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At The Back => The Dressing Room => Topic started by: _tom_ on May 21, 2009, 09:00:14 PM

Title: Windows 7 RC
Post by: _tom_ on May 21, 2009, 09:00:14 PM
Anyone else tried this yet? I've just installed it on my laptop (3 year old Dell Inspiron 6000) and it seems great. I thought it might run slowly as it was never quick with XP, but its so much better! Quite liking the "radically updated taskbar" or whatever they call it, quite handy. Think I might put it on the desktop soon. The only problem at the minute is that it doesnt boot up very quickly, takes ages to get in but when you're in its fast. Same issue on my mates desktop which isnt much different a spec from mine...

(http://i41.tinypic.com/hwy2wo.jpg)

Looks nice :)


edit - just realised for some reason I didnt format it, so I have a big folder called "Windows.old" which takes up over 20gb. Can I just delete this to free up some space?
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: ailean on May 21, 2009, 10:17:15 PM
Yes you can delete it, but if you do you lose the option to roll back.

I've not tried it yet as my home PC isn't really up to it. It's spec'd ok but some of the hardware is older and doesn't do well with Vista drivers, so I think Win 7 will crash and burn.

If it turns out well then I might consider a system upgrade. But I'd rather spend the money on gear :)
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: JDC on May 21, 2009, 11:36:03 PM
tom if you ain't heard, you'll be getting forced shut downs every 2 hours in March 2010

one of the features I like is the XP mode, it's only on the business versions but it lets you run programs in an xp virtual machine that's integrated into the windows 7 desktop itself, so it looks like a normal program instead of having to run a virtual pc... only works in certain very new processors though
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: Lew on May 22, 2009, 01:08:31 AM
Cool the new windows os is close and Digidesign still haven't given Protools $%&#ing vista compatability  :snipe:
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: _tom_ on May 22, 2009, 01:12:49 AM
Yes you can delete it, but if you do you lose the option to roll back.

I've not tried it yet as my home PC isn't really up to it. It's spec'd ok but some of the hardware is older and doesn't do well with Vista drivers, so I think Win 7 will crash and burn.

If it turns out well then I might consider a system upgrade. But I'd rather spend the money on gear :)

Ah ok cool. I dont really want to roll back, this is fine for me :) My specs are pretty poor but it runs 7 so much better than XP. Specs are:

1.73ghz pentium m processor
1gb ram
128mb gfx card (though I'm not using aero)
60gb hdd
other cheap laptop stuff

tom if you ain't heard, you'll be getting forced shut downs every 2 hours in March 2010

Yep I knew that, but I'm thinking by that time I'll have probably changed computer or upgraded to a different OS so it shouldnt really affect me.. if it does I have XP Pro I can go back to until a proper version of 7 is available.
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: Adam.M on May 22, 2009, 01:28:36 AM
I'm surprised it's only doing that in March, It is after all just so you can see it and test it, it's just a Beta after all.

It does look good though, I have the 7000 Build on here and I'm going to have to check this RC/7100 out.

Is the task bar solid by default? I didn't like the see through one that the beta had, though having the option of transparency is always good.

I think I may buy Windows 7... here's to hoping they don't screw it up.
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: Roobubba on May 22, 2009, 02:38:18 AM
Word has it that W7 is working very well on legacy hardware. Far better than Vista in all cases, and in some cases also better than XP. Microsoft are definitely to be commended on that achievement!

I'll be trying out this release candidate fairly soon (few things to get out of the way first, though!).

Roo
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: _tom_ on May 22, 2009, 10:31:15 AM
Yeah I wasnt going to bother until I found out it was available til March. I'm impressed though, my laptop has never ran so smoothly! Just dont know if I want to make the change on my main computer yet because of the slow startup time :(
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: MDV on May 22, 2009, 02:01:45 PM
I'm quite looking forward to windows 7. As soon as its out, RME have stable fireface drivers for it and when I know that DFH Sup 2 and a good DAW (not that fussed which anymore) work on it, I'm finally getting the i7 machine I've been planning for 6 months with it.

Use it as a 100% audio machine, keep my current one for tat; games and stuff.
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: JDC on May 22, 2009, 03:54:47 PM
hey tom since you've only got 1gb of ram, I'd get a fast usb stick or a fast memory card and use the readyboost feature, especially if you get the odd bit of hard drive stutter
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: ailean on May 22, 2009, 06:23:56 PM
Tom, did you have the option to dual boot install Win7? I'd like a look at it but can't afford to take down my XP environment.
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: _tom_ on May 22, 2009, 07:31:14 PM
I think you can do that but I have no experience with dual booting machines so could be wrong.
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: Adam.M on May 22, 2009, 09:06:08 PM
I'm quite looking forward to windows 7. As soon as its out, RME have stable fireface drivers for it and when I know that DFH Sup 2 and a good DAW (not that fussed which anymore) work on it, I'm finally getting the i7 machine I've been planning for 6 months with it.

Use it as a 100% audio machine, keep my current one for tat; games and stuff.

Surely by then what you designed 6 months ago will be obsolete? as is the way with these things... sadly :(
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: indysmith on May 22, 2009, 11:55:52 PM
I'm quite looking forward to windows 7. As soon as its out, RME have stable fireface drivers for it and when I know that DFH Sup 2 and a good DAW (not that fussed which anymore) work on it, I'm finally getting the i7 machine I've been planning for 6 months with it.

Use it as a 100% audio machine, keep my current one for tat; games and stuff.

Surely by then what you designed 6 months ago will be obsolete? as is the way with these things... sadly :(
Yeah - boooo technological progress! Classic example of a guitarist :lol: Stuck in the '50s
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: MDV on May 23, 2009, 01:56:07 AM
I'm quite looking forward to windows 7. As soon as its out, RME have stable fireface drivers for it and when I know that DFH Sup 2 and a good DAW (not that fussed which anymore) work on it, I'm finally getting the i7 machine I've been planning for 6 months with it.

Use it as a 100% audio machine, keep my current one for tat; games and stuff.

Surely by then what you designed 6 months ago will be obsolete? as is the way with these things... sadly :(

No, but it should cost less than £1700 :)
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: JDC on May 23, 2009, 12:36:07 PM
I dunno how much CPU power recording and mixing uses but I don't see the point in spending a billion pounds on an i7, and then a 2nd billion on ddr3

the only thing I do that bothers a CPU is play the odd game and a top gaming rig without going silly is about £800 if you build it yourself, and that's more about graphics card power unless your still in 1999 and play games at 800x600

but idle computers still use tons of power and I'm really curious if one of those atom based PCs would pay itself off for browsing without too much of a performance hit through the savings made on the electric bill
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: MDV on May 23, 2009, 12:57:36 PM
I dunno how much CPU power recording and mixing uses but I don't see the point in spending a billion pounds on an i7, and then a 2nd billion on ddr3

the only thing I do that bothers a CPU is play the odd game and a top gaming rig without going silly is about £800 if you build it yourself, and that's more about graphics card power unless your still in 1999 and play games at 800x600

but idle computers still use tons of power and I'm really curious if one of those atom based PCs would pay itself off for browsing without too much of a performance hit through the savings made on the electric bill

Depends what youre recording and mixing. The recieved wisdom is that lots of tracks + lots of VSTs needs lots of power. However, I've run into significant reproduction problems with just 8 guitar tracks and a sinlge midi of moderately dense drums on 7 and 8 minute songs, such that I've had to alter the latency to get rid of popping and crackling while it tries to retrieve all the samples and play the guitar wavs. Thats part soundcard (EMU and then fireface, so no problem with either of those) but significantly affected by the speed of the computer.

Given that, I'd rather use something way too powerfull than something thats not powerfull enough.

Also, one needs to keep ones audio PC clean and clear, so one for that and one for games and internet.
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: indysmith on May 23, 2009, 01:38:58 PM
It's worth thinking about a UAD card in an audio PC; they're great, and take a lot of the processing away from the CPU.
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: MDV on May 23, 2009, 03:07:51 PM
It's worth thinking about a UAD card in an audio PC; they're great, and take a lot of the processing away from the CPU.

Interesting. How so?
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: sgmypod on May 23, 2009, 03:35:42 PM
or freezing tracks that you not recording on
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: MDV on May 23, 2009, 03:36:23 PM
or freezing tracks that you not recording on

No good for playback!
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: JDC on May 24, 2009, 10:01:30 PM
can't you record a new track of each track with VSTs, then the sound is all recorded and you can mute the original track so there is no processing

or do you need all the VSTs going at once to fiddle with the mix or something?
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: MDV on May 24, 2009, 10:42:04 PM
can't you record a new track of each track with VSTs, then the sound is all recorded and you can mute the original track so there is no processing

or do you need all the VSTs going at once to fiddle with the mix or something?
Well varies, obviously sometimes you have one on, or combinations or all. You cant avoid significant time listening to all the tracks at once, on account of it being, y'know, mixing.
Title: Re: Windows 7 RC
Post by: indysmith on May 25, 2009, 12:35:34 AM
It's worth thinking about a UAD card in an audio PC; they're great, and take a lot of the processing away from the CPU.

Interesting. How so?
It is digital signal processing hardware, connected via PCI-E. It comes with a bunch of really really nice sounding plug-ins that it processes itself. The new one has just come out and has vastly improved amounts of processing power. It's one of those things that once you've used, you feel like you can't live without.
I know I sound a bit vague, as I don't own one - I've just used them at uni, but they really are great, and do the only convincing impression of an 1176LN that I've heard.
Check the UAD website for more in-depth info.
http://www.uaudio.com/products/uad/index.html