Vista SP2???

[cfvh600]

AFAIK Windows 7 was undertaken with the netbook market in mind, as Vista is too resource intensive for a netbook. Microsoft saw the loss in marketing (not that it's suffering at all) and bad brand perception because of it, and so started with the development of Windows 7, which was also decided to be the next general Windows version. Or at least something along those lines... but hat's already been mentioned.

I did hear a rumour which circulated on a number of sites a while back (will go look for links) that Microsoft was going to be offering Windows 7 as a free upgrade if you had bought Vista. There were 3 distinct "clauses" on this, such as it had to have been bought within a specific timeframe, applied to only Vista Business and Home Ultimate editions, and had to have been bought preinstalled on the system (with proof of purchase).

Don't know what ever happened to those rumours... seems to have been forgotten about.

I read that to. On Tomshardware I think. Something like if you bought vista after June you get a free upgrade to Win 7.

 

[Spartaniz]

On XP Mode....

“Windows XP Mode is the combination of two features. The first part is a pre-packaged virtual Windows XP environment. The second is Windows Virtual PC, which is used to run the virtual Windows XP environment. Customers can install their applications into Windows XP Mode using typical installation processes such as downloading from the Web or using the product CD. Once installed, the applications are automatically available on the Windows 7 Start Menu and can be launched just like any Windows 7 program. Optionally, these Windows XP applications can be pinned to the Windows 7 Task Bar and launched using just a single click from the Windows 7 desktop,” revealed Scott Woodgate, director of Desktop Virtualization and Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) at Microsoft.

Windows XP Mode is essentially an XP environment that offers 100% compatibility with XP-tailored applications. The solution will be made available only on the Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Windows 7. Microsoft recommends that Windows 7 in concert with Windows XP Mode be used on computers with at least 2 GB of RAM. Woodgate also indicated that machines designed to run Windows 7 and Windows XP Mode would have to feature Intel-VT or AMD-V enabled in the CPU via BIOS settings.

 

[killadoob]

Windows 7 only came about due to Vistas epic fail.

Win 7 is just Vista with all the bugs ironed out. Pity they marketing it as a "new" OS and now you got to shell out another couple of Rands to them. And they wonder why people pirate their stuff.

Would not say vista was an epic failure, loads of people who use it love but in terms of getting support it failed. People put it down long before its release which was rather sad because i feel vista is still better than xp, the thing that killed vista is it was slow on slower pc's other than that is was solid and stable and ran very well on a good pc. Rather stupid for microsoft to release an OS that needed horse power to run well because you want companies to upgrade not run like hell , windows 7 though is going make microsoft so much flippin money because i have no doubt companies will jump all over it as xp needs to be replaced by something and vista was not it, windows 7 is for sure.

 

[wishblade]

Would not say vista was an epic failure, loads of people who use it love but in terms of getting support it failed. People put it down long before its release which was rather sad because i feel vista is still better than xp, the thing that killed vista is it was slow on slower pc's other than that is was solid and stable and ran very well on a good pc. Rather stupid for microsoft to release an OS that needed horse power to run well because you want companies to upgrade not run like hell , windows 7 though is going make microsoft so much flippin money because i have no doubt companies will jump all over it as xp needs to be replaced by something and vista was not it, windows 7 is for sure.

Also, when 7 gets released, those companies running support for software on a current minus one basis will have to do an upgrade...

 

[rudirautenbach]

Excuse my ignorance, but would that be June 2008 or June 2009, qualifying for the "free" upgrade/switch? If the public release is planned for May then I see no logic in anyone (with some sense) buying Vista after that. Even if the release to the stores are delayed surely people would just wait it out, wouldn't they?

I bought Vista Ultimate in December 2008, I would really be happy if I can at least get a rebate...