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Post-Beta Windows 7 Build Leaked With New IE8

CWmike writes "A post-beta version of Windows 7, Build 7022, leaked to Internet file-sharing sites also includes an updated version of IE8, according to searches at several BitTorrent trackers. With Microsoft halting new Windows 7 beta downloads on Tuesday, and blocking all downloads as of noon (EST) today, users are again turning to illegal sources to get the new operating system."

18 of 332 comments (clear)

  1. Does it include the "Versions"? by Doug52392 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'd be pretty surprised if this latest leaked build ends up giving us a sneak peak at what Microsoft's plans to butcher up Windows 7 into 5+ "versions" is. I'd like to try to use my computer with a 2-process limit, just to see how stupid that would be!

    But, I suppose that would be BAD press...

    1. Re:Does it include the "Versions"? by zonky · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Could you launch a startup program that can launch/wrap other executables as a way around it?

    2. Re:Does it include the "Versions"? by Vu1turEMaN · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually the limiting version would be for OEMs, and the one for developing countries would be different.

      A 2gb file size limit is one thing (I've never even heard of that rumor yet), but an app limit is quite another. If you have dual monitors running where you can look at a firefox window while playing a game and some music running on vlc, then obviously the starter edition isn't for you. You probably want the equivalent of the Home one.

      And I don't predict OEMs offering the Starter Edition as the base OS except on netbooks. The default option would probably be the Home equivalent.

      Stop worrying so much about it. Get the features you want by picking the version with the same features. It has always been like that.

    3. Re:Does it include the "Versions"? by EvanED · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Secondly, this is a major lock in for MS. If by using Firefox, VLC, and a third-party game you can exceede your app limit, but if you use IE, Windows Media Player and some built-in Windows game, you don't.

      This is a major [citation needed]. Both show up as separate processes, and since Vista, have little coupling with the rest of Windows components, except the help system which uses the HTML renderer from IE. (Unlike XP and before, when Windows Explorer and IE were very tied together.)

  2. Re:Big deal by hwyhobo · · Score: 3, Interesting

    mostly because I'm a sucker for "shiny new toys", but the key for me is running Linux in a VM so that I can at least get my Unix/Linux fix

    What is stopping you from doing it now? I am running the latest Slackware in a VM on my XP Pro laptop. Why do you need Windows 7 for that?

    --
    End anonymous moderation and posting on /.
  3. Re:WTF. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    From my impressions of it, in public release beta, they have came a long ways to make an OS that is actually intuitive to use. I've had very minimal bugs arise, and am quite pleased from this. I've used and been pleased with many versions of *nix, but 7 is a pleasant experience so far.

  4. MS Marketing Droids working at 150% Capacity by owlnation · · Score: 5, Interesting

    So do we really need to have a Windows 7 article every day? It's in beta, it changes -- and it's not exactly eagerly awaited anyway.

    So, other than MS promoting this as much as the possibly can -- is there any need to have any articles on it at all, unless there's a major change?

    1. Re:MS Marketing Droids working at 150% Capacity by Aladrin · · Score: 4, Interesting

      By some, maybe. Personally, I'm looking forward to upgrading my Vista Tablet PC to Windows 7. I hear it's faster and has quite a few improvements, like the new task bar. So some people -are- eagerly awaiting it.

      --
      "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
  5. After all these years, by christoofar · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I still cannot fathom why people scramble to get the latest copy of a Windows OS way before it's really even declared "ready."

    It's not like your development software is really going to work on the thing; and for that matter--we all know once it finally gets pressed to a DVD the first Service Pack is already on its way out the door, so QA-testing is moot.

  6. Re:Post Beta? by Artraze · · Score: 1, Interesting

    > That's cute, but after their initial release, the Windows version is supported by Microsoft,
    > thus taking [it] out of the test-at-your-own-risk beta stage.

    Oh? I wasn't aware that all one needs to do to create feature complete, bug free software is simply release it. Now don't all you programmers feel silly for spending all that time programming when you should have just been releasing! </sarcasm>

    The fact that MS has decided to release something means absolutely nothing about the quality of the software. Commercial software releases are almost invariably motivated by market forces with little concern for the programs quality (supposing it meats the vague requirement of "merchantable quality").

    What impact does the fact that they are officially supporting it have on bugs or missing features? They're in more of a bug fixing mood right now (when it's beta) then they will be after it's released and they're playing catchup with security. And if something major happens (e.g. it nukes your disk), what recourse do you have? That ELUA you agreed to basically says use-at-your-own-risk. But I suppose you can derive some comfort from that fact that you call the help desk twice for free (IIRC) and have them tell you the same.

    So really, what the GP said is true: the release doesn't matter, and knowing MS it won't be far better than beta until SP1 or so.

  7. Re:Big deal by AlHunt · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Not that I mind microsofties modding me down, but how can the first post be "redundant"? Or is the pointing out the pointlessness of a new Windows release so well known that any mention of it's pointlessness is redundant?

    Humph ...

    --
    1 in 4 Maine children in struggle with hunger.
  8. Re:here's why by fl1ckmasterflex · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Secondly, where did you get these figures from?

    Thats a good question. But do you also ask yourself how statisticians can poll 1000 odd people and get a very accurate reading on 300 million? :) (I'm talking about the pre US elections polling)

    Statistics can get fairly complicated and each poll can be model accurately with a low enough margin of error. As a simple example you can give different weights to statistics of browsers from different websites and them compile a grand total. So while given _ANY_ statistic you can find something wrong with it, you cant simply dismiss it as being inaccurate.

    You might find these linux interesting:

    http://www.oreillynet.com/linux/blog/2007/10/how_can_linux_market_share_be.html

    http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=598383

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_(statistics)

  9. Microsoft should release Windows for free. by master_p · · Score: 2, Interesting

    They have so much money coming from their other products...

  10. Re:Lunix sucks! by hairyfeet · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The problem with your argument is this: and it is another really big problem with Linux. With Windows they often don't HAVE to use reg edit, even for a nasty problem. Why? Because there is usually an uncle/cousin/nephew who is a "power user" and has no problem doing that for them. Or if they are one of those that don't have someone like that in the family they can bring it to one of the multitude of friendly Windows repairmen like me. And we don't support Linux. Frankly it is just too much of a PITA. If you talk to a Windows repairman they'll tell you that like me they tried Linux and left because of something them just drove them batshit insane.

    In my case I went so far as to try to sell low cost Linux boxes, boy what a mistake that was! Why was it a mistake? Five words: Lexmark all in one printer. You ever try to get one of those bastards to work in Linux? Good luck with that! And can you guess what the most popular consumer printer is? That's right, you guessed it! I was able to sell the machines with Win98 and Win2K easier than a nice shiny new Kubuntu because what good is a PC that you can't print from? And you can forget bundling a printer because nobody is going to pay $300 for a 1.4GHz PC with 512MB of RAM simply for the privilege of using Linux. So from a business perspective it is easier to only carry Windows. Even if the machine is Win2K a good 99.5% of the time there is a driver for it. As I just pointed out there is a whole class of consumer product that you will be lucky to get to work at all in Linux.

    Is it the fault of Linux? Nope, not at all. But consumers don't care. They want it to work or they are wanting their money back. As I said Linux is great for servers. All the major server hardware is supported out of the box and it is easier to lock down than Windows. But until I can be assured that everything my customers is likely to pick up in Walmart will work in say Kubuntu out of the box I simply can't deal with it. And talking to local shop owners none of them deal with Linux either. So while your Windows user can drop it off at a "power user" or slip a little cash to a repair shop and have their problems magically disappear, the Windows user trying Linux for the first time is alone, with a big blinking Bash cursor that frankly scares them that they are going to do something wrong. It is TOO powerful for them. So they bring it to me to wipe and put Windows on where they feel safe that they know what they are doing and can get real live help when they need it. Sorry, no sale.

    --
    ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
  11. Re:Reading Comprehension D- by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Ever since the damned monkey took over they have bounced from one idea to another like the company has ADHD while the core market, the business and enterprise markets that pay them the big money, has been given the finger. Mark my words, that is going to come back to bite them in the ass BIG time.

    All hail Ballmer! Ballmer for Microsoft CEO FO LIFE!

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  12. Re:Lunix sucks! by init100 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Now go to the forums like a good Windows user would do and ask for help. Your answer will ALWAYS start with "Bring up Bash and....."

    That's not because fixing stuff is impossible in the GUI, but because it is the simplest solution to describe in writing. If you want to describe how to do stuff in a way that even a noob can understand, you'll have to create screenshots and the like.

    If you won't accept a CLI answer, I'm not going to care enough about your problem to take the time to create screenshots and the like. You either get the CLI solution, or none at all. Take your pick.

  13. Source by Xocet_00 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm just wondering where you read about Starter Edition being meant for netbooks. It doesn't seem like an unreasonable claim, but I was under the impression that Starter Edition was for emerging markets and wouldn't be sold in developed countries. Did Microsoft and/or a netbook manufacturer announce that they intend to supply the machines with Starter Edition pre-installed?

  14. Re:here's why by drsmithy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    5+ years? The Windows version cycle is only 2/3 years. Windows XP was an exception thanks to the huge delay that Windows Vista got.

    Note that if you count ALL the versions of NT, as you should, the cycle looks much more consistent:

    December 1999: Windows 2000
    October 2001: Windows XP
    April 2003: Windows 2003 (/Windows XP x64)
    (Q3 2004: "Longhorn reboot" - restart of Vista development from the Windows 2003 codebase)
    December 2006: Windows Vista
    December 2009: Windows 7