Windows 7 : Java Glossary

Microsoft’s desktop operating system currently in beta, due for release 2009-10-22 to replace Vista. The main difference is most recently used lists of common tasks. It has a XP emulator. It requires reasonably modern hardware, with a Direct-X video card. Windows 7 reminds me of the ad teasing Ma Bell for refusing to innovate and instead concentrating on painting telephones. It is a little less cluttered than Vista, but basically it seems the same. If you purchase now, for later delivery, you can get it at a discount.

New machines come with the 64-bit version of Windows 7 pre-installed. This is the most important change.

Installing

This applies to Windows 7 beta. The production install will presumably be simpler. You are safest to install Windows 7 on a separate test machine with nothing else on it.

If you are using the Boot-It boot manager, watch this video on how to install Windows 7 to its own partition. If you just stumble ahead, Windows 7 will stomp all over your boot manager, and install its own on top of your Vista partition. Make sure you format a primary partition for Windows 7 to fit in, otherwise you will not be able to boot to it, other than via Vista.
Download the 2.5 gigabyte Windows 7 release candidate ISO DVD image from Microsoft.
Write down the registration key, and write in on a blank DVD.
Burn it to the blank DVD using your favourite ISO-burning software.
Boot from the DVD.
The install will hum away to itself for a distressingly long time. Not to worry. It is not overwriting your Vista partition.
Eventually it will ask if you want a custom install. Say yes.
Select the partition to install into. You can install into an empty NTFS-formatted partition or on top of an existing Vista partition.
It will then copy the files from the DVD to the disk, decompress them and reboot several times.
Eventually it will give you a typing test to see if you are worthy. You must type the registration key gibberish perfectly to prove your mettle.
It will detect all your peripherals and find drivers for them automatically using plug & play. This will work for nearly all your devices. This is not your Grandma’s plug & play.
It will ask you for a user id and password.
Eventually it will show you a betta splendens (Siamese fighting fish) on an almost empty desktop. The install is complete. It will not expire until 2010-03, giving you plenty of time to get rid of it or upgrade to the production version.

If you upgrade from Vista to Windows 7, you will have to reinstall all your software! The upside of this is, you will clear our your registry of old junk as a side effect. There is no direct upgrade path from Windows XP. You have to jump through hoops to keep your old files.

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