Windows 7 Performance Tools - Performance Tools Kit 4.1.1
Internet Explorer 8 will be not only an apex of performance, but also the next major iteration of the Windows client, according to Microsoft.
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1.9.2008 Dear netbook, thank you for Windows 7
How does the netbook affect the development of Windows 7? It's time to connect the dots.
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24.3.2009 Windows 7 on a netbook - My verdict
I’ve been running Windows 7 on a Samsung NC10 netbook for some months. With the Windows 7 Release Candidate now leaked, it’s time for a verdict on whether Microsoft’s latest OS is suited to these tiny portable PCs.
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28.4.2009 Is Windows 7 the Linux-netbook killer?
When it comes to PCs and laptops, Microsoft had little to fear with Linux as much as it does the Mac. But now the new threat to Windows comes in the form of 'netbooks' - lightweight, low-cost laptops that typically use Intel's low-powered Atom processor and don't come with substantial amounts of RAM or powerful graphics processors.
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24.12.2008 Why Windows 7 will win the netbook war
There’s been much debate recently on whether Linux will be able to strive in the netbook war once Windows 7 is released.
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2.2.2009 Windows 7 Wins on Netbook PCs
Brad Brooks, corporate vice president for Windows Consumer Product Marketing, discusses Microsoft’s take on netbook PCs and how Microsoft’s newest operating system, Windows 7, will support these small computers.
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4.2.2009 Will Windows XP keep ruling the netbook?
Since the shipment last year of the earliest netbooks, Linux has fallen drastically behind Windows XP, according to new research by two industry analyst groups, Ovum and the NPD Group.
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10.4.2009 Google Android, a Windows 7 netbook killer?
Rumours are spreading that Google is in talks with leading netbook producers to offer a version of Android in anticipation of competing with Microsoft's own Windows 7, an operating system designed to be flexible enough to target everything from the basic netbook market to high-end gaming PCs.
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7.4.2009 Windows 7 Anytime to chisel netbook users
Microsoft is hoping that by pushing a cut-down OS on netbooks it can convince users to upgrade to a more expensive edition. But the asking price for the upgrade, combined with a prosaic set of features, may mean that Microsoft loses out.
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21.7.2009 Netbook Sales Lift Windows XP Home Share
Windows XP had nearly disappeared from U.S. retail PCs in August. By December, Windows XP PCs were second to Vista Home Premium. Netbooks are the reason.
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5.2.2009 Netbook newcomer Hercules hitches horses to Windows 7 wagon
It's hard enough keeping track of every Netbook manufacturer nowadays, but that's not stopping Hercules from getting in the game.
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18.9.2009 Why Apple does not make a netbook
As netbooks continue their inexorable rise up the wish lists of gadget hounds, businesses and ordinary folk alike, the clamor for Apple to join the market continues to increase from all sides.
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5.3.2009 10 things you should look for in a netbook
Who saw this coming? In the day and age of quad-core CPUs, 17-inch laptop displays, and terabyte hard disks, who’d have thought small laptops with slow CPUs and little storage would set the world afire. But that’s just what’s happened.
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19.4.2009 Nokia’s N97: Is this your future netbook?
Nokia on Tuesday rolled out its N97, a high-end smartphone with a 3.5 inch touch display, QWERTY keyboard and social location software to allow people to use Facebook, MySpace and other sites on the go.
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2.12.2008 Why Microsoft is winning netbook wars
During yesterday’s blackout in Atlanta I took my family into the wilds of Gwinnett County, for food with a side of Fry’s.
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14.4.2009 Netbook users not happy with Win 7?
Microsoft has pulled an update tool for Windows 7 from the Microsoft Store site after a report indicating that the tool incorporated open-source code in a way that violated the GNU General Public License.
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10.11.2009 Microsoft readies Win7 netbook specs
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.
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22.5.2009 Microsoft readies Win7 netbook specs
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.
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26.5.2009 HP and Acer Start Netbook Price War
Hewlett-Packard and Acer have lowered prices of their netbooks as the back-to-school sales season kicks into gear in the U.S., offering bargains for users.
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26.8.2008 New Slim Dell Inspiron Mini 12 Netbook
The famous multinational technology company, Dell has introduced its new slim and stylish netbook - Dell Inspiron Mini 12 (1210), which designed primarily for teens, tweens, travelers and ‘Tweeters’ to surf the Web on the go.
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27.10.2008 Maximum Hardware Specifications for Small Notebook PC (Netbook) on Windows 7 Starter (and Home Basic in China)
Microsoft has a list of Windows 7 minimum recommended system hardware specification requirement for desktop, notebook, netbook, nettop, laptop computer and tablet PC that intends to run any versions and editions of Windows 7.
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23.7.2009 Windows Performance Blog
As I said in yesterday’s introduction, my job as an engineer on the Windows Vista team is to improve performance. I wanted to look at a study that measure a key area that we focused on for Windows Vista – consistent responsiveness during the times that matter most to users (when starting up their machine, after being idle, and when you are under the gun running tons of apps, etc.).
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29.12.2006 Windows 7 Performance Pillars
Attempting to avoid the rather sluggish experience that has become inherently associated with Windows Vista RTM, Microsoft promised, through the voice of Steven Sinofsky, that Windows 7 would not set a single “bit” out of Redmond until it would meet a set of performance criteria.
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29.8.2008 Windows 7 Performance, Explained
From startup to the way it handles hardware resources available, power consumption and applications, Windows 7 has been applauded as delivering a level of performance superior to that of Windows Vista, even as early as pre-Beta Build 6801.
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29.11.2008 Windows Vista Performance and Tuning
Windows Vista and SP1 focus on delivering greater performance and overall system responsiveness. By striking a balance between speed and responsiveness, Windows Vista and SP1 deliver a level of performance that has the greatest positive impact on the system’s usability.
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31.7.2008 Windows 7 -- Approach to System Performance
Many folks have commented and written email about the topic of performance of Windows. The dialog has been wide ranging—folks consistently want performance to improve (of course).
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28.8.2008 Squeezing Every Drop of Performance Out of Windows 7
In the sense in which Microsoft is building Windows 7 as the evolution of Windows Vista, the next iteration of the Windows client will perform as if on steroids, compared to its precursor.
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17.12.2008 Windows 7 beta 1 performance test
How does Windows 7 beta 1 compare to Vista and XP in terms of performance? That’s a question that’s been hitting my inbox regularly over the past few weeks. Let’s see if we can’t answer it!
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2.1.2009 Windows Vista Imaging and Installation Performance
Ideally, installation of an operating system is two fairly simple steps. First, copy all the OS files to the hard disk.
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4.10.2006 Windows 7 on Steroids – Next-Generation Performance Boosters
Yes, the silence around Windows 7 is certainly deafening, disconcerting and certainly a source of frustration for end users, but Microsoft is building the next iteration of Windows.
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20.5.2008Windows 7 vs. Windows XP On a Netbook
Many in the industry are counting on Windows 7 to bring the netbook market to the next level. Having netbook manufacturers ship netbooks with 7+ year
old Windows XP pre-installed surely deterred some from joining the ranks of households with the small, light and portable netbooks. It seems Microsoft
has addressed most of the pitfalls of Windows Vista on a netbook by increasing battery life and performance to be very close to that of the
lighter-weight Windows XP. Legit Reviews has the full scoop of
battery life and performance
tests pitting Windows 7 against Windows XP on the ASUS Eee PC 1005HA Netbook.
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30.07.2009Asus debuts netbook with Windows 7 and 512GB SSD
Asus has debuted an ultra thin netbook S121 running Windows 7 and the worlds largest 512GB solid state drive(SSD). The S121 netbook is equipped with a
1.33GHz Intel Atom microprocessor and uses their touch mode software on Windows 7. This is a huge step for Windows 7 considering that Windows Vista
is not a good option for netbooks. The netbook is expected to be available in a month, but without Windows 7. Windows 7 will be available once it hits
the market later this year. A few weeks back Neowin discussed whether Windows 7 is the Linux-netbook killer and we got great response from our users.
Read full story.....
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07.01.2009Windows 7 RTM sign off set for July 13th
We have some big news regarding the Windows 7 RTM. According to Wzor, the final sign off is set for July 13th. According to a translation, this is the
final roadmap for Windows 7: FINAL ROADMAP FOR WINDOWS 7
: 6/1 - 6/19 BUILDING RTM ESCROW - already assembled RTM ESCROW. 6/22 - 7/10
RTM RECALL - assembly and search for candidates to the final RTM release. 7/10 WINDOWS 7 RTM FINAL BUILD TARGET - build day "gold code". 7/13
WINDOWS 7 RTM SIGN-OFF - the date of signing the final RTM release! We previously reported that Windows 7 could RTM at the end of this month, but it
looks like we now have a final RTM date.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 22.06.2009
Update on Windows 7 RTM
Brandon LeBlanc: Over the past week, there have been many rumors surrounding RTM.
We are close, but have not yet signed off on
Windows 7. When we RTM you will most certainly hear it here. As weve said all along, we will RTM Windows 7 when its ready. As previously stated, we
expect Windows 7 to RTM in the 2nd half of July.
winbeta.org - 14.07.2009
When will you get Windows 7 RTM?
When will I get Windows 7 RTM?
Brandon LeBlanc: I recognize this is an important question to have answered. Many of you
have said you want to know exactly when you will be able to get your hands on RTM. Last Monday, I gave an update on RTM to close
out some myths. In that update, I also gave a broad timeline on when different groups of people “ or śaudiencesť “ would get the final RTM code.
While I have nothing new to add regarding RTM today, I do however have more precise information to give on when you will be able to
get RTM. Again, when you can get RTM depends on who you are.
winbeta.org - 22.07.2009
Microsoft provides update on Windows 7 RTM
Microsoft blogger Brandon LeBlanc has provided an official update on the Windows 7 release to manufacturing (RTM). In a blog posting to the Windows
Team blog, LeBlanc admits "there have been many rumors surrounding RTM" over the past week and notes "we are close, but have not yet signed off on
Windows 7. When we RTM you will most certainly hear it here. As we've said all along, we will RTM Windows 7 when it's ready. As previously
stated, we expect Windows 7 to RTM in the 2nd half of July." LeBlanc also confirmed that Microsoft has an extensive step-by-step validation process
to ensure a quality release of Windows 7. According to LeBlanc "this process takes time.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 14.07.2009
Windows Vista SP1 vs. Windows Vista RTM vs. Windows XP SP2
Principled Technologies has released two Microsoft commissioned reports on Windows Vista SP1 performance. In these tests, Principled Technologies
measured responsiveness of Windows Vista SP1 vs. Windows Vista RTM vs. Windows XP SP2 when performing a set of common business and home tasks. The
results show that SP1 performs on par with Vista RTM and Windows XP.
The test show that as with Windows Vista RTM, overall performance is
on par with Windows XP. It’s important to remember that Windows Vista is a more advanced operating system, which includes many more capabilities
than Windows XP. By default, Windows Vista includes antispyware, a search indexer, and the shadow copy service. All these work in the background,
providing important services to customers, but they of course take up a portion of the PCs memory and processor resource.
On several common
business and home operations Windows Vista SP1 was noticeably more responsive after rebooting than Windows XP.
neowin.net - 28.02.2008
Nokia joins the netbook world
Nokia announced today it has joined the race in bringing a new netbook to the market offering up to 12 hours of battery life with 3G ready Internet.
The small, lightweight and portable mini-laptop is said to weight in at 1.25 kilograms and comes with the backing of Microsoft's Windows operating
system, most likely Windows 7. The mini-laptop or netbook will ship with WiFi-enabled ready for Internet usage. The netbook will also have an
integrated A-GPS working on Ovi Maps allows for pinpoint navigation; the ultra lightweight, aluminum chassis netbook comes equipped with a 12 hour
battery life for maximum usage.
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neowin.net - 24.08.2009
Bright future ahead for Windows 7 and netbooks
Craig Marcho, a support engineer with the Performance Team of Microsoft has blogged his recent experiences with Windows 7 on netbook. A pre-beta build
of Windows 7 loaded on a netbook helped him to run Microsoft Outlook 2007, a number of internal applications, and IE 8 without any issues. Though
Craig hasn't mentioned which version he installed, since it is a pre-beta build of Windows 7, I think we can assume it to be Windows 7 Ultimate.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 04.03.2009
Windows 7 Wins on Netbook PCs
Q&A: Brad Brooks, corporate vice president for Windows Consumer Product Marketing, discusses Microsofts take on netbook PCs and how Microsofts newest
operating system, Windows 7, will support these small computers...
microsoft.com/presspass - 04.02.2009
Microsoft confirms no Windows 7 restrictions on netbooks
Microsoft announced that they have removed the netbook restrictions that previously prevented users from installing any version of Windows 7 on their
netbook. The lifted restriction means users can install Windows 7 starter on a netbook, and that the three application restriction has been removed
as per consumer's request. "OEMs and ODMs have the choice to install any version of Windows on a netbook," a Microsoft UK spokesperson said.
" Starter is an entry version and doesn't have many of the consumer or business features. The three application limit isn't there
anymore." Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic variety only come in 32bit versions and are missing a variation of features from the higher end versions.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 28.09.2009
Microsoft: Another Vista Reliability & Performance Update
Vista’s performance is one of those topics that won’t be exhausted until Windows Seven hits RTM. It all comes down to trade-offs. Ever
since the features of Vista were finalized, Microsoft tried to tip the scale the other way by focusing on performance, with the obvious limitation of
not disabling any services. Updates regarding performance and stability are numerous, but most have not hit Windows Update as they are not quite ready
(preview releases). The Windows Serviceability Team wants feedback on one such update, available for download at the Microsoft Download Center, before
its expected release on Windows Update in January.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 13.12.2007
Engineering Windows 7: Our Next Engineering Milestone
Steven Sinofsky: This post is about the path from RC to what we call RTM, release to manufacturing. RTM is not one point in time but a śprocessť as
from RTM we enable the PC manufacturers to begin their processes of building Windows 7 images for new PCs, readying downloads for existing machines,
and preparing the full supply chain to deliver Windows 7 to customers. Thus RTM is the final stage in our engineering of Windows 7, but the
engineering continues from RTM until you can purchase Windows 7 and Windows 7 PCs in stores at General Availability, or GA...
winbeta.org - 12.05.2009
Google Android, a Windows 7 netbook killer?
Rumours are spreading that Google is in talks with leading netbook producers to offer a version of Android in anticipation of competing with
Microsoft's own Windows 7, an operating system designed to be flexible enough to target everything from the basic netbook market to high-end
gaming PCs. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that HP and others are working with Google to develop netbooks starring Android. Claims that
Google would be getting into the operating systems business go back at least three years, but the current rumours could well prove to be true. Android
is well developed, some key players appear to be in place, and the Google name resonates more strongly with the public.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 01.04.2009
Microsoft charges less than $15 for each XP netbook
Recently Gartner Analysis predicted that the sales of netbooks will grow nearly 80% this year to 21 million units, while overall PC sales decline by
11.9%. Given that netbooks are leading the PC market growth, Microsoft is forced to offer Windows XP for netbooks at a discounted price to gain high
share in netbook market. Microsoft hasn't revealed its pricing for netbook licenses publicly till now, but Wall Street Journal quoting unnamed
sources reports that Microsoft is charging only less than $15 per netbook for Windows XP, less than one third of the estimated $50 to $60
it receives for PCs running Windows Vista. Microsoft usually charges $30 for the Starter Edition of Windows meant for PCs.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 20.04.2009
Confirmed: Windows 7 set to RTM on July 13th
Earlier today the guys over at GeekSmack.net "confirmed" that Windows 7 was set to RTM(Release to market) on July 13, which also coincides with
Wzor's unconfirmed rumor last month. A few minutes ago sources close to the company, who wish to remain anonymous, have confirmed to Neowin that
Windows 7 is indeed set to RTM on July 13. After a year of furious beta testing and continuous leaks every other week, Microsoft is finally ready to
give Windows 7 the green light to hit the market. Currently the Windows 7 team is working on polishing off the RTM build so that no show-stopper bugs
are present in Windows 7.
Read full
story.....
neowin.net - 03.07.2009
RTM edition of Microsoft Hyper-V adds speed
The most notable -- and the most significant -- change between the initial release candidate version (RC0) of Hyper-V and the RTM edition is better
performance. Most of the performance work was done between RC0 and RC1, but not many people knew about it due to (a) not-so-wide a release and (b) a
ban on performance testing by Microsoft. The company just wasn't ready for it to be tested on a wide scale. The performance story between RC1 and RTM
is identical.
QLogic, a
vendor of storage-area networks (SAN) and other components, tested Hyper-V RC1 on one of its own host bus adapters (HBA), based on Fibre Channel.
QLogic hooked the HBA up to a storage array, to test the number of I/O operations per second supported by a virtual machine (VM) as opposed to real,
physical hardware. The results were impressive, and are equally so under RTM, as the underlying performance plumbing didn't change.
winbeta.org - 27.06.2008
The right time to assess Windows Vista's performance
Nick White: Measuring the performance of an operating system is a tricky thing. At the same time, it's the right and necessary thing to do, because
performance is one of many criteria important to customers. Part of the trick of measuring performance is to time testing execution with the product
cycle such that the results are as meaningful as possible for customers; this helps them make a better decision by making use of the full array of
available information. As one example, about a year ago we commissioned a firm called Principled Technologies to conduct a study comparing Windows XP
SP2 to Windows Vista RTM. That study found the performance measures of the two operating systems were within the same range for many tasks that home
and business users frequently perform under real-world conditions.
My point is that we waited to conduct these benchmarking tests
until Windows Vista had reached the RTM milestone in the product cycle, as this allowed us to provide our customers the most meaningful data available
at the time -- the data most likely to directly affect their decision to upgrade to Windows Vista. We do a whole range of performance tests at every
stage of the OS development process, but, as a general rule, we avoid sharing benchmark tests of software that hasn't gone RTM (i.e., final code).
This explains why we have not to date published any findings of benchmark tests (nor commissioned anyone to do so) on performance improvements brought
about by Windows Vista SP1. Publishing benchmarks of the performance of Windows Vista SP1 now wouldn't be a worthwhile exercise for our customers,
as the code is still in development and, to the degree that benchmarking tests are involved, remains a moving target.
winbeta.org - 01.12.2007
Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM and general Availability
You may have seen some of the recent news articles that have started to roll out around the RTM and General availability dates of Windows 7. As
Windows Server 2008 R2 is a joint development effort with Windows 7 we are aligned with the same RTM and General Availability (GA) dates.
With that “ Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM code is on track to be available to our partners sometime in the 2nd half of July. Windows Server
2008 R2 will also be broadly available about the same time as the Windows 7 GA date of Oct 22.
winbeta.org - 03.06.2009
Acer netbook for $99.99, but there's a catch
Radio Shack is now advertising a $99.99 Acer netbook on its Web site. Yet to get the Windows XP-enabled device at that price, you also need to sign up
for a two-year 3G wireless contract from AT&T...
betanews.com - 16.12.2008
