Comments on: Mobile Tech Minutes: Windows 7 UI for the netbook

By: James Kendrick

James Kendrick — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:36:39 +0000

I should point out that Google Chrome doesn’t work with these Win7 windows tricks. It seems they don’t follow standard Windows guidelines for their window.

By: Seth

Seth — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:12:33 +0000

Nice format for this review.

By: GoodThings2Life

GoodThings2Life — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:33:55 +0000

@zframe,

I think this is a great feature and find myself already missing the tiling features when I move back to my XP-based work systems.

What I can’t figure out is how to duplicate the resizing issue you mention… in fact, when I try it as you describe, it sizes to full screen automatically edge-to-edge as you suggest without actually maximizing it.

By: GoodThings2Life

GoodThings2Life — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:30:36 +0000

Exactly, Kevin… I’ll pick familiarity, usability, and compatibility over price any day.

By: Kevin C. Tofel

Kevin C. Tofel — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:45:12 +0000

“In the cost race, Microsoft loses.”

That’s true, but it’s not solely a cost race. If it were, Ubuntu would be on every x86 device, no?

By: Foo

Foo — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:18:31 +0000

Windows 7 minimum requirements (according to Microsoft):

* 1GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)
* 1GB of main memory
* 16GB of available disk space
* Support for DX9 graphics with 128MB of memory

Ubuntu 8.10 minimal requirements (according to Canonical):

* 700 MHz x86 processor
* 384 MB of system memory (RAM)
* 8 GB of disk space
* Graphics card capable of 1024×768 resolution

XUbuntu minimum requirements:

* 300 MHz processor
* 256 MB of system memory (RAM)
* 8 GB of disk space
* Graphics card capable of 800×600 resolution

As you can see, when we have netbooks capable of running Windows 7 priced at $300, we’ll have netbooks capable of running Linux for $200.

When we have netbooks capable of running Windows 7 priced at $200, we’ll have netbooks capable of running Linux for $100.

In the cost race, Microsoft looses.

By: Molybdo42

Molybdo42 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:38:26 +0000

@ zFrame :
I already use this drag to the corner/resize thing in Vista (a freeware AeroSnap). And I really like it, especially the possibility to put two windows side by side.

I don’t think it will be an issue. Because the resize will only take place if your mouse is within a few pixels near the edges of the screen when you release the left click.

So it won’t be an issue for high resolution screens. For lower resolutions it might be an issue, but I hope that they will let us choose the size of those “resize borders”.

By: James Kendrick

James Kendrick — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:22:03 +0000

It does Dave but it doesn’t show the bigger video window that way. Makes it a bit harder to see a full screen capture like this but I’m glad that YouTube realizes that HD is here to stay.

By: Dave Zatz

Dave Zatz — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:14:33 +0000

James, don’t know if you read that YouTube embeds now have a HQ (high quality) toggle right in the video itself. It may not be HD, but I don’t need to leave your site to see better resolution. While the video is playing, hover over that triangle in the low right, click on HQ, and the better stream arrives.

By: Christopher Spera

Christopher Spera — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:38:56 +0000

I’ve ordered a new Wind and it should arrive later this week. I gave the old one to the family. The new one, a 422, has a larger hard drive, Bluetooth and 802.11b/g/n. Win7 and OSX are going on it to be sure. Not certain if I’m going to put Linux on it or not…

Can’t see the video here at the office, but will certainly come back after I get home to take a look.

By: zFrame

zFrame — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:07:57 +0000

i actually find the new maximize & vertical-tile features to be quite obnoxious. i can no longer resize windows to go to the edge of the screen because they will automatically maximize. i wonder how many other users will report to MS that they dislike it after extended daily use. hopefully MS provides a way to disable it in the final release.