Danger Will Robinson, Danger!

The one thing I've yet to see in any article - - except Microsoft's own Release Notes for the Beta version - - is that little formality of going back to whatever OS you were using before you installed the Beta. Bottom Line: You can't, you have to do a clean install of your prior OS. The Notes go on to say that you can't even install an upgrade from any Beta (Beta 1, Beta 13, etc.); you must first uninstall whatever you've got running, and then do a clean install of whatever OS version you'd like to go back and actually run

Now when even Microsoft says this, instead of its usual interoperability crap, it won't be 24 hours of Version 7 / Vista SP2, but more like 24 months!

There's danger out there, Will Robinson, beware.

I really want to read what everyone has to say on Mac OS X Snow Leopard. If we compared it to Windows... That would be more of a service pack than Windows 7.

So much pseudo "shine" and yet Windows still does not have things like basic file system exploring features like those found in a utility called FolderSizes. Still can't generate a text listing of files and folders or reports about hard drive statistics. Windows still does not have features to compare folders and drive contents. System automation is still an arcane and difficult task that requires cryptic script languages and developer level savvy, or third party utility software.

Microsoft has forever ignored basic user utility features, giving us graphical "shiny" instead of basic useful real world system management tools.

At the beginning you were off to a very good start. However as you progress you begin to sound just like the other writers of articles here. When MS first talked about 7, they indeed said it uses the Vista Kernel, which means it would be pretty identical to Vista. Which is just like any other OS they have ever done. However this isn't Vista SP2. SP2 will not have the same impact on a system as 7 will. To be specific, one of teh things MS is working on is speeding up the kernel. One way this could be done is not allow the kernel to run certain features. For example, even thought the sidebar is nice...it was a waste to run it at the kernel level. This is true of Vista's many other features. Also is you run Windows 7 in a Virtual PC and compare teh services list you will see that many of 7 services that appear in Vista don't start at boot, meaning they aren't running at kernel level. This will either allow you or an application to turn them on. This is one of the things SP1 did for Vista. Also Windows 7 would have an advantage with drivers. Vista was a totally new OS, since 7 uses Vista's driver model...MS at this point 4 years later obviously would have more drivers under their belt, don't you think? As one commeter said it is cool 7 isn't a huge change in this area as it won't be hard to find hardware. This also means by teh tie Release Candidate appears, all your Vista applications should work well. Many of them now break. But this is expected as it is a beta. I have been playing with the beta in Vware and it runs pretty fast. I gave it 1GB of RAM and 2 of my 4 cpu's. If it runs this good in VM i know it will directly on hardware. But again it is a beta and since not much is there it will be fast. A better speed check cwn be done on a RC release. As far as looks...the look is ore simplified over Vista's but it isn't better...it is less cluttered. I don't like the new taskbar. & is using the same theme base as Vista and I even copied the themes fro 7 into Vista and they work fine. the only application I installed into it was Office and that was just to see if MS's own app would fail. It didn't. I a sure someone will find a way to move Vista original thee over to 7 as it looks way better. I didn't see the icon for the 3D flip. I hope it is good. When I first saw Vista I really thought that would be cool when I saw it advertised, however I never ever found a use for it other then to tease my nephew because he was still using XP ad his system can't run Vista. In fact many fancy graphical toys like you see in Ubuntu is just for show and provide nothing ore then a toy to play with and is best left out by MS. Games are the best way to show off graphics power, not wasting it on resource hogging os features. I think MS got that point and that is why 7 doesn't look the same. Opinionator, I too agree with what you said about the graphics. They could use a woman touch. However I remember when people first saw XP"s graphics they didn't like them either, however I still see more ppl using the GUI ov classic. However I do like Vista look over 7 and that is what attracted me most to it. Its a bit shinier then XP...y7 looks dull with its dull colors...however its amazing ppl complained about Vista bright colors and the greens. Now S changes it, and they hate it too. They will never win. One thing to fix is hope a 3rd party themer will create nicer themes. They always do. I do like the nicer wallpapers and that helps. And there is always the classic look. Also when installing a new driver Vista in many case will turn of Aero by default. This is to force you to use the assessment tool in the OS. The tool actually checks the hardware and the driver to verify is will run Vista properly. If it gets the correct score Aero is turn-on automatically.
However its still beta and i think every1 is being to critical to early. This is onlt early early stage. Again RC is the best release to see what teh final version will be. Believe me MS is listen to testers and anything can change from now to RTM. and since you are good with programing, as a woman suggest to MS what would be pretty for a look as far as color scheme. Men have always been bad with colors..amazing though some of the best clothes designers are male. Maybe MS should speak to a few.

Based on what I have seen so far and since i am not and havent had any Vista issues, I will stick with Vista until I am forced to change. I'll probably just continue playing with RC4 until Windows 8 if we get that far. GL to all.

Dude, grow a freakin pair and stop whinning. You complain about it being an easy install, you complain about the name; just grow a pair or put on a tampon. We've heard all of this before.

Why don't you just go join the Apple freaks!!

Thanks for an informative review - wish I had read it and the comments before installing Windows 7. Anyone having problem connecting to a home network with the other computers using Vista Ultimate? I connect to the network, IE8 and FIrefox both open and seem to find the homepage, and then the green bar stops at about half way. When I click on Diagnose the Problem I get a page saying there is no problem. Everything shows me connected to the network at full strength, just cannot get onto the internet. Tried disabling add-ons, disabling firewall and anti-virus and everything else I can think of. Is anyone else having this problem? Has anyone got any suggestions? Thanks.

downloading it wasnt too bad.the size 2.44 gb is big,but anyone with high speed shouldnt have any problem.anyone still using dial up,forget it,youll be waiting a long time.make sure to write down or print the product key.it needs to be activated to continue using.do not install as your main operaring system.this is a beta.not guaranteed to work.if you dont have an extra computer or drive or the space or know how to partition your original drive forget it.install on my machine took about 25 minutes(i think i didnt time it).make sure to remove the install disc when the computer reboots for first time during install or the disc install will run again.after install,have to be activated.had no problem with the activation.after install discovered had no sound.went to windows update and an update included soundmax.installed it, but still no sound.alas looks like were going to have the same problems as with vista.waitng for companys to come out with updated software and drivers.here we go again.something new that people will try that wont work everything.when they released vista,they had a hardware compatibility program that they said to run before installing.should have done the same with this one.i went on windows forum and apparently there are numerous issues with hardware compatability(sound familiar.did we not just go through all of this).newer is only better when it works the way its supposed to.maybe it will after they re release it again and again and again.....