Windows 7

Ok, there have been a few interesting developments on Windows 7 since I last blogged about it.

For starters, the starter edition will no longer have the 3 app rule. For those who don’t know, the 3 app rule was that you could not run more than 3 apps at once (not including A/V software). Their reasons were that the netbooks couldn’t handle it, and that most people won’t use more than 3 apps. So, it is interesting that they have stopped this, as they seemed to be taking more and more control over netbooks as time went on.

I wonder what made them change their mind. Was it the bad press? Was it the hundreds of people being unhappy bout it? I guess we will never know…

Second of all, windows 7 seems to be running at a base install (no AV software) at about 400mb on a 32-bit computer. That is interesting. It seems to be a lot better than Vista, but still quite heavy. 400 as apposed to about 150 for a base ubuntu install running compiz. But ach well, it is a step in the right direction.

Third, it seems Windows 7 will only be released as a full install in Europe. They will have an upgrade option, but it will just be the full install disk. I wonder what the point is…? But also, it will be much more expensive than in America. Up to double depending on the actual version that you choose.

So, good and bad things going for Microsoft and Windows 7 just now. I would like to point out that the RC seems to run slower than the beta.

Microsoft decides what is best for you.

Ok, so I was doing a wee bit of research on Windows 7 (previously codenamed Vienna), the new version of Windows that is meant to come out in first quarter of 2010. (So…2013 then…). And I found a lot of interesting things about it. First of all, they will be introducing some more 3D stuff, which is annoying because soon I won’t be the only person in my uni lectures editing a word processor, then spinning round a sphere to my calculator, back again, then closing it all down in a big ball of fire.

But more importantly, I have once again heard something from Steven Sinofsky of Microsoft.

This is going to be the new taskbar for Windows (hmmm reminds me of a certain KDE kicker) which is radically different from even the one in Vista, never mind the old XP and 2000/98/95 style taskbar. Now, whether or not you think this is good is irrelevant because

“there will be no ability to enable the old taskbar since, in Microsoft’s opinion, the new taskbar’s leap in usability negates the need for a “less-able” option.”

What can I say? I am sorry for doubting you oh master of computers…what you say is correct…I will obey. I cannot be right about my personal opinions on what a taskbar should be like.

Goodness me, who are they and what gives them the right to tell me what my computer should be like? This is one huge reason why I turned away from windows in the first place. They say…it happens.

Another couple of interesting things about Windows 7 is that you can very quickly resize a window to half-maximised (ok, sounds fantastic…I will use that very often) and a number of programs (such as notepad) will incorporate the ribbon-style menu that Microsoft Office has been infected with.

Also, on a sidenote, Microsoft haven’t given up on their stupid I’m a PC ads yet. Look at what they have outside an Apple store. I’m not sure where exactly, but somewhere in America I believe. (Where else…)