Comments on: Windows 7: the Vista we always wanted? http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/01/12/windows-7-the-vista-we-wanted/ Blogging in the real world Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:15:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: muck http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/01/12/windows-7-the-vista-we-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-26585 muck Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:10:00 +0000 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/?p=4997#comment-26585 No Beta 2? blimey. They are pushing this one but then it really seems to be feature rich and stable. Still a few bugs here and there so they've got 6 months to get them sorted No Beta 2? blimey. They are pushing this one but then it really seems to be feature rich and stable. Still a few bugs here and there so they’ve got 6 months to get them sorted

]]> By: David Wright http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/01/12/windows-7-the-vista-we-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-26568 David Wright Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:11:48 +0000 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/?p=4997#comment-26568 c6ten: "Forgive my naivety, but what happens when the beta expires? Aren’t Microsoft just going to pull the plug until users buy an upgrade to the release version?" Yes. It is a Beta and at the end of July it will stop working. The user will then need to decide whether they buy an upgrade to Windows 7 (if it has been released) or put some other software on their test system. It is one of the reasons why Microsoft are at pains to point out, that it should not be used on a production machine, only on test equipment. They also won't be held responsible for any lost productivity or data - they specifically state that it is a beta and should not be used in a production environment. It is there for people to see if it can be integrated into their existing infrastructure cleanly, what problems they will encounter etc. All problems with Windows 7 should be reported to Microsoft - that is the main point of the Beta programme, it is there to enable Microsoft to get feedback on what does and doesn't work from users of diverse software and diverse skill levels. Anybody who has it on a live machine will have to nuke the machine and re-install after 6 months - I'm not sure if you can upgrade from the Beta to the finished version (which is due Q3 sometime), there would be a lot of library and registry conflicts which could make the finished product unstable, so I'm expecting that the upgrade will not be recommended. At the end of the day, Microsoft probably don't worry about upgrading Beta to Live, because, according to their records, everybody who has the beta has agreed to put it on a test rig and not use it in a live environment... :-S c6ten: "Also maybe someone can enlighten me if it works so well, what are Microsoft spending the next eight months doing? Isn’t that just plenty of time to clobber whatever good work they’ve done?" It is still in Beta status, so things like the redraw bugs in Explorer will be worked on. Likewise, they will respond to all bug reports that the Beta Testers filed - this is, again, a large part of the reason for the beta, to get feedback from those that have downloaded and are testing it alongside their normal setups. As muck says, it is mainly aimed at system developers, software developers and large companies looking at moving to Windows 7 on release - they can get a feel for how it works, work on training courses for their staff, work out processes and procedures for roll-out etc. Oh, and report back any issues they find to Microsoft. muck: Microsoft have said that they will not be doing a Beta 2 (although I guess, if they find major problems with Beta 1, they will have to rush out a Beta 2 to cover all the fixes). I agree though, the system should now be "feature complete" and they are just working on fixing the bugs and general fettling of what is already there. c6ten:
“Forgive my naivety, but what happens when the beta expires? Aren’t Microsoft just going to pull the plug until users buy an upgrade to the release version?”

Yes. It is a Beta and at the end of July it will stop working. The user will then need to decide whether they buy an upgrade to Windows 7 (if it has been released) or put some other software on their test system.

It is one of the reasons why Microsoft are at pains to point out, that it should not be used on a production machine, only on test equipment. They also won’t be held responsible for any lost productivity or data – they specifically state that it is a beta and should not be used in a production environment.

It is there for people to see if it can be integrated into their existing infrastructure cleanly, what problems they will encounter etc. All problems with Windows 7 should be reported to Microsoft – that is the main point of the Beta programme, it is there to enable Microsoft to get feedback on what does and doesn’t work from users of diverse software and diverse skill levels.

Anybody who has it on a live machine will have to nuke the machine and re-install after 6 months – I’m not sure if you can upgrade from the Beta to the finished version (which is due Q3 sometime), there would be a lot of library and registry conflicts which could make the finished product unstable, so I’m expecting that the upgrade will not be recommended.

At the end of the day, Microsoft probably don’t worry about upgrading Beta to Live, because, according to their records, everybody who has the beta has agreed to put it on a test rig and not use it in a live environment… :-S

c6ten:
“Also maybe someone can enlighten me if it works so well, what are Microsoft spending the next eight months doing? Isn’t that just plenty of time to clobber whatever good work they’ve done?”

It is still in Beta status, so things like the redraw bugs in Explorer will be worked on. Likewise, they will respond to all bug reports that the Beta Testers filed – this is, again, a large part of the reason for the beta, to get feedback from those that have downloaded and are testing it alongside their normal setups.

As muck says, it is mainly aimed at system developers, software developers and large companies looking at moving to Windows 7 on release – they can get a feel for how it works, work on training courses for their staff, work out processes and procedures for roll-out etc. Oh, and report back any issues they find to Microsoft.

muck:
Microsoft have said that they will not be doing a Beta 2 (although I guess, if they find major problems with Beta 1, they will have to rush out a Beta 2 to cover all the fixes).

I agree though, the system should now be “feature complete” and they are just working on fixing the bugs and general fettling of what is already there.

]]> By: muck http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/01/12/windows-7-the-vista-we-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-26289 muck Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:16:16 +0000 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/?p=4997#comment-26289 I'm not sure if you're getting confused with Trial versions. This is a Beta so there will be no upgrade option to a release version. It's for developers and system builders to make sure they are up to date and that their software and hardware works when the OS is released. It's also so that Microsoft can test it against as many hardware configurations as possible to test for bugs. There will almost definitely be a Beta 2 coming out that addresses the bugs that are found in this version, possibly some new features and also to test for if any bugs that have been introduced since this version. Perhaps they will skip a Beta 2 if everything is working really well but then they will make available a Release Candidate which is effectively the finished product, no major code development will be done before general release. I’m not sure if you’re getting confused with Trial versions. This is a Beta so there will be no upgrade option to a release version.
It’s for developers and system builders to make sure they are up to date and that their software and hardware works when the OS is released. It’s also so that Microsoft can test it against as many hardware configurations as possible to test for bugs.
There will almost definitely be a Beta 2 coming out that addresses the bugs that are found in this version, possibly some new features and also to test for if any bugs that have been introduced since this version.
Perhaps they will skip a Beta 2 if everything is working really well but then they will make available a Release Candidate which is effectively the finished product, no major code development will be done before general release.

]]> By: c6ten http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/01/12/windows-7-the-vista-we-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-26251 c6ten Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:42:50 +0000 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/?p=4997#comment-26251 Forgive my naivety, but what happens when the beta expires? Aren't Microsoft just going to pull the plug until users buy an upgrade to the release version? Also maybe someone can enlighten me if it works so well, what are Microsoft spending the next eight months doing? Isn't that just plenty of time to clobber whatever good work they've done? Forgive my naivety, but what happens when the beta expires? Aren’t Microsoft just going to pull the plug until users buy an upgrade to the release version?

Also maybe someone can enlighten me if it works so well, what are Microsoft spending the next eight months doing? Isn’t that just plenty of time to clobber whatever good work they’ve done?

]]> By: Chris http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/01/12/windows-7-the-vista-we-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-26247 Chris Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:23:11 +0000 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/?p=4997#comment-26247 They should give existing Vista customers a free upgrade to the final released version (OS enhancements& bug-fixes used to be called service-packs, before the “Mojave Experiment”). They should give existing Vista customers a free upgrade to the final released version (OS enhancements& bug-fixes used to be called service-packs, before the “Mojave Experiment”).

]]> By: TimoGunt http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/01/12/windows-7-the-vista-we-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-26232 TimoGunt Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:22:57 +0000 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/?p=4997#comment-26232 Well only having a Pentium 4 I had to go for the 32 bit. I want to get a quad core in the next couple of months and then I'll be getting the 64 bit version Well only having a Pentium 4 I had to go for the 32 bit. I want to get a quad core in the next couple of months and then I’ll be getting the 64 bit version

]]> By: Andrew http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/01/12/windows-7-the-vista-we-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-26220 Andrew Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:39:24 +0000 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/?p=4997#comment-26220 Think I will be downloading it tonight. I'm probably going to buy a new pc in 2 months and I can install it on that. Did you all go for the 64 or 32 bit version ? Think I will be downloading it tonight.

I’m probably going to buy a new pc in 2 months and I can install it on that.

Did you all go for the 64 or 32 bit version ?

]]> By: TimoGunt http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/01/12/windows-7-the-vista-we-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-26209 TimoGunt Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:30:39 +0000 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/?p=4997#comment-26209 I too am using it as my main OS now. It's brilliant. I too am using it as my main OS now. It’s brilliant.

]]> By: Matt http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/01/12/windows-7-the-vista-we-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-26208 Matt Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:16:25 +0000 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/?p=4997#comment-26208 It is just Vista wth a few minor enhancements. It is just Vista wth a few minor enhancements.

]]> By: David Wright http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/01/12/windows-7-the-vista-we-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-26152 David Wright Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:30:24 +0000 http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/?p=4997#comment-26152 "Its successor, by contrast, is already so complete, and so stable, that many of us here at PC Pro are happily using it as our primary work OS." You guys have read the licence agreement, right? Where it states that it cannot be used on work or production machines? ;-) “Its successor, by contrast, is already so complete, and so stable, that many of us here at PC Pro are happily using it as our primary work OS.”

You guys have read the licence agreement, right? Where it states that it cannot be used on work or production machines? ;-)

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