Windows 7: Some Minor Improvements, No Game Changer (alleyinsider.com)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Eric Krangel
December 29, 2008: 09:57 AM ET

(alleyinsider.com) -- The first advance reviews of Microsoft (MSFT) Windows 7 Beta are starting to circulate, and here's what we know so far: It looks and feels a lot like Vista, but adds a handful of minor performance and UI improvements.

From Adrian Kingsley-Hughes at ZDnet:

Software and hardware that worked under Windows Vista will still work under Windows 7, hugely important in encouraging upgrades. Windows 7 install times are below half an hour, good for Microsoft.

Some user-interface changes are in the works, most of them good. New are "Aero Snap," which lets users minimize Windows by dragging them to the top of the screen, "Aero Peek" which temporarily hides open windows and shows the desktop (which sounds a lot like a feature already in Mac OS X), and a new taskbar Adrian describes as "kludgey and counter-intuitive."

Web browser Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Media Player both get improvements, but both still lag behind third-party alternatives already available.
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more: http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/12/windows-7-some-minor-improvements-no-game-changer-msft

All good things are worth the wait. ;)

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. More:

So call it a base hit: Windows 7 will probably do well at first -- there's pent-up demand from Windows users who have been avoiding Vista, and the new OS seems to have numerous worthy improvements. But in the long run, it sounds like Windows 7 is to Vista what Windows 98 was to Windows 95: Better, but not a game-changer.

And in the long run, Microsoft needs a game-changer. Slowly but steadily, the company has been losing market share and buzz to Apple (AAPL). And while we'll probably upgrade to 7 from Vista in a heartbeat, there's nothing yet coming out of Microsoft that changes that problem.

Well, if it ain't a game-changer, at those per-unit prices, it sure doesn't compel me to go running out there and grab a copy. I have experience with where KDE 4.x is going right now, and with a few Linux distros, especially the mature ones, and they are improving so much and the Linux kernels do such a far better job of leveraging the performance gains in multi-core processor, and when you factor in the added security benefits...

If 7 is not a game changer, M$ is in a huge pile o' dookie.

[Warpy]

10. It sounds more like Windows 7 is Vista's SP2

and it fixes a bunch of issues in the rushed to market Vista software but doesn't do a whole lot more.

[dkofos]

2. Doesn't look like I'll be leaving the Linux world for windoz 7 anytime soon.

[madokie]

3. I like this about windows7

if it turns out to be true that is.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/152657/microsoft_plans_a_strippeddown_windows_7.html

Microsoft officials have said that many of the traditional Windows accessories and applications that were bundled in Vista (including the Windows Mail e-mail client and image and video editors) will not be included in a standard Windows 7 installation. Instead, you will have the option of downloading Web-based Windows Live apps (as described on the third page of this story).

Add:
Leaner Windows 7 Will Let You Add Features À la Carte
It may be hard to believe that Microsoft is prepping a version of Windows without e-mail, calendar, and instant messaging apps. After all, some of those features have been bundled with Windows almost from the start; with Vista, the list got longer, including additions such as Windows Photo Gallery and Vista Parental Controls. But Microsoft officials say the plan for Windows 7 is to deliver a lean operating system that lets you add the features you like, choosing à la carte from a suite of Windows Live Essentials programs you download.

[ACTION BASTARD]

4. Not leaving XP till absolutely necessary.

[Fumesucker]

5. Same here, and then the destination will be Linux

The only reason I'm staying with XP now is because I have a lot of old Win software and I don't want to have to learn a bunch of new stuff just to do what I already can do.

[yeswecanandwedid]

9. Linux is still around? I thought it was a fad for people too cheap to spend $100 on winblows? LOL nt

[Fumesucker]

14. Spend money on an OS?

I've been recycling the same copy of XP for a long time now, I'm not even sure where I got it any more.

[Shardik]

6. I was a beta tester for Vista

and got lots of free goodies for being one. BUT, this looks like a stripped down Vista with a couple of tweaks. Vista is a fine OS if you have the hardware. I don't think I will go there this time.

[yeswecanandwedid]

8. True.

Vista is okay, it's just a HOG.

I have Vista 64 on my...

Intel Quad Core Processor
4GB of RAM
Large Hard Drive

It runs okay but in general, unless you have a pimp system, XP is the way to go. Too bad XP64 is a bit lame, it's the only reason I moved to Vista. Vista 64 is the best OS for x86 right now if you're a gamer.

[Shardik]

13. I won't argue that she's a hog.

The difference on a single core 64 and a quad core is phenomenal when it comes to speed.

Older systems may very well want to stick with XP unless 7 is less intensive. I am a gamer and Graphics person so I have a beefed up system (AMD 9600 Quad core, 4 gigs of 1066 DDR Ram, Three video cards in SLI and bunches more). Running Vista 64. I drive two 26" Monitors and a sweet Klipsch THX sound system that rivals The Onkyo in my living room.

:) but then again, I'm a nerd. :)

[yeswecanandwedid]

7. More of the SAME, feels like John McCain!

Seriously. I switched to Mac a while back, the OS rocks. It's solid, it's got great features, and is very intuitive. Windows is so 1994, get some creativity already. Vista was a hog with a shit load of bloatware, none of which is even that great. With Mac I get iPhoto out of the gate, iMovie out of the gate, built in DVD player with codecs, Applications install by dragging over icons vs some big messy install package. Plus, nothing can jack with the kernal without your password, so by by viruses. I use windows via VMware on my MAC for windows only apps. I also run vista 64 since I'm a gamer. But in general, I love the Mac OS X, it's way better than Vista IMHO.

[Renew Deal]

11. This sounds like a pretty subjective review.

But we'll see. Windows needs major help. They should throw out all the code and start over, just like Apple did. The legacy stuff is a major drag.

[Deja Q]

12. It should be free

Years of "Windows XP is what windows 2000 should have been", how Windows 2000 was sold by using Windows 98 as an example (any other company saying their new Product 2000 was far more stable than their Product 98 would be laughed out of the solar system!), and given Vista, right down to the lack of Ultimate Extras...