Is it too early for another new version of Windows? I'm sticking with XP for as long as I can. http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/biztech/10/28/microsoft.windows.ap/index.html LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- The next version of Microsoft Windows, the software that defines the computing experience for most people, will nag users much less than its much-maligned predecessor, Vista. PC users will be able to test the new edition early next year. Microsoft promises its Windows 7 operating system will be an improvement on the much-maligned Windows Vista. The world's largest software maker also is making Word, Excel and other key elements of Office -- its flagship "productivity" programs -- able to run in a Web browser. The move is meant to help confront rivals such as Google Inc. that offer free word processing and spreadsheet programs online, threatening one of Microsoft Corp.'s most precious profit centers. The Windows and Office news came Tuesday at a Microsoft conference for software developers. The forthcoming Windows 7 will let users choose to see fewer alerts and warnings from their computers. Rampant notifications alerting people to security risks irked many Vista users. "We had all the best intentions of helping to secure the PC platform even more, particularly for novice PC users who needed to be protected," said Steven Sinofsky, a senior vice president in Microsoft's Windows group. But Sinofsky acknowledged that Microsoft needed to work more closely with outside companies to avoid a similar mess this time. Michael Silver, an analyst for Gartner Inc., said a smoother debut for Windows 7 is critical for Microsoft. "The real hurdle is to get Vista's reputation behind them," he said. Windows 7 keeps some of the significant design changes that debuted in Vista, but tosses out others. In an interview, Julie Larson-Green, a Windows vice president, offered one small example: In Vista, Microsoft took the "add printer" feature out of the Start menu, but is restoring it in Windows 7 after users complained. Larson-Green said some changes in Vista made sense to developers but weren't fully tested on actual PC users -- a misstep she seems committed not to repeat. With Windows 7, Microsoft is also making subtle but useful changes to the task bar along the bottom of the screen. The designers have removed redundant buttons that launch applications. When users roll over a program's icon in the task bar, it will be easier to see how many documents are open, and switch between them. Microsoft also showed off "jumplists," a quick way of organizing recently used files or popular program features. And it introduced a concept called "libraries," which automatically collects similar files scattered across PCs on a home network and displays them together in a single folder. That could be handy for organizing a family's digital photos stored in disparate places. Addressing another complaint about Vista, Microsoft said Windows 7 will be faster and need less memory to run. Vista generally needs costlier hardware configurations than the older Windows XP. Sinofsky held up a "netbook" -- a low-cost, low-power laptop that would have a hard time running Vista -- and said it's working with Windows 7. Microsoft's early 2009 target for people to begin toying with Windows 7 is striking because the Redmond, Wash.-based company promised deadlines it couldn't keep when it was developing Vista. Microsoft is trying hard to avoid a similar debacle this time. Sinofsky said there is no date yet for the next milestone, a "release to manufacturing" version of Windows 7, but reiterated that the system is set to go on sale in early 2010. Silver, the analyst, noted that Windows Vista rejigged complex aspects of the software's plumbing, while Windows 7 is largely a cosmetic overhaul. That might spare this launch from many of the compatibility programs that dogged Vista. Silver was impressed by how Windows 7 handles home networking with fewer headaches than Vista or XP. A big improvement on that front could help keep customers who consider ditching Windows, swayed by Apple Inc.'s claims that such tasks are easier on a Mac. Building on a broader strategy to meld the best elements of Web and desktop software, Microsoft also showed off lightweight versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote software that work in Web browsers and look as they normally do, but don't have to be installed on a PC. The new programs were running "in the cloud" on the new Windows Azure system Microsoft unveiled Monday, a move aimed at helping it catch up with Google and other nimbler Web companies. Azure lets Microsoft run software and store data in its own massive data centers around the world, instead of requiring people to install programs on their own PCs. The Office Web programs represent what Microsoft believes is a more polished take on what Google has tried. Microsoft's online Office programs let people work on a document at the same time, and make it easier to publish charts and PowerPoint presentations to blogs with few clicks. The Web software, to be offered without charge for regular PC users, will launch with the next version of Office. No date has been set. Silver, the analyst, said he had always expected Microsoft to build on its rudimentary Web Office tools, and noted that the company still has time to tinker, because relatively few people use Google's online documents offering today. The peek at the new programs didn't address his biggest concern, though: whether Microsoft can promote Web versions without undercutting its very lucrative desktop software business.
never really understood the hate for Vista...i'm running Vista 64-bit..i think its fine....*knocks on wood*
I will try to skip Vista and get Windows 7 but my computer needs might come sooner than that, I could just get a Mac.
i don't do a lot of stuff on my computer other than download p*rn, surf clutchfans, write papers and burn the occasional cd/dvd. Vista is prettier than xp and for the stuff i do it seems to handle everything just fine.
Vista x64 rocks the crap out of anything else I use. Its actually a great OS once you get used to some of the new features and places.
Feels like this always happens. They'll release something good, then the next version is so so or crap and they'll follow that up with another good version.
I'm running Vista 32-bit and 64-bit now (mmm... quad-core with 8 gigs of RAM and 1.4 TB of storaaaaaaaage). I've had no problems that I can recall. On the 64-bit version, there are some security/anti-spyware products I'd like to exist, but don't, though. From the screenshots I saw this morning, Windows 7 is going to look like Vista with some tweaks.
Office 07 Adobe Aps (reader, Audition, PS and Image Ready) a bunch of freeware apps for the video encoding (Gordian Knot, VirtualDUb, etc) older version of Womble's mpeg2 vcr editing program constantly running two versions of mirc and utorrent Ive had very few problems on a Athlon dualcore with 2G of ram My laptop is just mainly for browsing and office apps, it has a slower processor(still a dualcore) but twice the RAM (4G) Roll-out was a little rough since so many hardware manufacturers didnt release new versions of their drivers for older hardware for quite a long time(if it all), but short of some issues there, I never really saw why the hatred. I turned down the extra visual crap on slower machines, but for a fairly powerful machine you could leave the visual candy on and probably never notice a slowdown from it. which quad-core combo did you go with? Im about ready to build me a new one and Ive gotta see whats out there now.
So, let me see if I understand this correctly. Microsoft is acknowledging they F'ed up with Vista, and so badly so, that the new marketing strategy is to rid themselves of the jinxed moniker. PR decision, got it. In comes the order to develop Windows 7, basically "deliver all the promises Vista made." Technical decision, got it. There are 1,000,000 (made up number) people that bought into Vista, who are now being marooned with a bad product, and instead of being delivered a fixed product, they'll be pitched another product that does what their previous product was supposed to do for another $500? I don't get it.
That's technology. They get you with the smooth talk and when you finally give in, they come out with something better. Student discount FTW!
Yep. Technology is outpacing rate of adoption of most of these products. I only know that super duper versions of Windows exist because they say so. I never myself forced Microsoft's hand to say "make me a better operating system, now!" Also I think the increasing everything-from-the-net-should-be-free mentality makes makes Microsoft and their Vista product look like some monster. So they can justify being cheap.
I'm more than content with my Mac but if Windows 7 turns out to be solid, I very well may fire up Boot Camp (assuming it would be compatible. I don't see why not seeing that some netbooks can run 7) for the best of both worlds. Can't PC and Mac finally get along??
Winner. Vista doesn't entirely suck as bad some make it out to be, but it's still a pain in the ass. It still uses an insane amount of resources. My 2004 XP laptop with 1.2GB RAM still performs better and faster than my friends with their brand new 2GB Vista setups.
a lot of people who are knocking on vista haven't even used it. they have heard stuff and seen the apple ads and are like omg..vista blows. also SP2 for vista should be out in a month or something which should fix a lot more stuff. remember windows 98 second edition was a lot better, and sp2 for xp made a big difference too.
