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Sunday, March 8, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Windows 7 Beta Users, Beware!
If you tried out Windows 7, you probably didn't want to get rid of XP/Vista. But Windows 7 (like Vista) won't allow you to install two versions of Windows on one partition. The answer, in that case, is to resize your current partition, and creat a new one. This function is unavailable through the Windows 7 setup, which means your going to be using 3rd party software to do it. This is where the problem starts. After you've created your new partition and installed Windows 7, it will work perfectly. But not all good things last. You will start getting corrupt disk notifications and programs will stop functioning properly. Then, the next time your start up Windows 7, it will run a chkdsk and delete files it needs to operate (ironic, eh?) and then it will be unusable. To avoid this, make your new partition and then unistall any third-party file manging apps you used.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Dual Booting Operating Systems
Which operating system is the best? Windows, Mac, or Linux? The endless battle still rages on today and the answer will never be agreed upon. "All operating systems suck" - Chris Pirillo. I'd have to agree with that statement. Every OS has its major and minor flaws and no OS will ever be perfect. Each OS has its strengths and weaknesses. For example, Windows is the best OS for gaming, Linux is the best for servers, and Mac is the best for media editing. BUT I WANT THE BEST OF EVERYTHING!!! Well, the answer lies in dual booting. Dual booting is basically installing multiple OS's on your computer and choosing which one you'd like to use every time you turn on your computer. There you go, the best of both worlds! How do I do a dual boot? Well if want to dual boot separate OS's (not just different versions, like XP and vista) you can simply install the OS's you want on one drive. However, if you want to install multiple versions of Windows, the process is a little more complex. Windows does not support dual booting of multiple versions on the same drive. However, this doesn't mean you have to go out and buy another hard drive. Using a program like Acronis Disk Director Suite will allow you to resize, create, delete, and format partitions. If you create another partition for your next Windows installation, you will still have the option to choose OS's.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Windows 7 Beta Build 7000
Well, Microsoft is finally doing it. They realize vista is bad and are replacing it. Although not yet officially available, I am currently running the beta of Windows 7. Despite preceding thoughts about how it would perform, I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it is a beta, W7 was very compatible with software and I only encountered one major problem driver wise, that being Creative drivers for my Audigy SE caused a blue screen. However, I feel this is Creative's fault because both ATI and Realtek drivers installed flawlessly. On a more minor note, Xfire statuses don't work correctly either. Other than that, W7 performs as it should, but whether or not you like that is up to you.
The easiest way to describe Windows 7 is as if OS breeders existed and they combined Mac OS10 and Windows Vista. The toolbar on the bottom is distinctly Windows, but anyone familiar with Mac will notice it resembles the OS10 toolbar as well. At the very left is the blue circle with the windows symbol (which glows when you scroll over it) immediately followed by the former "Quick Launch Bar". Only this time both the Quick Launch and the standard program tabs are the same size. Additionally, they removed any text describing the program and enlarged the icon, which is mainly how it resembles OS10. Other than the changed toolbar, most of the OS is unaltered from its Vista counterpart. Where W7 really shines is in performance. I found programs functioning and loading faster then they have ever done in XP or Vista. That being said, game performance was reduced, as XP still outperforms it in that department. But keep in mind this is a beta, and the graphics drivers aren't designed for W7 and will need time to mature for better gaming performance.
As long as Microsoft actually uses user feedback to improve their product and fix all the bugs, W7 should look like a smart upgrade for anyone running Vista and especially anyone still running XP (like me). The UI is much friendlier, the performance is there, and the stability is there, so kudos to Microsoft, and I hope Windows 7 performs and sells well.
- Andrew Korman
The easiest way to describe Windows 7 is as if OS breeders existed and they combined Mac OS10 and Windows Vista. The toolbar on the bottom is distinctly Windows, but anyone familiar with Mac will notice it resembles the OS10 toolbar as well. At the very left is the blue circle with the windows symbol (which glows when you scroll over it) immediately followed by the former "Quick Launch Bar". Only this time both the Quick Launch and the standard program tabs are the same size. Additionally, they removed any text describing the program and enlarged the icon, which is mainly how it resembles OS10. Other than the changed toolbar, most of the OS is unaltered from its Vista counterpart. Where W7 really shines is in performance. I found programs functioning and loading faster then they have ever done in XP or Vista. That being said, game performance was reduced, as XP still outperforms it in that department. But keep in mind this is a beta, and the graphics drivers aren't designed for W7 and will need time to mature for better gaming performance.
As long as Microsoft actually uses user feedback to improve their product and fix all the bugs, W7 should look like a smart upgrade for anyone running Vista and especially anyone still running XP (like me). The UI is much friendlier, the performance is there, and the stability is there, so kudos to Microsoft, and I hope Windows 7 performs and sells well.
- Andrew Korman
Thursday, January 1, 2009
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