[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Bloggers Sneak a Peek at Windows 7 here

[taustin1382]

they are taking a huge chance ditching the standard app bar that everyone has used since 95. the biggest complaint I hear about from new mac users is that the dock is confusing and hard to use..... why would MS want to do this? I know they get most of their ideas from other os's but that seems like a stupid move. they are changing the way users interface with the OS....



the one thing MS has done well is constancy with the GUI. look at the flak they got over changing the programs list in vista....

I think this new taskbar (dock) will be rejected by most long time windows users.

[number6]

I'd be fine with a Windows 95 interface. Give me performance.

[taustin1382]

Here is a nickel.... go buy yourself a better OS

[dragon69]

good tip taustin1382
i got a nickel for the second one that needs it lol
gl and tc

[number6]

Call me dense, but what are you two talking about?

[JaywalkerExtraordinaire]

{quote}Call me dense, but what are you two talking about?{quote}

I suspect that it has something to do with most *nix operating systems running faster than Windows on the same hardware. When you posted that you desired performance above UI niceties, it was obvious to many that you would likely be happier upgrading from Windows to a Linux distribution, most of which can be purchased for a nickel while still leaving you with five cents in change.

Of course, if Windows 7 actually fixes all of Vista's (many) inefficiencies, then their implied suggestion can be ignored without consequence.

[number6]

I'd love to swich to Linux and I've tried Ubuntu, Xubuntu, and openSUSE, but there are some things that I depend on Windows for so I wish Microsoft would focus on performance (I use old hardware so even XP runs slowly) and leave off the eye candy.

[dragon69]

nickel= the price of a cd ( so if the price of your last cd's cost 3 cents each then you would have 2 pennies left over)



we can hope that windoze 7 fixes all of the vista bugs



:-)



gl and tc

[JaywalkerExtraordinaire]

Out of curiosity, what is it that you depend on Windows for that you can't do with Linux (or Solaris, FreeBSD, etc.)? Is it tasks or access to specific software titles. You don't strike me as a hard core gamer, so I suspect you are referring to access to specific software titles. If you are referring to tasks, would you mind sharing with us the tasks that you are unable to accomplish without Windows?

Would it be practical to set up a dual boot machine with, for example, Xubuntu and XP, and using Xubuntu for everything that doesn't specifically require Windows, while retaining the ability to boot Windows for the times when it is required?

I recently installed Xubuntu on a Pentium III 1 GHz machine with 384 MiB of RAM (retaining an XP partition), and it runs surprisingly quickly, and offered excellent "user friendliness," better than Windows, IMO (bear in mind that I haven't used Windows regularly since shortly after XPSP2 was released, so I'm no longer as familiar with it as I am with my primary OS). I was also very impressed with how easy it was to install compared to other distributions I've tried within the past year, or even compared to a fresh XP install. In fact, I was so impressed that I installed Sun's VirtualBox on my MacBook Pro and created a virtual Xubuntu box to explore and experiment with (the P3 isn't mine).

[JaywalkerExtraordinaire]

{quote}I use old hardware so even XP runs slowly{quote}

When XPSP2 was released, I used it to replace Windows 98 on a sub 300 MHz Pentium (one). It ran much slower than 98, but also much more reliably. It reduced the occurrence of BSOD significantly, which, combined with the public beta of a little known Browser by the name of Firefox, which itself significantly decreased the amount of malware that found its way onto my machine, the computer actually became dependable, albeit very slow.

[number6]

I have had a dual boot, but I needed more hard drive space so I cleared it.

The main thing I need Windows for is Juno (The worst I've ever used. I hate it.) . I've been using that email client for years and it has hundreds of vital emails in it. I don't believe it runs in Linux and I don't think there is a way to convert the user file into a format compatible with Thunderbird.

I also don't like the way Linux installs programs. I know it can be done, but I'm not used to it and it doesn't really make sense to me. I want to know where the installer is coming from and I also like to be able to carry it with me via flash drive, CD, DVD, etc.

I have a wireless adapter that I use on several of my computers, but the drivers CD isn't compatible with Windows.

Lastly, I have a huge collection of programs that I'm familiar with and I know exactly what they're capable of doing. I'd have to research dozens (maybe hundreds) of new applications to do what I can do with what I have.



I have nothing against Linux. I like a lot about it. I just need Windows, sadly. Hopefully I'll be able to migrate completely in the next couple years.

[JaywalkerExtraordinaire]

{quote}The main thing I need Windows for is Juno (The worst I've ever used. I hate it.) . I've been using that email client for years and it has hundreds of vital emails in it. I don't believe it runs in Linux and I don't think there is a way to convert the user file into a format compatible with Thunderbird.{quote}

One possible way to transfer those emails to a different client, be it Thunderbird or something else, is to open a Gmail account (Yahoo! would also work), forward all of the emails from Juno to the Gmail account, then download the emails from Gmail to your new email client. At that point, you could set the new client to keep checking your original account via POP3 or IMAP. You could remove the Gmail account from your new client and forget about it, or even keep forwarding your email to it for use as an online backup.

[number6]

The problem with that is the emails wouldn't have the original information (meta-data?) in it.

[rkinne01]

Couldn't you just create a new email account and forward the mail there?