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In a world where technology moves at an astounding pace, DaC Network Administrator Jonathen Winterburn takes an occasional look at the latest gadgets… JON ASKS WHAT’S NEW? |
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Windows 7 review… If you recall, last month I wrote about the soon-to-be-released Windows 7 - the latest operating system from Microsoft. At that time, I had only just installed the beta version onto a virtual machine so I could try it out. One month later and much testing (when time permitted), here are my thoughts on the new offering from our friends in Redmond. Running Windows 7 on a virtual machine, which had a single 32-bit 2Ghz processor and 2GB of RAM, proved to me that Microsoft designed this operating system to function at its optimum on much higher-spec hardware. Bench tests I have seen online of Windows 7 on 64-bit quad-core processors running at least 4GB of RAM (and better yet on 8GB) shows its true potential. But forget about running it on 32-bit hardware with less than 4GB of RAM! That, in my opinion, is what lets Windows 7 down. Of course newer, more powerful hardware is becoming more and more available – I see laptops in PC World with 64-bit triple-core processors and 6GB of RAM and still it shocks me, because it’s all so over the top. The everyday user does not utilise a tenth of the computing |
power available on their laptop or desktop, so
instead Microsoft bog the machine down with fancy effects, an
illogical user interface and memory-hungry processes running in the
background. Consequently you end up with a machine that seems slower
than your old one running XP. Don’t get me wrong, Windows 7 is most definitely an improvement over Windows Vista, in fact it’s what Vista should have been. But it’s still more of the same; high system requirements, bloated software, unnecessary effects, poor hardware support and worst of all a horrible and illogical interface. The irony is that Windows 7 has a new feature called Windows XP mode. Essentially, this is a virtual machine running inside Windows 7, which runs a copy of Windows XP so the user can run older "XP-compatible applications." What Microsoft is admitting by doing this is that XP is a better operating system! Instead of building Windows 7 to be robust and backwards compatible, they simply shove a virtual version of XP inside Windows 7 – and then have the audacity to charge £149 upwards for the privilege! As I said last month, Windows XP (service pack 3) is by far the best desktop operating system that |
Microsoft has brought out. It’s quick, reliable (usually) and logical (mostly). The better the hardware you throw at it, the quicker it runs. Its hardware support is second-to-none. No, it doesn’t have fancy effects. But do we really need whiz-bang effects on the desktop? I still use XP in Windows 2000 mode; grey, simple and functional. I don’t even use desktop wallpaper! I want pretty, shiny-shiny effects in my computer games, but not on my desktop. Let’s be honest – your computer should be functional, fast and reliable. It is, after all, simply a tool and not a piece of crass dress jewellery! So my advice to anyone buying a new computer; request that the seller installs Windows XP (or Linux – I can recommend Ubuntu Linux as the most user-friendly Linux variant), or install it yourself. Your machine will run faster and more reliably… and your software licensing will be cheaper! I’m no technophobe and I love technological progress, providing it IS efficient progress and not simply progress for the sake of progress. Help save Windows XP! Go to HERE. Jonathen Winterburn |
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Are you getting married between September 2009 and March 2010 and organised the wedding of your dreams? Living TV can now help you to… WIN THE LUXURY WEDDING OF YOUR DREAMS! |
MOTORHOME FOR HIRE |
Alice
Dodge is currently working on a new show for Living called
Four Weddings. It has been very successful in bringing in the
best average audience of an original series ever on Living TV
and is now coming up to its 2nd series. They are now looking for new brides to take part on the show. Four Weddings has been described as a Come Dine With Me for weddings. The general format of the programme is that four brides attend and rate each other’s weddings. They score each other on the venue, food, overall presentation and of course, the dress! It's all in good spirit and great fun - except that only one bride will win the luxury honeymoon of their dreams! Will she be from a Dial-a-Cab family? You never know! Alice is looking for every kind of wedding you can imagine. The last series saw them attend a wedding in a cave, a medieval wedding and a wedding at London Zoo! They are looking from high budgets to low budgets, from same sex marriages to opposite sex ones. If you wish to apply, visit their website and download an application form. The site is located at www.livingtv.co.uk/fourweddings. And if you are successful in getting on the show, please let Call Sign know. We won’t ask you to take us on the honeymoon! |
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