NewsWindows 7 Won't be the Savior of SSDs
Posted 07/02/09 at 11:38:23 AM by Paul Lilly
If solid state drives (SSDs) are to ultimately replace standard hard disk drives (HDDs) as the default storage option, they're going to have to do it the old fashioned way - by offering a better, or at least comparable, bang for buck.
Because Windows 7 offers better support for SSDs than either Vista or XP, it was thought that Microsoft's upcoming OS might help bolster SSD sales and push the flash-based storage medium further into the mainstream. But this isn't likely to happen, say notebook vendors, who point out that the price gap between SSDs and HDDs is still too large.
SSDs currently check in at about $4-5 per GB, whereas HDDs cost less than $0.50 per GB, and that includes some higher end models. And despite rapid advancements in SSDs, it might be another three years before HDDs are finally dethroned.
NewsIn Case You Needed Another Reminder, Windows 7 Beta Will Self Destruct in 3...2...
Posted 07/02/09 at 08:56:32 AM by Paul Lilly
The free ride is officially over - sort of. If you installed Windows 7 beta on any of your machines, the next time you fire it up, the OS will initiate a shutdown sequence every 2 hours, a move intended to guide users to the Windows 7 Release Candidate.
"If you're still on the Windows 7 Beta you should certainly look at giving the Windows 7 RC a try!," Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc wrote in a Windows team blog post.
The good news is that the Windows 7 RC (Release Candidate) is still available for download, it includes several new features and fixes, and will continue to run uninterrupted until June 1, 2010. But you'll have to act fast, as the RC download program comes to a screeching halt on August 15.
Even better, Microsoft has temporarily reduced pricing on retail upgrade versions of Windows 7 Home and Professional to $50 and $100 respectively. The pre-order pricing remains in effect until Saturday, July 11, at which point prices will jump to $120 (Home) and $200 (Professional).
FeaturesWindows 7 Feature Focus: Devices and Printers
Posted 06/30/09 at 04:00:00 PM by Mark Edward Soper
Until the introduction of Windows 7, device management was a multi-application nightmare. Want to see a device's hardware configuration? Open Device Manager. Want to browse the contents of a storage device? Open My Computer. Need to manage the settings used by a specific device? Open the appropriate applet in Control Panel (Mouse, Keyboard, Game Controller, and so on). If you have a multifunction device, you would need to open separate applets to manage the printing, faxing, scanning, and file management functions of one device.
In Windows 7, the Devices and Printers applet in Control Panel provides a single entry point to managing single-purpose and multifunction devices. Microsoft considers Devices and Printers so important to system management that you can start Devices and Printers directly from the Start menu. To learn how Devices and Printers will make your life easier, and what you need to do to make it work better for you, join us after the jump.
FeaturesWindows 7 Buyer's Guide: Which Edition is Right for You?
Posted 06/29/09 at 05:30:05 PM by Mark Edward Soper
If you were frustrated by trying to figure out which edition of Windows Vista was the right choice ("hmm...If I use Vista Business, I don't get Windows Media Center, but if I use Vista Home Premium, I don't get image backup..."), Microsoft has done us all a favor by rethinking the feature sets for Windows 7.
Yes, there are still multiple SKUs to consider, but this time, you no longer need to worry about what's left out if you move up from one edition to another. To find out how the different US editions of Windows 7 compare in features, what Microsoft is doing to satisfy EU regulators, and what it will cost you to pre-order a Windows 7 upgrade now compared to waiting until it ships, join us after the jump.
NewsSteep Discounts Propel Windows 7 Pre-Orders to Top of Amazon Sales Chart
Posted 06/29/09 at 08:53:08 AM by Paul Lilly
Microsoft's pre-order pricing for Windows 7, in which prices have been temporarily reduced by up to 58 percent, went into effect last Friday and the response has been phenomenal. Perhaps proving that potential customers would rather pay for software when priced the price is right rather than pirate, Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade, discounted to $50, wasted no time in jumping to the top of Amazon.com's bestseller list. Windows 7 Professional Upgrade, discounted to $100, claimed the No. 2 spot.
The surprise pricing was announced last Thursday and stays in effect in the U.S. until July 11, 2009, or "until supplies last." Consumers living in Japan will have until July 5th to take advantage of the reduced pricing, and those in the U.K., France, and Germany will be offered similar pre-order discounts starting on July 15th.
It remains to be seen how consumers will react to normal upgrade pricing once the promotion runs its course.
"The $49 initial price is a nice reward for loyal customers," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with Interpret. "But the 'real' upgrade pricing is way off for what the market will likely bear, especially during these economic times."
Participating retailers include (thanks to reader u217946 for the handy list):
- Amazon
- Best Buy
- CostCo
- Frys
- Office Depot
- Office Max
- Sam's Club
- Staples
- Tiger Direct
- Walmart
- Newegg
- Nebraska Furniture Mart
NewsWindows 7 Pricing and Upgrade Programs Revealed!
Posted 06/25/09 at 10:00:08 AM by Paul Lilly
Microsoft yesterday announced retail pricing for Windows 7. The good news is it will be the same or cheaper than Windows Vista, however this only applies from Friday until July 11, less than a month from now. During that time, upgrade copies of Windows 7 Home Premium will run $49, while Windows 7 Professional will cost $99.
"That truly is a price that we have never even come close to in terms of an operating system release," Corporate Vice President Brad Brooks said. "We've still got a business to run."
When the OS ships in October, boxed copy prices will break down as follows:
- Home Premium (Upgrade) - $119
- Professional (Upgrade) - $199
- Ultimate (Upgrade) - $219
- Home Premium (Full) - $199
- Professional (Full) - $299
- Ultimate (Full) - $319
That puts Home Premium at a lower price point than the Vista equivalent, which sells for $239, and both Ultimate and Professional on par with each one's Vista counterpart.
Getting back to the pre-release upgrade pricing, Microsoft will only be selling a limited number of copies, though that number is unknown. These will be available at Amazon, Best Buy, Microsoft's own store, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Costco, Staples, Wal-Mart, and a bunch of other retailers, CNet reports.
Hit the jump and tell us what you think about Windows 7's price points.
NewsMicrosoft Enthusiast Runs Windows 7 on a Pentium II System
Posted 06/23/09 at 07:01:58 PM by Pulkit Chandna
Microsoft must surely be hoping to raise the bar higher with its Windows 7 OS. However, a hacker is more interested in figuring out the lowest depths Windows 7 can plunge to. Whatever you believe you know about the bare minimum specs required to run Windows 7 may actually be exaggerated, greatly exaggerated. A hacker on the Windows Club’s forum, who is only known by his cyber pseudonym hackerman1, has done the unthinkable by successfully installing and running Windows 7 on a Pentium II system. The rig boasts a primeval 266 MHz Pentium II processor, 96 MB of SDRAM memory and a 4 MB graphics card. Hackerman1 now wants to repeat the feat using a 166 MHz Pentium I processor and 1 MB video card.
NewsWindows 7 Feature Focus: Windows Media Center
Posted 06/22/09 at 11:00:00 AM by Mark Edward Soper
In Windows 7, Windows Media Center is a more useful tool than ever before for working with audio and visual media. While at first glance, Windows 7's version of WMC doesn't look a whole lot different than its predecessor, it includes many improvements. In this article, we'll focus on improvements in WMC's TV setup process, support for digital broadcast TV, the program guide, Internet TV, WMC access from the desktop, RAW file support for photos, picture and music playback and sports.
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