Report: Microsoft readies new maximum specs for Windows 7 netbooks

Friendly Computers found out that Microsoft is preparing a guideline for maximum netbooks specs, which will determine which pricing tier different “small notebooks” will fall under when installing Windows 7. Read below for more information:

Microsoft is readying a set of maximum specs for Windows 7 netbooks –or, as Microsoft prefers to call them, “small notebooks” — that will likely dictate which PCs will qualify for lower per-copy Windows 7 pricing.

The alleged Windows 7 netbook specs were published earlier this month on the TechARP technology enthusiast site.

Microsoft established a similar set of specs for XP and Vista netbooks, a category the company had been referring to as ultra-low-cost PCs (ULPCs). The ones it is developing for Windows 7 are designed for netbooks that have smaller screens and single-core 2 GHz CPUs, TechARP said.

(Just to be clear: Microsoft’s Windows unit isn’t confirming any of the information that TechARP is providing and updating regularly about Microsoft’s alleged plans for Windows 7. But a lot of what the site is getting surely seems plausible — and if I were guessing — is coming directly from OEMs.)

A quick refresher as to what Microsoft has said to date about Windows 7 on netbooks:

* All Windows 7 SKUs will be able to run on netbooks. But the ones Microsoft expects most netbook makers to preload are Windows 7 Starter Edition and Windows 7 Home Premium.

* Starter Edition will limit users to running three concurrent applications. Windows 7 Starter Edition, unlike XP Starter Edition, will be for sale to users in both developing and developed nations.

* Microsoft has not shared publicly what it intends to charge PC makers per copy of Windows 7. But it is said to be charging them about $15 a copy for XP when they are preloading it on netbooks — a price significantly lower than it charges PC makers per copy of XP or Vista preloaded on full-fledged laptops and PCs.

When Microsoft unveiled its Windows 7 SKU line-up back in February, I asked how the company intended to determine pricing for Windows 7 running on netbooks vs. laptops/desktops. Would Microsoft charge PC makers less per copy for Home Premium than it charges to run the exact same Home Premium SKU on a full-fledged notebook or desktop system? Would Microsoft attempt to establish itself as the judge of what is a “netbook”?

Microsoft officials had nothing more to say about my questions. But the new maximum spec list — if it pans out — may indicate how the Softies are planning to address these thorny questions.

TechARP claims Microsoft is planning to focus its strategy around SKUs tailored for the netbook market. The site says that Microsoft will be offering netbook makers plain-old Windows 7 Starter; Windows 7 Starter for Small Notebook PC; and Windows 7 Home Basic For Small Notebook PCs (China only). (Microsoft officials said in February that Windows 7 Home Basic will be in developing nations only.)

For Windows 7, “Microsoft has made several critical changes to the maximum hardware specifications allowed for Windows 7 Start / Home Basic editions, as well as the Windows XP and Windows Vista Small Notebook PC program,” TechARP said. Among these changes are:

• “(A) greatly simplified and universal CPU criterion designed for easy understanding and management
• Removal of the graphics and touch limitations
• Limiting screen size to a maximum of 10.2 inches (measured diagonally) as the defining boundary between a Small Notebook PC and a full-featured laptop”

Specifically, according to TechARP’s information, Microsoft’s maximum specs for machines it will consider to be netbooks/”small notebooks” will change in the following ways:

Screen size: With XP and Vista, maximum allowable screen size was 12.1 inches; with Windows 7, it will be 10.2 inches

Storage: Maximum limits for XP and Vista: 160 GB HDD or 32 GB SDD; with Windows 7, it will be 250 GB HDD or 64 GB SDD

Graphics: With XP and Vista, netbooks/small notebooks was “less than or equal to DX9; with Windows 7, there will be no limitation

CPUs: With XP and Vista, netbooks/small notebooks had to have “single core processors that do not exceed 1 GHz frequency, or Intel Atom (N270, N280, 230, Z500, Z510, Z515, Z520, Z530, Z540, Z550);  Intel Celeron 220; AMD (MV-40, 1050P, TF-20, Geode LX, Athlon 2650e, Sempron 210U); VIA (C7-M ULV, Nano U1700, U2250, U2300, U2400 or U2500). With Windows 7, the maximum will be “single core processors that do not exceed 2 GHz frequency, and have a CPU thermal design power that is less than or equal to 15 W, not including the graphics and chipset.”

Recent reports claim netbook demand is down — which is a mixed blessing for PC makers and Microsoft, given that netbooks have been the only bright spot in an otherwise declining PC market. Whether that trend will continue through the Windows 7 launch this year will be interesting to see.

Source: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=2859

Not an easy time to pick a computer

Friendly Computers knows that when buying a new computer you want the best and you don’t want it to be outdated soon after purchasing it. Windows 7 is going to be released soon and this information may help you make an informed decision about when to get your new computer. Read on below…

If you're shopping for a computer now, it may feel like purgatory.
Early reviews of Windows 7 are glowing, but Microsoft's new operating system won't be available for at least three months.
Meanwhile, most computers on store shelves have Windows Vista, which had a bad reputation even before Windows 7 started making it look like day-old bread.

Buying a Mac is no longer an easy solution. Apple's also entering the homestretch on a new operating system that's set to come out later this year, presumably with new hardware as well.

This situation is especially tough during the "dads and grads" season when millions of people usually buy computers for Father's Day or graduation gifts.

Microsoft is putting them in a quandary by releasing nearly complete test versions of Windows 7 that should give pause to anyone considering a new PC.

Vista has improved since its debut in early 2007 and it's working for 180 million people. But Windows 7 performs and looks better. It's as if Vista went on summer vacation, lost its awkwardness and pimples, and came back elegant and poised.

So what are computer buyers supposed to do? Here are a few options and tips that may help.

1. Wait for upgrade coupons.
To keep computers moving off the shelves, Microsoft and PC makers are likely to offer coupons for free and discounted upgrades to Windows 7. They haven't said when this will happen, but it might be around August, in time for back-to-school sales.

Upgrade coupons were announced three months before Vista went on sale. Windows 7 is supposed to be on sale during the holiday season, so that suggests coupons in early fall.

Upgrade coupons won't necessarily be free, though. Some PC makers gave coupons with a 50 percent discount on Vista, and there were charges for shipping and handling discs.

2. Go ahead and run Windows 7.
If you're comfortable with the process, you can start running Windows 7 today. Many enthusiasts are doing this on their home machines. A near-final "release candidate" version of the software is available free from Microsoft, but you'll have to buy a full version after it expires in June 2010.

Prices aren't out yet, but it will probably cost around $200 for a new consumer version or less for an upgrade from Vista.

You can even install Windows 7 on a partition on a big hard drive, so you can decide at startup whether to run it or Vista.

But this is complicated and potentially risky. Be sure you've saved your files and proceed with caution. Windows 7 is still test software and Microsoft advises people not to run it on a primary or essential PC.

3. Don't sweat it. Buy a computer when you need one.
You'll probably be fine with Vista if you buy a current, reasonably powerful system. You can upgrade to Windows 7 later.

Vista, with its "service pack 1" upgrade installed, is now a "very solid product," said Christopher Flores, Windows marketing director.
"I'll be the first to admit that we had Vista hiccups out of the gate - drivers weren't ready, certain things weren't working," he said. "With Vista SP1, Vista performs really, really well - extraordinarily well."

So why bother with Windows 7?

Flores said the new software is "faster, more responsive, much easier to use, more refined, more reliable."

If you buy a Vista computer now, thinking you may upgrade to Windows 7, you won't need a top-dollar system. Microsoft's line is that systems that can handle Vista can handle Windows 7.

The release candidate requires at least a 1 gigahertz processor and 1 gigabyte of RAM for the 32-bit version or 2 gigabytes for the 64-bit. It also needs a graphics processor that supports DirectX 9.
To be safe, I'd get a system with a discrete graphics processor, which is best for premium versions of Vista.

You can also check a PC's preparedness by downloading and running the "Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor" tool from Microsoft.com.

4. Wait for Windows 7.
This is basically the advice big companies are getting.

Last week, Microsoft Windows Senior Vice President Bill Veghte said companies gearing up for Vista should "switch over" and start testing the Windows 7 release candidate.

Consulting firm Gartner said the same thing in a May 13 report, advising companies that haven't started upgrading to Vista to skip it altogether. Even if it means delaying desktop upgrades by six months, it's worth the wait, the firm said.

Companies in the midst of upgrading to Vista should continue but plan to switch to Windows 7 in late 2010 or early 2011, it said. "The Vista ship has pretty much sailed," said Stephen Kleynhans, co-author of the report. "If you're not on it already you might as well wait for the next one, which is Windows 7, because it's just right around the corner."

Source:  http://www.philly.com/philly/business/technology/052109_computer_shopping.html

Dell says Windows 7 price is possible barrier

Friendly Computers found this article which tells us that Windows 7 may cost you more then Vista did. Check it out: 

Windows 7 pricing is potentially an obstacle to Windows 7 adoption for some users, though in just about every other aspect the operating system is beating Vista, according to a Dell marketing executive.

"If there's one thing that may influence adoption, make things slower or cause customers to pause, it's that generally the ASPs (average selling price) of the operating systems are higher than they were for Vista and XP," Darrel Ward, director of product management for Dell's business client product group, said in a phone interview, referring to the various versions of the Windows 7 operating system that are expected to appear.

Ward continued. "In tough economic times, I think it's naive to believe that you can increase your prices on average and then still see a stronger swell than if you held prices flat or even lowered them. I can tell you that the licensing tiers at retail are more expensive than they were for Vista."

In the business market, Windows 7 Professional is expected to be more expensive than Windows Vista Business, the version that Professional is replacing, he said.

Some schools and smaller businesses may not be early adopters due to price. "Schools and government agencies may not be able to afford (the additional cost). Some of the smaller businesses may not be able to enjoy the software as soon as they'd like," Ward said.

Pricing aside, Ward said momentum behind Windows 7 is big compared with Vista. "When Vista came out we didn't have the motivation to do the types of services that we're doing now. We didn't have the clear customer demand for such services," he said. "We do have a visible number of customers, large and small, who are actually waiting for Windows 7 and who have already put plans in place to target the transition to Windows 7, they're asking Dell for help. That demand and this opportunity is stronger than it has been in the past," Ward said.

And Dell is already getting its service organization in gear for Windows 7. "Our professional service organization is beginning to structure service offerings specifically designed to help customers migrate their images, their applications, and their management infrastructure, security capabilities and so forth."

More than half of Dell's business customers are still using Windows XP and these customers will eventually have to upgrade, according to Ward. "XP cannot live forever," he said.

To help users migrate from XP to Windows 7, Dell supports the upcoming operating system's XP mode. "It's one of the things that Microsoft is doing that we think is helpful. Putting an instance of XP virtual machine in the higher end SKUs (models). This is another alternative for compatibility. We'll fully support that in our product and consulting services." he said.

Driver readiness is good, with some exceptions. "Driver readiness--it looks pretty healthy compared to the past. (There are) some things that haven't been worked out. The WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Lab) drivers for AMT VPRO is a little behind," he said, referring to Intel's Active Management Technology, which allows remote access to PCs for security, maintenance, and management.

Generally, however, Windows 7 is much further along than Vista was at this stage, he said. "But if you look at the ecosystem enabling for Windows 7, it is much further along that it was at the same time for Vista," he said.

 

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10242555-64.html?tag=rtcol;pop

Dell says Windows 7 price is possible barrier

With all the hype surrounding Windows 7, its price may be the only thing bringing it down. Friendly Computers has more info below…

Windows 7 pricing is potentially an obstacle to Windows 7 adoption for some users, though in just about every other aspect the operating system is beating Vista, according to a Dell marketing executive.

"If there's one thing that may influence adoption, make things slower or cause customers to pause, it's that generally the ASPs (average selling price) of the operating systems are higher than they were for Vista and XP," Darrel Ward, director of product management for Dell's business client product group, said in a phone interview, referring to the various versions of the Windows 7 operating system that are expected to appear.

Ward continued. "In tough economic times, I think it's naive to believe that you can increase your prices on average and then still see a stronger swell than if you held prices flat or even lowered them. I can tell you that the licensing tiers at retail are more expensive than they were for Vista."

In the business market, Windows 7 Professional is expected to be more expensive than Windows Vista Business, the version that Professional is replacing, he said.

Some schools and smaller businesses may not be early adopters due to price. "Schools and government agencies may not be able to afford (the additional cost). Some of the smaller businesses may not be able to enjoy the software as soon as they'd like," Ward said.

Pricing aside, Ward said momentum behind Windows 7 is big compared with Vista. "When Vista came out we didn't have the motivation to do the types of services that we're doing now. We didn't have the clear customer demand for such services," he said. "We do have a visible number of customers, large and small, who are actually waiting for Windows 7 and who have already put plans in place to target the transition to Windows 7, they're asking Dell for help. That demand and this opportunity is stronger than it has been in the past," Ward said.

And Dell is already getting its service organization in gear for Windows 7. "Our professional service organization is beginning to structure service offerings specifically designed to help customers migrate their images, their applications, and their management infrastructure, security capabilities and so forth."

More than half of Dell's business customers are still using Windows XP and these customers will eventually have to upgrade, according to Ward. "XP cannot live forever," he said.

To help users migrate from XP to Windows 7, Dell supports the upcoming operating system's XP mode. "It's one of the things that Microsoft is doing that we think is helpful. Putting an instance of XP virtual machine in the higher end SKUs (models). This is another alternative for compatibility. We'll fully support that in our product and consulting services." he said.

Driver readiness is good, with some exceptions. "Driver readiness--it looks pretty healthy compared to the past. (There are) some things that haven't been worked out. The WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Lab) drivers for AMT VPRO is a little behind," he said, referring to Intel's Active Management Technology, which allows remote access to PCs for security, maintenance, and management.

Generally, however, Windows 7 is much further along than Vista was at this stage, he said. "But if you look at the ecosystem enabling for Windows 7, it is much further along that it was at the same time for Vista," he said.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10242555-64.html

Is Your PC Ready for Windows 7? This Tool Lets You Know

Today, Microsoft released its Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. Friendly Computers found some more information, which you can read below…

Microsoft has released the beta version of its Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, a free utility that tells you if your PC is ready to run Windows 7. It scans your computer, checking internal components, external peripherals, and programs, and alerts you to potential compatibility issues. It also offers upgrade suggestions, such as which drivers to replace, should you make the move to Windows 7.

It's a good idea to run Upgrade Advisor, which takes only a few minutes, if you plan to install Windows 7 Release Candidate, which is also available as a free download. (The RC expires August 1, 2010.)

After downloading and installing Upgrade Advisor, you'll see an opening screen that advises you to connect all of your external devices, such as hard drives, cameras, MP3 players, and so on.

I ran the Upgrade Advisor on a 2-year-old Gateway MX8734 notebook that with a 1.6GHz Intel Pentium T2060 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive. This system runs Vista sluggishly-no surprise given the 1 gig of memory-and based on initial reports from Redmond, I thought it might perform better with Windows 7. However, a recent PC World Test Center report says that may not be the case.

The compatibility check took about 6 minutes and found a few potential issues. While the Gateway's processor, memory, and hard drive met Windows 7's minimum requirements (I expected this), Upgrade Advisor recommended that I download the latest driver for the Realtek Wireless 802.11b/g USB 2.0 network adapter before installing Win 7. It didn't find potential conflicts with any installed programs.

Upgrade Advisor also pointed out that Windows 7 doesn't include Web filtering (Windows Mail and Parental Controls), and it included a link to Microsoft's Windows Live Essentials site, where you can download the free Family Safety utility.

Upgrade Advisor runs on Windows Vista and Windows XP Service Pack 2.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/164628/is_your_pc_ready_for_windows_7_this_tool_lets_you_know.html

Microsoft releases final Windows 7 system requirements

Friendly Computers discovered that Microsoft recently released the official system requirements for Windows 7. Read more below…

When Microsoft released the Beta of Windows 7 in January, it released a set of recommended system requirements for the Beta (which its officials noted were subject to change). On April 30, concurrent with the beginning of the delivery of the Release Candidate, Microsoft released the final system requirements for Windows 7.

Here are the minimum Windows 7 requirements Microsoft offered in January when it released the Beta:

1GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)

1GB of RAM

16 GB of available disk space

Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128MB of memory (for the Aero interface)

Here are the minimum Windows 7 system requirements Microsoft released on April 30 when it made available the Release Candidate to MSDN and TechNet testers:

1 GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)

1 GB of RAM (32-bit); 2 GB of RAM (64-bit)

16 GB of available disk space (32-bit); 20 GB of avaiable disk space (64-bit)

DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

Note: If you are planning to run Windows XP Mode along with Windows 7, Microsoft is recommending a PC with a minimum of 2GB of memory and 15 GB of additional disk space. “In addition, Windows Virtual PC requires a PC with Intel-VT or AMD-V enabled in the CPU, as it takes advantage of the latest advancements in hardware virtualization,” according to company officials.

I asked whether Microsoft had different requirements for the different SKUs of Windows 7 that it is planning to release and was told (via a spokesperson): “The system requirements are final and not SKU-specific.”

If you’re curious how these final Windows 7 requirements compare to Vista’s requirements, they aren’t all that different. Here are the final Vista system requirements:

1 GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)

512 MB of RAM (for Home Basic); 1 GB of RAM for all other versions

15 GB of available disk space

Support for DirectX 9 graphics and 32 MB of graphics memory (for Home Basic); 128 MB of graphics memory plus WDDM support for all other versions

Microsoft also announced on April 30 that it is readying a beta of a new Windows Upgrade Advisor (WUA) designed to support Windows 7. A spokesperson provided the following information:

“Windows Upgrade Advisor will check any devices that are connected to the PC (with the appropriate driver installed) at the time of the scan. WUA will identify any known potential compatibility issues and will communicate this in the report. Our beta tester feedback has been critical in ensuring Windows 7 is a quality OS and we hope our testers can continue to partner with us on testing this software to ensure the best end-user experience.”

Source: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=2643

Acer confirms Windows 7 available 23 October

According to Acer, Windows 7 will be available much sooner than expected. Friendly Computers found an article that discusses this more in-depth. Read more below…

Acer has confirmed that Windows 7 will be available pre-loaded on their new all-in-one Z5600 PC from the 23 October 2009, not by the end of January 2010 as Microsoft has been previously suggesting.

Although some rumours have put the OS' release closer to the end of 2009, Microsoft has yet to officially confirm that the software will be launched sooner than the 3-years-after-Vista timescale.

Acer also confirmed to us that any Vista-based models purchased in the 30 days prior to this date will be eligible for Microsoft's free upgrade programme.

"23rd October is the date the Windows 7 will be available. There is a 30 day upgrade time so that customers don't wait to buy a new computer, so if you buy during that 30 day period, you'll get a free upgrade to Windows 7", Bobby Watkins, Acer's UK MD told Pocket-lint.

Source: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/news.phtml/23846/acer-confirms-windows-7-23-october.phtml