It was October 22^nd, 2009 when Windows 7 was officially launched and it would be some good day in 2012, when Microsoft Windows 8 is launched, hopefully.

Taking three years leap into the future, (and ignoring the doom that 2012 spells over the world) as the roadmap suggests, we would be seeing Microsoft launch another operating system, a successor to Windows 7, to delight us.

The Microsoft roadmap (pictured below) suggests that Microsoft has clearly exercised the trend of launching every major release with a four year gap from the previous one.

Windows 8 : Road map To Success ?

What could Windows 8 probably be? Would it be just another Windows OS with further refined Windows 7 functionality in a different cover or would Microsoft take chances in going unconventional to develop the Windows 8 OS as a breakthrough to the regular lineup and still keep the hold on software market.

Featured : Microsoft OS Releases Chart

If my predictions aren’t too exaggerating, people wouldn’t prefer to buy an OS in 2012, a time where almost 90 percent of the software around the universe should be open source. Who knows if Google Chrome OS would take over Microsoft’s long-celebrated Windows OS by 2012.

Microsoft can also go to the extent of making it completely a Web OS or team with an open source party, otherwise, to live up to open source markets that will lead in 2010, presumably.

Only time and official confirmations will tell. Meanwhile, let’s roll back into the present and you can pop in a comment if you have some good stuff in mind. We would always appreciate it.

Belkin has come up with another (earlier one was for Windows Vista) Easy Transfer Cable for the new Windows 7 OS. This easy transfer cable can be used to transfer all your windows computer settings to a new Windows 7 machine.

Belkin’s Easy Transfer cable is for those who are willing to upgrade to Windows 7 PC without parting with the Windows environment on the existing PC. By windows environment, we mean the user accounts, documents, music, pictures, videos, installed programs, emails and messages and everything else. Almost everything.

Here it is.Upgrading to a new computer has never been easier. The Belkin Easy Transfer Cable is the quickest way to migrate files, music, photos, user accounts—and more—from your Windows XP or Windows Vista ® PC to your new Windows 7 PC. .

Featured : Belkin Windows 7 Easy Transfer Cable

It’s an 8-foot long cable with USB heads on both ends each of which is connected to two systems – one to the existing computer and the other to the new machine where you want to clone your windows settings.

For a Windows 7 upgrade (windows 7 easy transfer) to be possible with this cable, you should be using –

1. A Windows-based PC powered by a Pentium processor.
2. Belkin’s Easy Transfer cable and device drivers that are bundled with it.
3. A Windows 7 OS (32 or 64 bit versions).
4. Destination (new) PC supporting Windows 7 (running on Pentium Processor).
5. A little bit of patience to follow the onscreen instructions after software installation for the easy transfer cable.

Pictured below are screen shots of Microsoft Windows Easy Transfer interface.

Use : Microsoft Easy Transfer To Transfer Operating System

Reportedly, it also lets you choose what files you want to transfer and also where to.

Easy Upgrade To Windows 7 :Belkin Easy Transfer Cable

Here are the notes on how the Easy Transfer Cable is ideal for Windows 7 Easy Transfer:

• Quick setup in 3 easy steps: install software, connect the cable, and follow on-screen prompts
• Transfers your information much faster than burning CDs, setting up a network, or other means of copy data
• Sets up your new computer in minutes with your favorite settings from your existing computers and other devices
• Post-migration report provides comprehensive view of what was transferred, including lists of all programs and applications installed on old PC and links to download latest versions of programs
• Improved custom selection: user interface allows you to specify which items you want to transfer
• Officially designed for Microsoft Windows Easy Transfer utility
• Moves files between two PCs at speeds of up to 480Mbps. Estimate transfer of up to 7,500 songs per hour to your new computer.
• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (480Mbps) and fully backward-compatible with USB 1.1 low-speed (12/1.5Mbps)
• Windows 7 32- and 64-bit certified
• 8-foot cable length

It comes with a life time warranty and is presently available in North America for $39.99 and is expected to hit the European and Asian Markets in Q1, 2010.

Click here to buy this product and make the windows 7 upgrade process on your new PC a breeze.

Tags: Easy Transfer Cable, Microsoft Easy Transfer, Microsoft Windows Easy Transfer, Transfer Operating System, Upgrade To Windows 7, windows 7, Windows 7 Easy Transfer, Windows 7 OS, Windows 7 Upgrade
]]> http://tnerd.com/2009/10/26/migrating-to-a-windows-7-based-pc-use-belkin%e2%80%99s-easy-transfer-cable-for-the-upgrade/feed/ 0 http://tnerd.com/2009/10/24/mac-attack-on-windows-7-apple-launched-new-ads-attacking-microsoft-on-windows-7/ http://tnerd.com/2009/10/24/mac-attack-on-windows-7-apple-launched-new-ads-attacking-microsoft-on-windows-7/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:41:49 +0000 Abbas http://tnerd.com/?p=6523 Even Microsoft agrees that Vista was a mistake in many way, they just don’t day it out loud. Apple clearly took Vista as the opportunity to break through the Windows community by focusing on how troublesome Windows software is and how secure and trouble-free Mac is.

This time when Microsoft is promising that Windows 7 will not be a disappointment; Apple does not leave a chance to say “We’ve heard that before!”

From what I have seen and experienced so far I think Windows 7 is nothing like Vista when it comes to freezing and crashing. Also, I’ve read quite a few comparisons and reviews where Windows 7 outperforms Snow Leopard in certain cases.

Maybe this (somewhat) positive press in blogosphere is making Apple a bit cranky. So, what’s the next best thing to do? Launch new Anti-Windows 7 ads just around the Windows 7 launch date.

Watch the following ads which point out two things, 1) How Microsoft made mistakes in the past and 2) How users are eager to switch to Mac!

The Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 OS has completed its final stage of development and the download will be aired through Microsoft Download Center on October 22^nd.

So, what is this XP Mode on Windows 7?

Well, if you somehow ignored the hint in its name, let me expound on what it actually is. Microsoft Windows 7 OS will no doubt have Microsoft’s latest OS technology and superior performance.

Besides this, the new OS is likely to drive in compatibility glitches with hardware biased to support Windows XP. To avoid this, Microsoft found an ultimate solution and calls it Windows 7 XP Mode.

Demo : Windows 7 XP Mode

“Windows XP Mode is designed to provide small business and mid-sized businesses running Windows 7 Professional (or higher) the ability to run Windows XP productivity applications that may not be natively compatible with Windows 7” quoted the Microsoft Press Release.

Windows 7 XP Mode is basically designed for small and medium size businesses which usually find using Windows XP relatively comfortable when compared to newer version of Windows. Ultimately, these businesses refrain from updating to the higher version of operating systems like Windows Vista or Windows 7.

So, the induction of a new XP mode in Windows 7 is more or less Microsoft’s ways of boosting Windows 7 sales or better said – Microsoft ‘s decent strategic approach favoring customer care and consumer interests.

“Windows 7 has a strong compatibility story with Windows Vista, and many applications that currently run on Windows XP-based or Windows Vista-based PCs should just run natively on Windows 7 – allowing you to take advantage of better performance, better management and better security built into Windows 7.”

The Good ? It’s a free download. The Bad? It’s not absolutely free. You’ll need to have a purchased copy of Windows 7 or higher for using the XP Mode on your Windows 7 OS. And make sure, your system has hardware virtualization enabled to support XP mode because some vendors usually disable hardware virtualization for slated reasons.

New Features in Windows XP Mode RC

Based on feedback from the Windows XP Mode beta, we’ve made several improvements to the usability of Windows XP Mode for small and medium-sized business users:

• You can now attach USB devices to Windows XP Mode applications directly from the Windows 7 task-bar. This means your USB devices, such as printers and flash drives, are available to applications running in Windows XP Mode, without the need to go into full screen mode.
• You can now access Windows XP Mode applications with a “jump-list”. Right click on the Windows XP Mode applications from the Windows 7 task bar to select and open most recently used files.
• You now have the flexibility of customizing where Windows XP Mode differencing disk files are stored.
• You can now disable drive sharing between Windows XP Mode and Windows 7 if you do not need that feature.
• The initial setup now includes a new user tutorial about how to use Windows XP Mode.

For further information and technical details on Windows 7 XP Mode, click here.

Click here to buy Windows 7 (pre-order).

Besides this, the first Microsoft Store which is in the final stages of its touch up is supposed to go live reportedly on or after October 22 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Hopefully, this will contribute to ascend public interest in Microsoft’s hardware products like Zune HD, Xbox 360 and so on besides boosting up software sales.

Good Luck, Microsoft.

Tags: Buy Windows 7, Download Windows 7, Microsoft Store, windows 7, Windows 7 Download, Windows 7 Official Release, Windows 7 XP Mode, Windows XP Mode, Windows XP Mode RC, XP Mode for Windows 7
]]> http://tnerd.com/2009/10/18/the-windows-7-download-story-free-download-xp-mode-for-windows-7-on-october-22/feed/ 0 http://tnerd.com/2009/10/15/7-days-to-go-for-windows-7-australia-celebrates-the-launch-on-ustream/ http://tnerd.com/2009/10/15/7-days-to-go-for-windows-7-australia-celebrates-the-launch-on-ustream/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:25:39 +0000 Abbas http://tnerd.com/?p=6384 It’s that time of the year when we get all excited about the new release of Windows only to get disappointed later. This time things seem a little different with Windows 7 and we say this not because Microsoft asked us to say that, they never did, but we say this based on what we have seen and experienced while testing Windows 7.

It is far better than any of the Windows OS so far and is not a resources hogger unlike its previous versions.

That’s that. Another 7 Days to go for the public release of Windows 7 and Australia is celebrating the fact that they will be only second to New Zealand according to the time zone it’s enough reason to celebrate.

Tracey Fellows, GM Microsoft AU, will be joined by James DeBragga to host the event and run the journalists and social media enthusiasts through the feature list.

The event will be broadcasted live on Ustream (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/windows7au-launch).

I am really looking forward to this release of Windows 7, I have my preorders in place and hoping Windows 7 will be delivered on 22nd on October itself.

We will keep you guys updated around the launch activities of Windows 7 so keep coming back to know more.

Microsoft tried every trick in and out of the book to boost Vista sales but to no avail.Things were so bad that the market preferred to continue using the immensely popular XP rather than shell out a lot of money for an upgrade that was not worth it.

Various aspects contributed to Vista’s failure; the outrageous amount of code, its resource hogging nature, lack of sufficient drivers etc were just some of them. Windows 7 comes as a successor to Vista and Microsoft promises that it will not repeat the same mistakes that Vista did.

Users who want to check out the new OS can download the beta version and see for themselves. One way to install Windows 7 is to format your hard disk and remove your existing OS and install the new one.

But there are other options for those who do not want to stop using their current operating system. One such option is that you can create a partition on your hard drive and install windows 7 on this partition and thus create the option of booting from either operating system.

Now, creating a formatted partition is a simple affair in Vista. Select the start button and type “diskmgmt.msc” into the “search” option. This will lead to the opening of a “disk management” window. The window provides you with information on the disk drives in the computer.

Right-click on the appropriate disk and select “shrink volume”. Windows 7 has a recommended hard disk size of at least 16GB, but the actual requirement would be much higher. So select the maximum possible value for shrinking the volume that you can afford. After completing this, we can observe that the volume by which you shrunk the disk is available as a separate partition.

Name this partition as you wish by right-clicking on it and selecting the appropriate option. After this has been done, right- click on the newly created volume yet again. Select the “new simple volume” option and select the appropriate settings for the new partition (specifying volume capacity- it should be the entire volume, formatting the new volume with NTFS file system option etc).

Creating a new partition in machines that use XP is problematic, unless you were intelligent enough to foresee the release of a new operating system and wanted to be prepared for it, at the time of installation of XP. We can create partitions at the time of XP’s installation but would have to resort to third party software to create one after the installation.

There are many such softwares available such as Partition Magic and Gparted, and creating a new partition using this software is similar to the process described before for vista.. One can download the ISO of the Gparted software, burn it into a disc and then install it from there. Make sure that the new partition created is a ‘primary’ partition (an option that has to be selected when creating the partition using Gparted or Partition Magic).

Our next step in the process would be the download of the beta version of windows 7. Click here to initiate download and burn the downloaded ISO into a dvd.

After this, insert the dvd into your drive, boot from the disk and begin installation of Windows 7 following the simple installation wizard instructions.

Please note that when asked to select the type of installation, you select the “custom(advanced)” option and select the partition created by you earlier for installation. Selecting the wrong partition would lead to Windows 7 being installed OVER your existing Vista or XP OS and subsequent loss of data.

The rest of the installation procedure is pretty simple and similar to that of XP and Vista. By the end of it, we will be able to observe a boot screen where you can select either Windows 7 or your already existing XP or Vista OS. Let us hope that the final product is as good as Microsoft claims it to be.

As quite a few of us have already started using Windows 7 RC and as release date of Windows 7 inches closer it’s a good time to talk about migrating information like Browser Bookmarks, User Settings, etc.. from one operating system to another, in this case from XP to Windows 7.

The video from Microsoft Technet (link) shows you how to migrate from Windows XP to Windows 7 step by step.

The technique uses a Windows utility called User State Migration Tool (USMT) which ports all the files and users settings to Windows 7.

The migration might not be as easy to do as you might think but the video will get you through.

This video is viewable at Technet as well, however you will need Silverlight to view it or you can simply download the entire video from the following link.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/7/B/67B39EBB-85AD-4B99-AA25-3 9FFE31DA861/usmtxp.wmv

As we inch closer to Windows 7 (22nd of October) the expiry mechanism for the beta releases kicks-in.

This is a reminder for users running their machines on Windows 7 Beta. Windows 7 will reboot every 2hrs and will expire on the first of August!

If you dont want to get back to your ageold Windows Vista or Windows XP, download and install Windows 7 RC. The downloads for Windows 7 RC will only be available till 15ht of August after which new keys for installation can still be generated but new copies cannot be downloaded.

Downloads for Windows 7 RC is available here.

With Windows 7 Microsoft is going an extra mile to make sure no stone is left unturned for the product to be widely used and accepted.

Microsoft is transparent and more social with all the initiatives it is taking around Windows 7. Multiple blogs have been launched talking about windows; channels have been announced on Youtube discussing the better functionalities of Windows 7, Windows 7 Giveaways, Windows 7 Expert advice, etc.. This time unlike Windows Vista, the software giant is in no mood to take any chances.

TalkingAboutWindows.com is one such site where the real people behind Windows 7 invite visitors to get involved in discussions, ask questions or share their experiences or opinions on Windows 7.

So who’s involved you ask? Following are few of the known names behind the software..

• Jon Devaan, Microsoft Sr VP Windows Core Operating System
• Mark Russinovich, Microsoft, Technical Fellow
• Sharif Farag, Microsoft, Senior Lead Program Manager
• Gabriel Aul, Microsoft, Director of Program Management

Another good resource is Talking About Windows on Youtube. This channel showcases two 10-year-olds talking about Windows 7 and other IT related stuff.

Few other resources for Windows 7:

• Official Windows 7 site [link]
• Windows 7 Team Blog [link]
• Windows 7 for Developers [link]
• TalkingAboutWindows – YouTube [link]
• Engineering Windows 7 – [link]

With so many domains and sites being launched around Windows, I am surprised Microsoft didn’t contact me for one of the domains I own "WindowsStuff.com". I won’t charge too much, just a million dollars and lifetime free supply of Microsoft softwares + beta tester for all Microsoft softwares. Thats not too much to ask, is it?

The application sits on the on the taskbar and lets you operate your emails without opening  your mails in the window.

It works much like iTunes which sits on the bar and lets you Play, Stop, Pause, etc..  Gmail Notifier Plus notifies you as soon as you have a new e-mail by showing a number on the icon, it does not pop up with a message which most of us find annoying.

Click on the icon and you will be able to preview all your new e-mails without even opening them in a new window.

The application is developed by a member of Neowin Forums (daty2k1). Click here to visit the launch thread and here to download Gmail Notifier Plus for Windows 7.