Windows 7 Beta Download Limit Removed
Saturday Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc said that the company is removing the Windows 7 beta limit for two weeks.
Last week Microsoft pulled the 2.6 GB beta off the download servers, as heavy traffic overwhelmed and eventually brought the servers crumbling down to their knees in a black, smoking heap. The company had no clue when the Windows 7 Beta would return for mass consumption, however it appears that the beta OS returned to download status sometime this past Saturday. So far, everything looks peachy: the company isn't complaining about smoking processors or burned network cables.
However, to appease the masses, Microsoft took pity on aggravated downloaders and decided to lift the overall 2.5 million limit. This means more consumers can download and check out the beta than previously allowed.
"Due to an enormous surge in demand, the download experience was not ideal so we listened and took the necessary steps to ensure a good experience," LeBlanc said in his post. "We have clearly heard that many of you want to check out the Windows 7 Beta and, as a result, we have decided remove the initial 2.5 million limit on the public beta for the next two weeks (thru January 24th). During that time you will have access to the beta even if the download number exceeds the 2.5 million unit limit."
Microsoft seems quite excited about consumer enthusiasm towards Windows 7, however it should also throw up a red flag in regards to the overall feelings towards the current operating system, Windows Vista. Many editors test driving the new OS are giving it praises and offering burnt sacrifices, however others simply despise it, saying that Windows 7 is nothing more than a glorified version of Vista.
Still, consumers interested in checking out the beta should head here.
It is in fact. I'm pretty sure this could have been distributed via a Windows Vista Service Pack 2. So Microsoft releasing that as an enterely new OS so soon after Vista's release, I mean, this gotta be a punch in the face for all Vista consumers who paid hard money for an half-good OS and hardware upgrades in order to be able to run it decently. I mean, 4gigs minimum to run it as it should with all the 'super duper' Aero effect, when you can get a real 3D accelerated desktop interface on Linux platforms with Beryl with only a basic 3D acceleration option and 512mb of Ram, give me a break. And no, Linux is now not harder to use than any Windows platform as a user only perspective. Only OS deep configuration and customization require some research.
"Yes, the just-released Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 retains much of Vista's kernel architecture, as will the final version. That's prompted some pundits to quip that the new OS will just be a Vista service pack. Not so. The new OS is more compact than Vista, has an updated interface, and builds in better networking capability. It also includes some cool advances, such as multi-touch support and a redesigned taskbar with movable buttons. In addition, we're not likely to see the abundance of incompatibilities that caused such pain during the early phase of the Vista launch. That improvement is a direct result of the now-tuned Vista code in the kernel. In all, it's an impressive, though not revolutionary, release."
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2338317,00.asp
LMAO! Does a new user interface constitute a new operating system? What about MOVEABLE buttons? Updated networking capabilities???
It's called marketing. Vista was so terrible that they can't shake the negative associations most people have with it no matter what they do. So repackage it under a new name. 8 years and counting.
Yup. Unfortunately we also remember XP (32bit) and DOS/Win3.1 (16bit).
Still think you are right though - MS should have ditched 32 bit computing with Vista, if they don't do it with Windows 7 when are they going to?
At this point I think Microsoft should at least offer a free upgrade to their Vista Ultimate users for failing to live up to their promise of regularly released premium features (when Windows 7 goes retail). Will they? Of course not - when a Service Pack can be turned into a new software upgrade, it helps corporate profits.
However, Microsoft has been alienating me. I've slowly been converting my spare parts into Ubuntu computers - and once they get caught up on fully on multimedia apps (such as DVD/Blu-ray disk playback with full menu support) I'll completely ditch Microsoft.
Even if Win7 blows everyone's mind and is absolutely amazing...it won't be around many more years than vista.
Others have said and I agree; Microsoft learned their lesson from letting people get so used to XP. The SECOND successor to XP is in beta already and yet they STILL can't manage to stop selling XP to Dell and others.
you do the math
Seems everyone has the right idea about 7 though. This OS will be a savior for MS and OEMs. Both have seen sales drop because of Vista, and it's bad rep dished out by very stupid comercials by mac.
I like the quote from above about:
"In addition, we're not likely to see the abundance of incompatibilities that caused such pain during the early phase of the Vista launch."
Maybe because Windows 7 has already been out for years under the name Vista?
What does that even mean? Vista is a glorified version of Windows Server 2003, which is a glorified version of Windows XP, which is a glorified version of Windows 2000, which is a glorified version of Windows NT 4.0, no? Its just the next version of Windows like all of the rest have been, which is based on the previous version. The shotgunning of unspecific negativity about Vista is getting old.
There's nothing wrong with it, it uses more resources but provides more features to the user. Winamp used to use a few MB of memory, but now media players often use over 100MB of memory. Nobody endlessly complains about that because there are plenty of features that Winamp didn't have back in the day in current generation media players. Internet browsers have gone through the same pattern. The same goes for operating systems.
Aleluia!
'What does that even mean? Vista is a glorified version of Windows Server 2003, which is a glorified version of Windows XP, which is a glorified version of Windows 2000, which is a glorified version of Windows NT 4.0, no? Its just the next version of Windows like all of the rest have been, which is based on the previous version. The shotgunning of unspecific negativity about Vista is getting old.'
Winamp does'nt cost 200$ and does'nt force you to upgrade hardware dramaticly in order to make in run properly. Windows 2003 is the server side version of Windows XP, saying it is a glorified version of Windows XP is a bit off topic, but yeah, that's suposed to be built on the same kernel infrastructure since NT 4. But from what Microsoft tells us, Vista is suposed to be a completly new kernel, which we all know is not true. But that does'nt mean people who paid alot of money for a 'trial' OS have to pay full price for the 'final' product. I know this is'nt the first time they done it, they done it with ME too. But they never forced every computer manufacturers to adopt it, removing every other OEM products with XP on it from market, neither. And ME was built on the obselete kernel of Win98. So there really was an upgrade going from ME to Win2k or XP. Windows 7 really seems like a service pack. You probably can compare the differance you will get from Vista to 7 with what you got from Win95 to 98 back then. But there was 3 years between them. How many time there is between Vista and 7 to justifiy a complete license upgrade fee of say another 200$. I say if Microsoft got some moral left within the compagny, they should at least offer an upgrade from Vista (any versions) users to 7 (equivalent version, if there is) for a very affortable price, say 40-50$.
And after that time there's always torrents
Lmao, yeah. That's exactly what I was thinking.