News - Microsoft Windows 7: what we know so far

[HEXUS]

Paul Thurrot, self-proclaimed Windows enthusiast, provides an ample dose of pre-PDC details on Microsoft's Windows 7.

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[teh_masterer]

I think MS should offer windows 7 for free to vista users as a down loadable image file that can be activated using their vista CD key. It is pretty much just a tweaked version of vista and people shouldn't have to pay for it after purchasing vista. I know it's unrealistic, knowing MS, but it's what should happen.

[Brewster0101]

I think MS should offer windows 7 for free to vista users as a down loadable image file that can be activated using their vista CD key. It is pretty much just a tweaked version of vista and people shouldn't have to pay for it after purchasing vista. I know it's unrealistic, knowing MS, but it's what should happen.

I doubt there will be even any cheaper upgrade price for people who did pay for vista. It wouldn't surprise me if it was more expensive than vista too.

[mercyground]

Oh... There will be a downloadable version...


... but on a subscription based model...

They have been pushing for "Rent an OS" for ages.

I really wouldnt be surprised if they did it with 7.

[TheAnimus]

I think MS should offer windows 7 for free to vista users as a down loadable image file that can be activated using their vista CD key. It is pretty much just a tweaked version of vista and people shouldn't have to pay for it after purchasing vista. I know it's unrealistic, knowing MS, but it's what should happen.

haha.

Really, why on earth would they do that? People have bought vista, expecting Vista. Whats frankly amazing is the idea that it will ship before 2010, thats given Vista a fairly short time out there, but compare it to the competition such as OS X, and its a bargain.

The compliant will be that it is little more than a service pack, compared to what we saw dished out in XP service pack 2. It does seam like MS have sunk into apple's model, which is a real shame because in companies its somehow easyer to get a service pack rolled out, rather than a new OS.

[gss03]

MS really are beginning the push with "Cloud" computing - hosted exchange, groove, sharepoint and the likes.....so making Windows 7 a SaaS (Software as a service) product really is the next logical step.

[DeludedGuy]

I'm currently an Xp user who was thinking of getting Vista, but reading all this about Windows 7 will only make me wait even longer.

[finlay666]

I think MS should offer windows 7 for free to vista users as a down loadable image file that can be activated using their vista CD key. It is pretty much just a tweaked version of vista and people shouldn't have to pay for it after purchasing vista. I know it's unrealistic, knowing MS, but it's what should happen.

No it isn't 'knowing MS', you are obviously oblivious to their policies with charities and students etc

Changing the kernel on an existing OS will basically fubar your pc if you don't know what you are doing, and possibly render some programs useless if you do.

Animus....it's MS going back to the 3 year OS system they had before, TBH XP has outlived it's welcome

mercyground....it's called MSDN currently

[this_is_gav]

Also consider that while the price of pretty much everything has soared, I don't think Windows has, in general - certainly not to the extent that most products have. It's not like hardware, where as technology evolves, smaller processes mean more efficiency, so prices tend to level over time - I'm sure that has some effect on the overall price, but it's still quite a small increase over the past decade.

Plus, just like Vista, you don't have to buy a Windows 7 license. Vista's perfectly good, and won't stop you doing what you could do on Windows 7. Just upgrade when necessary. Perhaps even miss 7 out altogether. Unless of course, you just want the latest, for free, and feel inadequate if you don't have it. There's a small irony in there.

[Hawker1986]

Hi all,

I suspect they will do an upgrade version, just as they did for vista from XP, though it was never a much better option than just getting an OEM copy IMO. I will gladly upgrade to windows 7 if theyve done something about the horrific boot times we have with vista. I know I could go back to XP if I wanted it to be faster, but I still think they could optimize the boot process more than they have done.

Hawker

[Grey M@a]

To be honest, now I have vista, with windows 7 I can't really see why I need to upgrade to it. Its more of a patch for vista with built in apps stripped out so there is no way I am going to fork out again for another new OS that doesn't bring anything new to the table.

[Dipar]

Why are they even releasing new OS's so fast? I've hardly had Vista for even that long.

[Funkstar]

Why are they even releasing new OS's so fast? I've hardly had Vista for even that long.

Animus....it's MS going back to the 3 year OS system they had before, TBH XP has outlived it's welcome

Already discussed

[j.o.s.h.1408]

i have not even installed vista yet at home

[Lee H]

new "Sensors" feature. Systems installed with a location sensor can tell where a PC is situated, and applications can respond accordingly.

Cool does this mean things like USB based GPS devices can be used to keep an eye on a systems location and if it is stolen it will be able to tell you where it is. That is of course if the usb GPS is still plugged in.

[Tidus]

Windows 7 will just be a tweaked version of Vista thats subscription based, due to how quickly it was announced it makes Vista sound like a beta for W7, I'm just waiting for some free time so I can get to grips with Linux and say goodbye to Windows altogether.