Got questions about Microsoft's new operating system Windows 7? Ask them here and I will answer them.
Now updated.
I thought of writing a review about windows 7, but I thought it would be better if I asked the readers of shoutwire what they want to know. Ask your question in the comments section and I will answer to the best of my ability. I will include pics, vids and what ever else is necessary to fully answer a question.
Example of a good question: Does it feel laggy and what bugs have you encountered so far?
Example of a bad question: Does windows 7 suck a big donkey dick?
Ask away.
ConeOfSilence: Does windows 7 suck a big donkey dick?
No but I hear your mom does a great donkey show.
Seanboy: I havent used Windows 7, whats new and good for a start?
Well from the get go, there is a new splash screen on start up which is rather refreshing.(also quite a bit longer wait)
There is also a new taskbar that is rather nice if you take off always grouping. Pic here:
Everything else on looks is kinda like vista.
Dystopian: Why would I go from Vista ultimate (64 bit) to Windows 7?
More than likely not because you want to, but because you will eventually have to. If you want to know what there is that will convert you to Win7 well there is a few things. UAC can now be leveled off so you still have some protection but doesn't annoy you every time you install a small program. As I said earlier the new taskbar is nice. Windows automatically finds your drivers now. That's really about it.
Starveling: How does Win7 compare to XP?
Ehhh, there really is no comparison. After the initial awe factor of windows 7, it feels like a really well refined version of Vista. It's more bloated than Vista even though microsoft said they wouldn't do that. After initial install, Vista is around 9 to 10 gigs of space on HD, after windows 7 install it was close to 13 gigs of hd space.
screecwe: MS has already given up on vista.
I've had the feeling they were giving up on vista months ago and with this early of a beta after vista, it really does seem like it.
Dockwats: Is it pretty fast or is it a resource hog?
This is never a simple answer. It uses more HD space and the same amount of ram after startup compared to vista. I have noticed less cpu usage though. Every thing "feels" smooth though which most users will like. I read some articles before win7 beta saying that they were going to change the way memory is used and I haven't noticed anything different in resource monitor but it kinda feels like they did. Start up is noticeably slower though.
proofinlife: How is it for memory/CPU useage? Any noticeable differences between vista SP1 and XP SP3?
Is the GUI a rip-off of mac, in your opinion?
Is the control panel better organized than Vista?
Do you see windows 7 being a great home for gamers in terms of compatibility (your outlook) and features?
Is w7's security not as picky as Vista's but just as effective?
Did Karnivore cry when he saw someone else posting about IT?
Nice some real tech questions here. As I said earlier I have noticed less CPU usage compared to Vista. Memory usage is same as vista after startup which is around 30% of 3 gigs of ram.
I haven't messed too much with macs but it definitely doesn't feel like a mac ripoff, but everything feels much more refined and more professional looking.
I LOVE the new control panel look. Pics here
This is when you first click control panel. The grouping here is nice.
This is after you click show all control panel icons. It is in a nice small icon type of list.
Windows 7 doesn't yell at you too much anymore if you don't have a Anti-Virus. It just refers you to some free and pay AVs.
I think windows 7 will be the way to go in terms of gaming just because it feels less laggy. I've been playing Left 4 Dead, Warcraft 3(dota), and CoD4. It just feels like less lag which gamers will greatly appreciate.
Who is Karnivore?
quincy101: Is it worth testing the beta or should I just wait for the full release?
I say go ahead and try it. Also I play dota on euro. Dota-league.com is where i play. Msg me if you want to play sometime.
Dock: Does it have a feature to prevent sucky macs from dual booting it?
Unfortunately not.
rabidbeaver: will it make a good coster for my coffee next to my new Mac? these are the questions I need answers to and fast cuz my vista coaster is about to go!
Sure! It will make a great 250$ coaster!
Apogee:It feels the same as vista, with a few extra features(and a few removed)
the only difference is the performance, which i havn't tested. I heard it's a little better than XP even(which, actually, is kinda amazing)
Here is what I have heard my compsci teacher talk about performance stuff today. He said computers with less ram will see a significant improvement because the ram will be managed better. Computers that already have a decent amount of ram will only see a tiny upgrade in speed. Also, I thought microsoft would be using a new faster and better filesystem when 7 came out which it has not. So much for hoping for a filesystem where you don't have to defrag. *sigh*
ShehzadG420: How is Win7 better than Ubuntu 8/Mac 10.5?
Because you can actually run programs.
ConeOfSilence: how will it run on a older P.C and are there drivers for the older bits of hardware?
I do not have any older pcs to really test it on, but if it is older, I would stick to XP.
toxicwasted: I liked the comment about pinning icons to the task bar. It's called quick start.
I used quick start A LOT in vista and xp. This is different. This is so much nicer. You will see when you test this out.
chewbie,
You could do that with UAC in vista too but now you can set levels of security. Also, I'm not sure if you guys have used XP 64 bit, but If I would turn off the XP splash screen I could get boot times in between 20 and 30 seconds. It also managed ram really well. To say win7 64bit is faster than xp 64 bit is kind of a stretch. Have you guys forgotten that the minimum requirements for XP home is 400 mhz and 64 ram?
vodkashot: Do you feel that there is a better platform for gaming on 7 than vista, and are there any DX10 updates?
I think this will be the gaming platform people will use in the near future. Mainly because of the memory use improvement in midrange computers and the HUGE price drop in new vid cards. Computer gaming could be for the first time affordable.
DeoKanon: one thing i would like to ask... is it going to feel the same sexual abuse the same when i use the earlier versions of windows.
Maybe you should start seeing a psychiatrist.
manchesterblue: does it have wga and have you cracked it yet?
where can i download an iso of it and aforementioned crack?
btw, a vista ultimate sp1 crack would be handy too...
PM me about the vista thing, and you can dl windows 7 from microsoft website. Just type windows 7 in microsoft website's search bar. Also, this is a beta so I do not know if there will be a wga but most likely they will.
peteintheuk,
well... manchester just schooled you.
sailirish7: Did they introdue the new file system they have been working on? I know they were considering putting it in Vista but didn't. I'm curious to check it out.
I REALLY thought they would have put a new filesystem in there but they have not. Before the beta, I would have said there is a 95% chance of it. I'm guessing if vista turned out the way they had hoped, they would have had time to implement it. Its still on ntfs. They should drop the N on there.
Kinderplatz: Does it support DirectX 10 at all? The only reason I would upgrade from XP to something not Vista would be DX10.
If your upgrading only because of DX10, DON'T. It's not that big of a visual boost at all. Yes win7 does support dx10.
Novaslogic,
WHOA WHOA WHOA slow down boy before you start making all these claims. The basic system requirements are 1gig of ram, 16 gigs of hd space, 1GHZ processor, and a 128 mb vid card. Before you go and say its all lightweight and shit, make sure you look at the requirements. It uses MORE hd space than vista and about the same ram on startup. Saying they focused on a minimalistic OS is foolish.
Other thoughts;
I have had no compatibility issues so far. All drivers were found by win7 and automatically installed through windows update center. Windows update doesn't pop up like cam whores on 4chan anymore. Also, windows update doesn't lag you anymore. It DID however have that annoying pop up shit asking you to reboot and when I clicked remind me later it did automatically restart my computer in a middle of a game.(I'm pretty sure the words "fuck you" flashed on the screen for a brief second or two)
If you guys want, I can post a guide to install windows 7 dual boot. Just give me some feedback if you want to see this happen.