Roll Call: Is Windows 7 now your primary OS?

Sorry Mike, but you just don't get it.

 

Yep, Windows 7 Beta is now my primary OS. I got all important data backed up, so no need to worry. I've already written some feedback for MS, suggested a few changes.
I know it's a beta, and I'm happy to test it. I simply love trying out new stuff and if somethings goes wrong.. can't be helped.

 

It wasn't on my old Toshiba A60, but I just got an old Dell XPS 140 for free so it's now the primary OS on there

 

How's it run on the XPS M140? I've got an old M140 (the wife uses it now) running Vista. It's got 2 GB RAM in it. Does 7 run decently on it? Any driver issues?

 

I did have a few quirks but most of them have been resolved except for one. After a clean Win7 installation, the OS didn't recognize my wifi card at all. I had to connect an external wireless adapter to run Windows Update and find the updated drivers.

Then I realized that the display adapter was showing as Standard VGA adapter. It turns out that the mobile Intel 915 chips aren't compatible with Windows Vista, so 7 will actually install it through Windows Update but then it will turn it off and revert to Standard VGA adapter due to reported errors. Downloading the original drivers from Dell didn't do any good either.

But other than that, everything runs great. The screen is just a little blurry.

 

Not my primary operating system on my notebook, yet. I'm testing everything in terms of performance right now and trying to see what drivers are the best. So far, gaming performance is faster when stock, however when using modded drivers on both, XP pulls ahead. I still have to get GRUB up and running again (can't get into my Linux partition).

So, for now it isn't my primary operating system. But from the looks of it, it might be in a couple days.

 

i just installed win7 and i'm playing around with it now >.>

 

I have OSX and 7 on my MBP, XP and Vista on a home PC and I've found myself using Windows 7 almost exclusively for the past two weeks or so. I guess the shine hasn't worn off for me yet.

 

I installed it today on my desktop for testing, gave it a shot. Got it installed from the second go, during the first install it gave me an error trying to run some service, so I reformatted the disk and gave it another go. So far I'm not impressed with its performance and the new features. Especially I really disliked the new Control Panel, green text and messy arrangements, it hurt my eye, making me more blind than I am at the moment

Moreover, whenever I rename a file or a folder text gets blurry and hardly visible, I have GeForce 8600GT with Acer AL1916W monitor maybe that was the cause but still again irritated my eyes.

As of the performance, it's fairly different and I didn't notice any improvements over speed or memory management, that is why I got rid of it and installed Vista back. We'll see what RTM can offer, not moving to 7 by now.

 

yea Windows7 is my primary OS, i hope Microsoft comes out with smth before Aug 1, i dont want to go back Vista.

 

Used it. Some drivers won't work and sound doesn't work either. Also, inexplicably, hotmail won't load.

 

Using it as my primary OS on a secondary laptop. But I have loaded that laptop up with all my production and work needs and will be using it exclusively.

You see its my belief as a long time Beta tester (18 years and going) that the only way to find those really bad hidden problems is to use the machine as you would use it normally.

Some browsing and just loading stuff onto the system just doesn't cut it. If this is all you do, then the hidden problems are still going to crop up in your main software.

If you want to be a real help to those programmers trying to make the best product possible, really use it.

Now that being said of course back ups and stuff. But to call people fools for using a machine as a primary is to lack good common sense. The common sense to know that there are alot of people on this site who know more than you do.

Need to ease it on down tone wise is my best advice.

 

I finally decided to use this primarily on my laptop (not my desktop!), replacing Vista Business which ran well with Windows 7 which runs better.

For the desktop I'll wait for the final version and move from XP to W7.

 

There is a difference between beta testing and throwing caution to the wind.

Given your 18 years of experience beta testing, you are are the exception who really pushes an OS or software and then dutifully filling out the bug reports.

I am running Windows 7 on this laptop and I back up data nightly (as well as carrying a spare stable system)

But you know that 98 percent of the people who downloaded the beta are just doing so because it is "new" and haven't a clue what beta testing is really about.

It is those people who are foolish for carelessly jumping into a beta without a lifeline. OK, you say you are backing up everything and I will assume you mean that you are backing up intelligently (back up so you lose nothing more than you can reasonably afford to lose or replace).

Now. Be honest. How many people on this forum back up intelligently?

Those are the people I am trying to warn against making Windows 7 as their primary OS.

If you are not one of those people, kindly ignore those comments.

By all means. Have fun. But running Windows 7 on a mission critical machine? Bad idea. Odds are, most people on this forum are not even using a "mission critical" machine.

I'm not talking about someone who loses his computer and boo hoos the loss of 30gb of download . I'm talking people whose the loss of a laptop means something.

I am up to 5 users who screwed up their computers with Windows 7--one who killed his mp3 collection and 4 purely through user error. Not one of these people lost anything beyond paying me to fix their problem.

That's not what I am talking about.

I will readily admit there are a lot of people who know more than I do--I don't know how many of them are hanging around these forums. I'm sure there are a few. God, I hope there are. But, I dunno. I debugged an office network that three other techs had given up on trying to facilitate a Terminal Server-based EMR system this afternoon. How many folks running around the forum can say that?

I may have come across too harshly, but the if my off hand remark makes a few people pause and think, then it served a good purpose.

 

7 is my main.

 

Well said!

 

I don't care if Windows 7 beta craps out on me. I don't have anything important and downtime isn't a problem. If something happens, as long as it's not hardware related, I can probably fix it.

 

Yes,
Thanks for the "apology" and sensible perspective. Good luck with the people you support. I understand how that can be a crappy gig.

 

It wasn't really an apology--more an explanation. I wasn't even aware I had offended you.

So...I actually do apologize because I don't mean to offend. I made a quick statement about using a beta on a primary system--by primary I mean IMPORTANT CANNOT AFFORD TO BE DOWN.

I am careless that way. I have 6 computers and I have Windows 7 on one of them as a primary OS, but it is not my primary computer for mission critical needs.

Primary to me means the one I use all the time for everything. I do things on my computer that I cannot afford to lose. Windows 7 doesn't touch that stuff until Service Pack 1.

 

right now I had 7 on my notebook and XP on my desktop. I am really liking this OS so far. Planning on dumping it on my desktop this weekend.

 

runnin win7 x64 as my main

 

man i can't even vote because i didn't get the chance to dl it =/ can you still dl the beta?

 

Yup! Download is still available until the 24th of January I believe. Hop to it before it disappears for a few months until the next beta (if there is another beta).

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/beta-download.aspx

 

I'm using W7b as my primary (only) OS and it seems like it will work fine for me. I have an Aopen MiniPC without a windows license so this saves me from purchasing a license for an OS (Vista/XP) until the beta expires

QUESTION: Despite being a windows user since 3.1, I haven't beta tested a MS OS before. Does Microsoft release updates to their beta software as they iron out bugs? In other words, are we to expect updates for W7b to come through on windows update?

 

Yes, they release updates as they iron out bugs during normal beta programs through Windows updates.

Sometimes, however, updates require a complete reinstallation as some updates are not backward compatible.

However, this is a public beta. They will release updates through Windows update, but it is unknown if we will see a Public Beta 2--a lot of people are predicting it, but you never know.

Meanwhile, on the private beta side there are frequent updates and build releases--especially in the early going.

 

To extend on gerry's comments, they certainly do release updates (mostly security and driver related I imagine) via Windows update. But the public beta users do NOT actually get all OS updates that are taking place. Microsoft actually issues nightly builds to private testers, and the contents of those builds isn't available to public beta testers. The public build is 7000, and will remain 7000 until the RC. I don't have any idea what the latest private build number is though, or what differences might be contained in it.

 

i think Win7 is stable enough to be used as the primary OS
at least for home/personal usage.

 

I am with ya on that. At this point it is going to be minor bugs that will need ironed out. I have been using it on my desktop as the only OS on it since before it was out publicly and not one issue not ever a crash or lockup. I am very happy with it and will force everyone of my friends to use the final product. 7 is a great product and will be a new era for MS.

 

vista wasn't bad either. it was way too good than "newly released winXP".

 

I will never have a beta OS as my primary. It's fine to tinker, but initial releases have enough issue as it is.

 

I had it fully working on my asus F9SG. everything. wifi, audio, updated windows 7 nvidia graphics, even the osd hotkeys worked with some tinkering.

it depends how compatible it is with games. if all games work with it or at least most i will switch but if they dont i will keep windows xp. if i was forced to use vista on any machine i would update to windows 7 regardless.

 

I installed W7x64 as a test. My Gateway P6860-FX has two HD bays, so one drive is my experimental OS drive. I've ran everything from OSX, Solaris 10, Micro/Mini-XP to Centos and Ubuntu.

I now use W7 more than my Vista install. I only boot into Vista if I have to.
The strange thing is that I installed NO drivers. It just works. What a concept for a M$ OS.

 

I upgraded my Vista install to try Win7. I have backed up my Vista install and all of my program files too. If it goes wrong I can always revert back to Vista in about 1hr (I love acronis true image). So far everything is good. Very good.

 

Well, after about a month of using Win7, I'm back down to using XP32 again. Stability was great with Win7, but I do too many things with wierd drivers like the xbcd360 drivers for my controller, and running the dolphin gamecube emulator. I'll probably try again if another beta is released or the OS is officially released. (I'm a slave to my Smash Bros)

 

After a month of using 7 on one machine I am finally using it as my official OS. I have not had any issues and all my toys like my Zune and iPhone work flawless on it. I have not has any crashes or BSOD on 7. I am running raid and it brings stuff up instantly. Anyhow I am really looking forward to the final release.

 

I only have it on my eee pc but so far it works great!

 

Yea, I installed it on my eeePC as well, I am amazed at how fast it runs on it.

 

The interface is faster than Vista but gaming is still the same speed for me. Also GameGuard isn't working yet so I'll just wait for that.

 

I am running 7 as my only os on my laptop after using it for about 3 weeks i wiped off xp and its all 7 now it amazes how fast it runs on an 1md 64 1.8ghz single core cpu with 512mb of ram and 128mb of that is shared with my video i havent done ne bench marks but it seems faster and more responsive than xp only bad thing i can run omega video drivers he dosent have ne vista ones and i dont know how to go about getting xp omegas up and running in 7

 

Running a Beta OS as a main OS is never a smart idea.

 

I have a different opinion. If Microsoft want real tangible feedback that shows where the weaknesses lie, then some of us need to run Windows 7 as their primary OS. Otherwise you may never encounter the sort of problems that may come out in the future. Whilst I agree that not having a recent backup of your important files along with an image (where possible) of the whole system working would be stupid.

 

I love windows 7, but I dual boot it with Vista.

 

Yup dual booting with Vista on my main system now, though 1 of my older systems has it as the primary OS.

 

Runs fine on VMWare on my lappy

 

I have 4 hard drives, one oem vista ultimate x32, one Western Digital 320 gb Black Scorpio with Vista Ultimate x64, one WD 320 with Windows 7 x64, one 160 gb enclosure for backup and latest drivers for all three os. My main os is vista ultimate x64, but i drop in the windows 7 hd for testing and playing. My impressions of Windows 7, have been better than i had expected. I have not had an issue other than some compatability installs, but have overcome them all.

 

I have dual boot with Vista, but I never used Vista more since installed Windows 7

 

Dual booting with vista. I hate to admit it, but 7's few features are hard to resist. lol

 

dual boot xp and 7, its an hp so xp doesnt even really work, it has many driver limitation, so actually 7 is working better

 

windows 7 main OS and no other OS installed
no problems what so ever so far

 

Windows 7 Beta BD 7048 on a Sony Vaio P530H with one compatability issue what was resolved during the installation.
Works faster than Vista Home Basic and functions well....