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Computers and Technology Discussion

Windows Seven - minireview - Page 1

Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: MissingNo
Date: 2008-11-08 18:12:16
My Windows Seven Review
a review by MissingNo

Background
Being a tech geek as much as I am, I want to try the latest and greatest of the Windows operating systems. I came across a copy of Windows Seven - build 6801 - that was distributed to Microsoft PDC2008 (Professional Developers' Conference) attendees.

There's several differences, with the right tweaks applied, that made me fall absolutely in love with Seven.

Preface
This is being reviewed on a Compaq Presario C714NR, in standard configuration.
The machines' specifications are:
* Intel T2310 processor (1.46 GHz dual-core)
* 1 GB of DDR2 RAM
* 120 GB hard disk drive (111 GB available after formatting)
* 15.4" widescreen LCD at 1280x800 resolution

Installation
Installation is like a traditional Vista installation, and borrows the Windows Image Manager format (WIMs) to install Windows Seven.

It took roughly 20 minutes on our testing machine to get it up and running.

Seven didn't recognize my Broadcom wireless driver - a standard Vista driver worked just fine from Compaq's support website.

The interface
The standard installation starts you off, essentially, at a Vista-ish desktop. There are several new features, however, that are evident when using Seven.

[img]http://i38.tinypic.com/2h49cn6.png[/img]
The first feature I noticed was the lighthouse in the taskbar, indicating "2 messages". This is a link to the Windows Solutions Center, where I was notified that the Windows Defender was out of date, and also some other security-related functions.

[img]http://i36.tinypic.com/20syqea.png[/img]
Next thing I noticed was this newer, handier wireless menu.

The Superbar
[img]http://i37.tinypic.com/14akkuu.png[/img]
This isn't a feature enabled by default - hell, not even supposed to be available in this build of Seven - but it's enabled via an unlocking application, because it's a "protected feature" for the developers at Microsoft to work on still.

Superbar will be the next Taskbar. This is with Aero enabled, which looks very, very nice in comparison to the standard Taskbar from first-run.

[img]http://i37.tinypic.com/25z47bp.png[/img]
This is one of the MANY menus available for applications via the Superbar. Icons can be "pinned" to the Superbar, similar to the Mac OS X Dock.

The Start Menu is very similar to the Vista start menu - not much has changed.

Overall
I love Windows Seven. It makes up for the mistake of the "Windows ME version 2.0" called Vista.

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: Ratipharos
Date: 2008-11-09 11:15:45
It looks… beautiful…  :'(

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: MissingNo
Date: 2008-11-09 14:37:36

It looks… beautiful…  :'(


It is beautiful indeed… with the additional features enabled.

When Seven is first installed, it has the traditional Vista looks, along with a little watermark in the right hand corner:
Windows 7
For testing purposes only. Build 6801

The Superbar, Aero Shake, and other features are "protected"; to put it in simple terms, a machine must meet certain criteria to activate those features:


The Explorer interface caches the result of these checks and doesn't check after that, so a bypass program was written that can override the protected functionalities and offer Superbar.

Also, I ran a few boot time checks - about 1 minute on my hardware. Not bad at all.

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: shaggs
Date: 2009-02-22 21:42:37
I  have been a Linux user since my XP crashed.

But I'm looking forward to Windws Se7en
And this review maes it look like a great
start and it probably is.

I just hope Bill Gates sticks with his quote,
which I can't remember at the moment buthe said something like it will be released when it meets the quality bar.

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: Ketsuban
Date: 2009-02-23 12:36:39
I have:
500 MHz PIII, 386 MB RAM, 160 GB HDD, ATI Radeon 7000, DVD+-RW DL 16x.

Should I run Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium?

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: MissingNo
Date: 2009-02-23 18:29:22

I have:
500 MHz PIII, 386 MB RAM, 160 GB HDD, ATI Radeon 7000, DVD+-RW DL 16x.

Should I run Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium?


You should run Windows XP Professional.
Just saying.

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: Wild MissingNo. appeared
Date: 2009-02-23 18:45:42
Nice, Windows Seven seems much better than Windows Vista. I have Windows XP: Professional Service Pack 1, on my parents PC after the fatal power cut we had in England it fucked the computer up, so I have Windows XP: Professional Service Pack 2, in my bedroom, that currently is slow as a snail, where my laptop is Windows Vista Service Pack 1, I think and I'll admit that Vista is bloody useless. It has so many damn updates, nearly every week or something and it's already crashed on me like three times. I'll say that Windows Seven out rates Vista hands down.

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: Ketsuban
Date: 2009-02-23 19:10:53


I have:
500 MHz PIII, 386 MB RAM, 160 GB HDD, ATI Radeon 7000, DVD+-RW DL 16x.

Should I run Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium?


You should run Windows XP Professional.
Just saying.


Should I run Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium?

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: Zowayix
Date: 2009-02-23 23:11:18
You shouldn't, unless you want to upgrade that CPU. I'm not sure that could even handle XP.

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: Wild MissingNo. appeared
Date: 2009-02-23 23:16:32
I would upgrade my laptop and parents PC to Service Pack 2, but their computer is quite old, so I don't know upgrading to Windows XP: Service Pack 2, would kill it? I don't have a Boot CD anymore, it got stuck in my computer's hard drive and I couldn't get it back.

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: Ketsuban
Date: 2009-02-24 09:01:44
Zowayix: Right now, I'm happily running Windows XP Pro SP3 and editing videos.

Mutou Yami: If you have an ISO of the boot CD, burn it to a real CD (I recommend Taiyo Yuden, Verbatim, and/or Sony) and boot from that.

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: Zowayix
Date: 2009-02-24 17:45:52
Okay, I stand corrected as to XP's system requirements. However that still won't run anything newer than that.

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: Abwayax
Date: 2009-02-24 18:19:41



I have:
500 MHz PIII, 386 MB RAM, 160 GB HDD, ATI Radeon 7000, DVD+-RW DL 16x.

Should I run Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium?


You should run Windows XP Professional.
Just saying.


Should I run Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium?

Considering that I believe Vista's minimum system requirements include a 1 GHz processor and 512 MB of RAM, I really don't think Windows 7 would run well on that computer.

But if you really want to, I'd assume Starter would consume the least resources, being the crippled light version.

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: Wild MissingNo. appeared
Date: 2009-02-24 18:29:23

Mutou Yami: If you have an ISO of the boot CD, burn it to a real CD (I recommend Taiyo Yuden, Verbatim, and/or Sony) and boot from that.


Uh, what does Sony have to do with Windows? Like Microsoft, Windows XP? I can't buy a service pack, as they're too much. I would like to put Windows Defender on my parents PC but I'm unable to due to Windows XP: Service Pack 1, can't run WIndows Defender.

Re: Windows Seven - minireview

Posted by: GARYM9
Date: 2009-02-24 18:37:56


Mutou Yami: If you have an ISO of the boot CD, burn it to a real CD (I recommend Taiyo Yuden, Verbatim, and/or Sony) and boot from that.


Uh, what does Sony have to do with Windows? Like Microsoft, Windows XP? I can't buy a service pack, as they're too much. I would like to put Windows Defender on my parents PC but I'm unable to due to Windows XP: Service Pack 1, can't run WIndows Defender.


He was talking about brands of CDs to burn the ISO to which is LOL since he just told someone not to talk about Nintendo Rivals and Sony's on that list.