Windows 7.

[{LAW} Gamer_2k4]

i don't even know what the hell you're talking about. games run better on XP = case closed for me.

Well there is no efficient multi threaded gaming model that I know of. The best they have been able to do is split display and physics. Game logic might be on its own thread but that is the easiest part. Games are single threaded. If you wanna know why, start here....
http://www.google.com/search?q=game+main+loop

I thought it was annoying to write games for the PS3, because its architecture forced developers to multithread their games.

[bja888]

Taken form here....
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2377&p=3

AnandTech: The new Unreal Engine 3 is designed for multi-threading, and will make good use of dual core CPUs available when games on the new engine come out. What parts of the game will benefit/be improved, thanks to multiprocessing? What will be the parts that will benefit the most?

Tim Sweeney: For multithreading optimizations, we're focusing on physics, animation updates, the renderer's scene traversal loop, sound updates, and content streaming.We are not attempting to multithread systems that are highly sequential and object-oriented, such as the gameplay

Translation: Different parts of the game have been moved to different threads. The fact remains that there can be only one main loop and only one thread can render the video. Fps is the most intense measure of the game and thats 80% of the cpu used in the main loop. If you tell 2 threads to render on the same screen you'll get tearing out the wazoo. Thats the whole point of threads, they operate independent of each other.

So, yes games run better on XP. This is true! Number crunching programs run better on Vista. (Such as, compression algorithms, 3d renders and if you wanna calculate the first 1,000 digits of Pi). And likewise on windows  7, I'm sure.

Games might be claiming to be multi-threaded. But you'll only see a performance increase if the physics and graphics are of different threads. (Which everyone has been doing for a while now)

[jrgp]

I was able to install it. So far look and feel is just like visa. With the exception of the task bar. It looks more like a KDE app. The one cool thing about it though. If you click on an item in the quick launch, it does not open a new button for it as an open program. The icon it self switched to the "down" state (if you will).

Yeah, I saw some screenshots of the desktop in one of my computer mags and I was like ",WTF! They just ripped off KDE3"

As for the quicklaunch icons changing state when you open the program, that's very similar to Apple's dock menu, which they've had for years!

Is Microsoft running out of ideas?

[frogboy]

like it matters at all, if it's a good idea why shouldn't they implement it

[{LAW} Gamer_2k4]

Exactly.  No one was all "Is Apple running out of ideas?" when they allowed for multiple buttoned mice.  No one asked "Is Linux running out of ideas?" when it added a freaking GUI.

If something works, companies are going to use it.  End of story.

[bja888]

As for the quicklaunch icons changing state when you open the program, that's very similar to Apple's dock menu, which they've had for years!

Your right. I did not make that association for some reason.

[a-4-year-old]

Bja we've been doing that exact thing for years, except in those days we called it a video card.

[bja888]

Bja we've been doing that exact thing for years, except in those days we called it a video card.

Si! But its still a single thread as far as the processor knows.

I played around with Windows 7 some more today. I am not seeing a damn thing removed that was not in vista. All these settings dialog boxes are starting to piss me off. And oddly enough you still can not customize worth a s**t.

I don't understand the point of the games menu if you can not add to it and it is not detecting Soldat as a game.
In contrast though, the device menu is a great addition. Beats the crap out of the device manager and it is easer for people to get to.

Honestly, it just looks like Vista with more of the same kind of UI changes. Nothing that really effects the efficiency of the user. I am gonna try installing some services next. See how it handles that.

[jrgp]

In contrast though, the device menu is a great addition. Beats the crap out of the device manager and it is easer for people to get to.

Screenshot?

[a fool]

I wonder when windows will realize no one really gives a flying s**t about fancy graphics and useless side controls. They should enhance compatibility and clean up their coding so it runs faster. I guess windows XP will be the top windows of all. But I'm a good fan of windows 98se

[a-4-year-old]

Bja we've been doing that exact thing for years, except in those days we called it a video card.

Si! But its still a single thread as far as the processor knows.

The processor can't handle the truth.

[frogboy]

I wonder when windows will realize no one really gives a flying s**t about fancy graphics and useless side controls. They should enhance compatibility and clean up their coding so it runs faster. I guess windows XP will be the top windows of all. But I'm a good fan of windows 98se

and how's that going for you? clearly vista is selling so obviously the vast majority of people DO care more about fancy graphics

[bja888]

In contrast though, the device menu is a great addition. Beats the crap out of the device manager and it is easer for people to get to.

Screenshot?

http://storage.bja888.com/Windows7/Device-Menu.png
I am hoping they are still adding functionality to that menu.

Also, game menu...
http://storage.bja888.com/Windows7/Games-Menu.png

I figured out how to get soldat in there. Is is drag and drop. Silly me, I thought it would sync with the games folder. Servers me right for expecting it to be easy....

Question for those using Vista. When you click your username in the start menu does it take you to C:\Users\<username> ?? I tried it in win7 and it took me to some library menu. Which does not coincide with any folder on the computer, but links to other folders.....

Looks like you still have to go to the C drive if you want to work your way to the Appdata folder. But wait! What is this?
http://storage.bja888.com/Windows7/Appdata-Profiles.png

Appdata folder has profiles.

* bja888 is looking into it

[Leo]

I am also testing this beta. Looks nice but found a bug. I disabled UAC (hate it when it asks me all the time for every little thing), after that Desktop Gadgets stopped working. Also fps at Soldat drop drastically. Had the same problem with Vista. Never found a solution.

[FliesLikeABrick]

So far, I've played with Windows 7 a bit and I have to say it seems like a pretty large improvement on Vista.  We'll have to see how things end up when it is finally released though, as Vista looked somewhat promising while it was just entering beta as well, and went downhill from that point to release.

[a fool]

I wonder when windows will realize no one really gives a flying s**t about fancy graphics and useless side controls. They should enhance compatibility and clean up their coding so it runs faster. I guess windows XP will be the top windows of all. But I'm a good fan of windows 98se

and how's that going for you? clearly vista is selling so obviously the vast majority of people DO care more about fancy graphics

People like fancy graphics when they run smooth, not when it's all shitty, especially on laptops. But I'm just saying they focused too much on the appearance. As much as people are buying it, they are disappointed as well.

[The Philanthropist]

Taken form here....
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2377&p=3

AnandTech: The new Unreal Engine 3 is designed for multi-threading, and will make good use of dual core CPUs available when games on the new engine come out. What parts of the game will benefit/be improved, thanks to multiprocessing? What will be the parts that will benefit the most?

Tim Sweeney: For multithreading optimizations, we're focusing on physics, animation updates, the renderer's scene traversal loop, sound updates, and content streaming.We are not attempting to multithread systems that are highly sequential and object-oriented, such as the gameplay

Translation: Different parts of the game have been moved to different threads. The fact remains that there can be only one main loop and only one thread can render the video. Fps is the most intense measure of the game and thats 80% of the cpu used in the main loop. If you tell 2 threads to render on the same screen you'll get tearing out the wazoo. Thats the whole point of threads, they operate independent of each other.

Ah, I'm sorry, all I read was 'multi-threaded' and that led me to believe it was fully multi-threaded

[bja888]

Taken form here....
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2377&p=3

AnandTech: The new Unreal Engine 3 is designed for multi-threading, and will make good use of dual core CPUs available when games on the new engine come out. What parts of the game will benefit/be improved, thanks to multiprocessing? What will be the parts that will benefit the most?

Tim Sweeney: For multithreading optimizations, we're focusing on physics, animation updates, the renderer's scene traversal loop, sound updates, and content streaming.We are not attempting to multithread systems that are highly sequential and object-oriented, such as the gameplay

Translation: Different parts of the game have been moved to different threads. The fact remains that there can be only one main loop and only one thread can render the video. Fps is the most intense measure of the game and thats 80% of the cpu used in the main loop. If you tell 2 threads to render on the same screen you'll get tearing out the wazoo. Thats the whole point of threads, they operate independent of each other.

Ah, I'm sorry, all I read was 'multi-threaded' and that led me to believe it was fully multi-threaded

Your are correct. It is as multi-threaded as games get. No worries.

[Wormdundee]

I installed it, but I can't use it at all because my wireless usb thing won't install properly on it.

I throw in the CD and install it, and from what I can tell it's installing the XP/Win2K drivers instead of the Vista drivers. I can't figure out how to make it install the proper ones, so it's useless to me right now.