So here are six suggestions that I believe would be crucial to Windows Seven’s success:

• One version, Modular Installation: Boy, did Apple ever have it right with that “Basic version for $129… Premium version for $129… Business version for $129… and an Ultimate version, for $129″. One of the major criticisms Vista has faced since before it ever even hit store shelves, has been the amount of available editions. This has got to go! Users should not have to stare at the store shelf for ten minutes, looking at the comparison tables on each box, deciding which version to pick. Windows Seven MUST ship in one version, and one version only. The solution to this? Modular installation. Let the user pick what applications and features to install during the setup. To make this process easier, there should be four suggested “installation modes”, where the user can select whether they want to optimize the installation for a Home environment, a Business environment, or a Full installation (the fourth “mode” being custom). The installer will then highlight and select the suggested components to install, yet still allowing the user to make the decision in the end. That means one version and one price tag, allowing you to have the Seven you want.

• 64-bit as the new norm: While 32-Bit support should indeed remain; it’s time to start moving on. As it stands with Vista, users who want the 64-Bit installation media have to pay an additional $10 fee, plus shipping and handling, and have to then wait 4-6 weeks for the discs to arrive (unless you purchase Ultimate edition, of course). Yet, nearly all computers within the suggested system requirements for Windows Vista already have support for 64-Bit operating systems, so why not make the move over? 64-Bit is clearly the way to go, and there’s no reason to prolong 32-Bit’s wrath. It’s time for the ones with outdated systems to start paying the fees for additional discs, not those who have already paid a premium for a decent computer.

• Integrated Security: It’s the first warning you see every time you boot up Windows for the first time, you’ve got no Anti-Virus installed. Here’s a solution, include some? OneCare has been out for some time now and has been improved significantly since v1, and there’s no real reason why OneCare shouldn’t be integrated into Windows Seven. Better yet, have it as an option during the setup (see my first point). It’s lightweight, would easily suffice in terms of malware prevention/detection for most users, and would provide Windows users with the much needed peace of mind knowing that their system is secure, for no extra cost.

• Windows Live from the get-go: The need for the integrated versions of both Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Mail are long gone, and it’s time for Live to finally make an appearance in Windows, right from the get-go. What’s the point in integrating lesser versions of the same software, when the newer and better versions can be downloaded for free anyways? While they’re at it, might as well integrate Windows Live Messenger as well. They used to include Messenger in previous versions of Windows, so why stop now? And with the increasing amount of personal blogs on the interwebs these days, it only makes sense to include Writer as well.

• Descriptive Error Messages: As much as I would prefer having no error messages at all, we all know that’s never going to happen, don’t we? But, “Something happened because it doesn’t like you” just doesn’t cut it anymore. Errors need to be displayed in a clear, concise, and monkey-friendly way. Not everyone that uses a computer is a senior developer at Microsoft ya know.

• “Gaming” Wireless Mode: One little quirk that has affected not only Vista, but its older brother ExPee as well, has been wireless-induced lag; a big no-no for gamers. For some reason, every 60 seconds, “WLAN AutoConfig” (formerly “Wireless Zero Configuration”) has a hankering to search for closer, faster, stronger (We can rebuild him!) networks, despite the fact that you’re already happily connected to a network. The problem with this is that whenever this search is performed, wireless performance can grind to a halt, causing massive lag spikes for gamers. And if you’re a gamer, you know that ever millisecond counts. I suggest that a new “Gaming Mode” is implemented in Seven, where the user has a quick check/uncheck option to enable or disable this search for new networks, via the wireless tray icon. With this, you’ll be back in the game and no-scoping in no time.

So what do you think; what does Windows Vista lack and what features are you dying to see in Windows Seven?

If you’re Canadian, and interested in purchasing a Zune, you can now pick one up at most major retailers (ie. Future Shop, Best Buy, and so on…). The unit is available in the same three flavors as usual, with a 4GB, 8GB and 80GB model priced at 139, 189 and 249 loonies respectively (that’s $10 more on each compared to their US brotherin, for those who are interested).

And look at that, just on time for father’s day. Strategic planning on Microsoft’s part? I would think so.

I thought you would. For those who aren’t “in the know”, Fiji is scheduled as the next update to Windows Vista’s Media Center, or an Update Rollup if you will. Well, thanks to a good friend whom some of you may know by the name of BoInTheMix, I have some details about this update to share with you today.

Here are just a few bits of information about Fiji:
- Will add DirecTV support, which has been a long time coming (since 2006)
- New built-in Updating engine (seperate from Windows Update) dubbed “Windows Media Center Update”
- To be named “Windows Vista Media Center Feature Pack 2008″
- Currently in private beta, but scheduled to be released in the coming months

At the moment, that’s all I can share with you. But more to come as it floats down the tubes…

What, think I’d leave it at that? Bah, never…

What exactly are these new Extras? Two new sound schemes and a couple of new Dreamscene backgrounds! It’s been seven months since we’ve last seen any new Extras, honestly, this is the best you can give us?

Microsoft, I’m sorry, but this has become inexcusable at this point. First, in October, you flood users with more language packs than anyone will ever be able to use in their lifetime, and now you release these “extras”, clearly in a sad attempt to silence our complaints. Well, congratulations, because you’ve done the exact opposite in my books. Users have payed a premium for these so called “Extras”, and a few measly novelty items like these don’t even come close to justifying that premium. You have failed your customers, once again.

Personally, I know I won’t be satisfied until I see a copy of Geometry Wars make it’s way down the Windows Update tubes.

Seeing as how I am currently running not only Windows Server 2008, but the 64-Bit edition as well, this poses to be a bit of an issue for me. Thankfully however, Rafael Rivera quickly discovered that it was not the applications them selves that did not support these operating systems, but the Windows Live Installer, which is required to download and install them. It also seems that installation is as easy as running the individual MSI’s for each app.

This is where things get a bit complicated. The problem here is, that Microsoft doesn’t host each MSI separately and forces users to use the Windows Live Installer, so getting your hands on these MSI’s has been a bit of a tricky process, requiring you to run the Windows Live Installer on another machine which is running a supported OS, find the hidden MSI’s that the installer downloads, and transfer them to your “unsupported” system.

However, with the help of Rafael and Matt Sharpe, I have here the MSI’s for every Windows Live Application there is, for your downloading needs:

• Download Windows Live Messenger 8.5
• Download Windows Live Mail
• Download Windows Live Photo Gallery
• Download Windows Live Toolbar
• Download Windows Live Writer
• Download Windows Live Sign-In Assistant

Just run the individual MSI’s and before you know it, you’ll be running your favorite Windows Live apps on your 64-Bit/Server system!

Knowing my luck though, my order was shipped in three seperate boxes causing them to arrive at different times. The main components arrived on Thursday, DVD drive on Friday, case and monitor the next Monday. Thing is, having all of the necessary hardware to build a system and being sick and tired of using a slow Pentium 4 computer can be a bad combination…

As if being stuck on a slow computer wasn’t enough, I now had the added pressure of having my computer parts sitting infront of me, staring at me, unused. So, naturally, I decided to make my desk a temporary home to my computer.

I decided to make the best of this opportunity and used this optimal cooling method to tweak the system to the extents that these parts are renown for. With the help of an extremely dedicated member at JCXP, I managed to get my 3Ghz Intel Xeon processor up to a stable 4Ghz (4005Mhz to be exact), all the while sitting at a cool 55C at maximum load; ok, cool’ish. I also dug up some of my old red cold cathode lights from my previous system and plugged ‘em in:

(Special thanks to David Letterman for the cameo)

Luckily, on Monday, the wait for the case and monitor was over and I am now sitting infront of a nice 20″ Acer widescreen LCD display with all of my computer’s components resting inside their new cosy Cooler Master CM690 case. So here I am, with the following setup:

And if we take a peek inside to see my nice cabling job… oh, yeah, and the rest of the hardware too:

And to top it all off, the highest 3DMark 06 score I’ve ever attained:

So there we have it, La PC de Resistance. See my post from last week, “Fairwell, Sweet MacBook“, for the full list of system specs

I took a stroll through the Microsoft Learning site today, and I found the following book which is set to be released in August this year: “How We Test Software at Microsoft”

Being a tester for Microsoft software on various levels myself and having a fair bit of background knowledge on the testing process, it will be interesting to see what Microsoft has so say about the testing process and just how far (or *GASP* close) to the truth this book really will be.

I know I’ll be ordering a copy!

*Awaits comments regarding the quality of Microsoft software and how thin this book will be*

Didn’t think I’d be blogging without my own computer now, did you? I’ve taken the opportunity to build my self a new gaming system. I placed the order last night on the following components:

• Intel Xeon E3110 3.0Ghz 45nm CPU (A re-branded Core 2 Duo E8400 with a slightly lower voltage)
• DFI LanParty DK P35-T2RS Motherboard
• EVGA GeForce 9600GT Superclocked Video Card
• 2GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2-800Mhz Memory
• 250GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 Hard Drive
• Antec Truepower Trio 650W Power Supply
• Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler
• Coolermaster CM690 Mid-Tower Case
• Acer 20″ Widescreen LCD Display

A pretty sweet system she shall be which should run Crysis and Call of Duty 4 nicely. The boxes should be on my doorstep within six days Expect pictures and benchmarks.

So fairwell, sweet MacBook. How I will miss your soft glowing white LED light which kept me awake at night.

What does this mean for you? Well, besides the shiny new “2.5″ in the footer, not all that much. Most of the changes are on the back end of the site, sorry On that note however, I have enabled user registrations! Registering will make the commenting process easier by saving your email address, user name and web site (if you have one); you’ll also have a public profile where you can share a bit of information about yourself. On top of that, eventually (once I figure out how to get it working) you’ll be able to upload an avatar which will be seen next to all of your comments. [Pause for "oooh's" and "aaah's"]

Seeing as how most blogs that require you to register tend to tick me off (I prefer getting to know the community before joining), registration is not mandatory for commenting.

If you’ve registered but never received the email, be sure to check your junk email folder as Gmail and Windows Live Hotmail seem to dislike mail sent by WordPress blogs.

So, without further ado, I present to you, Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1:

If you haven’t gotten a hold of the Beta yet, you can download it right over here. If you have any questions about any of the shots above or would like any additional screenshots, leave a comment and I’ll see what I can do
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