Microsoft Releases Windows 7 with Promises of More Speed & Improvements
Three days ago, Microsoft announced the release Windows 7 with promises of more speed and improvements over its predecessor Windows Vista which failed to get the wide acceptance and approvals of millions of users all over the world.
Windows 7 Improvements over Windows Vista & XP:
Open the programs and files you use most in just a click or two using Pin and Jump Lists features.
Navigate lots of open windows more quickly using Snap, Aero Peek, & Aero Shake feastures.
Easily share files, photos, and music among multiple PCs at home and print to a single printer from any PC in the house using HomeGroup feature.
Ability to organize lots of files, documents, and photos effortlessly using Libraries feature.
Ability to connect to any available wireless network in just three clicks.
Ability to run many Windows XP productivity programs using Windows XP Mode.
Faster sleep and resume.
Improved power management for longer battery life.
Touch and tap on screen instead of point and click using Windows Touch feature.
Editions & Prices:
Windows 7 Home Premium: $119.99 for Upgrade and $199.99 for Full version.
Windows 7 Professional: $199.99 for Upgrade and $299.99 for Full version.
Windows 7 Ultimate: $219.99 for Upgrade and $319.99 for Full version.
Today Microsoft has reached a significant milestone with the Release Candidate (RC) of the highly anticipated Windows 7 operating system, available starting from today May 5 on the Microsoft Windows 7 site. The RC milestone is a result of feedback from millions of customers and partners around the world. It indicates the operating system is entering the final phases of development and almost ready to be commercially available to public.
With the RC, Microsoft is also providing guidance on the minimum system requirements for Windows 7, showing that Windows 7 will work on a broader array of hardware than any other release of Windows at launch:
1GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor.
1 GB of RAM (32-bit)/2 GB of RAM (64-bit) .
16 GB of available disk space (32-bit)/20 GB (64-bit) .
DirectX 9 graphics device with Windows Display Driver Model 1.0 or higher driver.
I'm going to download it today and test drive it! I hope it is better than Windows Vista.
Microsoft Releases Windows 7 Test Copies For Developers & Images To Public
Yesterday, Microsoft gave out test copies to developers of the latest version of its next Windows operating system, Windows 7. Windows 7, successor to Windows Vista, is slated to ship in early 2010 (although rumor has it that Microsoft hopes to get it out even earlier. But aside from saying it will refine Vista's kernel, Microsoft hadn't released many details about the new OS--until now. Pre-beta code distributed at the Microsoft Professional Developers' Conference 2008 suggests that Microsoft is serious about creating a less in-your-face OS.
The following are some screenshots of Windows 7 released at PDC 2008:
More gallery pictures of Windows 7 released during PDC 2008 can be viewed here and here.
A beta release is planned for early 2009. As of January 2008, the release date of a release candidate is "to be determined." Different Microsoft representatives have confirmed the second half of 2009 and around January 2010, and InternetNews.com suggests that June 3, 2009 is the release date internally planned at Microsoft.
Microsoft has dropped two strong hints in the past two days that the next version of its Windows operating system will arrive in 2009, shaving up to a year off previous expectations. It could also be a signal that Microsoft intends to cut its losses with Windows Vista, which has been poorly received or shunned by customers, especially large companies.
Microsoft has long said it wants to release Windows 7 (formerly known as Windows Vienna) about three years after Vista, which was released to manufacturing in November 2006 but not officially launched until January 2007. Given Microsoft's recent track record - Vista arrived more than five years after XP -- most outsiders had pegged sometime in 2010 as a safe bet for Windows 7's arrival.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates answered a question at a business meeting in Miami about Windows Vista by saying "Sometime in the next year or so we will have a new version."
And during its announcement yesterday that it would extend the availability of Windows XP Home for low-cost laptops, Microsoft said it would retire the operating system only after June 30, 2010, or one year after the release of Windows 7, whichever comes later.
Windows Vienna: Vista's Successor Is Around the Corner
Although most of us have not put their arms around the new Windows Vista, Microsoft is already warming up for the next operating system Windows Vienna.
That would be a much faster turn-around than Vista, which shipped more than five years after Windows XP, but Vista was exceptional, said Ben Fathi, corporate vice president of development with Microsoft's Windows Core Operating System Division this week at the RSA Conference in San Francisco.
"We put Longhorn on the back burner for awhile," Fathi said. "Then when we came back to it, we realized that there were incremental things that we wanted to do, and significant improvements that we wanted to make in Vista that we couldn't deliver in one release."
Vista shipped about two-and-a-half years after XP SP 2, and Vista's follow-up is expected to take about the same amount of time, according to Fathi. "You can think roughly two, two-and-a-half years is a reasonable time frame that our partners can depend on and can work with," he said. "That's a good timeframe for refresh."
That time line would put Microsoft's next client operating system out by the end of 2009.
Microsoft Releases Windows Vista & Office 2007 Today
Microsoft has released Windows Vista and the 2007 Office System for consumers. The two flagship products, which were released to business customers on November 30, 2006, will be available for consumers starting January 30, 2007, in more than 70 countries, in 19 languages (with 99 languages anticipated by the end of the year), and at more than 39,000 retail stores and online.
Microsoft recommends machines have at least 512Mb of RAM, a 800Mhz processor and 15Gb of hard disk space. Microsoft has pledged to continue support for XP users until 2011.
The consumer launch of Windows Vista is also expected to unleash a flood of new next-generation hardware, software and entertainment devices and services. Currently, more than 1.5 million devices and peripherals are on the market that work with Windows Vista, including more than 2,500 that are Certified for Windows Vista. In addition, thousands of PC manufacturers and system builders around the globe will deliver the Windows Vista operating system and Microsoft Office 2007 on new PCs.
In the US prices start from $100 for an upgrade of Vista Home basic to $249 for the equivalent Ultimate version.
Windows Vista & Microsoft Office 2007 New Packaging Revealed
Microsoft revealed yesterday the retail packaging for Windows Vista and Office 2007, the eagerly awaited new products to be made widely available in early 2007.
"With Windows Vista and 2007 Office system, we didn't just redesign the software packages themselves, but are also introducing new packaging for the two products. The packaging has been completely revised and, we hope, foreshadows the great experience that awaits you once you open it." said Nick White in Windows Vista Blog.
"Designed to be user-friendly, the new packaging is a small, hard, plastic container that’s designed to protect the software inside for life-long use. It provides a convenient and attractive place for you to permanently store both discs and documentation. The new design will provide the strength, dimensional stability and impact resistance required when packaging software today. Our plan is to extend this packaging style to other Microsoft products after the launch of Windows Vista and 2007 Office system."
"RC2 reflects that feedback and includes important improvements in performance, application compatibility, and fit and finish work," said a statement released by Microsoft on Friday afternoon. A Microsoft representative was not available for comment to discuss the specific changes.
Microsoft expects that RC2 will be the final release before Vista hits market, which is still scheduled for January 2007. The statement also assures that RC1 will continue to be supported until the launch of Vista because it "remains a viable build for logo certification."
Windows Vista RC1 Available For Free On DVD & Online
(Link)
Want to try out the first Windows Vista release candidate for free? Microsoft yesterday made the late beta version of its next-generation OS, which was completed earlier this month, available to people who don't already have access to it (for example, members of the Microsoft Developers Network, TechNet, or the Customer Preview Program (CPP) that made Beta 2 of the OS available to more than a million people).
Just head to Microsoft's Windows Vista web site, click on "Get Windows Vista RC1" and you can sign up for the CPP (which stopped accepting new participants subsequent to the Beta 2 release but is now taking them again). Note that you'll have to register with Windows Live (which requires providing an e-mail address--I use my old HotMail address).
You can get RC1 either as a download (3GB for the 32-bit version, 4GB for the 64-bit version) or on DVD. If you choose to get a DVD, you'll have to pay Microsoft for shipping and handling, but the fees aren't too bad: $3.00 for the U.S. or $12.16 for the UAE.
Before you accept Microsoft's offer, I'd recommend reading over the caveats on the download site very carefully. Among other things, Microsoft points out that RC1 will expire on June 1 of next year, at which time you'll either have to buy and install the shipping version of Vista or reinstall an older version of Windows. In other words (and Microsoft has this part in bold face), "you cannot roll back to the previous operating system installation." Also take note of what you will have to pay to upgrade to a shipping version.
Windows Vista won't be released until earlier next year at the best, but at least Windows Vista soft drink is currently Microsoft campus' refrigerators.
Special-edition cans of Talking Rain Lemon-Lime sparkling water, sporting the logo for the upcoming operating system, have been stocked among the other free sodas available to the company's employees. It's a promotion for the preliminary version of the program, pointing employees to an internal Windows Vista site.
So now at least we know that Microsoft is serious about the release of Windows Vista.
Change Your Windows Password Even If You've Lost It
I found this tip very useful and I thought I would share it with you guys. This is a very simple command you can use to change your Windows login password ... it doesn't matter if you remember the old password or not! All you have to do is go to the command prompt and enter:
> net user "fahad al mahmood" ilovemyself
where "fahad al mahmood" is the user name and "ilovemyself" is the password. And if you don't want anyone next to you to see your new password then type instead:
> net user "fahad al mahmood" * Type a password for the user: Confirm the password:
Of course you need to have admin access to perform this change from the command line.
I don't know why Mark Shuttleworth (Founder & Leader of Ubuntu) does not want Ubuntu to be a part of this summit.
According to Kiven Carmony (Presiden & CEO of Linspire, Inc.), "Every time I've ever spoken with Mark about DLS to ask him if Ubuntu would come to the show and participate, he says the same thing -- Ubuntu is hesitant to come to "The Linspire show.""
I strognly think that Ubunto should participate in this summit. Ubunto have nothing to fear, what do you think?
"Ubuntu" is an ancient African word, meaning "humanity to others". Ubuntu also means "I am what I am because of who we all are". Ubuntu is a complete Linux-based operating system, freely available with both community and professional support. It is developed by a large community.
Ubuntu is suitable for both desktop and server use. The current Ubuntu release supports PC (Intel x86), 64-bit PC (AMD64) and PowerPC (Apple iBook and Powerbook, G4 and G5) architectures.
Ubuntu includes more than 16,000 pieces of software, but the core desktop installation fits on a single CD. Ubuntu covers every standard desktop application from word processing and spreadsheet applications to internet access applications, web server software, email software, programming languages and tools and of course several games.
You can download Ubunto Live to try the OS, or download the full CD from their site, or order the CD to be shipped to your address all for free!
I have tried Ubuntu Live through booting from TheOpenCD. I liked the OS and I encourage you to give it a test drive. Like I said, it is free and you have nothing to loose.
TheOpenCD.org 3.1: Collection Of High Quality Free & Open Source Software
(Link)
TheOpenCD is a collection of high quality Free and Open Source Software. The programs run in Windows and cover the most common tasks such as word processing, presentations, e-mail, web browsing, web design, and image manipulation. TheOpenCD includes only the highest quality programs, which have been carefully tested for stability and which considered appropriate for a wide audience.
TheOpenCD project aims to introduce users of MS-Windows to the benefits of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).
TheOpenCD provides a description and screen-shots of each program, so you can get an idea of what it does before installing. All these applications install and un-install cleanly, so you can be comfortable testing them with the knowledge that they will not adversely affect your system. The programs on the disc are all distributed under an Open Source License (OSI approved), which allows you to freely use and distribute them. You may even change the programs using the source code, which TheOpenCD makes available, and distribute your own modified versions, provided you then in turn make the source code available, and give appropriate credit to past contributors.
I have personally tried (Notepad2) and I loved this modified version of Mircosoft Notepad. Some other programs included are: Ubuntu OS, AbiWord, MoinMoin, OpenOffice.org, PDFCreator, Gimp, NVU, FireFox, Thunderbird and many others.
You can download TheOpenCD from their website for free or purchase the CD for a very low price.
I have reported early this month about the anticipation of Google PC. It seems like the rumers has some bases. Google has confirmed it is working on a desktop linux project called Goobuntu, but declined to supply further details, including what the project is for.
According to Philipp Lenssen from (Google Blogoscoped), "Google told me, we use Ubuntu internally but have no plans to distribute it outside of the company."
Go Linspire! Linspire Offers To License All Korean PCs For $5M & Micro Center Will Sell Desktops And Laptops Running Linspire!
(Link)
click above for larger image
Now I think this is an offer worth considering! After Microsoft threatening to stop selling Windows in South Korea, the President & CEO of Linspire has offered to the Koreans to license Linux and basic office productivity software for $5 million!
Linspire (Linux Operating System) had gained great reputation for security, stability, affordability and with an easy-to-use desktop environment.
In another example of the creeping acceptance of the Linux operating system, the Micro Center chain of computer stores said it will devote floor space and staff to Linspire open source software in its 19 computer superstores.
Micro Center said internal surveys revealed that more than 75 percent of its customers are interested in Linux-based operating systems as either a primary or alternative operating system.
Microsoft Vista May Come In Seven Versions!
(Link)
According to an inside source, Microsoft Windows Visa will be sold in seven different SKUs (Stock Keeping Unit):
Vista Starter Edition Vista Home Basic Edition Vista Home Premium Edition Vista Professional Edition Vista Small Business Edition Vista Enterprise Edition Vista Ultimate Edition
