Video Tutorial — How To Dual Boot Win7

Want To Try Windows 7 RC? Don’t Delete Your Current OS — Dual Boot

Ever since I posted A Tech’s First Impression of Windows 7 RC, I have been asked questions about deleting the existing operating system to install Windows 7. So I want to be very, very clear — you do NOT want to delete your current, functioning Windows XP or Windows Vista installation, and then put Windows 7 on your machine.

Windows 7 is a beta. And it will “expire”. Those two facts preclude it from being your main operating system.

What you do want to do, is create a new partition and install Windows 7 there, and create a “dual boot” setup. This allows you to keep your old AND try the new. This brief tutorial from C/Net shows you just how to do this.. and how easy it is.

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If after watching this video, you want to do this, Click here to download Windows 7

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Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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XP and Dell

Folks, yesterday I pointed out that June 30th (that’s tomorrow) marks the end of Microsoft’s shipping of copies of XP to retail stores and PC manufacturers, (Install CD’s will be limited to stock-on-hand) and suggested to those folks for whom XP is it, (aka “Vista bashers”) that they should get whatever copies of XP they might need now. XP has reached EOL (end-of-life).

Mike McGinley, who writes My Tech Talk, posted this (helpful) comment, “Dell did announce that customers may buy new PCs with XP until 2009. There is still hope for the (XP) die hards.”

It is true that Dell will continue to ship computers with XP installed past tomorrow’s deadline, but there’s a couple details that — if you’re considering this– you should know:
1) The version of XP is XP Pro– and only XP Pro.
2) You also are buying either Vista Business Edition or Vista Ultimate Edition (Install DVD’s).
3) 2009 is not so very far away. Install CD’s don’t expire.

This is so you can “transition on your schedule” to Vista.
Today’s free link: Dell explains all this, and answers FAQ’s, here. If you’re thinking about this, please read these pages. Also, there’s an interesting comparison chart of the OS’s posted there.

Frankly, since you’re paying for Ultimate Edition w/SP1, and it’s a new machine, I cannot understand why you would want to downgrade it to XP. It makes no sense to me. Vista’s bad rep came from early adopters who tried installing it on older, underpowered machines.. and griped because there was no device drivers for their legacy (that’s a polite word for “obsolete”) hardware yet.
(My deluxe “gaming rig” runs Vista Ultimate Edition w/SP1. Would I do that if “Vista is slow”??? I think not.)

However, if XP is it — or you think you’re going too want XP Home or XP Media Center Edition — for you in the future, I suggest you go get whatever copies (Install Cd’s) you think you’re going to need.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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Attention XP fans– get your copies NOW

Redmond laid to rest rumors that they might reconsider pulling XP from retail shelves and from most PC makers next Monday. Bill Veghte, the Senior Veep who manages Microsoft’s online and Windows business groups, confirmed that June 30 would indeed be the deadline when MS halts all shipments of boxed XP copies to retailers and stops licensing the OS directly to major computer manufacturers.*

So, if you’re one of those folks who thinks XP is the last Microsoft OS (version) you’re going to run, you better go buy whatever copies you think you might need for the future.
It’s going bye bye. Adios, amigo.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

* Source: WServerNews Vol. 13, #27 – Jun 30, 2008 – Issue #681

[Addenda: For more on the latest (last?) Service Pack for XP, including troubleshooting, click here]

Leopard wins title of "best"

You might be aware of the long-running debate known as Mac vs. PC (personified by Justin Long + John Hodgman on the humorous “I’m a Mac” commercials). And you may be aware that there’s a debate whether XP isn’t a better OS than Vista. And, you may be aware that there’s a free OS, known as Linux, which has a few proponents who claim theirs is the best.

Which one’s the best? There’s an awful lot of opinions out there (and if you agree with mine, you’re really smart!), but has anyone every done a true, impartial test to determine which one really is the safest/fastest/most features/cost-effective/easy-to-use operating system today? Well yes, someone has– and the latest comes from PC Magazine‘s March issue.
[Yes, PCMag has long been accused of being a Microsoft puppet and/or shill. Look at the name, though: it’s “PC”, not “Mac Magazine” (and, yes, there’s one of those, too). But how do you write about personal computers and NOT write about Microsoft? Hmm?]

The article compares Mac OS 10.5.1 (the latest “Leopard”), Windows XP SP2, Vista, and Ubuntu 7.10 , and it compares them in these areas:
*Price
*Installation (ease)
*GUI (the graphical ‘look’)
*Bundled Software
*3rd Party Software
*Drivers/Hardware
*Networking
*Security

As you might expect, each OS won some categories, and lost in others; for example, Ubuntu is free, so it will clearly win the Price category, and since it doesn’t have a huge budget for graphic artists (and Linux folk aren’t afraid of the command line) it loses the GUI category. To see the results chart, click here.

The scores in each category were totaled to produce a winner, and the “Microsoft shill”, PC Magazine, proclaims Leopard the winner. (And, perhaps more interestingly, XP and Vista tied.)

My two cents: There are a few flaws in this comparison ‘test’ that shouldn’t be overlooked.
*Vista was tested before Service Pack 1
*The first three categories are largely non-factors: Price and Installation are largely irrelevant to most people. Most people buy a new computer, not an OS Install CD/DVD. And a GUI is a GUI– how pretty it looks has nothing to do with your computer’s operation.

I believe the most important factors are Security and 3rd Party Software.. followed by Drivers/Hardware.
In Security: Leopard wins.. not because its armor plating is more bulletproof, but because less than 3% of the world’s computers are running it and so hackers ignore it.
In Drivers/Hardware: XP SP2 wins.. but time will move Vista ahead as more drivers get written and pass MS’s WHQL.
In the all-important 3rd-Party Software category: XP SP2 wins.. but again, time will move Vista into the lead.

So clearly PC Magazine is wrong. XP SP2 is the better OS.. for now.

How can I say that? Games, baby. Games. There aren’t any for Macs.
And of course.. other programs. Walk into a store that sells software some time and look at the size of the Mac section and then the size of the PC titles. That tells you all you need to know.

OS’s and you: But which one is best for YOU? I agree totally with the author of the article in PC Mag (Eric Griffith): it depends on what you use your computer for.
If all you do is surf the Web, and you’re on a budget, Ubuntu is probably your best choice. If you’re a cutting-edge gamer, you probably will have to struggle with Vista for Direct X 10 titles. If you’re a network admin.. Red Hat is probably your OS (are you ready for Server 2008?).

But the fact remains, the OS you use will be the one that came with your computer. And as I mentioned in “Mac Myths“, which brand you decide to buy will probably be decided by which ‘camp’ you joined.. way back in the early days.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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