Windows 7 BETA build 6801 is available from the "usual sources". Apparently it only lasts for 30 days but some folk have found an ingenious method of making it last 120 days.

Anyone trying it out? First reports are that it works better than Vista but still contains Beta bugs.

Better than Vista

Are you running it on your main system,Len? Or have you tested it on a laptop?

What sort of spec do you need to run it?

Was thinking of trying it in a VMWare Vista VM. Although it's such an early beta it hardly seems worth it.

There's a newer version coming out at the end of the month.

Better than Vista

Roy, anything is better than Vista......

Early betas are nothing like the released version though. When the first vista beta was released, it was basically XP with a few tweaks. The same will be true of windows 7, dont expect the final version to be anything like this release.

I thought I heard something like that windows had come to the end of the road?

I thought I heard something like that windows had come to the end of the road?

Which road? It'll remain the most used OS for years - decades even. I cannot conceive how it, or MS, will lose their dominant position.

I'm getting into this whole linux malarky, chiefly by mucking about with Ubuntu on my Eee. Just installed Intrepid on this 901, and it works a treat. But it's still a million miles from being a usable business OS.

Roy, anything is better than Vista......

whats your issue's with vista len?

Which road?

Was probably this.... BBC NEWS | Technology | The end of an era - Windows 3.x

Well yes, i'd have to agree, I think windows 3.1 is probably no more.

I can't remember where, but I did read a preview of it where they said that the first betas of Windows 7 were remarkably good, and they explained the whole design about the new platform, along the lines of "Vista was the first OS using the building blocks of the new OS platform. The problem was that due to time constraints, they had to concentrate on the back end with security, etc. Thus the actual user experience was pretty poor which is what most people complain about with Vista. The new Windows 7 takes the existing back end, but has vastly worked on improving the user experience, so much so that the first betas are very impressive". Or something along those lines

I have installed win7 - meh its just like Vista really.. itll take time to get used to the new taskbar no doubt.. but i dont notice it being much quicker than vista is.

I heard a rumour they might ditch the sidebar, which would be a shame as it's very useful.

Anyone confirm or deny this?

Vista is to Windows 7 what Millenium Edition was to XP...

A public beta that you either paid for or were forced to use.

I've seen some write-ups previewing Windows 7 and the brief demo of one of the early builds... I found it amusing and despairing in equal measure that both reviews made mention of changes and improvements to "core applications like MS Paint and calculator"

Yep, that'll sell it to me........

How about giving me an OS that:

a) works out of the box, everytime, all the time.

doesn't have complete hissy fit if I use some "unapproved hardware/driver" and will just calmly either find a way to make it work, or refuse to let it work completely - I'd rather have that than "plug and pray" every time.

c) doesn't try so hard to be visually lovely, but end up being bloatware, with the accompanying horrendous processing overhead (Vista Aero, anyone?)

that's why for work, I still use XP.

The only place I now use XP is at work, but thats a corporate thing. At home every machine 3 desktops, and 3 laptops all use vista without problem.

If they drop the sidebar, then I wont miss it because its one of the first things I turn off, along with UAC.

UAC.

Most useless "feature" ever.

The only place I now use XP is at work, but thats a corporate thing. At home every machine 3 desktops, and 3 laptops all use vista without problem.

If they drop the sidebar, then I wont miss it because its one of the first things I turn off, along with UAC.

They have dropped the sidebar, but the widgets that go on the side bar remain as free-floating type things

Vista is to Windows 7 what Millenium Edition was to XP...

A public beta that you either paid for or were forced to use.

Not from a technological point of view it's not.

ME was basically 98 third edition , with new bugs added but from the same product line.

XP was the next step on from 2000 - the NT product line - and a totally different OS to ME.

Windows 7 isn't going to be a wholesale change - basically Vista Second Edition

They have dropped the sidebar, but the widgets that go on the side bar remain as free-floating type things

That's not bad then, I'd just miss the decent sized clock and feed reader if it went.