppy count to 26. Both versions exclude additional software that CD-ROM might have featured. Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 was also available on floppy disks.
[edit] References
^ "Windows Life-Cycle Policy". Microsoft. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/default.mspx. Retrieved on 2006-09-02.
^ Washingtonpost.com: WashTech
^ Microsoft detractors were quick to point out that the second verse of Start Me Up begins "you make a grown man cry" (a line which is repeated throughout). The phrase subsequently featured as a humorous reference in many critical expositions of Windows 95.
^ Michael Gartenberg (2006-08-22). "The Story behind "Start Me Up" and Windows 95". Jupiter Research. http://weblogs.jupiterresearch.com/analysts/gartenberg/archives/016913.html. Retrieved on 2006-09-02.
^ "Good Times" release on release disk
^ This version of Windows 95 is sometimes called "950r6" because there were five prior release candidates of build 950. Release candidate 6 was the build that shipped in retail boxes.
^ Internet Explorer v1.0 was available with the additional purchase of Microsoft Plus!.
^ Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 CD-ROM Readme.txt File
^ How to Determine the Version of Windows 95/98/Me in Use
^ "Windows 95 Installation Requirements". Microsoft. http://www.support.microsoft.com/kb/138349/. Retrieved on 2006-08-07.
^ Windows 2000 Server
^ "Windows 95 Contact Support". Microsoft. 1 January 2002. http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/support/contact/default.asp. Retrieved on 2006-10-06.
Windows 95: The hype and beyond, Guardian Unlimited
With Windows 95's Debut, Microsoft Scales Heights of Hype, Washington Post
Windows 95 Installation Requirements, Microsoft
Windows 95 end of support date, Microsoft
Description of Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 Components
Description of Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 Updates
Description of Windows 95 OEM Service Release 1
Availability of Universal Serial Bus Support in Windows 95
Implementing Windows 95 Updates
Schulman, Andrew (1994). Unauthorized Windows 95: A Developer's Guide to Exploring the Foundations of Windows "Chicago". IDG Books. ISBN 1-56884-169-8 (paperback).
Friday, May 8, 2009
Windows Whisler and 7
Windows "Whistler" Beta 1 reviewed The Windows of tomorrow looks solid With "Whistler," the next version of Windows, Microsoft has finally jettisoned the old DOS-based Windows 9x line in favor of the NT-based Windows 2000 product family. As such, Whistler will ship in the same Professional, Server, and Advanced Server versions that we saw with Windows 2000, but it will also include a Personal edition for consumers as well as 64-bit versions of Professional, Server, and Advanced Server for users with Intel Itanium (IA-64) machines. Microsoft had been promising a consolidation of its Windows product families for some time, but Whistler will be the first product that finally achieves this goal.
As we'll see below, the path to this technological feat brings with it a number of issues. Consumers expect Windows to be compatible with all of their hardware and software, no questions asked. They want to be able to upgrade their existing version of Windows to the new version without having any problems. And they want Windows to be more reliable and stable than the 9x family. To varying degrees, Microsoft has addressed these issues in Whistler, which will offer a superset of the functionality of Windows Me on the client versions (Personal and Professional) while giving business users an evolutionary bump in performance and capability with the Server editions.
count = 'boombox' + ++boomboxcount;randomness = Math.random() * 100000;
document.write('')
Note: For this review, I evaluated the 32-bit versions of Whistler Personal, Professional, and Advanced Server on a Dell Dimension 4100 system with an 866 MHz Pentium III processor and 256 MB of RAM, and a Compaq Presario 1700T notebook with a 750 MHz processor and 256 MB of RAM. However, this review will focus on the client versions of Windows Whistler at the request of Microsoft. Also, specific performance issues will not be addressed at this time because we're still at an early stage of development.
Where we've been: From alpha to betaThe path to Whistler Beta 1 has been fairly interesting, but I've already written extensively about the Whistler alpha releases on the SuperSite, so please refer to the following articles before continuing:
Windows "Whistler" 2001 Previewed -- This preview focuses on two very early alpha versions of Whistler, builds 2211 and 2223.1, which were leaked out of Microsoft in early 2000. At this point, Microsoft was simply melding the Windows Me feature-set onto Windows 2000, while working on a few simplicity concepts that originated in Project Neptune.
Introducing the Whistler Preview, Build 2250 -- This is a look at the first build of Whistler that was released to beta testers, a technology preview for software developers. This build included the first "Start Panel," later renamed as the Simple Start Menu, and a few other Whistler-specific features.
Whistler Build 2257 Preview -- Between July and October, Microsoft released several interim builds to testers. This review takes a look at build 2257. (Other interim builds, such as 2267 and 2287, are briefly mentioned below.) Build 2257 was the first build to include the new user interface Theme feature, though it was originally called Visual Styles. Over the course of the interim builds released between the July preview and Beta 1 in late October, Microsoft has added a number of features to Whistler. In build 2267, which was released in xxx, support for Dynamic Setup (see below) was added by not fully implemented, the Simple Start Menu achieved its current look and feel, and the Help & Support application was modified with a new look and feel. And on xxxx, Microsoft released build 2287, which implemented Dynamic Setup for the first time. 2287 also included a new-look Setup, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Media Player 7, and a new Interactive Support feature.
Personal vs. Professional: Sizing up the client versionsWhistler Personal and Professional are quite similar at first glance--both offer the new Simple Start menu and Professional Theme by default, for example--but the products are actually tuned and configured quite differently. Personal Edition, as the successor to Windows 98/Me, supports only a single processor, though Pro supports two. And Personal cannot participate fully in an Active Directory-based network, like Professional edition, in the same way that Windows 9x cannot. And though both Personal and Professional include a Terminal Services connection--now called Remote Desktop in Whistler--the version in Personal is somewhat limited, though it will still enable technical support to remotely administer the system if required.
In short, the differences between Personal and Professional are largely for marketing reasons, and though most Windows 9x users will want Personal edition, it's likely that most readers of the SuperSite will lean toward Professional. Expect these editions to cost roughly the same, respectively, as the products they're replacing: About $90 for Personal and $130 for Professional (upgrade).
Simple Start Menu and improved TaskbarIn Whistler Personal and Pro, the Start menu has been replaced by a new Simple Start menu, an MMC-based Taskpad that makes it easier to find frequently-accessed applications (Figure). Gone is the document-centric interface of the past, replaced with options that users are really using. If you'd like to switch back to the Classic Start Menu, this is still available as well (Figure).
One item of note: When you use the Simple Start Menu, three of the default items (My Computer, My Network Places, and My Documents) are inexplicably hidden. Thankfully, you can turn these back on from within Display Properties if desired (Figure).
The taskbar has been improved as well, with a new grouping feature that kicks in when enough Windows are open. If you have several, say, Word documents or Internet Explorer windows open, Whistler will group them into a single taskbar button with a collapsing menu that you can use to access the individual windows (Figure). In the taskbar notification area by the clock, a number of simplicity improvements have taken place as well: The volume icon is removed by default (you can replace it if you'd like), and the icons in the tray are hidden, by default, until you need them. You can access hidden tray icons using a new chevron icon that slides back and forth as you mouse over it. Best of all, you can configure each tray icon individually, so that icons you need to access frequently are never hidden (Figure).
ThemesThough this topic has probably been beaten to death, Whistler features a new "skinning" feature called Themes that will eventually allow users to completely customize the look and feel of Windows. In the current beta, only one Theme is provided, called Professional (Figure). You can also revert to the classic Windows look and feel is desired.
File viewsWhistler includes a number of new ways to view files and folders in My Computer windows. You can automatically arrange file types as before, but now you can also arrange icons in groups (drive or file type, for example) or view them in a new Tile mode (Figure). I find this feature extremely confusing, to be honest, as there are a number of new ways to view files and folders, while some of the old ways are missing. And you can't combine all view styles: For example, you cannot tile icons that are not automatically arranged.
Dynamic UpdateAll versions of Whistler Beta 1 include a new feature called Dynamic Update that is invoked in the early stages of Setup (Figure). This feature optionally checks the Windows Update Web site before Setup proceeds, allowing you to download the latest updates and fixes before the operating system is even installed (Figure). Obviously, this is a wonderful feature, and though it's hard to test at this point in time, I envision even Service Pack updates being made available to users this way in the future.
Automatic UpdatesLike Windows Me, Windows Whistler supports an Automatic Updates feature that will optionally keep your system up-to-date with the latest software updates and fixes. But of course, Automatic Updates can be configured to work manually or not at all, if you're worried about the Big Brother factor. In Whistler, this feature has been updated with security checks that require administrator privileges, and, unlike the version that was later added to Windows 2000, it supports multiple simultaneous users on the same machine.
Device Driver RollbackIn Whistler, it's possible to rollback the installation of a device driver to the previous version if the new one causes any instability or other problems. This is a huge win for users, as the installation of the wrong device driver is a leading cause of system instability.
Application Compatibility modesWhistler, finally, introduces an emulation mode for applications that expect to be running under older versions of Windows, such as Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0. In Windows 2000, this problem could only be partially overcome by using the App Compatibility tool, which was buried on the Windows 2000 CD-ROM. Now an integrated feature of the OS itself, it's possible to ensure that your older applications keep working when you upgrade to Whistler.
Whistler maintains a database that will automatically fool many applications into working. But if the application isn't in that database--which will be updated over time from the Windows Update Web site--you can simply right-click any application or shortcut and choose the "Run in emulation mode" option, and then choose "Windows 95" or "Windows NT 4.0" (Figure). Voila: In most cases, the balky application will run--or install--just fine.
Remote DesktopAs mentioned previously, all versions of Whistler now include the Terminal Services functionality previously found only in the Server editions of Windows 2000. Now dubbed Remote Desktop, this feature allows users to ask for help, chat, perform file transfers, or even share control of the system, with a system administrator (Figure). This feature is roughly analogous to the "Administration" mode of Terminal Services, where only one person can remotely access the system at a time.
My Pictures improvementsThe My Pictures folder has been enhanced to surpass the functionality of that folder in Windows Me. In Whistler, the thumbnail generation engine has been speeded up, while several capabilities have been added, such as the ability to rotate the currently previewed image and view the previous and next pictures in the folder. It's also possible to print, email, or publish images to the Web directly from this folder, without loading a third-party application. Finally, the Slideshow functionality from Windows Me was added as well.
ClearTypeIn a thoroughly buried option somewhere in Display Properties, you can enable ClearType to smooth the display of fonts (Figure). This is a wonderful option for laptop users and other with LCD panels, though it looks miserable on a normal monitor display. ClearType effectively triples the horizontal resolution of the screen, and you can really see the difference.
User switchingWhistler Professional offers an interesting new feature called User switching, that allows you to logon as one user, load up a bunch of applications, and then logon as a new user, without disrupting the first session. Then, you can jump back and forth between these unique sessions, each with its own set of running applications and documents. To use this feature, you have to first enable it from the User Accounts Control Panel. Then, each time you logoff, you have a new "Switch User" option available to you (Figure).
Note that this type of feature has been available in Linux and other operating systems for some time.
ConclusionsAs a work in progress, it's not fair to hold Whistler Beta 1 up to the standards of Windows 2000 or Windows Me. But even at this early stage of the game, it's clear that Whistler is something special. I'll have more information about Whistler Beta 1 soon
As we'll see below, the path to this technological feat brings with it a number of issues. Consumers expect Windows to be compatible with all of their hardware and software, no questions asked. They want to be able to upgrade their existing version of Windows to the new version without having any problems. And they want Windows to be more reliable and stable than the 9x family. To varying degrees, Microsoft has addressed these issues in Whistler, which will offer a superset of the functionality of Windows Me on the client versions (Personal and Professional) while giving business users an evolutionary bump in performance and capability with the Server editions.
count = 'boombox' + ++boomboxcount;randomness = Math.random() * 100000;
document.write('')
Note: For this review, I evaluated the 32-bit versions of Whistler Personal, Professional, and Advanced Server on a Dell Dimension 4100 system with an 866 MHz Pentium III processor and 256 MB of RAM, and a Compaq Presario 1700T notebook with a 750 MHz processor and 256 MB of RAM. However, this review will focus on the client versions of Windows Whistler at the request of Microsoft. Also, specific performance issues will not be addressed at this time because we're still at an early stage of development.
Where we've been: From alpha to betaThe path to Whistler Beta 1 has been fairly interesting, but I've already written extensively about the Whistler alpha releases on the SuperSite, so please refer to the following articles before continuing:
Windows "Whistler" 2001 Previewed -- This preview focuses on two very early alpha versions of Whistler, builds 2211 and 2223.1, which were leaked out of Microsoft in early 2000. At this point, Microsoft was simply melding the Windows Me feature-set onto Windows 2000, while working on a few simplicity concepts that originated in Project Neptune.
Introducing the Whistler Preview, Build 2250 -- This is a look at the first build of Whistler that was released to beta testers, a technology preview for software developers. This build included the first "Start Panel," later renamed as the Simple Start Menu, and a few other Whistler-specific features.
Whistler Build 2257 Preview -- Between July and October, Microsoft released several interim builds to testers. This review takes a look at build 2257. (Other interim builds, such as 2267 and 2287, are briefly mentioned below.) Build 2257 was the first build to include the new user interface Theme feature, though it was originally called Visual Styles. Over the course of the interim builds released between the July preview and Beta 1 in late October, Microsoft has added a number of features to Whistler. In build 2267, which was released in xxx, support for Dynamic Setup (see below) was added by not fully implemented, the Simple Start Menu achieved its current look and feel, and the Help & Support application was modified with a new look and feel. And on xxxx, Microsoft released build 2287, which implemented Dynamic Setup for the first time. 2287 also included a new-look Setup, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Media Player 7, and a new Interactive Support feature.
Personal vs. Professional: Sizing up the client versionsWhistler Personal and Professional are quite similar at first glance--both offer the new Simple Start menu and Professional Theme by default, for example--but the products are actually tuned and configured quite differently. Personal Edition, as the successor to Windows 98/Me, supports only a single processor, though Pro supports two. And Personal cannot participate fully in an Active Directory-based network, like Professional edition, in the same way that Windows 9x cannot. And though both Personal and Professional include a Terminal Services connection--now called Remote Desktop in Whistler--the version in Personal is somewhat limited, though it will still enable technical support to remotely administer the system if required.
In short, the differences between Personal and Professional are largely for marketing reasons, and though most Windows 9x users will want Personal edition, it's likely that most readers of the SuperSite will lean toward Professional. Expect these editions to cost roughly the same, respectively, as the products they're replacing: About $90 for Personal and $130 for Professional (upgrade).
Simple Start Menu and improved TaskbarIn Whistler Personal and Pro, the Start menu has been replaced by a new Simple Start menu, an MMC-based Taskpad that makes it easier to find frequently-accessed applications (Figure). Gone is the document-centric interface of the past, replaced with options that users are really using. If you'd like to switch back to the Classic Start Menu, this is still available as well (Figure).
One item of note: When you use the Simple Start Menu, three of the default items (My Computer, My Network Places, and My Documents) are inexplicably hidden. Thankfully, you can turn these back on from within Display Properties if desired (Figure).
The taskbar has been improved as well, with a new grouping feature that kicks in when enough Windows are open. If you have several, say, Word documents or Internet Explorer windows open, Whistler will group them into a single taskbar button with a collapsing menu that you can use to access the individual windows (Figure). In the taskbar notification area by the clock, a number of simplicity improvements have taken place as well: The volume icon is removed by default (you can replace it if you'd like), and the icons in the tray are hidden, by default, until you need them. You can access hidden tray icons using a new chevron icon that slides back and forth as you mouse over it. Best of all, you can configure each tray icon individually, so that icons you need to access frequently are never hidden (Figure).
ThemesThough this topic has probably been beaten to death, Whistler features a new "skinning" feature called Themes that will eventually allow users to completely customize the look and feel of Windows. In the current beta, only one Theme is provided, called Professional (Figure). You can also revert to the classic Windows look and feel is desired.
File viewsWhistler includes a number of new ways to view files and folders in My Computer windows. You can automatically arrange file types as before, but now you can also arrange icons in groups (drive or file type, for example) or view them in a new Tile mode (Figure). I find this feature extremely confusing, to be honest, as there are a number of new ways to view files and folders, while some of the old ways are missing. And you can't combine all view styles: For example, you cannot tile icons that are not automatically arranged.
Dynamic UpdateAll versions of Whistler Beta 1 include a new feature called Dynamic Update that is invoked in the early stages of Setup (Figure). This feature optionally checks the Windows Update Web site before Setup proceeds, allowing you to download the latest updates and fixes before the operating system is even installed (Figure). Obviously, this is a wonderful feature, and though it's hard to test at this point in time, I envision even Service Pack updates being made available to users this way in the future.
Automatic UpdatesLike Windows Me, Windows Whistler supports an Automatic Updates feature that will optionally keep your system up-to-date with the latest software updates and fixes. But of course, Automatic Updates can be configured to work manually or not at all, if you're worried about the Big Brother factor. In Whistler, this feature has been updated with security checks that require administrator privileges, and, unlike the version that was later added to Windows 2000, it supports multiple simultaneous users on the same machine.
Device Driver RollbackIn Whistler, it's possible to rollback the installation of a device driver to the previous version if the new one causes any instability or other problems. This is a huge win for users, as the installation of the wrong device driver is a leading cause of system instability.
Application Compatibility modesWhistler, finally, introduces an emulation mode for applications that expect to be running under older versions of Windows, such as Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0. In Windows 2000, this problem could only be partially overcome by using the App Compatibility tool, which was buried on the Windows 2000 CD-ROM. Now an integrated feature of the OS itself, it's possible to ensure that your older applications keep working when you upgrade to Whistler.
Whistler maintains a database that will automatically fool many applications into working. But if the application isn't in that database--which will be updated over time from the Windows Update Web site--you can simply right-click any application or shortcut and choose the "Run in emulation mode" option, and then choose "Windows 95" or "Windows NT 4.0" (Figure). Voila: In most cases, the balky application will run--or install--just fine.
Remote DesktopAs mentioned previously, all versions of Whistler now include the Terminal Services functionality previously found only in the Server editions of Windows 2000. Now dubbed Remote Desktop, this feature allows users to ask for help, chat, perform file transfers, or even share control of the system, with a system administrator (Figure). This feature is roughly analogous to the "Administration" mode of Terminal Services, where only one person can remotely access the system at a time.
My Pictures improvementsThe My Pictures folder has been enhanced to surpass the functionality of that folder in Windows Me. In Whistler, the thumbnail generation engine has been speeded up, while several capabilities have been added, such as the ability to rotate the currently previewed image and view the previous and next pictures in the folder. It's also possible to print, email, or publish images to the Web directly from this folder, without loading a third-party application. Finally, the Slideshow functionality from Windows Me was added as well.
ClearTypeIn a thoroughly buried option somewhere in Display Properties, you can enable ClearType to smooth the display of fonts (Figure). This is a wonderful option for laptop users and other with LCD panels, though it looks miserable on a normal monitor display. ClearType effectively triples the horizontal resolution of the screen, and you can really see the difference.
User switchingWhistler Professional offers an interesting new feature called User switching, that allows you to logon as one user, load up a bunch of applications, and then logon as a new user, without disrupting the first session. Then, you can jump back and forth between these unique sessions, each with its own set of running applications and documents. To use this feature, you have to first enable it from the User Accounts Control Panel. Then, each time you logoff, you have a new "Switch User" option available to you (Figure).
Note that this type of feature has been available in Linux and other operating systems for some time.
ConclusionsAs a work in progress, it's not fair to hold Whistler Beta 1 up to the standards of Windows 2000 or Windows Me. But even at this early stage of the game, it's clear that Whistler is something special. I'll have more information about Whistler Beta 1 soon
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Windows 7 Release
Main article: Development of Windows 7
Originally, a version of Windows codenamed Blackcomb was planned as the successor to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Major features were planned for Blackcomb, including an emphasis on searching and querying data and an advanced storage system named WinFS to enable such scenarios. However, an interim, minor release, codenamed "Longhorn" was announced for 2003, delaying the development of Blackcomb.[6] By the middle of 2003, however, Longhorn had acquired some of the features originally intended for Blackcomb. After three major viruses exploited flaws in Windows operating systems within a short time period in 2003, Microsoft changed its development priorities, putting some of Longhorn's major development work on hold while developing new service packs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Development of Longhorn (Windows Vista) was also "reset", or delayed in September 2004. A number of features were cut from Longhorn.[7]
Blackcomb was renamed Vienna in early 2006, [8] and again to Windows 7 in 2007.[9] In 2008, it was announced that Windows 7 would also be the official name of the operating system.[10][11]
The first external release to select Microsoft partners came in January 2008 with Milestone 1, build 6519.[12] At PDC 2008, Microsoft demonstrated Windows 7 with its reworked taskbar. Copies of Windows 7 build 6801 were distributed out at the end of the conference, but the demonstrated taskbar was disabled in this build.
On December 27, 2008, Windows 7 Beta was leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[13] According to a performance test by ZDNet,[14] Windows 7 Beta has beaten both Windows XP and Vista in several key areas, including boot and shut down time, working with files and loading documents; others, including PC Pro benchmarks for typical office activities and video-editing, remain identical to Vista and slower than XP.[15] On January 7, 2009, the 64-bit version of the Windows 7 Beta (build 7000) was leaked onto the web, with some torrents being infected with a trojan.[16][17] At CES 2009, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the Windows 7 Beta, build 7000, had been made available for download to MSDN and TechNet subscribers in the format of an ISO image.[18] The Beta was to be publicly released January 9, 2009. Initially, Microsoft planned for the download to be made available to 2.5 million people on January 9. However, access to the downloads was delayed due to high traffic.[19] The download limit was also extended, initially until January 24, then again to February 10. People who did not complete downloading the beta had two extra days to complete the download. After February 12, unfinished downloads became unable to complete. Users can still obtain product keys from Microsoft to activate their copy of Windows 7 Beta. Users can still download Windows 7 via the Microsoft Connect program. The beta expires on August 1, 2009, with bihourly shutdowns starting July 1, 2009. The release candidate, build 7100, has been available for MSDN and TechNet subscribers and Connect Program participants since April 30 and is available to the general public as of May 5, 2009.[20] It has also been leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[21] The release candidate is available in five languages and will expire on June 1, 2010, with bihourly shutdowns starting March 1, 2010.[22] According to Microsoft, the final release is planned in time for the 2009 holiday shopping season.[2] On June 2, 2009, Microsoft confirmed that Windows 7 will be released on October 22, 2009. The release of Windows 7 will coincide with the release of Windows Server 2008 R2. [23]
[edit] Goals
Bill Gates, in an interview with Newsweek, suggested that the next version of Windows would "be more user-centric".[24] Gates later said that Windows 7 will also focus on performance improvements;[25] Steven Sinofsky later expanded on this point, explaining in the Engineering Windows 7 blog that the company was using a variety of new tracing tools to measure the performance of many areas of the operating system on an ongoing basis, to help locate inefficient code paths and to help prevent performance regressions.[26]
Senior Vice President Bill Veghte stated that Windows Vista users migrating to Windows 7 would not find the kind of device compatibility issues they encountered migrating from Windows XP.[27] Speaking about Windows 7 on October 16, 2008, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed compatibility between Vista and Windows 7.[28] Ballmer also confirmed the relationship between Vista and Windows 7, indicating that Windows 7 will be a refined version of Windows Vista.[28]
[edit] Features
[edit] New and changed features
Main article: Features new to Windows 7
The new Action Center which replaces Windows Security CenterWindows 7 includes a number of new features, such as advances in touch and handwriting recognition, support for virtual hard disks, improved performance on multi-core processors,[29][30][31][32] improved boot performance, and kernel improvements. Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors (Heterogeneous Multi-adapter), a new version of Windows Media Center,[33] a Gadget for Windows Media Center, improved media features, the XPS Essentials Pack and Windows PowerShell being included, and a redesigned Calculator with multiline capabilities including Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion. Many new items have been added to the Control Panel, including ClearType Text Tuner, Display Color Calibration Wizard, Gadgets, Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other Sensors, Credential Manager, Biometric Devices, System Icons, and Display.[34] Windows Security Center has been renamed to Windows Action Center (Windows Health Center and Windows Solution Center in earlier builds) which encompasses both security and maintenance of the computer.
The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the Quick Launch toolbar has been replaced with pinning applications to the taskbar. Buttons for pinned applications are integrated with the task buttons. These buttons also enable the Jump Lists feature to allow easy access to common tasks.[35] The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons. To the far right of the system clock is a small rectangular button that serves as the Show desktop icon. This button is part of the new feature in Windows 7 called Aero Peek. Hovering over this button makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop.[36] In touch-enabled displays such as touch screens, tablet PCs etc, this button is slightly wider to accommodate being pressed with a finger.[37] Clicking this button minimizes all windows, and clicking it a second time restores them. Additionally, when a user drags a window to the edge of the screen, it will snap in place on that half of the screen. This allows users to snap documents or files on either side of the screen to compare them. There is also a feature that when a user pulls a window to the top of the screen, it automatically maximizes. When a user moves windows that are maximized, the system restores them automatically.
This functionality is also accomplished with keyboard shortcuts. Holding down the Windows key and pressing the up arrow maximizes; pressing down the down arrow minimizes; pressing the left or right arrows snap the windows to the sides of the screen. Repeating the keyboard shortcuts generally restores the window's previous size. Unlike in Windows Vista, window borders and the taskbar do not turn opaque when a window is maximized with Windows Aero applied. Instead, they remain transparent. For developers, Windows 7 includes a new networking API with support for building SOAP based web services in native code (as opposed to .NET based WCF web services),[38] new features to shorten application install times, reduced UAC prompts, simplified development of installation packages,[39] and improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API.[40] At WinHEC 2008 Microsoft announced that color depths of 30-bit and 48-bit would be supported in Windows 7 along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which for HDMI 1.3 can be converted and output as xvYCC). The video modes supported in Windows 7 are 16-bit sRGB, 24-bit sRGB, 30-bit sRGB, 30-bit with extended color gamut sRGB, and 48-bit scRGB.[41][42] Microsoft is also implementing better support for Solid State Drives [43] and Windows 7 will be able to identify a Solid State Drive uniquely.
Internet Spades, Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers, which were removed from Windows Vista, were restored in Windows 7. Windows 7 will include Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Media Player 12.
Wikinews has related news: Windows 7 will allow users to disable Internet Explorer
Users will also be able to disable many more Windows components than was possible in Windows Vista. New additions to this list of components include Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Windows Search, and the Windows Gadget Platform.[44] Windows 7 includes 13 additional sound schemes, entitled Afternoon, Calligraphy, Characters, Cityscape, delta, Festival, Garden, Heritage, Landscape, Quirky, Raga, Savanna, and Sonata.[45] A new version of Virtual PC, Windows Virtual PC Beta is available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.[46] It allows multiple Windows environments, including Windows XP Mode, to run on the same machine, requiring the use of Intel VT-x or AMD-V. Windows XP Mode runs Windows XP in a virtual machine and redirects displayed applications running in Windows XP to the Windows 7 desktop.[47] Furthermore Windows 7 supports to mount a virtual hard disk (VHD) as a normal data storage, and the bootloader delivered with Windows 7 can boot Windows system from VHD.[48] The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) of Windows 7 is also enhanced to support real-time multimedia application including video playback and 3D games. That means the Direct X 10 can be used in a remote desktop environment. [49] The three application limit will be removed from Windows 7 Starter.
[edit] Removed features
Main article: Features removed from Windows 7
A number of capabilities and certain programs that were a part of Windows Vista are no longer present or have changed, resulting in the removal of certain functionality. Some notable Windows Vista features and components have been replaced or removed in Windows 7, including the classic Start Menu user interface, Windows Ultimate Extras, InkBall, and Windows Calendar. Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Mail have been removed from Windows itself, but they are available in a separate package called Windows Live Essentials.
[edit] Antitrust regulatory attention
As with other Microsoft operating systems, Windows 7 is being studied by United States federal regulators who oversee the company's operations following the 2001 United States v. Microsoft settlement. According to status reports filed, the three-member panel began assessing prototypes of the new operating system in February 2008. Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research said that, "[Microsoft's] challenge for Windows 7 will be how can they continue to add features that consumers will want that also don't run afoul of regulators."[50] In Europe, Windows 7 may be required to ship with rival browsers including possibly Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome. The reason for this suspicion is on the inclusion of Internet Explorer which is seen as harming competition, as in the European Union Microsoft competition case.[51] However, Microsoft announced on the Engineering Windows 7 blog that users will be able to turn off more features than in Windows Vista including Internet Explorer.[44]
[edit] Editions
Main article: Windows 7 editions
Windows 7 will be available in six different editions, but only Home Premium and Professional will be widely available at retail.[52] The other editions are focused at other markets, such as the developing world or enterprise use.[52] Each edition of Windows 7 will include all of the capabilities and features of the edition below it.[52][53][54][55][56] With the exception of Windows 7 Starter, all editions will support both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x86-64) processor architectures.[57] According to Microsoft, the features for all editions of Windows 7 will be stored on the machine, regardless of what edition is in use.[58] Users who wish to upgrade to an edition of Windows 7 with more features can then use Windows Anytime Upgrade to purchase the upgrade, and unlock the features of those editions.[53][58][59] Microsoft has not yet announced pricing information or volume licensing details for Windows 7.[59]
[edit] Hardware requirements
Microsoft has published their minimum recommended specifications for a system running Windows 7 Release Candidate.[60][61] For the 32-bit version, these are much the same as those for premium editions of Vista, but they are considerably higher for the 64-bit version. Microsoft has released a beta version of an upgrade advisor that scans a computer to see if it is compatible with Windows 7.
Minimum recommended hardware requirements for Windows 7[60] Architecture 32-bit 64-bit
Processor speed 1 GHz processor
Memory (RAM) 1 GB of RAM 2 GB of RAM
Graphics card Support for DirectX 9 graphics device with 128MB of graphic memory (for Windows Aero)
HDD free space 16 GB of available disk space 20 GB of available disk space
Optical drive DVD-R/RW
Originally, a version of Windows codenamed Blackcomb was planned as the successor to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Major features were planned for Blackcomb, including an emphasis on searching and querying data and an advanced storage system named WinFS to enable such scenarios. However, an interim, minor release, codenamed "Longhorn" was announced for 2003, delaying the development of Blackcomb.[6] By the middle of 2003, however, Longhorn had acquired some of the features originally intended for Blackcomb. After three major viruses exploited flaws in Windows operating systems within a short time period in 2003, Microsoft changed its development priorities, putting some of Longhorn's major development work on hold while developing new service packs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Development of Longhorn (Windows Vista) was also "reset", or delayed in September 2004. A number of features were cut from Longhorn.[7]
Blackcomb was renamed Vienna in early 2006, [8] and again to Windows 7 in 2007.[9] In 2008, it was announced that Windows 7 would also be the official name of the operating system.[10][11]
The first external release to select Microsoft partners came in January 2008 with Milestone 1, build 6519.[12] At PDC 2008, Microsoft demonstrated Windows 7 with its reworked taskbar. Copies of Windows 7 build 6801 were distributed out at the end of the conference, but the demonstrated taskbar was disabled in this build.
On December 27, 2008, Windows 7 Beta was leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[13] According to a performance test by ZDNet,[14] Windows 7 Beta has beaten both Windows XP and Vista in several key areas, including boot and shut down time, working with files and loading documents; others, including PC Pro benchmarks for typical office activities and video-editing, remain identical to Vista and slower than XP.[15] On January 7, 2009, the 64-bit version of the Windows 7 Beta (build 7000) was leaked onto the web, with some torrents being infected with a trojan.[16][17] At CES 2009, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the Windows 7 Beta, build 7000, had been made available for download to MSDN and TechNet subscribers in the format of an ISO image.[18] The Beta was to be publicly released January 9, 2009. Initially, Microsoft planned for the download to be made available to 2.5 million people on January 9. However, access to the downloads was delayed due to high traffic.[19] The download limit was also extended, initially until January 24, then again to February 10. People who did not complete downloading the beta had two extra days to complete the download. After February 12, unfinished downloads became unable to complete. Users can still obtain product keys from Microsoft to activate their copy of Windows 7 Beta. Users can still download Windows 7 via the Microsoft Connect program. The beta expires on August 1, 2009, with bihourly shutdowns starting July 1, 2009. The release candidate, build 7100, has been available for MSDN and TechNet subscribers and Connect Program participants since April 30 and is available to the general public as of May 5, 2009.[20] It has also been leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[21] The release candidate is available in five languages and will expire on June 1, 2010, with bihourly shutdowns starting March 1, 2010.[22] According to Microsoft, the final release is planned in time for the 2009 holiday shopping season.[2] On June 2, 2009, Microsoft confirmed that Windows 7 will be released on October 22, 2009. The release of Windows 7 will coincide with the release of Windows Server 2008 R2. [23]
[edit] Goals
Bill Gates, in an interview with Newsweek, suggested that the next version of Windows would "be more user-centric".[24] Gates later said that Windows 7 will also focus on performance improvements;[25] Steven Sinofsky later expanded on this point, explaining in the Engineering Windows 7 blog that the company was using a variety of new tracing tools to measure the performance of many areas of the operating system on an ongoing basis, to help locate inefficient code paths and to help prevent performance regressions.[26]
Senior Vice President Bill Veghte stated that Windows Vista users migrating to Windows 7 would not find the kind of device compatibility issues they encountered migrating from Windows XP.[27] Speaking about Windows 7 on October 16, 2008, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed compatibility between Vista and Windows 7.[28] Ballmer also confirmed the relationship between Vista and Windows 7, indicating that Windows 7 will be a refined version of Windows Vista.[28]
[edit] Features
[edit] New and changed features
Main article: Features new to Windows 7
The new Action Center which replaces Windows Security CenterWindows 7 includes a number of new features, such as advances in touch and handwriting recognition, support for virtual hard disks, improved performance on multi-core processors,[29][30][31][32] improved boot performance, and kernel improvements. Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors (Heterogeneous Multi-adapter), a new version of Windows Media Center,[33] a Gadget for Windows Media Center, improved media features, the XPS Essentials Pack and Windows PowerShell being included, and a redesigned Calculator with multiline capabilities including Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion. Many new items have been added to the Control Panel, including ClearType Text Tuner, Display Color Calibration Wizard, Gadgets, Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other Sensors, Credential Manager, Biometric Devices, System Icons, and Display.[34] Windows Security Center has been renamed to Windows Action Center (Windows Health Center and Windows Solution Center in earlier builds) which encompasses both security and maintenance of the computer.
The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the Quick Launch toolbar has been replaced with pinning applications to the taskbar. Buttons for pinned applications are integrated with the task buttons. These buttons also enable the Jump Lists feature to allow easy access to common tasks.[35] The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons. To the far right of the system clock is a small rectangular button that serves as the Show desktop icon. This button is part of the new feature in Windows 7 called Aero Peek. Hovering over this button makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop.[36] In touch-enabled displays such as touch screens, tablet PCs etc, this button is slightly wider to accommodate being pressed with a finger.[37] Clicking this button minimizes all windows, and clicking it a second time restores them. Additionally, when a user drags a window to the edge of the screen, it will snap in place on that half of the screen. This allows users to snap documents or files on either side of the screen to compare them. There is also a feature that when a user pulls a window to the top of the screen, it automatically maximizes. When a user moves windows that are maximized, the system restores them automatically.
This functionality is also accomplished with keyboard shortcuts. Holding down the Windows key and pressing the up arrow maximizes; pressing down the down arrow minimizes; pressing the left or right arrows snap the windows to the sides of the screen. Repeating the keyboard shortcuts generally restores the window's previous size. Unlike in Windows Vista, window borders and the taskbar do not turn opaque when a window is maximized with Windows Aero applied. Instead, they remain transparent. For developers, Windows 7 includes a new networking API with support for building SOAP based web services in native code (as opposed to .NET based WCF web services),[38] new features to shorten application install times, reduced UAC prompts, simplified development of installation packages,[39] and improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API.[40] At WinHEC 2008 Microsoft announced that color depths of 30-bit and 48-bit would be supported in Windows 7 along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which for HDMI 1.3 can be converted and output as xvYCC). The video modes supported in Windows 7 are 16-bit sRGB, 24-bit sRGB, 30-bit sRGB, 30-bit with extended color gamut sRGB, and 48-bit scRGB.[41][42] Microsoft is also implementing better support for Solid State Drives [43] and Windows 7 will be able to identify a Solid State Drive uniquely.
Internet Spades, Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers, which were removed from Windows Vista, were restored in Windows 7. Windows 7 will include Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Media Player 12.
Wikinews has related news: Windows 7 will allow users to disable Internet Explorer
Users will also be able to disable many more Windows components than was possible in Windows Vista. New additions to this list of components include Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Windows Search, and the Windows Gadget Platform.[44] Windows 7 includes 13 additional sound schemes, entitled Afternoon, Calligraphy, Characters, Cityscape, delta, Festival, Garden, Heritage, Landscape, Quirky, Raga, Savanna, and Sonata.[45] A new version of Virtual PC, Windows Virtual PC Beta is available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.[46] It allows multiple Windows environments, including Windows XP Mode, to run on the same machine, requiring the use of Intel VT-x or AMD-V. Windows XP Mode runs Windows XP in a virtual machine and redirects displayed applications running in Windows XP to the Windows 7 desktop.[47] Furthermore Windows 7 supports to mount a virtual hard disk (VHD) as a normal data storage, and the bootloader delivered with Windows 7 can boot Windows system from VHD.[48] The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) of Windows 7 is also enhanced to support real-time multimedia application including video playback and 3D games. That means the Direct X 10 can be used in a remote desktop environment. [49] The three application limit will be removed from Windows 7 Starter.
[edit] Removed features
Main article: Features removed from Windows 7
A number of capabilities and certain programs that were a part of Windows Vista are no longer present or have changed, resulting in the removal of certain functionality. Some notable Windows Vista features and components have been replaced or removed in Windows 7, including the classic Start Menu user interface, Windows Ultimate Extras, InkBall, and Windows Calendar. Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Mail have been removed from Windows itself, but they are available in a separate package called Windows Live Essentials.
[edit] Antitrust regulatory attention
As with other Microsoft operating systems, Windows 7 is being studied by United States federal regulators who oversee the company's operations following the 2001 United States v. Microsoft settlement. According to status reports filed, the three-member panel began assessing prototypes of the new operating system in February 2008. Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research said that, "[Microsoft's] challenge for Windows 7 will be how can they continue to add features that consumers will want that also don't run afoul of regulators."[50] In Europe, Windows 7 may be required to ship with rival browsers including possibly Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome. The reason for this suspicion is on the inclusion of Internet Explorer which is seen as harming competition, as in the European Union Microsoft competition case.[51] However, Microsoft announced on the Engineering Windows 7 blog that users will be able to turn off more features than in Windows Vista including Internet Explorer.[44]
[edit] Editions
Main article: Windows 7 editions
Windows 7 will be available in six different editions, but only Home Premium and Professional will be widely available at retail.[52] The other editions are focused at other markets, such as the developing world or enterprise use.[52] Each edition of Windows 7 will include all of the capabilities and features of the edition below it.[52][53][54][55][56] With the exception of Windows 7 Starter, all editions will support both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x86-64) processor architectures.[57] According to Microsoft, the features for all editions of Windows 7 will be stored on the machine, regardless of what edition is in use.[58] Users who wish to upgrade to an edition of Windows 7 with more features can then use Windows Anytime Upgrade to purchase the upgrade, and unlock the features of those editions.[53][58][59] Microsoft has not yet announced pricing information or volume licensing details for Windows 7.[59]
[edit] Hardware requirements
Microsoft has published their minimum recommended specifications for a system running Windows 7 Release Candidate.[60][61] For the 32-bit version, these are much the same as those for premium editions of Vista, but they are considerably higher for the 64-bit version. Microsoft has released a beta version of an upgrade advisor that scans a computer to see if it is compatible with Windows 7.
Minimum recommended hardware requirements for Windows 7[60] Architecture 32-bit 64-bit
Processor speed 1 GHz processor
Memory (RAM) 1 GB of RAM 2 GB of RAM
Graphics card Support for DirectX 9 graphics device with 128MB of graphic memory (for Windows Aero)
HDD free space 16 GB of available disk space 20 GB of available disk space
Optical drive DVD-R/RW
Windows & Release
Main article: Development of Windows 7
Originally, a version of Windows codenamed Blackcomb was planned as the successor to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Major features were planned for Blackcomb, including an emphasis on searching and querying data and an advanced storage system named WinFS to enable such scenarios. However, an interim, minor release, codenamed "Longhorn" was announced for 2003, delaying the development of Blackcomb.[6] By the middle of 2003, however, Longhorn had acquired some of the features originally intended for Blackcomb. After three major viruses exploited flaws in Windows operating systems within a short time period in 2003, Microsoft changed its development priorities, putting some of Longhorn's major development work on hold while developing new service packs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Development of Longhorn (Windows Vista) was also "reset", or delayed in September 2004. A number of features were cut from Longhorn.[7]
Blackcomb was renamed Vienna in early 2006, [8] and again to Windows 7 in 2007.[9] In 2008, it was announced that Windows 7 would also be the official name of the operating system.[10][11]
The first external release to select Microsoft partners came in January 2008 with Milestone 1, build 6519.[12] At PDC 2008, Microsoft demonstrated Windows 7 with its reworked taskbar. Copies of Windows 7 build 6801 were distributed out at the end of the conference, but the demonstrated taskbar was disabled in this build.
On December 27, 2008, Windows 7 Beta was leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[13] According to a performance test by ZDNet,[14] Windows 7 Beta has beaten both Windows XP and Vista in several key areas, including boot and shut down time, working with files and loading documents; others, including PC Pro benchmarks for typical office activities and video-editing, remain identical to Vista and slower than XP.[15] On January 7, 2009, the 64-bit version of the Windows 7 Beta (build 7000) was leaked onto the web, with some torrents being infected with a trojan.[16][17] At CES 2009, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the Windows 7 Beta, build 7000, had been made available for download to MSDN and TechNet subscribers in the format of an ISO image.[18] The Beta was to be publicly released January 9, 2009. Initially, Microsoft planned for the download to be made available to 2.5 million people on January 9. However, access to the downloads was delayed due to high traffic.[19] The download limit was also extended, initially until January 24, then again to February 10. People who did not complete downloading the beta had two extra days to complete the download. After February 12, unfinished downloads became unable to complete. Users can still obtain product keys from Microsoft to activate their copy of Windows 7 Beta. Users can still download Windows 7 via the Microsoft Connect program. The beta expires on August 1, 2009, with bihourly shutdowns starting July 1, 2009. The release candidate, build 7100, has been available for MSDN and TechNet subscribers and Connect Program participants since April 30 and is available to the general public as of May 5, 2009.[20] It has also been leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[21] The release candidate is available in five languages and will expire on June 1, 2010, with bihourly shutdowns starting March 1, 2010.[22] According to Microsoft, the final release is planned in time for the 2009 holiday shopping season.[2] On June 2, 2009, Microsoft confirmed that Windows 7 will be released on October 22, 2009. The release of Windows 7 will coincide with the release of Windows Server 2008 R2. [23]
[edit] Goals
Bill Gates, in an interview with Newsweek, suggested that the next version of Windows would "be more user-centric".[24] Gates later said that Windows 7 will also focus on performance improvements;[25] Steven Sinofsky later expanded on this point, explaining in the Engineering Windows 7 blog that the company was using a variety of new tracing tools to measure the performance of many areas of the operating system on an ongoing basis, to help locate inefficient code paths and to help prevent performance regressions.[26]
Senior Vice President Bill Veghte stated that Windows Vista users migrating to Windows 7 would not find the kind of device compatibility issues they encountered migrating from Windows XP.[27] Speaking about Windows 7 on October 16, 2008, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed compatibility between Vista and Windows 7.[28] Ballmer also confirmed the relationship between Vista and Windows 7, indicating that Windows 7 will be a refined version of Windows Vista.[28]
[edit] Features
[edit] New and changed features
Main article: Features new to Windows 7
The new Action Center which replaces Windows Security CenterWindows 7 includes a number of new features, such as advances in touch and handwriting recognition, support for virtual hard disks, improved performance on multi-core processors,[29][30][31][32] improved boot performance, and kernel improvements. Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors (Heterogeneous Multi-adapter), a new version of Windows Media Center,[33] a Gadget for Windows Media Center, improved media features, the XPS Essentials Pack and Windows PowerShell being included, and a redesigned Calculator with multiline capabilities including Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion. Many new items have been added to the Control Panel, including ClearType Text Tuner, Display Color Calibration Wizard, Gadgets, Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other Sensors, Credential Manager, Biometric Devices, System Icons, and Display.[34] Windows Security Center has been renamed to Windows Action Center (Windows Health Center and Windows Solution Center in earlier builds) which encompasses both security and maintenance of the computer.
The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the Quick Launch toolbar has been replaced with pinning applications to the taskbar. Buttons for pinned applications are integrated with the task buttons. These buttons also enable the Jump Lists feature to allow easy access to common tasks.[35] The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons. To the far right of the system clock is a small rectangular button that serves as the Show desktop icon. This button is part of the new feature in Windows 7 called Aero Peek. Hovering over this button makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop.[36] In touch-enabled displays such as touch screens, tablet PCs etc, this button is slightly wider to accommodate being pressed with a finger.[37] Clicking this button minimizes all windows, and clicking it a second time restores them. Additionally, when a user drags a window to the edge of the screen, it will snap in place on that half of the screen. This allows users to snap documents or files on either side of the screen to compare them. There is also a feature that when a user pulls a window to the top of the screen, it automatically maximizes. When a user moves windows that are maximized, the system restores them automatically.
This functionality is also accomplished with keyboard shortcuts. Holding down the Windows key and pressing the up arrow maximizes; pressing down the down arrow minimizes; pressing the left or right arrows snap the windows to the sides of the screen. Repeating the keyboard shortcuts generally restores the window's previous size. Unlike in Windows Vista, window borders and the taskbar do not turn opaque when a window is maximized with Windows Aero applied. Instead, they remain transparent. For developers, Windows 7 includes a new networking API with support for building SOAP based web services in native code (as opposed to .NET based WCF web services),[38] new features to shorten application install times, reduced UAC prompts, simplified development of installation packages,[39] and improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API.[40] At WinHEC 2008 Microsoft announced that color depths of 30-bit and 48-bit would be supported in Windows 7 along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which for HDMI 1.3 can be converted and output as xvYCC). The video modes supported in Windows 7 are 16-bit sRGB, 24-bit sRGB, 30-bit sRGB, 30-bit with extended color gamut sRGB, and 48-bit scRGB.[41][42] Microsoft is also implementing better support for Solid State Drives [43] and Windows 7 will be able to identify a Solid State Drive uniquely.
Internet Spades, Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers, which were removed from Windows Vista, were restored in Windows 7. Windows 7 will include Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Media Player 12.
Wikinews has related news: Windows 7 will allow users to disable Internet Explorer
Users will also be able to disable many more Windows components than was possible in Windows Vista. New additions to this list of components include Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Windows Search, and the Windows Gadget Platform.[44] Windows 7 includes 13 additional sound schemes, entitled Afternoon, Calligraphy, Characters, Cityscape, delta, Festival, Garden, Heritage, Landscape, Quirky, Raga, Savanna, and Sonata.[45] A new version of Virtual PC, Windows Virtual PC Beta is available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.[46] It allows multiple Windows environments, including Windows XP Mode, to run on the same machine, requiring the use of Intel VT-x or AMD-V. Windows XP Mode runs Windows XP in a virtual machine and redirects displayed applications running in Windows XP to the Windows 7 desktop.[47] Furthermore Windows 7 supports to mount a virtual hard disk (VHD) as a normal data storage, and the bootloader delivered with Windows 7 can boot Windows system from VHD.[48] The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) of Windows 7 is also enhanced to support real-time multimedia application including video playback and 3D games. That means the Direct X 10 can be used in a remote desktop environment. [49] The three application limit will be removed from Windows 7 Starter.
[edit] Removed features
Main article: Features removed from Windows 7
A number of capabilities and certain programs that were a part of Windows Vista are no longer present or have changed, resulting in the removal of certain functionality. Some notable Windows Vista features and components have been replaced or removed in Windows 7, including the classic Start Menu user interface, Windows Ultimate Extras, InkBall, and Windows Calendar. Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Mail have been removed from Windows itself, but they are available in a separate package called Windows Live Essentials.
[edit] Antitrust regulatory attention
As with other Microsoft operating systems, Windows 7 is being studied by United States federal regulators who oversee the company's operations following the 2001 United States v. Microsoft settlement. According to status reports filed, the three-member panel began assessing prototypes of the new operating system in February 2008. Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research said that, "[Microsoft's] challenge for Windows 7 will be how can they continue to add features that consumers will want that also don't run afoul of regulators."[50] In Europe, Windows 7 may be required to ship with rival browsers including possibly Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome. The reason for this suspicion is on the inclusion of Internet Explorer which is seen as harming competition, as in the European Union Microsoft competition case.[51] However, Microsoft announced on the Engineering Windows 7 blog that users will be able to turn off more features than in Windows Vista including Internet Explorer.[44]
[edit] Editions
Main article: Windows 7 editions
Windows 7 will be available in six different editions, but only Home Premium and Professional will be widely available at retail.[52] The other editions are focused at other markets, such as the developing world or enterprise use.[52] Each edition of Windows 7 will include all of the capabilities and features of the edition below it.[52][53][54][55][56] With the exception of Windows 7 Starter, all editions will support both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x86-64) processor architectures.[57] According to Microsoft, the features for all editions of Windows 7 will be stored on the machine, regardless of what edition is in use.[58] Users who wish to upgrade to an edition of Windows 7 with more features can then use Windows Anytime Upgrade to purchase the upgrade, and unlock the features of those editions.[53][58][59] Microsoft has not yet announced pricing information or volume licensing details for Windows 7.[59]
[edit] Hardware requirements
Microsoft has published their minimum recommended specifications for a system running Windows 7 Release Candidate.[60][61] For the 32-bit version, these are much the same as those for premium editions of Vista, but they are considerably higher for the 64-bit version. Microsoft has released a beta version of an upgrade advisor that scans a computer to see if it is compatible with Windows 7.
Minimum recommended hardware requirements for Windows 7[60] Architecture 32-bit 64-bit
Processor speed 1 GHz processor
Memory (RAM) 1 GB of RAM 2 GB of RAM
Graphics card Support for DirectX 9 graphics device with 128MB of graphic memory (for Windows Aero)
HDD free space 16 GB of available disk space 20 GB of available disk space
Optical drive DVD-R/RW
Originally, a version of Windows codenamed Blackcomb was planned as the successor to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Major features were planned for Blackcomb, including an emphasis on searching and querying data and an advanced storage system named WinFS to enable such scenarios. However, an interim, minor release, codenamed "Longhorn" was announced for 2003, delaying the development of Blackcomb.[6] By the middle of 2003, however, Longhorn had acquired some of the features originally intended for Blackcomb. After three major viruses exploited flaws in Windows operating systems within a short time period in 2003, Microsoft changed its development priorities, putting some of Longhorn's major development work on hold while developing new service packs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Development of Longhorn (Windows Vista) was also "reset", or delayed in September 2004. A number of features were cut from Longhorn.[7]
Blackcomb was renamed Vienna in early 2006, [8] and again to Windows 7 in 2007.[9] In 2008, it was announced that Windows 7 would also be the official name of the operating system.[10][11]
The first external release to select Microsoft partners came in January 2008 with Milestone 1, build 6519.[12] At PDC 2008, Microsoft demonstrated Windows 7 with its reworked taskbar. Copies of Windows 7 build 6801 were distributed out at the end of the conference, but the demonstrated taskbar was disabled in this build.
On December 27, 2008, Windows 7 Beta was leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[13] According to a performance test by ZDNet,[14] Windows 7 Beta has beaten both Windows XP and Vista in several key areas, including boot and shut down time, working with files and loading documents; others, including PC Pro benchmarks for typical office activities and video-editing, remain identical to Vista and slower than XP.[15] On January 7, 2009, the 64-bit version of the Windows 7 Beta (build 7000) was leaked onto the web, with some torrents being infected with a trojan.[16][17] At CES 2009, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the Windows 7 Beta, build 7000, had been made available for download to MSDN and TechNet subscribers in the format of an ISO image.[18] The Beta was to be publicly released January 9, 2009. Initially, Microsoft planned for the download to be made available to 2.5 million people on January 9. However, access to the downloads was delayed due to high traffic.[19] The download limit was also extended, initially until January 24, then again to February 10. People who did not complete downloading the beta had two extra days to complete the download. After February 12, unfinished downloads became unable to complete. Users can still obtain product keys from Microsoft to activate their copy of Windows 7 Beta. Users can still download Windows 7 via the Microsoft Connect program. The beta expires on August 1, 2009, with bihourly shutdowns starting July 1, 2009. The release candidate, build 7100, has been available for MSDN and TechNet subscribers and Connect Program participants since April 30 and is available to the general public as of May 5, 2009.[20] It has also been leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[21] The release candidate is available in five languages and will expire on June 1, 2010, with bihourly shutdowns starting March 1, 2010.[22] According to Microsoft, the final release is planned in time for the 2009 holiday shopping season.[2] On June 2, 2009, Microsoft confirmed that Windows 7 will be released on October 22, 2009. The release of Windows 7 will coincide with the release of Windows Server 2008 R2. [23]
[edit] Goals
Bill Gates, in an interview with Newsweek, suggested that the next version of Windows would "be more user-centric".[24] Gates later said that Windows 7 will also focus on performance improvements;[25] Steven Sinofsky later expanded on this point, explaining in the Engineering Windows 7 blog that the company was using a variety of new tracing tools to measure the performance of many areas of the operating system on an ongoing basis, to help locate inefficient code paths and to help prevent performance regressions.[26]
Senior Vice President Bill Veghte stated that Windows Vista users migrating to Windows 7 would not find the kind of device compatibility issues they encountered migrating from Windows XP.[27] Speaking about Windows 7 on October 16, 2008, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed compatibility between Vista and Windows 7.[28] Ballmer also confirmed the relationship between Vista and Windows 7, indicating that Windows 7 will be a refined version of Windows Vista.[28]
[edit] Features
[edit] New and changed features
Main article: Features new to Windows 7
The new Action Center which replaces Windows Security CenterWindows 7 includes a number of new features, such as advances in touch and handwriting recognition, support for virtual hard disks, improved performance on multi-core processors,[29][30][31][32] improved boot performance, and kernel improvements. Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors (Heterogeneous Multi-adapter), a new version of Windows Media Center,[33] a Gadget for Windows Media Center, improved media features, the XPS Essentials Pack and Windows PowerShell being included, and a redesigned Calculator with multiline capabilities including Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion. Many new items have been added to the Control Panel, including ClearType Text Tuner, Display Color Calibration Wizard, Gadgets, Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other Sensors, Credential Manager, Biometric Devices, System Icons, and Display.[34] Windows Security Center has been renamed to Windows Action Center (Windows Health Center and Windows Solution Center in earlier builds) which encompasses both security and maintenance of the computer.
The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the Quick Launch toolbar has been replaced with pinning applications to the taskbar. Buttons for pinned applications are integrated with the task buttons. These buttons also enable the Jump Lists feature to allow easy access to common tasks.[35] The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons. To the far right of the system clock is a small rectangular button that serves as the Show desktop icon. This button is part of the new feature in Windows 7 called Aero Peek. Hovering over this button makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop.[36] In touch-enabled displays such as touch screens, tablet PCs etc, this button is slightly wider to accommodate being pressed with a finger.[37] Clicking this button minimizes all windows, and clicking it a second time restores them. Additionally, when a user drags a window to the edge of the screen, it will snap in place on that half of the screen. This allows users to snap documents or files on either side of the screen to compare them. There is also a feature that when a user pulls a window to the top of the screen, it automatically maximizes. When a user moves windows that are maximized, the system restores them automatically.
This functionality is also accomplished with keyboard shortcuts. Holding down the Windows key and pressing the up arrow maximizes; pressing down the down arrow minimizes; pressing the left or right arrows snap the windows to the sides of the screen. Repeating the keyboard shortcuts generally restores the window's previous size. Unlike in Windows Vista, window borders and the taskbar do not turn opaque when a window is maximized with Windows Aero applied. Instead, they remain transparent. For developers, Windows 7 includes a new networking API with support for building SOAP based web services in native code (as opposed to .NET based WCF web services),[38] new features to shorten application install times, reduced UAC prompts, simplified development of installation packages,[39] and improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API.[40] At WinHEC 2008 Microsoft announced that color depths of 30-bit and 48-bit would be supported in Windows 7 along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which for HDMI 1.3 can be converted and output as xvYCC). The video modes supported in Windows 7 are 16-bit sRGB, 24-bit sRGB, 30-bit sRGB, 30-bit with extended color gamut sRGB, and 48-bit scRGB.[41][42] Microsoft is also implementing better support for Solid State Drives [43] and Windows 7 will be able to identify a Solid State Drive uniquely.
Internet Spades, Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers, which were removed from Windows Vista, were restored in Windows 7. Windows 7 will include Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Media Player 12.
Wikinews has related news: Windows 7 will allow users to disable Internet Explorer
Users will also be able to disable many more Windows components than was possible in Windows Vista. New additions to this list of components include Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Windows Search, and the Windows Gadget Platform.[44] Windows 7 includes 13 additional sound schemes, entitled Afternoon, Calligraphy, Characters, Cityscape, delta, Festival, Garden, Heritage, Landscape, Quirky, Raga, Savanna, and Sonata.[45] A new version of Virtual PC, Windows Virtual PC Beta is available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.[46] It allows multiple Windows environments, including Windows XP Mode, to run on the same machine, requiring the use of Intel VT-x or AMD-V. Windows XP Mode runs Windows XP in a virtual machine and redirects displayed applications running in Windows XP to the Windows 7 desktop.[47] Furthermore Windows 7 supports to mount a virtual hard disk (VHD) as a normal data storage, and the bootloader delivered with Windows 7 can boot Windows system from VHD.[48] The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) of Windows 7 is also enhanced to support real-time multimedia application including video playback and 3D games. That means the Direct X 10 can be used in a remote desktop environment. [49] The three application limit will be removed from Windows 7 Starter.
[edit] Removed features
Main article: Features removed from Windows 7
A number of capabilities and certain programs that were a part of Windows Vista are no longer present or have changed, resulting in the removal of certain functionality. Some notable Windows Vista features and components have been replaced or removed in Windows 7, including the classic Start Menu user interface, Windows Ultimate Extras, InkBall, and Windows Calendar. Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Mail have been removed from Windows itself, but they are available in a separate package called Windows Live Essentials.
[edit] Antitrust regulatory attention
As with other Microsoft operating systems, Windows 7 is being studied by United States federal regulators who oversee the company's operations following the 2001 United States v. Microsoft settlement. According to status reports filed, the three-member panel began assessing prototypes of the new operating system in February 2008. Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research said that, "[Microsoft's] challenge for Windows 7 will be how can they continue to add features that consumers will want that also don't run afoul of regulators."[50] In Europe, Windows 7 may be required to ship with rival browsers including possibly Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome. The reason for this suspicion is on the inclusion of Internet Explorer which is seen as harming competition, as in the European Union Microsoft competition case.[51] However, Microsoft announced on the Engineering Windows 7 blog that users will be able to turn off more features than in Windows Vista including Internet Explorer.[44]
[edit] Editions
Main article: Windows 7 editions
Windows 7 will be available in six different editions, but only Home Premium and Professional will be widely available at retail.[52] The other editions are focused at other markets, such as the developing world or enterprise use.[52] Each edition of Windows 7 will include all of the capabilities and features of the edition below it.[52][53][54][55][56] With the exception of Windows 7 Starter, all editions will support both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x86-64) processor architectures.[57] According to Microsoft, the features for all editions of Windows 7 will be stored on the machine, regardless of what edition is in use.[58] Users who wish to upgrade to an edition of Windows 7 with more features can then use Windows Anytime Upgrade to purchase the upgrade, and unlock the features of those editions.[53][58][59] Microsoft has not yet announced pricing information or volume licensing details for Windows 7.[59]
[edit] Hardware requirements
Microsoft has published their minimum recommended specifications for a system running Windows 7 Release Candidate.[60][61] For the 32-bit version, these are much the same as those for premium editions of Vista, but they are considerably higher for the 64-bit version. Microsoft has released a beta version of an upgrade advisor that scans a computer to see if it is compatible with Windows 7.
Minimum recommended hardware requirements for Windows 7[60] Architecture 32-bit 64-bit
Processor speed 1 GHz processor
Memory (RAM) 1 GB of RAM 2 GB of RAM
Graphics card Support for DirectX 9 graphics device with 128MB of graphic memory (for Windows Aero)
HDD free space 16 GB of available disk space 20 GB of available disk space
Optical drive DVD-R/RW
Friday, May 1, 2009
Windows XP Info
Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1
27 January 2009, 20:30 GMT
Yesterday Microsoft announced the release of Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1 (RC1). This release is the first update sice the public Beta 2 release last August.
Update for Windows XP (KB954708)
5 September 2008, 13:55 GMT
Install this update to enable XMP metadata with complex data types to be stored using Windows Imaging Component.
Update for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (KB954086)
24 July 2008, 12:50 GMT
Install this update to resolve an issue in which a Windows Media Center configuration that uses an analog TV broadcast without a set-top box, displays a protected content message when recording television shows.
Update for Windows XP (KB951618)
7 July 2008, 16:50 GMT
Install this update to resolve a known application compatibility issue with the Saming OneKey recovery software driver Safnt.sys.
Update for Windows XP (KB953979)
4 July 2008, 17:35 GMT
After you install Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3), Device Manager may not show any devices, and Network Connections may not show any network connections.
Update for Windows XP (KB952155)
4 July 2008, 16:35 GMT
Install this update to use new Terminal Services features on a computer that is running Windows XP Service Pack 2 connecting to computers that are running either Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 operating systems.
Update for Windows XP (KB952230)
4 July 2008, 16:30 GMT
Install this update to display the Remote Desktop Connection 6.1 interface in multiple languages on systems using Windows XP Service Pack 2.
Windows XP: No Reprieve - Phasing-out Starts June 30
28 June 2008, 09:45 GMT
Microsoft is to stop selling Windows XP on June 30, but many people are confused on what that actually means. What will happen after that date is that Microsoft will no longer be supplying the retail chain with (shrink-wrapped) copies of Windows XP. It will also stop supplying XP to the OEMs (Dell, HP and other manufacturers).
Update for Windows XP (KB951978)
12 June 2008, 22:15 GMT
Microsoft released an update to resolve resolve an issue in VBScript/JScript scripts from CScript\WScript hosts, certain built-ins may not function correctly when "Standards and Formats" in "Regional Settings" is changed.
Update for Windows XP (KB953356)
12 June 2008, 22:15 GMT
Microsoft released an update to install before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3 to prevent an issue in which your computer may restart continuously after you upgrade to SP3 on systems with non-Intel processors.
Slipstreaming Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Create Bootable CD
15 May 2008, 05:50 GMT
Slipstreaming a Service Pack, is the process to integrate the Service Pack into the installation so that with every new installation the Operating System and Service Pack are installed at the same time.
Keep your Computer free from Viruses, Trojans, Spyware and other Malware
May 11, 2006 - 12:50 GMT
Surfing the Internet these days is a hazardous occupation, but a few simple precautions will keep your computer free from infection in an increasingly hostile environment.
Troubleshooting Windows Explorer Errors
March 14, 2005 - 15:25 GMT
I get messages from people having problems with Windows Explorer crashes on a regular basis. In a lot of cases, these errors are caused by 3rd party shell extensions that are not functioning properly.
If your computer is part of a Workgroup, you will notice that a Shared Documents folder appears in My Computer. This folder lets you share files with multiple users easily. If you want to remove this folder you can:
Start the Registry Editor
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer \
Right-click an empty space in the right pane and select New > DWORD Value
Name the new value NoSharedDocuments
Double-click this new value, and enter 1 as its Value data
Close the registry editor
Log off, or restart Windows for the changes to take effect
To reverse this process, change the Value data to 0, or delete the NoSharedDocuments Value.
Thanks for the votes!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
