Windows7..What do you think?

[DrCheese]

I however disagree with the 64 bit only version release.

It's only Windows 2008 server R2 that is 64 bit only, Windows 7 itself is 32bit and 64bit.

I'm glad the client is 32bit still, as a few of my families PC's are still 32bit, but will run Windows 7 fine. Not to mention that a lot of netbooks still run 32bit CPU's. Of course tho, I fully expect the next version to be 64 only

[tmcd35]

if this enterprise virtualisation stuff gets off it could help. I think it running a stripped xp 32bit shell to run a old app would be good. Not looked at the beta yet though, not had time.

 

Aaahhh, the Apple solution Run your old OS as a VM and get it to launch automatically/transparently in the background when it's needed by a legacy app.

 

It's how they managed the switch from OS9 -> OS-X, and the switch from PPC -> Intel (Rosetta)

[SYNACK]

Aaahhh, the Apple solution Run your old OS as a VM and get it to launch automatically/transparently in the background when it's needed by a legacy app.

 

Um Microsoft were doing that with Windows NT long before Apple even brought out OS9. It was called WOW ( [ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_on_Windows]Windows on Windows - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] ) newer 64-bit Windows OSs also contain [ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOW64]WOW64[/ame] which allows them to run 32bit apps transparently. Myth busted

[synaesthesia]

Strictly speaking we should have been entirely 64bit certainly more than 5 years ago - heels have been dragged and tongues clucked for far too long. As convenient as it is for people with 32bit only hardware, I'm annoyed that W7 actually still has a 32bit option. I was annoyed that Vista did, and moreso that XP64 took so long, and even though it's here and "working" it's bloody awful in support times.

 

Too many people to blame for that - AMD, Intel, just about anyone too lazy to write the relevant software modifications. It's no better than the "Millennium Bug" in coding and development terms.

[m25man]

I love it, it runs so well on my Sammy NC10 everything works except my VPN clients... but even Sonicwall and Netgears are rushing a fix through asap for that.

I have got 2Gb of Ram in the Sammy but the Green Button functions of W7 Ultimate all seem to work brilliantly.

For the first time ever I haven't needed to install a load of codecs all my video files just work even the old ASF formats that I shot in NZ 4 years ago worked and I haven't been able to get both Sound and Vision from these in Vista at all!

Love it, Love it, Love it roll on RTM....

[jubbi]

I'm running it on a crappy, old inspiron 8600 with a 1.4Ghz single core 32-bit cpu and it runs great. The same machine was unable to run vista to a usable level. Programs are responsive and the new layout of the taskbar is great, although the docking apps idea i'm sure i've seen that somewhere else... A massive step in the right direction for m$.

[SYNACK]

This beta does seem to be doing a very good job at changing peoples perceptions of Microsofts OS. Gizmodo the 'slightly' Mac biased tech news site has even allowed this article on their site:

 

Giz Explains: Why the Windows 7 Taskbar Beats Mac OS X's Dock

[ranj]

I have been pretty impressed with it, on a VM machine it seems to be fairly stable as well and more responsive.

[DrCheese]

Anyone crazy enough to run it full time on a work machine yet?

I'm tempted to, but the fact that Sims doesn't work it on yet and of course the fact that it's beta shys me off it. Although I did start running the later Vista RC's when they was released.

 

I have it fulltime on my home system and it's kinda annoying going back to Vista without it's lovely window management features (dragging to the top etc)

[DrPerceptron]

Been running it since Wednesday, didn't like my USB phone, but neither did Vista, needed to rip the DLL from XP and replace it, no biggie though.

 

Awesome for copying files, IE8 doesn't crash like IE7 constantly did for me, Office 2007 works brilliantly, RSAT work well, haven't tried Server Manager (if it's even there...)

 

All in all, pretty good, hasn't crashed once.

[EduTech]

I've been running it on a full inst sinse the Pre-BETA Release... and then when the public BETA came out i installed it on my laptop aswell

[pscott]

Running it full time on iMac, not had any issues with it so far except for one, I can't browse a Mac server for some reason! if I put the share after the server, it goes to the share absolutely fine, but it won't list the shares! very strange

 

Other than that, very fast and responsive

[synaesthesia]

I've stuck it on an Acer Travelmate 290 (Pentium 1.5, 512Mb RAM) and it doesn't run too bad. No drivers for the Intel wireless or the 855 Video yet though.

 

I do have some concerns both from posters on this thread and in general about support for older equipment. Our machines are three years old but run perfectly fine for the software applications we use (mainly Office, Macromedia & Photoshop Elements).

 

We have major funding issues and there is no way the school would justify replacing computers just for a new OS. We don't all have massive budgets (some of us don't actually have any budget).

 

 

Well exactly - that falls nicely under the technical description of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" As long as there remains a decent amount of interoperability and backward compatibility we'll be all good.

[rad]

Downloaded it and installed it in past 24hrs. Thought it would be different menu etc but its not, just trying to iron out a few things atm.

[localzuk]

I've now got it set up as my windows admin station. So far, only our Microboards GX2 cd duplicator doesn't work, Wasp Asset management software can't interface with PDAs (active sync isn't used any more and wasp requires it), VNC enterprise manager requires itself to be run in vista compatibility mode (but runs 100% fine when it is), and the windows 2003 server r2 admin pack doesn't install.

 

My VOIP software (qutecom), ABTutor control, Office 2007, VMWare Infrastructure Client all work fine.

[ZeroHour]

Your not actually trying to manage your live network using Windows 7 are you?!?!

Thats very risky in beta 1 stage. Maybe a RC but its hard to tell all the changes and mmc things that break due to it.

[DrCheese]

windows 2003 server r2 admin pack doesn't install.

You need the 2008 RSAT kit, There's a thread about it in the windows 7 area.

[localzuk]

Your not actually trying to manage your live network using Windows 7 are you?!?!

Thats very risky in beta 1 stage. Maybe a RC but its hard to tell all the changes and mmc things that break due to it.

 

Only using the old tools... I'd not be trying the management tools that come with Windows 7 etc...

 

And then, the only management I actually regularly do is adding pupils. Everything else I do via TS.

 

And as said, as the MMC tools don't work at all, I will be doing it via TS.

 

Also, I doubt MS are going to be making a massive amount of changes betwen now and release - maybe one RC if we're lucky.

[Geoff]

Installed it here on my main work PC. Exluded it from all the GPOs of course.

[DrCheese]

I think I've fallen in love with Windows 7 over "bitlocker to go" alone.

 

For those unaware of what bitlocker is, it's basically a method to encrypt drives. It was in Vista, but it was limited to hard drives only. "Bitlocker to go" is an extension of this that allows it to be applied to USB devices.

 

Via group policy administrators can set it so that any new USB device connected is read only by default. They can not be written to without the user turning on bitlocker and setting a password. Once that's done they can use it like any normal device. Plugging the key into any PC post XP SP3 brings up a password entry form. No password, no joy.

 

I've only briefly played with it and I'm really impressed. Being able to encrypt staff data keys natively without spending a ton on some other software is really useful.

[actech]

Until they forget the password. Is there any way to set an administrator over-ride??

[matt40k]

~Goes to plug into linux~

 

I'm waiting for someone to hack it, note it's not hardware encryption. So your I\O performance will take a hit.

[DrCheese]

Until they forget the password. Is there any way to set an administrator over-ride??

Yeah, Domain Administrators get access to the password reset key by default.

 

~Goes to plug into linux~

Yeah, unlikely it works with linux. I'm not sure about Mac support either.

[actech]

Mmm, really got to pull finger out and have a look at win7 me thinks!

[Bluetooth]

I think I've fallen in love with Windows 7 over "bitlocker to go" alone.

 

For those unaware of what bitlocker is, it's basically a method to encrypt drives. It was in Vista, but it was limited to hard drives only. "Bitlocker to go" is an extension of this that allows it to be applied to USB devices.

 

Via group policy administrators can set it so that any new USB device connected is read only by default. They can not be written to without the user turning on bitlocker and setting a password. Once that's done they can use it like any normal device. Plugging the key into any PC post XP SP3 brings up a password entry form. No password, no joy.

 

I've only briefly played with it and I'm really impressed. Being able to encrypt staff data keys natively without spending a ton on some other software is really useful.

 

 

This is an interesting feature deffinitely, i currently use truecrypt to encrypt usb pens but if the staff member needs to use their pen drive in the ict suite or on the network at all they cant because of the limited privaliges they get and such cannot install the driver or mount the usb pen into windows.

 

This would cut out a lot of ballache if the encryption technology is good enough and secure enough for what we need.