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Hardware 2.0

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
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In-depth look at Windows 7

By | November 6, 2008, 10:39am PST

Summary: Given that I knew most of you would be virtually blasted out of your chairs by a “shock and awe” of Windows 7 reviews once the news embargo on the OS was lifted (combined with the fact that I only got my hands on a copy of Build 6801 a couple of days later), I decided to take my time to get to knows the OS before I shared with you my thoughts and feelings about Microsoft’s latest OS.

Given that I knew most of you would be virtually blasted out of your chairs by a “shock and awe” of Windows 7 reviews once the news embargo on the OS was lifted (combined with the fact that I only got my hands on a copy of Build 6801 a couple of days later), I decided to take my time to get to knows the OS before I shared with you my thoughts and feelings about Microsoft’s latest OS.

Check out the Windows 7 install/UI gallery here!
Windows 7 image gallery

Previous gallery here

UPDATE: Also check out Windows 7’s troubleshooting tools post!

Installation

Installing Windows 7 is quick … very quick! I managed to get Windows 7 installed and ready to go in under 15 minutes on one system - a time that makes Vista seem like a lumbering dinosaur.

 

 

Beyond the speed boost, the setup process for Windows 7 Build 6801 is pretty much the same as for Vista in that you interact with it at the beginning and the end of the process, but for the most part it gets on with the install by itself.

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Topics

Microsoft Windows 7, Operating System, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Microsoft Windows Vista, Ribbon UI

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

Disclosure

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

All opinions expressed on Hardware 2.0 are those of Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. Every effort is made to ensure that the information posted is accurate. If you have any comments, queries or corrections, please contact Adrian via the email link here. Any possible conflicts of interest will be posted below. [Updated: February 23, 2010] - Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other actual/potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted so far on this blog.

Biography

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera.

Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs. His most recent books include "Build the Ultimate Custom PC", "Beginning Programming" and "The PC Doctor's Fix It Yourself Guide". He has also written training manuals that have been used by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Adrian also runs a popular blog under the name The PC Doctor, where he covers a range of computer-related topics -- from security to repairing and upgrading.

Talkback Most Recent of 182 Talkback(s)

  • How much ?
    That will be the question with W7, especially for home users. If M$ think that they can stiff me for 4 x licences (4 PCs at home) then they need to go away and have a serious rethink on pricing. Say $129 for up to 5 PCs at home then that is not unreasonable, otherwise they are seriously taking the piss out of this customer and it will be opensuse or ubuntu all the way. I'm not having my pockets raped so some overweight CEO can have a yacht the size of the Titanic !
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Alan Smithie
    6th Nov 2008

  • ZDNet Blogger

    Good point ...
    ... Apple make it cheap for home users, Microsoft needs to gdo the same.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
    6th Nov 2008
  • No argument from me on this thought. NT
    NT
    ZDNet Gravatar
    CrashPad
    6th Nov 2008
  • ummm....
    is this a toung-n-cheek response?

    Apple is anything but cheap.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    mikefarinha
    6th Nov 2008
  • If you already have the HW...
    ...it's cheap(er) as you get 5 uses per license when you upgrade. I have no idea who has 5 Mac products though...must be rich Catholics...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    justthinking
    6th Nov 2008
    • Flagged
  • Although Apple charges for upgrades far more frequently
    it's cheap(er) as you get 5 uses per license when you upgrade

    Apple charges for each service pack, MS doesn't. To keep up with the latest security patches and OS improvements, you would have had to pay for 4 OS X upgrades in the same amount of time that Windows users paid for 1.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    NonZealot
    6th Nov 2008
  • MS does charge for SP's actually
    98SE, Millenium, XP, Vista, now 7.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    fr0thy2
    6th Nov 2008
  • Um, what?
    Windows 7 isn't a service pack. A service pack is a collection of updates. Windows 7 is an entirely new OS...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Cylon Centurion
    6th Nov 2008
  • Ha Ha. Not
    Loony talk.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Cayble
    6th Nov 2008
  • It would appear
    that you don't learn much living under a rock. So why not move on out from under it, get a life of some sort?

    Just throwing you an idea. We'll give you more from time to time as we should all help the disadvantaged. wink
    ZDNet Gravatar
    AllKnowingAllSeeing
    6th Nov 2008
  • Versions and SP....
    "98SE, Millenium, XP, Vista, now 7. "

    While I see your point in where your going with this... I feel inclinde to point out that SP's are upgrades to an existing version codebase.

    Win 3.1 - Win 3.11 would be the same codebase.
    Win NT is on a separete codebase.
    Win 95 stems from the Win 3.1 code, but is versioned as 4.0
    Win 98 could be called a major SP if you wanted to, but 98SE and XP share very little codebase as XP is built from the NT tree. it is also versioned as 5.1 making it more of a SP to 2000 which is 5.0

    Confused yet? It's not that hard really. 98SE and XP are both from different code and different major versions.

    Versions work like this:
    Major.Minor.Build
    Win 98 = 4.10.1998
    Win 98SE = 4.10.2222
    Win Vista = 6.0.6000
    Win Vista SP1 = 6.0.6001

    SP only increase the build number. If it changes the minor it is an R2. If it changes the major it is considered a new OS as enough has changed to make it different enough to be a new product.

    OSX.... 10.1.1 to 10.5.5 are all the same OS, just multiple SP and re-releases.

    The point that Apple does technically charge for its SP does stand. The confusion comes in how they label it. Mac doesn't use the term service pack. Instead it chooses to call it a build which is correct, however misleading to some users in making them believe it is more then it really is.

    Most users don't upgrade until they have passed a few builds anyway, but at least MS gives you the option to increase your build for free for the lifetime of the minor release.

    Win 95 was a major release as it increased from 3.1 to 4.0. Win 98 was a minor release because it was version 4.1. 2000 was major at 5.0 and XP minor at 5.1. Vista major at 6.0 and Win 7 minor at 6.1.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    ShadowGIATL
    6th Nov 2008
  • Clueless as usual...
    Once again, you're ignorance is showing... Buy a clue before you open your yap and insert your foot. Have something intelligent and maybe factual to contribute before you start babbling incoherently...

    98 (and SE), ME are part of the MS DOS flavored codebase. They can trace their origin back to Windows 3.0, 3.1x and 95. 2000, XP, Vista and 7 are based on NT. Different critter entirely.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Wolfie2K3
    7th Nov 2008
  • Not this again!
    An SP is whatever the company producing the software calls an SP. Everyone needs to stop applying their definition.

    Microsoft has clearly defined what an SP is: Software they release that is called a "Service Pack". There's no ambiguity about it.

    Apple has essentially done the same thing (except they don't specifically call them service packs). It is that software which increments the third digit of the version number. While not formally defined they have been very consistent with this method since the release of OS X.

    So please, let this argument die.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    ye
    7th Nov 2008
  • LOL - the lights on but nobody's home - nt
    nt
    ZDNet Gravatar
    USTechHead
    8th Nov 2008
  • Guys, guys...
    why do you waste your time arguing with him?

    He obviously knows it all.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    tikigawd
    7th Nov 2008
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