Windows 7 not so desirable?
 

Some interesting comments at

Ten reasons Windows 7 could flop - at ZDNet.co.uk

Microsoft will ensure that Windows 7 gets traction through the normal method of ensuring that subtle incompatibilities at the network level incline the corporates to roll it out on user's desktops sooner rather than later.

It will soon be the de facto build supplied with all new PCs etc.

I have reviewed it on a laptop and the performance improvement is marked. It seems that MS have got this one right!

Time will tell I guess!

That is the biggest bit of pointless Microsoft bashing I've seen for a long while.

hardly...

i'm not going to be looking at windows 7 till at least the first SP has been released and stick with the O/S I have in use now, which are..

Server 2003
XP Pro on 1 laptops and 2 desktops
Vista Ultimate on 1 Laptop (and it sucks - bench test before network upgrade)

The vista machine is the most problematic with networking, to the point its practically a stand alone now.

10 Sep 2009 at 15:53

Microsoft has promised to patch a flaw in Windows Vista and 7 that could allow hackers to take complete control of the machine.

The company was alerted to the flaw after security researcher Laurent Gaffie produced exploit code which showed how Microsoft's SMB2 network file and print-sharing protocol could be hacked to allow attackers to hijack the machine.

The exploit was initially used to bring on the dreaded blue screen of death, however Microsoft later admitted that it could also be used to remotely execute malicious code on vulnerable machines

Agree GG, smacks of link-bait bashing.

I've been using Windows 7 on my main machine ever since the Release Candidate was available and so far it's been flawless.

I also have it running on my (low powered) laptop that struggled to run Vista adequately.

I have two copies of 7 pre-ordered.

Erm Bruce, there's a more serious flaw in Server 2003 IIS by the way ;-)

Also, Windows 7 is a VERY worthwhile upgrade to XP. I like it so much i've been using the beta since it was released. FWIW, I hated Vista.

Don't talk to me about windows. For what's it's worth quotes hisnamessake (if he actually existed as well as that muslim fellah). Lost 11,000 plus pics and word and spreadsheet thingie, all my vids, (oh yeah, Excel). And $125.00.

I've had every beta of 7 that I could lay hands on & now run two legitimate final release copies of ultimate & it's pretty much the best o/s I've used. I agree with GG, the piece is just another Ms hater venting spleen against the great Satan.:rolleyes:

I'm sure MB will put me right.

I have four machines networked. Two on Vista. I now have Vista on my main PC by choice. Apart from the confusion of files when view hidden files is selected I actually prefer Vista.

Well that should do it.

Windows 7 comes without a browser (I believe) so folks with a single computer are going to need help. It also comes without photo gallery or equivalent. After many hours of trying I could not get it to run my Epson printer in the duplex mode. It also looks a lot like Vista (for lovers of XP). In addition it would not recognise my old HP scanner.

No doubt I will go there in the end but it's not sliced bread - yet!

MC

No, MS have decided to include browsers on the disc, you get a choice of the mainstream browsers.

Ah, I'm glad to hear that. MS were previously publishing instructions on how to download IE8 prior to the installation of Windows 8.

MC I run an HP printer and obviously had to download an updated driver to get full functionality with Windows 7. Did you update the HP scanner driver from their website? If you are defaulting to the driver set that comes with Windows 7 your scanner may not work.

Have you updated your Epson driver/s? I note from reading some of the Windows 7 forums that a number of Epson printer issues have been noted.

What Epson printer are you using?

MB

Thanks for your interest. It's the C1100 with a duplex attachment. Although the driver on the disk works fine with Vista in would not allow me duplex on 7. I tried to find an updated driver from Epson without success. Windows 7 own driver would also not allow duplex.

In the end I had to use another computer as a printer server but that's a bit OTT. Replacing the scanner (which I did) was one thing but replacing the duplex colour laser was not on.

I took 7 off and am awaiting the outcome of the real article!

This is completely unacceptable and is the cause of much irritation to HP scanner users (see many entries on forums).

On the Epson C1100 front I have asked the question directly of our local (company) Epson support. I will revert with an answer, hopefully! :)

Thanks MB

Very good of you. I would give W7 another chance if this problem could be resolved.

You may find that a driver will magically become available on the 21st, ie the day before it's officially released.

Thread drift, I know, Michael, but aren't HP round the corner from you? Do you happen to know any of their Sales staff who can explain why they produce such cr@p software? Pity - I swear by my HP printer - except when the software fails me again.

It's a long-held trueism that HP's hardware is amongst the best in class....but unfortunately their accompanying software is amongst the *worst*. This is irrespective of product.

Specifically what are you looking for in a "photo gallery"? As I just use the file explorer with thumbnailing, and Windows Photo Viewer (which comes as standard with Windows 7) to view the full file.

Absolutely.

And they waste so much of their effort - I don't want them to spend their development time on 3D photo-realistic hourglasses, there's a perfectly good hourglass built into the operating system for free, they should be spending their time on making their drivers work properly.

None of which would matter ... except that their hardware is the best, so you have to keep buying it and putting up with their crap software.

Indeed so. I gave up on the HP scanner and the HP colour printer because the software was so awful. Gave 'em away. It took about two minutes from pressing the button to getting the scan - accompanied by all sorts of pictures of whirring cogs. The Agfa scanner just scans, with no faff. Sadly, Agfa got out of the scanner business, but my vintage one is still as good as anything I've seen.
It works flawlessly with Win 7, too.

The only niggle I have with Win 7 is that it doesn't work with my prehistoric SCSI card, so I can't use the SCSI CDRW or the older-still but even faster Agfa SCSI scanner.

good to hear that there is plenty of positive hard reports back on W7.

Through the problems i have had in the past I've just been lairy of adopting a new O/S at the outset..

FWIW i know server 2003's issues and it remains outside of direct connection to the WAN. i have a very specific network set up and the set up is very tight.

i also use some specialist software that vista doesn't like and am loathed to experiment with it on a new o/s.. likely i will upgrade the vista ultimate machine to W7 and bench test it before considering a change out. all the computers have been either built specifically for their purpose and my two laptops are non standard..

as for HP printers / scanners.. agree the hardware is spot on the software is a pain.. but thats another story...

will be very interested to keep seeing your feedback on w7 :ok:

BW see http://www.pprune.org/computer-inter...dows-7-rc.html which has been running here since April.

I have 2 machines running RTM versions of Windows 7 Pro. Both were clean installs and have worked just fine. I love how it goes off and finds the correct drivers for video cards and other peripherals. Lots of stuff works without needing to load any driver software at all.

Only failure is my ancient Palm which will only run on an old version of Palm desktop.

From another who loathes Vista.

Fwiw, I run an HP deskjet F4180 all in one number & Because of the just terrible software others have mentioned from HP, I just installed the driver & run the thing through windows fax & scan. It works fine from there.

Very important programs I have written or maintain are in dBase for DOS or Borland C (for DOS). They use DOS graphics.

While they work fine on XP machines, I gather they won't be successful on Win7. [Thanks to Keef for trying one of them.]

We are going through the exercise of choosing a new database.
I don't look forward to porting the C programs to a Windows version of C.

Any experience or thoughts??

seacue

You can use the "virtual XP" mode in W7: Windows Virtual PC: Get Started

Sounds like it is time to rewrite for the .Net environment using C# and MS SQL Server DB.

Exeprience, a pain the the derriere but surely something you will need to do!

I used love Borland C... :ok:

Agree with all the points mentioned in the article, nothing sounds like bashing to me, I've also had a hand full of BSOD as well to top it off. I'll probably upgrade after SP1 or SP2, but for now I've downgraded of RC1 back to XP. The no upgrade of XP is going to be a killer for the average user.

Whilst on the subject.......

Windows 7 holes plugged in record Patch Tuesday - ZDNet.co.uk

You could ask me for a quote :)

Windows 7? There are now 7 Windows? (Is that similar to the 7 scourges on mankind?) What does that all mean, I don't understand?

I use Linux. It's a real operating system.

<takes coat, hat, fake mustache and runs like he**)

Rgbrock1

Awk! :eek:

Sed like a true Linux man. Nothing UNIX in that.

Hat, coat etc.

Anything else would be CATastrophic Michael. MAN kind wouldn't have it any/other/way!!!!!!

Interesting thought, the postal strike is set to start the same day as the pre-ordered Windows 7 should arrive. Is this deliberate one asks oneself. :(

databases
 

Hi,

What's the purpose of your databases? and have you considered a web-based database instead?

:)

Mike.

Seacue, you could run your database in a DOS or XP virtual machine using VirtualBox.

Seacue
 

In my dim and distant past I was a FOXPRO programmer. Is the product still available - It might work in an XP Emulation.

CAT III

Thank you all for the comments on my request for suggestions regarding my dBase and Borland C programs.

The organization where I volunteer is investigating a commercial database system vendor whose system resides on FoxPro. FoxPro still exists, but Microsoft says they will stop supporting it in 2015. That is a too-short timeframe for our organization. The vendor says that they will rewrite for some other (unspecified) system.

The C programs are my own hobby products. Their ancestry reaches back about 15 years and nothing major has changed in over five years. I have an unknown number of users who have downloaded the programs for free. The LARGE data files are updated each month for free download. You'll note the repeated use of "free", so I'm unwilling to pay for a port.

It is my understanding that Keef used the "virtual XP" mode in Win7. My programs didn't work right with that.

I suspect that I'll have to find someone locally with a Win7 system who will let me experiment. I've had too many other things on my plate for the past months to spend any serious time on this project.

Thanks to you all.

seacue

Just a quick tuppenceworth - been running 7 and virtual xp for quite a few months on a dual boot disk - nothing untoward to report.."Rare" drivers are gradually being updated