[continued from part2]

at the time of writing this blog I'm using the WIndows 7 Release Candidate which is essentially a free download for IT Pointy heads to play with, test, experience and provide feedback regarding the latest and greatest offering from Microsoft.

I'm not aligned with any one operating system (apart from the fantastic IBM i5/OS of course ) and recommend to most friends that they use the operating system that best suits there needs.

• I'm on a budget = Ubuntu
• I only ever use the internet for stuff like facebook and email = Ubuntu
• I like play graphically intense games = Windows Vista (or Xp if using weird graphics drivers)
• I use lots of applications for work = probably XP
• I use Internet messenger software like Skype, MSN or Aim = Vista or XP
• I'm a grumpy old fart and I dont like change = WIndows 95

So, with a little nervous trepidation but quietly excited to see what this new operating system offers me I download the Windows 7 Beta. The download took a while and rather annoyingly downloads as a big fat .ISO image which is in a particular DVD format. This means I wasnt able to unzip it straight to disk and install from there... which is my usual route.

I can see Microsofts idea - download it, burn to DVD, Boot from DVD and Install

Problem for me is that this little Dell Poweredge 400SC doesnt have a DVD drive (only a scummy old CD). /me makes not to self to look for a nice little DVD Burner...

Luckily this is easy to get around, basically we need to find a technique to extract the data from the .ISO and run the install. As I'm in the easy position that I dont mind wiping my current OS I just select NEW as opposed to UPGRADE during the install. This will not remove my existing data but instead creates a copy of windows called windows.old so you wont lose anything else on the disk... YMMV!!!!

• Install a virtual CD/DVD drive on existing Windows operating system. I used free MagicISO to mount a Virtual Drive then...
• Mount the Windows Vista or Windows 7 installation DVD ISO image using the virtual drive
• Copy all files inside the virtual CD/DVD drive mounted with the ISO into any folder on any partition or hard disk drive not going to be used to install the Windows OS. For example, copy into E:\Win7setup
• Run the SETUP.EXE and enjoy

Once Windows7 is installed... which it did with no fuss, no problems and no tears... it boots up and you see this great looking Vista'ish desktop.

Stage 1: PLAYTIME go surfing, download Java, Adobe Reader, Flash player, AVG Antirus - if you dont trust yourself not to open dodgy software. Test Youtube, Facebook, ebay and the entire experience is pleasantly surprising. Every thing worked perfectly. I couldt believe it.

Stage 2: PERSONALISE time to grab all those necessary things that you absolutely cant live without. For me the list is fairly simple Firefox, Skype, Live Messenger, Gimp, Filezilla, Logitech Desktop (for my super dooper Orbit webcam), eMule Morphxt and Bitlord (two p2p programs which are great for hunting down elusive documents, files, music, old tv episodes etc.. )

Once again, it just runs everything first time... I'm impressed.

Now it's time to play with some media...

I launch WIndows 7 Media Player for the first time and point it at my Music, Images and Movies folders. It thinks for 30 seconds while it builds it's database... then comes back listing everything.

Music... click click... JAMIROQUAI COMES BLARING OUT OF THE SPEAKERS.

Video... click click... oooh... it plays great and the player is a new kind of slimline version of the Vista/xp player with more screen real estate for the movie... very nice.

DIVX Videos... hmm... dont expect this to work.... click click... Wahey!!! Episodes of Blakes7 in full screen glorious quality. I wasnt expecting that. It seems that the Windows7 Media players DIVX movies seamlessly without having to load any codecs... fantastic!

So, basically Windows 7 is the Dog's Donuts.

Now - Heres where I was going to tell you about how I wandered upstairs to the TV and fired up the XBOX360... just on the off chance to see what it could see... and Bing! there is the DellServer displayed on its network... and boink (I'm not too sure what noise to make for pressing the button on an xbox remote controller but it is a kind of boink sound... so there) it shows the media folders... surely not say I... boink... it shows all my movies... boink... Blakes 7 in glorious HD streaming straight to the Uber-TV in the living room.

I'm so impressed I have to go and have a little lay down in a dark room for 30 minutes...

I'll write a full blog about the total uber-fantasticness that is Windows 7 talking to an Xbox360 later...

I'm officially a Windows7 Convert and have already set aside the money for the pucker final version of Ultimate once it's on the shops.

/nuff said.

NOTE:

Beta testing software isnt for everybody? If you have a good level of IT knowledge and are aware of the risks (this is an experimental software release by the way) then here's what you need to know:

You'll need some technical skills, like knowing how to:

• Burn an ISO file to make an install DVD (A good example of what we mean by “technical”)
• Install Windows (of course)
• Backup and restore your PC (There's a chance of losing files, so it's a good idea to do a backup of anything you want to save.)
• Set up a network

It can be glitched—so don't use a PC you need every day.

Personally, I would recommend minimum system specs call as:

• 2 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
• 1 GB of system memory
• 30 GB of available disk space
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory (to enable the Aero theme)
• Ethernet Internet access (to download the Beta and get updates)

ps - dont forget to delete the installation directory afterwards...