Category: Windows 7
Windows 7 gets laundry list of changes
Have you been testing out the Windows 7 beta, and clicking that little ‘feedback’ button in the top right of every Window? Well, Microsoft has been listening, and they’ve just announced a massive list of the changes they’ve made as a result of the feedback.
The full list is here, but there’s a few highlights that I’ll share with you if you can’t be bothered to read the whole thing. Firstly, there’s plenty of functionality for making things more obvious on the taskbar, along with keyboard shortcuts. There’s also a multi-touch onscreen keyboard (so you can shift-tap stuff).
There’s better format support too, and anything that can’t be played will be filtered out of Windows Media Player, so it doesn’t bother you. There’s also resuming video from sleep with actual files, like you would with a DVD, and some changes to what the Windows team call ‘needy windows’ – so you can see when a program wants your attention.
The full list is worth a look, because it’s got a lot more detail in. Most of this stuff we’re unlikely to see until release, though. Are you looking forward to it? Is there anything missing that you think needs changing? Let us know in the comments.
Microsoft offers $250,000 reward for information leading to capture of Conficker worm virus creator
If you happen to inhabit the same deadly underground hacking world (forum) as the creator of the “Conficker” virus that’s been wreaking havoc on PCs since last October and even left France vulnerable to aerial invasion, you might be in luck.
Microsoft has put up a $250,000 reward for information leading the the capture of the creator of the worm/virus, hoping that some of the man’s internet friends might be a bit keen on grassing him up and bringing him to justice…
Windows 7 gets schizophrenic, multiple personalities emerge
Oh dear. It’s the move that everyone was hoping Microsoft wasn’t going to make, but it looks like it’s going to make it. Seems that Windows 7 will come in a bunch of versions – much like Vista – titled Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate.
The news surfaced in a screenshot on a Chinese blog depicting Beta build 7025. Most people are running 7000 – which is the version currently (but not for much longer) available to the public.
Microsoft’s forthcoming OS has been getting rave reviews from all corners of the internet – even those traditionally very pro-Apple. I’m a big fan myself – I’ve got it installed on a laptop that struggled with Vista, and it runs like a dream. It remains to be seen exactly how cut-down the ‘Home’ versions will end up being, and if unlike Vista, the Ultimate edition is worth the extra cash.
(via Engadget, image courtesy of regular commenter Leon)
Related posts: Microsoft extends availability of Windows 7 beta | Windows 7 public beta available NOW
Microsoft extends availability of Windows 7 beta
Did you have trouble picking up the Windows 7 beta over the weekend? I sure did. I didn’t manage to get my hands on it till last night, when I finally got it burnt to DVD and installed on a spare laptop.
In light of the massive demand, Microsoft has wisely decided to drop the 2.5 million downloads limit, and is instead letting you download it as many times as you want within the next two weeks – until the 24th January. Every time you download, you’ll be given a CD key.
As a result of not getting my hands on the OS till last night, I’m still formulating my first thoughts. So far, though, I like what I’ve seen very much. It’s very responsive, and usable. It seems to fix almost everything people didn’t like about Vista and improve a bunch of other features, too. Full thoughts later in the week.
Get Windows 7 (via Lifehacker)
Related posts: Windows 7 public beta available NOW | Windows 7 hits public beta on Friday – here’s how to give it a try
Windows 7 public beta available NOW
Thought you might like a heads-up that the Windows 7 beta is available for download right now. I’m pleasantly surprised, I was expecting more like sometime this evening. Of course, you can’t get near the download page right now, because it’s so busy. Don’t worry, within an hour, it’ll be all over Bittorrent.
A quick recap, for those of you who didn’t see this post. Windows 7 is Microsoft’s new OS, and they’re looking at a release somewhere in the second half of this year. This is a public beta, which means that it’s unsupported. If it screws up your PC, then you’ve got to fix it, so unless you’re happy mucking about with PC innards, don’t install it.
Download Windows 7 Beta (via Ars Technica)
Related posts: CES 2009: Windows 7 hits public beta on Friday – here’s how to give it a try | Merry Christmas extremely bored men – Windows 7 beta hits the torrent sites
CES 2009: Windows 7 hits public beta on Friday – here's how to give it a try
As of this Friday – the 9th January, Microsoft is going to release a beta version of its new operating system – Windows 7 – to the first 2.5 million people to download it. The new OS is eagerly anticipated, which Microsoft must be pleased about, given that Vista has been a PR disaster.
Windows 7 promises a tonne of improvements to Windows’ basic functionality. It’s quicker, less bloated and more secure than Windows Vista – which suffered from bloat and compatibility issues on release. Although it’s dramatically improved since, many users are refusing to upgrade from XP, and Microsoft continues to trickle users away to OS X.
