Windows 7 WUDT Tool

By DustinPosted on

For those that want to upgrade to Windows 7 on your Netbook, or a similar device without using the DVD drive, Microsoft has released a tool (Dubbed the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, or WUDT) that allows you to install Windows 7 using a USB drive. Sure, you’ve been able to do this before, but now it’s done using an official, supported Microsoft branded piece of software.

“For netbook users without DVD drives, the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool [WUDT] will take an ISO image and create a bootable USB device that can be used to install Windows 7,” Microsoft spokesperson Brandon LeBlanc wrote in an Oct. 22 entry on The Windows Blog. “The WUDT can also create a Windows 7 installation DVD from the ISO file as well.”

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Tomorrow Is The Day

By DustinPosted on

Well, tomorrow is the official day Windows 7 is released. Anyone have any plans on running out and buying a copy off the shelf or ordering from Newegg or Amazon? I’m running it right now, and it’s awesome. Much better than Vista, and Vista was good. If you’re going to hold off until you build your next (or buy) PC, don’t hold off too long! 🙂

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Flight Sim on 24 Monitors

By DustinPosted on

So, I’m a bit of a MS FSX (Flight Simulator X) fan, which is no surprise. And I’ve heard of the ATI Eyefinity feature of their new GPU line. But, seeing both together was just…. Wow… I know what I’m going to be upgrading to this coming Spring (I’m waiting for the Spring refresh).

What you see above is a flight simulator running on 24 monitors from one PC, the holy grail for most flight sim addicts. What was once the domain of hacks, registry tweaks, or amazingly expensive proprietary solutions is now easy. Very soon, you will be able to get that in off the shelf consumer products. This is what AMD calls Eyefinity.

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Mariland Gets Free MS Training

By DustinPosted on

Mariland is a lucky state. They can get free vouchers from the employment office for free training on Microsoft products. That’s really nice and all, but I’m not in Mariland! 🙂 I wish this was a country wide promotion. I could use some training in some MS products that I rarely use to get up to speed and be a knowledgeable user! And free certifications?! At least this says one thing: Microsoft is one of the very few US companies that are actually investing in the US economy and recovery. Thanks Microsoft! You’re one in a million!

Marylanders will be able to use the vouchers to take advantage of Microsoft eLearning courses delivered over the www, and to cover the cost of certain Microsoft certification exams. Maryland state employees are not eligible for this program.

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XBox 360 Social Networking App Preview

By DustinPosted on

For those that are interested, CNET has a preview of what to expect when Microsoft finally releases their Social Networking features on the XBox 360. While some of you love Twitter, I’m not so much a fan. I use it very rarely. I use Facebook, but won’t be updating by my XBox. But, the last.fm feature will get a bit of usage. I love music, so that’s a bonus. I’d like to see XM and/or Sirius satellite radio streaming included. That’d be cool.

Microsoft was expected to release Twitter, Facebook, and Last.fm apps for the Xbox 360 as part of a system software update that went out back in August. It was decided that the apps should be delayed for a fall release, but CNET got a sneak peek of the apps on Wednesday from Ron Pessner, Microsoft’s general manager of games for Windows Live.

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Micheal Dell Talks Up Windows 7, Trashes Notebooks

By DustinPosted on

Micheal Dell says that you’ll love your PC again, with Windows 7, Office 2010 and the new range of Intel processors. I’ve loved my PC for quite a while. Don’t know why he hasn’t liked his. Maybe because he got a Dell, dude! I’ve never really liked the guy, myself. But, Dell computers used to be good quality, until the past couple years. I’ve worked on more Dell problems than any other. And most of my clients are switching to HP or Acer. Sorry, Dell…

Stolen OS Idea’s

By DustinPosted on

With Windows 7 just around the corner, the Mac folks are touting what Microsoft stole from the Apple camp and vice versa. Well, it seems that both are guilty of “stealing” idea’s for their ideas and have been for a while now. Is this a consiracy, or the usual evolution of the way things work? Hmmmm…. How many TV’s out there have similar features? Personally, I could care less either way. Just make sure the damn thing works, and works well!

Although Mac fanboys and Windows zealots don’t like to admit it, the fact is that both Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard contain features that originated in the other OS. Some features were stolen so long ago that they’ve become part of the computing landscape, and it’s difficult to remember who invented what.

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Should MS Push MSE Through Windows Update?

By DustinPosted on

Windows 7 News has a nice little piece on whether or not to push Microsoft’s new Security Essentials through Windows Updates. While I agree with him that it should be pushed (as an optional download, of course), I don’t agree that it won’t happen. I think that Microsoft will put it on Windows Update. There are too many users out there without any protection, and this would allow them to install something. Although, if they don’t have any virus protection, I’m not so sure they’d do the optional updates, either. I did find out something new, though. As I always put anti-virus software on my new installs first thing, and definitely before I go online, I’ve never seen the screen that he shows when you aren’t running any AV software. Nice addition, I do say myself. Of course, if they do include it in MS updates, I wonder how many companies would cry foul?

First of all we should look at the differences between XP and Vista on the one side and Windows 7 on the other.

Windows 7 Performance Tests

By DustinPosted on

Computer World has done some tests comparing Windows 7 to it’s predecessor, Windows Vista, and the results are what I expected, although some are surprising.

Given that, it’s no wonder that improving performance was one of Microsoft’s design goals with Windows 7. Many reviewers have said that the new operating system feels faster than Vista. In our extensive PC World Test Center evaluations comparing the two, we found an increase in speed, though the overall improvement wasn’t dramatic.

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