So im planning to run W7 on bootcamp, i was wondering which version i should use, 64bit or 32 bit. I have the new Unibody Macbook with 4gb ram. Im just not sure.
BTW, one really important point the article should have mentioned is that the public beta for Windows 7 is going to close any day. Microsoft has opened it up to the first 2.5 million downloads (which may sound like a lot, but remember how many PC users are out there).
When I downloaded it yesterday, the beta site specifically mentioned that people should download it as soon as possible because they would be closing the beta very shortly.
Beta download is available until February 10th. No download limit until then.
I thought that some of the AI topics on 64-bit Windows vs 64-bit Snow Leopard have suggested that there are a lot of compatibility issues with 64-bit Windows and not just drivers, but applications that are not written to be 64-bit compatible. This is undoubtedly why the vast majority of Windows installations are on the 32-bit platform... Unless you need 64 bit (which maybe you do for a memory-intensive program such as Maya), perhaps you should try out the 32-bit version of W7...
The 64-bit versions of Windows does not need 64-bit applications, but drivers. And yes, every driver must be 64-bit and "signed" (=officially licensed for security) or the specific device will not work.
Most of new Windows systems come with 64-bit version of Vista.
Beta download is available until February 10th. No download limit until then.
Thanks for the clarification. The note on the download site says, "Time is running out! We'll be closing the Customer Preview Program for new registrations soon. So if you want to try the Windows 7 Beta, be sure to register and download within the next few days. (Now would be a good time, actually.)"
Most of new Windows systems come with 64-bit version of Vista.
I guess that makes sense, since the vendor will ensure that 64-bit versions of their drivers are available. I'm installing on a cheapo machine I built with generic parts and don't want to fight driver issues if I can avoid it, so I grabbed the 32-bit version.
Yeah, VirtualBox is pretty awesome. I introduced it at my company and the majority of our developers that use winblows in a VM are now using VirtualBox. Unlike the VMWare/Parallels solutions, VirtualBox is free and always will be, and it seems faster, too (though not for games).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Booga
VirtualBox is pretty reasonable. Once you install the native package its integration is nice, and performance is adequate for casual use. Since it's free and can read VMWare virtual disks, it's pretty easy to try out, too.
I did the Windows 7 thing on it a couple weeks ago and it went a lot more smoothly than this article seems to imply. Just downloaded the iso, mounted it in a new virtual machine, and booted. It booted from the CD and installed Windows 7 normally.
I realise this is completely off-topic, but this point should be well made to all those idiots in IT who think that having password aging is a good idea. I work in an environment where I have to keep track of the logins for about ten different systems, all with different password requirements and which have passwords that expire at 30 or 60 days. Because I can't possibly remember these passwords, I have had to rely on storing those passwords in my bookmarks (I do use 1Password now, but that's not the point).
So my question to all of you password aging idiots is: Is it better to have a password that I can remember that never expires, or a password that expires and cannot be reused forcing me to store my passwords in a format (plain-text) that can easily be found?
Yeah, I thought you'd agree with me.
Now then, back on-topic
Depends on other password requirements. The reason many organizations have password aging is because people do dumb things with their passwords & making them change them every so often helps minimize any damage from a password being leaked to someone with ill intent.
1. You should definitely have a password that includes 3 if not 4 different character types. If you use more character types then the number of possible combinations increases & this helps make it harder to be cracked.
2. You should use a password that is 8 characters in length or more. Going from 8 to 10 characters gives a password more strength than going from 3 to 4 character types. Length makes a big difference in how difficult a password is to crack.
Another way to protect yourself is to always use a different password for things such as IM, e-mail, etc from what you use for accounts with access to financial data.
By the way, you idiots calling others idiots for requiring passwords be changed every so often are a big reason that identity theft is such a huge problem.
I hope you don't work for a financial institution cause if you do let me know so I can avoid giving them access to any of my personal financial data!
Depends on other password requirements. The reason many organizations have password aging is because people do dumb things with their passwords & making them change them every so often helps minimize any damage from a password being leaked to someone with ill intent.
As opposed to making those password requirements so difficult to remember that people write their passwords down in plain text?
Quote:
1. You should definitely have a password that includes 3 if not 4 different character types. If you use more character types then the number of possible combinations increases & this helps make it harder to be cracked.
2. You should use a password that is 8 characters in length or more. Going from 8 to 10 characters gives a password more strength than going from 3 to 4 character types. Length makes a big difference in how difficult a password is to crack.
Completely agree with you there. Many breakins are caused by brute-force hacking using simple dictionary words.
Quote:
Another way to protect yourself is to always use a different password for things such as IM, e-mail, etc from what you use for accounts with access to financial data.
Another good idea. As some systems are easier than others to break into (one of my coworkers here was able to break the admin password on his XP box in under 30 seconds, for example), best to use different passwords on high-security systems.
Quote:
By the way, you idiots calling others idiots for requiring passwords be changed every so often are a big reason that identity theft is such a huge problem.
Afraid I'm going to disagree with you there. Simply common sense would dictate otherwise. But hey, if I'm stupid enough to give my password out to others, then I deserve what I get. But since I'm not stupid enough to give out my password, don't force me to do something stupid (like write my password down in an unsecure location) because of your stupid policies.
Quote:
I hope you don't work for a financial institution cause if you do let me know so I can avoid giving them access to any of my personal financial data!
No, I don't, but I'm sure there are plenty of people working in financial institutions with stupid password requirements who will allow hackers to access your personal financial data.
I realise this is completely off-topic, but this point should be well made to all those idiots in IT who think that having password aging is a good idea. I work in an environment where I have to keep track of the logins for about ten different systems, all with different password requirements and which have passwords that expire at 30 or 60 days. Because I can't possibly remember these passwords, I have had to rely on storing those passwords in my bookmarks (I do use 1Password now, but that's not the point).
So my question to all of you password aging idiots is: Is it better to have a password that I can remember that never expires, or a password that expires and cannot be reused forcing me to store my passwords in a format (plain-text) that can easily be found?
While Microsoft makes far more revenue selling a retail box of Windows to an Intel Mac user than it does bundling the software on a new PC (hundreds of dollars retail versus around $30 for an OEM license), the company doesn’t seem too view that potential Mac market very seriously.
Prior to the move to Intel, Microsoft sold Virtual PC to Mac users as a way to enhance its Office suite. However, ever since Intel Macs gained the ability to run Windows at full, native speed, the company has spared little effort promoting it to Mac buyers, who as a demographic buy more software at retail prices.
You came to the above conclusion that MS doesn't care about potential Mac market because they failed to enhance Virtual PC for Mac? They don't need to considering that there's VMWare Fusion, Parallel, VirtualBox, and BootCamp. Either way, it's a rather large assumption to make from a single data point.
Quote:
Using Firefox, we ran into show stopper security warnings because Microsoft’s security certificate doesn’t match its domain name. To get past this, you have to confirm a security exception, a step which Firefox insists “legitimate banks, stores, and other public sites” will not ask you to do (below).
Safari presents a slightly simpler warning that allows you to continue with a single click rather than stepping though the more elaborate exception process within Firefox.
I didn't get this with Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Internet Explorer. This is not to say that you didn't. Does anyone else notice a security certificate problem?
Quote:
Once past all this mess, Microsoft insists that you download and install its Silverlight 2 web plugin (a step that requires a browser restart) in order to pop up a simple download window to begin copying over the Windows 7 disc image (below).
If you try to download the beta with Internet Explorer, then you'll get the bad old ActiveX or Java-based download manager. If you use Firefox, like you did, then you get a Java applet download manager (and java applet doesn't require a browser restart). I don't think what you installed was Silverlight 2, but I suppose it could...
Quote:
Along with the file download, Microsoft creates a 25-character string for you to type in during the installation, apparently so you don’t pirate the free beta. Given that installing an operating system typically precludes being able to copy and paste the license key, this “print out the key and type in manually” step seems egregious, particularly for Mac users accustomed to not needing any license key to install Mac OS X.
I suppose it's better than not being able to public test Snow Leopard at all. I believe the key along with activation tells Microsoft the total number of unique installations. For beta testing, you probably want to know how many people downloaded, but also have many installed and currently using it.
Quote:
Installing the beta in a virtual environment is identical to setting up Windows Vista, as the new operating system is essentially Vista with some general (largely user interface) enhancements. On an architectural level, they are nearly identical.
You've already mentioned this in the previous 3 installations. I suppose it doesn't hurt to continue mentioning this and believing that it's true.
Quote:
After keying in that long license number, there isn’t much to set up during the install process, apart from optionally setting up HomeGroup, Microsoft’s new technology for sharing files and devices with nearly the simplicity of a Mac.
You can't really see how "simplicity" the feature is without having at least two Windows 7 PC. Have you used this feature before actually making the comparison? This statement make no attempt at explaining why something isn't or is simple. It seems nothing more than a blank statement without any rationale or reason. Please, explain why it's not as simple in the next installation (considering that it'll be a native install).
Quote:
Be sure to write down the insane password it generates for you (below), as a weak password would be far worse than a strong password jotted down on a sticky note next to your PC.
Microsoft didn't auto generated password haphazardly. They've found that people often use a few common passwords for most private stuffs including emails, bank accounts, credit card accounts, and so on. Why is this important? Well, this password HAS to be shared with other members who want to join the HomeGroup. This might be a potential security and privacy problem. The person who created the HomeGroup can view or change it later from Control Panel > HomeGroup. Essentially, you don't have to write it down immediately if you choose to not to. More reading here: http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/200...windows-7.aspx
BTW, one really important point the article should have mentioned is that the public beta for Windows 7 is going to close any day. Microsoft has opened it up to the first 2.5 million downloads (which may sound like a lot, but remember how many PC users are out there).
When I downloaded it yesterday, the beta site specifically mentioned that people should download it as soon as possible because they would be closing the beta very shortly.
They went through the 2.5 million in a few hours the first day, they have enough testers at this point so that is why tehy're closing it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by djames42
I realise this is completely off-topic, but this point should be well made to all those idiots in IT who think that having password aging is a good idea. I work in an environment where I have to keep track of the logins for about ten different systems, all with different password requirements and which have passwords that expire at 30 or 60 days. Because I can't possibly remember these passwords, I have had to rely on storing those passwords in my bookmarks (I do use 1Password now, but that's not the point).
So my question to all of you password aging idiots is: Is it better to have a password that I can remember that never expires, or a password that expires and cannot be reused forcing me to store my passwords in a format (plain-text) that can easily be found?
Yeah, I thought you'd agree with me.
Now then, back on-topic
I agree completely. My problem is getting people to use a somewhat secure password (pass, password, or your name is useless) without knowing how important it is. I think the point behind the homegroup password is to secure them from from open wireless access points. If you have it written down in a drawer somewhere it isn't secure, but it is better than having a completely open network with all your documents open to everyone.
Its not perfect, but I think its a better system then either has had in the past.
You came to the above conclusion that MS doesn't care about potential Mac market because they failed to enhance Virtual PC for Mac? They don't need to considering that there's VMWare Fusion, Parallel, VirtualBox, and BootCamp. Either way, it's a rather large assumption to make from a single data point.
I didn't get this with Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Internet Explorer. This is not to say that you didn't. Does anyone else notice a security certificate problem?
If you try to download the beta with Internet Explorer, then you'll get the bad old ActiveX or Java-based download manager. If you use Firefox, like you did, then you get a Java applet download manager (and java applet doesn't require a browser restart). I don't think what you installed was Silverlight 2, but I suppose it could...
I suppose it's better than not being able to public test Snow Leopard at all. I believe the key along with activation tells Microsoft the total number of unique installations. For beta testing, you probably want to know how many people downloaded, but also have many installed and currently using it.
You've already mentioned this in the previous 3 installations. I suppose it doesn't hurt to continue mentioning this and believing that it's true.
You can't really see how "simplicity" the feature is without having at least two Windows 7 PC. Have you used this feature before actually making the comparison? This statement make no attempt at explaining why something isn't or is simple. It seems nothing more than a blank statement without any rationale or reason. Please, explain why it's not as simple in the next installation (considering that it'll be a native install).
Microsoft didn't auto generated password haphazardly. They've found that people often use a few common passwords for most private stuffs including emails, bank accounts, credit card accounts, and so on. Why is this important? Well, this password HAS to be shared with other members who want to join the HomeGroup. This might be a potential security and privacy problem. The person who created the HomeGroup can view or change it later from Control Panel > HomeGroup. Essentially, you don't have to write it down immediately if you choose to not to. More reading here: http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/200...windows-7.aspx
Yeahthe whole post is a sad attempt to make windows 7 look bad. Just every chance the writer got to make it look worse and worse. There are hundreds of reviews saying it's an easier experience than any previous version of windows. Why even post how to install if you hate windows so much?
Microsoft looks to come back strong with Windows 7. Thanks to Vista and Steve Jobs making some kick ass moves, the Mac is going into the recession as strong as it could ever have. Next 5 years will be somewhat tough, PC vs Mac will be back in full force. Though the Mac has got a good following and momentum... It will be interesting. I will probably be using both Mac and PC over the next few years. But probably just running BootCamp for gaming on a new MacBook/iMac I am saving up for.
XP is still dominant in the corporate space. For the life of me I can't come up with a reason to upgrade my VM to Vista, much less be an early adopter of W7.
It's supposed to be faster and lighter, but I doubt it. To the bloated .Net frameworks they now appear to have added Silverlight as another needless requirement. The basic Microsoft philosophy of adding interlocking layers of junk seems unchanged. I support my wife's Vista laptop, and that's enough of a headache as it is.
I think we can all relate to you with getting headaches from vista!
Microsoft looks to come back strong with Windows 7. Thanks to Vista and Steve Jobs making some kick ass moves, the Mac is going into the recession as strong as it could ever have. Next 5 years will be somewhat tough, PC vs Mac will be back in full force. Though the Mac has got a good following and momentum... It will be interesting. I will probably be using both Mac and PC over the next few years. But probably just running BootCamp for gaming on a new MacBook/iMac I am saving up for.
Windows 7 should not be overestimated. XP switchers have to get used to it like when switching to Vista. The biggest chance for Windows 7 could be the cheap but nice looking multitouch netbooks that we are going to see.
I really doubt that Apple is interested in really increasing the Mac market share. They are doing good and at some point they can't get a larger market share because the Mac product line will always be limited compared to all other PC makers. For instance people who want a blue notebook or a Tablet PC can't switch.
I think Apple will concentrate more on the iPhone/AppStore/mobile games business. Otherwise they definitely have to update the Mac mini, introduce a netbook and offering more customized hardware (non-glossy displays???) like different colored aluminum chassis.
Up and running the 64 bit version fine on my Mac Pro using Paralles v4. I didn't need to waste time burning and DVD, I just used the disk image that downloads. I was never asked for any serial number or pass key.
So far Safari, iTunes and Quicktime all work well. I was asked to switch to iTunes 64 bit version my Apple's download after i started the standard version. I have Parallels set to allocate all 8 Cores, 2 GIGs of RAM and 256MB VRAM.
I just installed Windows 7 using Bootcamp on my new MacBook Pro and it is running pretty slow, why is this? I thought windows was supposed to run good on Macs? I only partitioned 32GB for it, is that the problem? What am I doing wrong here?
Comments
BTW, one really important point the article should have mentioned is that the public beta for Windows 7 is going to close any day. Microsoft has opened it up to the first 2.5 million downloads (which may sound like a lot, but remember how many PC users are out there).
When I downloaded it yesterday, the beta site specifically mentioned that people should download it as soon as possible because they would be closing the beta very shortly.
Beta download is available until February 10th. No download limit until then.
Source: http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/win...ta-to-end.aspx
I thought that some of the AI topics on 64-bit Windows vs 64-bit Snow Leopard have suggested that there are a lot of compatibility issues with 64-bit Windows and not just drivers, but applications that are not written to be 64-bit compatible. This is undoubtedly why the vast majority of Windows installations are on the 32-bit platform... Unless you need 64 bit (which maybe you do for a memory-intensive program such as Maya), perhaps you should try out the 32-bit version of W7...
The 64-bit versions of Windows does not need 64-bit applications, but drivers. And yes, every driver must be 64-bit and "signed" (=officially licensed for security) or the specific device will not work.
Most of new Windows systems come with 64-bit version of Vista.
Beta download is available until February 10th. No download limit until then.
Thanks for the clarification. The note on the download site says, "Time is running out! We'll be closing the Customer Preview Program for new registrations soon. So if you want to try the Windows 7 Beta, be sure to register and download within the next few days. (Now would be a good time, actually.)"
This had me thinking any minute now
Most of new Windows systems come with 64-bit version of Vista.
I guess that makes sense, since the vendor will ensure that 64-bit versions of their drivers are available. I'm installing on a cheapo machine I built with generic parts and don't want to fight driver issues if I can avoid it, so I grabbed the 32-bit version.
VirtualBox is pretty reasonable. Once you install the native package its integration is nice, and performance is adequate for casual use. Since it's free and can read VMWare virtual disks, it's pretty easy to try out, too.
I did the Windows 7 thing on it a couple weeks ago and it went a lot more smoothly than this article seems to imply. Just downloaded the iso, mounted it in a new virtual machine, and booted. It booted from the CD and installed Windows 7 normally.
I realise this is completely off-topic, but this point should be well made to all those idiots in IT who think that having password aging is a good idea. I work in an environment where I have to keep track of the logins for about ten different systems, all with different password requirements and which have passwords that expire at 30 or 60 days. Because I can't possibly remember these passwords, I have had to rely on storing those passwords in my bookmarks (I do use 1Password now, but that's not the point).
So my question to all of you password aging idiots is: Is it better to have a password that I can remember that never expires, or a password that expires and cannot be reused forcing me to store my passwords in a format (plain-text) that can easily be found?
Yeah, I thought you'd agree with me.
Now then, back on-topic
Depends on other password requirements. The reason many organizations have password aging is because people do dumb things with their passwords & making them change them every so often helps minimize any damage from a password being leaked to someone with ill intent.
1. You should definitely have a password that includes 3 if not 4 different character types. If you use more character types then the number of possible combinations increases & this helps make it harder to be cracked.
2. You should use a password that is 8 characters in length or more. Going from 8 to 10 characters gives a password more strength than going from 3 to 4 character types. Length makes a big difference in how difficult a password is to crack.
Another way to protect yourself is to always use a different password for things such as IM, e-mail, etc from what you use for accounts with access to financial data.
By the way, you idiots calling others idiots for requiring passwords be changed every so often are a big reason that identity theft is such a huge problem.
I hope you don't work for a financial institution cause if you do let me know so I can avoid giving them access to any of my personal financial data!
Depends on other password requirements. The reason many organizations have password aging is because people do dumb things with their passwords & making them change them every so often helps minimize any damage from a password being leaked to someone with ill intent.
As opposed to making those password requirements so difficult to remember that people write their passwords down in plain text?
1. You should definitely have a password that includes 3 if not 4 different character types. If you use more character types then the number of possible combinations increases & this helps make it harder to be cracked.
2. You should use a password that is 8 characters in length or more. Going from 8 to 10 characters gives a password more strength than going from 3 to 4 character types. Length makes a big difference in how difficult a password is to crack.
Completely agree with you there. Many breakins are caused by brute-force hacking using simple dictionary words.
Another way to protect yourself is to always use a different password for things such as IM, e-mail, etc from what you use for accounts with access to financial data.
Another good idea. As some systems are easier than others to break into (one of my coworkers here was able to break the admin password on his XP box in under 30 seconds, for example), best to use different passwords on high-security systems.
By the way, you idiots calling others idiots for requiring passwords be changed every so often are a big reason that identity theft is such a huge problem.
Afraid I'm going to disagree with you there. Simply common sense would dictate otherwise. But hey, if I'm stupid enough to give my password out to others, then I deserve what I get. But since I'm not stupid enough to give out my password, don't force me to do something stupid (like write my password down in an unsecure location) because of your stupid policies.
I hope you don't work for a financial institution cause if you do let me know so I can avoid giving them access to any of my personal financial data!
No, I don't, but I'm sure there are plenty of people working in financial institutions with stupid password requirements who will allow hackers to access your personal financial data.
I realise this is completely off-topic, but this point should be well made to all those idiots in IT who think that having password aging is a good idea. I work in an environment where I have to keep track of the logins for about ten different systems, all with different password requirements and which have passwords that expire at 30 or 60 days. Because I can't possibly remember these passwords, I have had to rely on storing those passwords in my bookmarks (I do use 1Password now, but that's not the point).
So my question to all of you password aging idiots is: Is it better to have a password that I can remember that never expires, or a password that expires and cannot be reused forcing me to store my passwords in a format (plain-text) that can easily be found?
Yeah, I thought you'd agree with me.
Now then, back on-topic
Password aging is a tool of the Devil !
While Microsoft makes far more revenue selling a retail box of Windows to an Intel Mac user than it does bundling the software on a new PC (hundreds of dollars retail versus around $30 for an OEM license), the company doesn’t seem too view that potential Mac market very seriously.
Prior to the move to Intel, Microsoft sold Virtual PC to Mac users as a way to enhance its Office suite. However, ever since Intel Macs gained the ability to run Windows at full, native speed, the company has spared little effort promoting it to Mac buyers, who as a demographic buy more software at retail prices.
You came to the above conclusion that MS doesn't care about potential Mac market because they failed to enhance Virtual PC for Mac? They don't need to considering that there's VMWare Fusion, Parallel, VirtualBox, and BootCamp. Either way, it's a rather large assumption to make from a single data point.
Using Firefox, we ran into show stopper security warnings because Microsoft’s security certificate doesn’t match its domain name. To get past this, you have to confirm a security exception, a step which Firefox insists “legitimate banks, stores, and other public sites” will not ask you to do (below).
Safari presents a slightly simpler warning that allows you to continue with a single click rather than stepping though the more elaborate exception process within Firefox.
I didn't get this with Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Internet Explorer. This is not to say that you didn't. Does anyone else notice a security certificate problem?
Once past all this mess, Microsoft insists that you download and install its Silverlight 2 web plugin (a step that requires a browser restart) in order to pop up a simple download window to begin copying over the Windows 7 disc image (below).
If you try to download the beta with Internet Explorer, then you'll get the bad old ActiveX or Java-based download manager. If you use Firefox, like you did, then you get a Java applet download manager (and java applet doesn't require a browser restart). I don't think what you installed was Silverlight 2, but I suppose it could...
Along with the file download, Microsoft creates a 25-character string for you to type in during the installation, apparently so you don’t pirate the free beta. Given that installing an operating system typically precludes being able to copy and paste the license key, this “print out the key and type in manually” step seems egregious, particularly for Mac users accustomed to not needing any license key to install Mac OS X.
I suppose it's better than not being able to public test Snow Leopard at all. I believe the key along with activation tells Microsoft the total number of unique installations. For beta testing, you probably want to know how many people downloaded, but also have many installed and currently using it.
Installing the beta in a virtual environment is identical to setting up Windows Vista, as the new operating system is essentially Vista with some general (largely user interface) enhancements. On an architectural level, they are nearly identical.
You've already mentioned this in the previous 3 installations. I suppose it doesn't hurt to continue mentioning this and believing that it's true.
After keying in that long license number, there isn’t much to set up during the install process, apart from optionally setting up HomeGroup, Microsoft’s new technology for sharing files and devices with nearly the simplicity of a Mac.
You can't really see how "simplicity" the feature is without having at least two Windows 7 PC. Have you used this feature before actually making the comparison? This statement make no attempt at explaining why something isn't or is simple. It seems nothing more than a blank statement without any rationale or reason. Please, explain why it's not as simple in the next installation (considering that it'll be a native install).
Be sure to write down the insane password it generates for you (below), as a weak password would be far worse than a strong password jotted down on a sticky note next to your PC.
Microsoft didn't auto generated password haphazardly. They've found that people often use a few common passwords for most private stuffs including emails, bank accounts, credit card accounts, and so on. Why is this important? Well, this password HAS to be shared with other members who want to join the HomeGroup. This might be a potential security and privacy problem. The person who created the HomeGroup can view or change it later from Control Panel > HomeGroup. Essentially, you don't have to write it down immediately if you choose to not to. More reading here: http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/200...windows-7.aspx
BTW, one really important point the article should have mentioned is that the public beta for Windows 7 is going to close any day. Microsoft has opened it up to the first 2.5 million downloads (which may sound like a lot, but remember how many PC users are out there).
When I downloaded it yesterday, the beta site specifically mentioned that people should download it as soon as possible because they would be closing the beta very shortly.
They went through the 2.5 million in a few hours the first day, they have enough testers at this point so that is why tehy're closing it.
I realise this is completely off-topic, but this point should be well made to all those idiots in IT who think that having password aging is a good idea. I work in an environment where I have to keep track of the logins for about ten different systems, all with different password requirements and which have passwords that expire at 30 or 60 days. Because I can't possibly remember these passwords, I have had to rely on storing those passwords in my bookmarks (I do use 1Password now, but that's not the point).
So my question to all of you password aging idiots is: Is it better to have a password that I can remember that never expires, or a password that expires and cannot be reused forcing me to store my passwords in a format (plain-text) that can easily be found?
Yeah, I thought you'd agree with me.
Now then, back on-topic
I agree completely. My problem is getting people to use a somewhat secure password (pass, password, or your name is useless) without knowing how important it is. I think the point behind the homegroup password is to secure them from from open wireless access points. If you have it written down in a drawer somewhere it isn't secure, but it is better than having a completely open network with all your documents open to everyone.
Its not perfect, but I think its a better system then either has had in the past.
Note: You = the author who wrote the article.
You came to the above conclusion that MS doesn't care about potential Mac market because they failed to enhance Virtual PC for Mac? They don't need to considering that there's VMWare Fusion, Parallel, VirtualBox, and BootCamp. Either way, it's a rather large assumption to make from a single data point.
I didn't get this with Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Internet Explorer. This is not to say that you didn't. Does anyone else notice a security certificate problem?
If you try to download the beta with Internet Explorer, then you'll get the bad old ActiveX or Java-based download manager. If you use Firefox, like you did, then you get a Java applet download manager (and java applet doesn't require a browser restart). I don't think what you installed was Silverlight 2, but I suppose it could...
I suppose it's better than not being able to public test Snow Leopard at all. I believe the key along with activation tells Microsoft the total number of unique installations. For beta testing, you probably want to know how many people downloaded, but also have many installed and currently using it.
You've already mentioned this in the previous 3 installations. I suppose it doesn't hurt to continue mentioning this and believing that it's true.
You can't really see how "simplicity" the feature is without having at least two Windows 7 PC. Have you used this feature before actually making the comparison? This statement make no attempt at explaining why something isn't or is simple. It seems nothing more than a blank statement without any rationale or reason. Please, explain why it's not as simple in the next installation (considering that it'll be a native install).
Microsoft didn't auto generated password haphazardly. They've found that people often use a few common passwords for most private stuffs including emails, bank accounts, credit card accounts, and so on. Why is this important? Well, this password HAS to be shared with other members who want to join the HomeGroup. This might be a potential security and privacy problem. The person who created the HomeGroup can view or change it later from Control Panel > HomeGroup. Essentially, you don't have to write it down immediately if you choose to not to. More reading here: http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/200...windows-7.aspx
Yeahthe whole post is a sad attempt to make windows 7 look bad. Just every chance the writer got to make it look worse and worse. There are hundreds of reviews saying it's an easier experience than any previous version of windows. Why even post how to install if you hate windows so much?
XP is still dominant in the corporate space. For the life of me I can't come up with a reason to upgrade my VM to Vista, much less be an early adopter of W7.
It's supposed to be faster and lighter, but I doubt it. To the bloated .Net frameworks they now appear to have added Silverlight as another needless requirement. The basic Microsoft philosophy of adding interlocking layers of junk seems unchanged. I support my wife's Vista laptop, and that's enough of a headache as it is.
I think we can all relate to you with getting headaches from vista!
All this password nonsense would be easily solved by ubiquitous thumb-scanning. :-)
So to invite someone to your HomeGroup you would send him your thumb instead of the HomeGroup password???
Microsoft looks to come back strong with Windows 7. Thanks to Vista and Steve Jobs making some kick ass moves, the Mac is going into the recession as strong as it could ever have. Next 5 years will be somewhat tough, PC vs Mac will be back in full force. Though the Mac has got a good following and momentum... It will be interesting. I will probably be using both Mac and PC over the next few years. But probably just running BootCamp for gaming on a new MacBook/iMac I am saving up for.
Windows 7 should not be overestimated. XP switchers have to get used to it like when switching to Vista. The biggest chance for Windows 7 could be the cheap but nice looking multitouch netbooks that we are going to see.
I really doubt that Apple is interested in really increasing the Mac market share. They are doing good and at some point they can't get a larger market share because the Mac product line will always be limited compared to all other PC makers. For instance people who want a blue notebook or a Tablet PC can't switch.
I think Apple will concentrate more on the iPhone/AppStore/mobile games business. Otherwise they definitely have to update the Mac mini, introduce a netbook and offering more customized hardware (non-glossy displays???) like different colored aluminum chassis.
So to invite someone to your HomeGroup you would send him your thumb instead of the HomeGroup password?
No, man, you use a piece of tape like in the Bourne Identity.
So far Safari, iTunes and Quicktime all work well. I was asked to switch to iTunes 64 bit version my Apple's download after i started the standard version. I have Parallels set to allocate all 8 Cores, 2 GIGs of RAM and 256MB VRAM.