Windows 7

Kevin Gonzalez79 said:So where can I actually go to buy Windows? Does any store even stock new versions of Windows these days, or is everything just running late like usual around here?

You can find it having in Links 😉 (in cities like New York or Chicago)

And who on earth is actually going to shell out that astronomical price tag!? 🤔

The primary issue is that this OS hasn't escaped the sins of its predecessors; you're still dealing with instability when running third-party software, and even its own native applications (take Media Player, for instance). As for the lack of support for various audio formats, let's not even go there. It forces you back into that endless, tedious cycle of hunting down codecs and plugins just to get something like FLAC to work. It is frankly unacceptable!

Furthermore, the way they completely ignore slightly older hardware—like DVB-T TV tuner cards for laptops—by failing to provide drivers is an astonishingly amateurish oversight.
While they've integrated most drivers directly into the OS, a huge chunk of users are left without any support at all. This is especially true with manufacturers who couldn't care less about a product that's even a year or two old because their only priority is pushing the latest model. It’s a cycle that repeats indefinitely....

Let's be honest: while Windows 7 is certainly more polished and significantly faster than Windows Vista, none of that justifies the cost. And then, of course, we have those infamous patches 🙄
Therefore, anyone foolish enough to buy an original copy should be prepared to immediately start patching the system the moment installation is complete. It's the exact same experience as someone using a free version!

It is all quite predictable and has been seen many times before... Boring and overpriced. After all these years, billions in lost revenue, and a very well-retired Bill, "free" is the only fair price for 7.👍

Noah Ruiz73 said:And who on earth is actually going to buy this at such an insane price point!? 🤔

Mainly because even this OS isn't immune to the old bugs, like how unstable it gets when you're running third-party software—or even its own stuff (like Media Player, for instance). And don't even get me started on the lack of support for all the different audio formats. You're basically forced to go down a rabbit hole hunting for codecs and plugins just to get things like FLAC working. It's honestly unacceptable!

Plus, the way they just ignore slightly older hardware (like those DVB-T TV tuner cards for laptops) because there aren't any drivers? That's just a shockingly amateur mistake.
They’ve baked most drivers right into the OS, but for a huge chunk of people, there's just zero support. Especially with manufacturers who couldn't care less about a product that's a year or two old since they're too busy pushing the latest model. It just goes on and on like that...

To be fair, Windows 7 looks great and runs way faster than Windows Vista, but that doesn't justify the price tag. And then you've got those famous patches 🙄
So, yeah, if you buy an original copy, you better be ready to dive straight into updates the second you finish installing. Pretty much the same deal as anyone grabbing a free version!

It's all the same old story... Boring and overpriced. After all these years, billions in revenue, and Bill being way too well-off in retirement—free is the only fair price for 7. 👍

The answer to your question is pretty simple—everyone who didn't want to deal with the headache of Windows Vista.

Regarding the codec situation, I don't see what's confusing here. Did you seriously expect Microsoft to provide support for every single third-party codec out there?! 🙄

So far, I haven't run into any hardware where I couldn't get a driver to work (I've got a roughly 3-year-old Dell laptop with a Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, and a 320GB SATA drive with an ATI Mobile 1400, and everything works perfectly; I have a much better setup at home and even that didn't have issues, not even with RAID 0)

I wouldn't say it's *just* polished up; Windows 7 actually added a ton of new functionality. A lot of what's there is stuff Linux users have already seen or used for ages.

And no, I'm not a fan of Microsoft's pricing, but we can probably all agree there's a free solution available through various Linux distros—Ubuntu is actually one of the coolest ones right now.

As for current prices here in the USA, we're looking at $139.99 for Windows 7 Pro 64-bit OEM, $99.99 for Home Premium, and $179.99 for the Ultimate version. (Newegg)

Ryan Alvarez2 said:The answer to your question is simple—everyone who didn't want to deal with the headaches of Windows Vista.

Regarding codecs, I am not entirely sure what part of this is confusing to you. Did you honestly expect Microsoft to provide official support for every single third-party codec out there? 🙄

As of now, I haven't encountered any hardware that I couldn't find a driver for (I have a roughly three-year-old Dell laptop with a Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 320GB SATA drive equipped with an ATI Mobile 1400 card, and everything works perfectly; my desktop at home is significantly more powerful and hasn't presented any issues either, even with RAID setup).

I wouldn't characterize it as merely "polished"; quite a few new functionalities were added to Windows 7. Much of this is stuff that Linux users have already seen or implemented.

Furthermore, no, I do not support Microsoft's pricing models, but we can probably agree that free solutions exist via various Linux packages; Ubuntu is currently one of the most compelling options.

Regarding current prices here in the USA, it is $139.99 for Windows 7 Pro 64-bit OEM, $99.99 for Home Premium, and $179.99 for the Ultimate version. (Newegg)

I think I'll just grab the 32-bit Home version today.$317 It should be sufficient for the software I plan to run over the next five years. There is no point in opting for the 64-bit version if I don't have a 64-bit processor, right?

For context, I am using a laptop with a Core 2 Duo T7500, 4 GB of RAM, a GeForce 8700M GT with 512 MB of VRAM, and a 160GB 7200 RPM hard drive.

Ryan Alvarez2 said:(Newegg)

😲😲😲
Wait, is this for real? 😕
Do they actually ship to the States? Like, seriously though.
I see all these promo codes floating around... so I'm wondering, do I need to sign up for an account to snag them, or is there some kind of membership fee involved or what?
Thanks for the help 🙂

One more thing... what's the deal with OEM?

Ryan Alvarez2 said:So far, I haven't run into any hardware that I couldn't find a driver for.[/URL]

My Terratec Cinergy 1400 DVB-T TV tuner is three years old and cost me $150, yet there isn't a single driver available. It won't work on Windows Vista, and I'm tired of streaming everything... 🙂

Is this for the Core 2 duo T7500 http://shopper.cnet.com/processors/i...03.html#info-5? Should I buy the 64-bit processor? I hadn't actually realized my CPU was 64-bit, but it appears that it

Ryan Alvarez2 said:The answer to your question is simple—everyone who didn't want to deal with the headache that was Windows Vista...
As for the codec situation, I don't see what part of this is confusing to you. Did you honestly expect Microsoft to provide official support for every single third-party codec out there?! 🙄

So far, I haven't encountered any piece of hardware where I couldn't get the drivers to work (I’ve got a roughly 3-year-old Dell laptop with a Core 2 duo T7500, 2GB of RAM, and a 320GB SATA drive, running an ATI Mobile 1400, and everything works perfectly; my desktop at home is even better and hasn't had a single issue, not even with RAID)...
And no, I don't support Microsoft's pricing, but surely we can agree that there's a free alternative available through various Linux packages—Ubuntu is quite compelling at the moment.

Regarding current prices here in the USA, we're looking at $139.99 for Windows 7 Pro 64 bit OEM, $99.99 for Home Premium and $179.99 for the Ultimate version.

I think we had a bit of a misunderstanding, pal! I wasn't asking you for anything, nor am I confused. I was simply stating my opinion on the forum. My apologies if you felt compelled to lecture me. 🙄

When I brought up drivers and hardware, I was specifically referring to an issue with external peripherals (specifically a digital TV tuner card via the PCMCIA slot)! So, it's perfectly understandable that you aren't experiencing the same problem.

The fact that Linux is free is a whole different conversation entirely.
My point was about something that remains outrageously overpriced while still being riddled with bugs and flaws. You cannot compare that to Linux. Not even close.

And now, we move on to a completely different topic: how a price in the USA can jump from $179.99 to something absolutely astronomical when it reaches other parts of the world$573!?!

That isn't even a question. It's just a sad statement of fact regarding the absurd world we live in!
.

Kevin Gonzalez79 said:I think I'm gonna grab the 32-bit Home version today. Maybe!$317 So, if I'm gonna be using this software for like five years, there's really no point in grabbing the 64-bit version if my processor isn't 64-bit, right? That's how it works, I guess?

So, I've got this laptop running a Core 2 duo T7500 with 4 GB of RAM, a GeForce 8700M GT with 512 MB of VRAM, and a 160GB hard drive spinning at 7200 RPM.

That's a 64-bit processor, so I guess it’s probably better to go with the 64-bit version, though you might run into some software issues. Maybe double-check if everything you use actually supports 64-bit first!

Justin Gray81 said:😲😲😲
Wait, is this actually for real? 😕
Do they ship to the USA? But seriously, though.
I see some promo codes floating around here... so I was wondering, do I need to log in to grab them, or is there like a membership fee or something? Maybe?
Thanks for the info! 🙂

One more thing... what exactly does OEM mean?

I sent you a PM. I'm not really sure how things work over in Europe, but I've bought from them here in the States before. There aren't any membership fees or anything; you just sign up as a customer, and then you just pay for whatever you order.

Justin Barrett said:I guess I've had this Terratec Cinergy 1400 TV tuner sitting around for about three years now—definitely paid a decent chunk for it back then! $150Man, there aren't any drivers available, and they won't work with Windows Vista, so I'm just streaming them... 🙂

That’s honestly all down to the company itself. I guess that’s one of the main reasons why I’d much rather pick up gear from big-name brands—they actually bother to support their own products properly!

Kevin Gonzalez79 said:Is this for the Core 2 duo T7500? http://shopper.cnet.com/processors/i...03.html#info-5 Should I grab a 64-bit CPU? I didn't realize mine was 64-bit, but looks like it is

Yeah, it's 64-bit.

Noah Ruiz73 said:I think we had a little misunderstanding there, buddy! It’s not like I was asking you for anything or that I’m confused. I was just sharing my take on the forum. Sorry if you felt like you needed to jump in and explain things to me 🙄

If that first sentence didn't sound like a question, then my bad.

Noah Ruiz73 said:When I brought up drivers and hardware, I was talking about the issue with external gear (specifically a digital TV tuner in a PCMCIA slot)! So, yeah, it totally makes sense that you aren't running into that same issue.

The fact that Linux is free is really a whole different story.
My point was about stuff being outrageously overpriced while still being full of bugs and glitches. You can't even compare that to Linux. Not even close.

And then there's the whole other thing—how a price in the USA can jump from $179.99 to some insane amount once it hits the local market $573!?!

But that’s not even the question. Just a sad reality of the crazy world we live in!
.

Honestly, I agree they went way overboard with OS pricing. Realistically, it should be closer to $50, but hey, neither of us gets to decide that. Most people around here just buy a whole new computer when they want an upgrade anyway. Laptops go for about $400 here, and then the price climbs depending on what specs you want.

I haven't actually seen anyone clearing out Microsoft products off the shelves. (Actually, the shelves always seem pretty much the same 🙂)

Windows 7 Pro, Enterprise, and Ultimate for computers with hardware virtualization include XP mode (a virtual XP machine).

You can download the file for free and the install takes maybe 10 minutes or so (just one reboot)

Give it a shot and see if your card works in XP mode.

I tried this last night, which is what I was talking about earlier.

Angela Perez69 said:Can anyone tell me how an upgrade from Vista went without doing a 'clean' install of Windows 7?

I can help with that...

Here’s my setup: I was running Windows Vista Ultimate—it was rock solid, an OEM build, worked like a charm. I had everything from Photoshop, ConvertXtoDVD, and Ashampoo Burning studio 9 to Avira, a-squared free, Microsoft Office 2007, and Virtual PC 2007 installed. That should cover just about everything you're wondering about... Just pop in your Windows 7 Ultimate DVD (make sure the editions match, like Vista Pro - 7 Pro or Ultimate-Ultimate) and start the installer. It’ll actually give you a heads-up about which software might struggle on 7 and suggest you uninstall them first. After that, just select UPGRADE and you're set. It takes a bit longer than a clean install, but you get to keep all your documents right where they were, along with all your network settings, wired or wireless. Almost all my programs worked immediately, except for Avira and Virtual PC, which needed a quick reinstall. Just a heads-up: I ended up grabbing a new version of Virtual PC, specifically one with the XP mod, though I eventually ditched the XP mod because I couldn't be bothered to reconfigure everything. My old virtualan XP runs perfectly fine with all the old settings preserved (and yes, Virtual PC 2007 works on 7)... Overall, it was a smooth transition. That said, my Vista was running beautifully, so if yours is behaving, go ahead and upgrade. But if you're already fighting with Vista, those headaches might just follow you over to 7... All I can say is BRAVO, Microsoft...

The week it finally hit shelves:

Microsoft’s newest OS, Windows 7, is absolutely crushing it and looks like it’s going to smash every sales record out there now that it’s officially launched.

Amazon actually reported that this is the "biggest grossing pre-order product of all time," which is wild considering it has already surpassed the likes of Harry Potter and Nintendo.

During the Windows 7 yesterday launch event, Jeremy Fennell, the Category Director at DSGi—the folks who run Best Buy—noted that "WE have sold more copies of Windows 7 in Three Weeks on pre-order Than Vista sold in its First year."

AT midnight , queues could be seen outside stores as computers users Got Ready to upgrade their PCs to get their hands on this thing immediately. This whole rollout is basically meant to kill off Vista, which most people in the tech world pretty much wrote off as a total disaster. On top of that, Microsoft have Said that The latest operating system will be faster and less cluttered Than previous versions of Windows.

As the massive software giant that basically runs over 90 percent of all PCs, Microsoft is getting some solid praise for this update, and they're clearly hoping it helps them claw back the momentum they lost to rivals like Apple and Google.

“It’s the first really significant release of Windows in a decade,” noted Brendan Barnicle of Pacific Crest Securities. “Given The missteps around Vista, people really questioned Microsoft’s relevancy in the technology space. So this is a critical first step for Microsoft regaining that credibility.”

If you're looking at the Home Premium version, it’ll run you about $80 through the end of the year before it jumps to $100. The full version is sitting at roughly $150.

Big retailers like Best Buy are apparently loading up on external USB DVD drives too, mostly because Windows 7 comes on a disc and most netbooks these days don't even come with a built-in drive.

Even though you can just download the whole thing directly, most people still seem to want that physical copy in their hands. Here in the USA, Windows 7 is even being sold on a USB stick specifically for netbook users, though Microsoft hasn't confirmed if that exact same option is coming everywhere else yet.

casualridge10 said:yeah, Virtual PC 2007 works fine on 7

From what I gather, it really just depends on whether your CPU supports virtualization.

I guess XP mod seems pretty alright to me. No messy installs required—if things go south, you just reinstall and you're good to go! It’s actually great for testing stuff (and running those old programs I don't want cluttering up my 7 setup, like Access 2003 which I still need).

Ryan Alvarez2 said:...
That is quite obviously down to the manufacturer. This is precisely why I prefer purchasing gear from established brands that actually bother to support their products properly.
...
If you didn't find my first sentence questionable, then my apologies.
...
I am in total agreement that they have gone overboard with the OS pricing; realistically, it should sit somewhere around $50, but clearly, neither you nor I get a vote in that matter. Regardless, most people around here simply buy a brand-new computer when they want to perform an upgrade anyway. You can pick up a laptop for about $400 these days, and then the price climbs depending on what specs you demand.

I haven't seen anyone clearing Microsoft products off the shelves yet. (Actually, if anything, the shelves stay just as full as ever 🙂)

Windows 7 Pro, Enterprise, and Ultimate offer XP mode for computers equipped with hardware virtualization. (essentially a virtual XP machine)

You can download the file for free, and the installation takes roughly 10 minutes (after one reboot).

Give it a shot and see if your card functions within XP mode.

I tested this last night, which I believe I mentioned previously.

All five. 😉

For what it's worth, that virtualization feature never really clicked for me back on Windows Vista, though I suppose I could give it another go.
Ultimately, I think I will just opt for a newer USB TV tuner. It's the path of least resistance and might offer better image quality since it's already a given—besides, the OS is free (for now).😍

And yes, back to that price again... sure, $100-$150 would be acceptable, but how can I justify letting distributors worldwide gouge customers with double the price? It is impossible to believe that the entire markup goes to the local dealer; it leaves me suspecting that Microsoft is somehow skimming extra revenue this way to offset their low margins back home.
It reminds me irresistibly of how major telecom companies and banks operate in the US compared to other regions—charging much higher rates to citizens here than they do in their home countries.
Perhaps it is just the old adage: "Small market, big scams." But that is a conversation for another time.

B.T.W., you cannot exactly call W. Terratec an unknown entity. I own their 5.1 speaker set, for instance, and I consider them to be one of the more high-quality firms on the market.

Ryan Alvarez2 said:From what I understand, that'll only work if your processor supports virtualization.

Right, right, you already posted the link to this thread on the previous page, so I just assumed it was standard practice...

casualridge10 said:I can help with that...

Alright, look, I was running Windows Vista Ultimate. It was rock solid, worked like a charm, an OEM build, really smooth stuff. I had everything on there—Photoshop, ConvertXtoDVD, Ashampoo Burning Studio 9, Avira, a-squared free, Microsoft Office 2007, Virtual PC 2007, you name it. I think I just covered basically everything you're worried about...
Grab a Windows 7 Ultimate DVD (you have to match the tier—so if you have Vista Pro, go with Windows 7 Pro; if you have Ultimate, go with Windows 7 Ultimate) and start the installation. The installer will actually warn you which software won't play nice with Windows 7 and suggest you uninstall them first. Once that's done, just select UPGRADE and you're golden. It takes a bit longer than a clean install, sure, but you keep all your documents exactly where they were, plus all your network settings, wired or wireless. Almost every single one of my programs worked immediately, except for Avira and Virtual PC, which I had to fix after the move. Just a heads up: I ended up downloading a new version of Virtual PC, specifically the one with XP mode, though I actually skipped the XP mode part because I was too lazy to reconfigure everything from scratch. My old virtual XP runs perfectly fine with all its old settings (and yes, Virtual PC 2007 works on Windows 7 without issues)...
Bottom line? It was a smooth upgrade. But honestly, my Vista was running beautifully, so if you're happy with Vista, just upgrade. If Vista is already giving you headaches, those problems are just going to follow you over to Windows 7... all I can say is BRAVO, Microsoft...

Thanks! I don't have any issues with Vista. I am curious though—is Windows 7 actually faster than Vista, or is that just talk?

I've been reading through some previous posts comparing mouse prices in the USA versus the EU... so here’s a little more data regarding the price gap between Germany and the US...
Windows 7 Home Premium 32/or/64 OEM EN......US = $320....Germany = 79.95 euros or $191 (exchange rate 1 euro = $2.50) or $129 cheaper, which is about 40.2%,
Windows 7 Professional 32/or/64 OEM EN.........US = $426....Germany = 119.95 euros or $287 (exchange rate 1 euro = $2.50) or $140 cheaper, roughly 32.8%.
Think about it...

Kevin Gonzalez79 said:I think I'll just grab the 32-bit Home version today.$317 It should be fine for the software I plan on using over the next 5 years. There's no point in going with 64-bit if my processor isn't 64-bit, right?

Otherwise, I've got a laptop with a Core 2 Duo T7500, 4 GB of RAM, a GeForce 8700M GT with 512 MB of VRAM, and a 160GB hard drive running at 7200 RPM.

The Core 2 Duo IS a 64-bit processor (link).

Justin Barrett said:My Terratec Cinergy 1400 DVB-T TV tuner is three years old and cost me $150. There are zero drivers available; it won't work on Windows Vista, so I'm just wasting my time searching for them... 🙂

John, you should really read through this entire thread on this forum. A few people actually managed to get that TV tuner running under Windows 7 😉; let me know if you pull it off too

Hey, the link for the Windows 7 full suite finally arrived. Now I'm just waiting on the original license to show up, and then I can get to work without any worries.🙂

Are there any real differences in the Ultimate version offers in America versus elsewhere? I'm looking for the true, original English version and I'm thinking about just buying it directly from the Microsoft website; even with shipping, it would probably end up being cheaper 😬