| 7 SEP 2011 at 10:30am |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | I'll be sure to note my first reactions to W7 here. I can't imagine that they got so many things wrong for everyone.
Thanks for all your comments and opinions.
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| 7 SEP 2011 at 11:20am |
TravellerGuild Master
Posts : 4039
Joined: 3 JUL 2010
Location: US
Status : Offline | I'm sure there are other people like JKing who like Win7. I just want you to be prepared before taking such a big step.. it is of course a step we all have to make sometime, but I think Tincup has it right in not upgrading until he actually has to, if he is still happy with what he's got.
If everbody just sings praises for Win7 but issue no reservations about it, and you install it with high hopes and suddenly find that you have to jump through hoops to make half your applications run, you might wonder why nobody ever warned you.
On the other hand, since you prefer sticking with the latest, newest games, you personally might just love Win 7 Halcyon, there's no telling.
In fact, you'll probably wonder what I've been on about, and decide that you love the OS, and I'll be glad for your sake if that turns out to be the case. [smiley=thumbup.gif]
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
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| 7 SEP 2011 at 2:52pm |
tincup2Journeyman
Posts : 817
Joined: 8 MAR 2011
Location: US, NYC
Status : Offline | Well, I was "one of those W98 people" and hung on to the bitter end upgrading to XP in 2005 only so I could play HalfLife 2. I was an XP convert in about 2 minutes. I felt like a jerk for having held out so long - far more things worked better or more simply - just like my friends whose advice and pestering I stupidly ignored for years said it would. The obligatory daily BSOD's became a distant memory.
7 years later I find myself "one of those XP people". This time though I'm not hearing the same chorus urging me to move out of the stoneage like I did last time. The Win7 experience seems more nuanced, working better [or much better] for some or not much of a change for others. Most seem to make the move because that's what comes with a PC now.
I hope my insouciance is not the bone-headed mistake it was last time. No ram limit, 64-bit operation, Dx11 and solid state drives are enticing prospects...
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| 7 SEP 2011 at 5:28pm |
TravellerGuild Master
Posts : 4039
Joined: 3 JUL 2010
Location: US
Status : Offline | Here is the total list of games that currently support DX11:
Aliens vs. Predator
BattleForge
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Civilization V
Crysis 2
Colin McRae: Dirt 2
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Dirt 3
Dragon Age II
Dungeons and Dragons Online
F1 2010
F.E.A.R. 3
Hamilton's Great Adventure
Homefront
Lost Planet 2
Medal of Honor
Metro 2033
Red Faction: Armageddon
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
Total War: Shogun 2
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X 2
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
Obviously you are going to need 7 when your personal list of games that support DX11 becomes larger than the list that is pre-DX-11, but the point in time at which that happens that is something that can vary wildly from one person to the next, I would guess.
As for the RAM usage:Unless you're actually going to increase your RAM to 6 or 8 gigs, you won't see a difference really regarding the RAM. I didn't when I put Win 7 on my old system, which has 4 Gigs of RAM.
Performance can be bottle-necked by a slow mobo , CPU, and other hardware anyway.
Gaming-wise, how much V-RAM you have will probably end up making a bigger difference anyway.
Why do you need 7 for an SSD? For the TRIM command? Since I'm not lucky enough to run an SSD, I'm not too sure how often you'll need to do that, and if there are not other ways of achieving a similar result. However, of course you won't be needing to use that command at the outset. [smiley=shrug.gif]
Oh, and the 64-bit operation can be a double-edged sword if you still like older games. I guess for a person like Halcyon, who will always only run with the cutting-edge in games, 64-bit 7 will be a good thing; but just keep in mind I still like my older games; which is probably why 64-bit 7 is making me whine so much.
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
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| 7 SEP 2011 at 6:05pm |
tincup2Journeyman
Posts : 817
Joined: 8 MAR 2011
Location: US, NYC
Status : Offline | Why do you need 7 for an SSD?
Okay - I have no first hand experience but I've read recently on several tech forums that (a) XP is not very SSD friendly and (b) cloning your XP to SSD can be a nightmare - and I want to clone. Not everyone has had problems but enough do that it seems lan expensive gamble just to find out. The price of my target 120TB drive inches down and should be within reach by the time I upgrade.
Ram? Well you just can't have enough of it for high-end simulation type games. The performance improvement I got from 2 to 4 was substatial, just ram mind you, but that's as far as the road goes with XP. I will jump in with at least 8gb when I move to W7.
Another thing I read was that XP has had the longest "life after termination" of any OS to date with something like 40% of all users still running it years after it has even been sold or supported. W95? Couldn't fall into the trash can fast enough!
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| 7 SEP 2011 at 6:25pm |
TravellerGuild Master
Posts : 4039
Joined: 3 JUL 2010
Location: US
Status : Offline | Yeah, XP SP3 was really one of MS's best OS's to date. I found Win 2000 wasn't too bad either, and I do remember I also had nerd-rage when I was forced to upgrade from Win 2000.
ME and NT were also rubbish ones, I thought, which couldn't find the trash can fast enough, but for me XP is a keeper. If only they still sold XP, I would have bought it for my old system at least.
Of course, one's OS has to keep up with hardware technology, so of course a change is eventually unavoidable on newer hardware and for the use of newer software, but I don't see why they couldn't keep making bucks out of those folks who want to retain their old hardware alongside the new - I know they have XP mode, but sadly I bought my Win 7 "home" edition in hurry because some idiotic tech guy had messed up my old C-drive and I was in a hurry to be up and running again.
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
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| 7 SEP 2011 at 10:03pm |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | Well, although I came here asking elemental questions, I also have done literally months of research on my own. The first time I posted here about it was a year ago, and you'll find the thread here.
I know exactly how I use my computer and what I expect from it, so there will be few surprises.
Besides, upgrading to a well-received now two-year-old OS is not fearful at all! It's an adventure. I love change and love to learn to do things differently.
Part of this scenario is being prepared for the worst. If that happens, I reload XP, load my comprehensive backup, done.
Anyway, 4 more gigs of RAM are on the way.
W7 arrived today. See you all on the other side
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| 7 SEP 2011 at 10:52pm |
tincup2Journeyman
Posts : 817
Joined: 8 MAR 2011
Location: US, NYC
Status : Offline | Good hunting!
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| 8 SEP 2011 at 12:19am |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | Exactly one hour after I inserted the W7 installl disk, I'm up and running with W7 Home Premium 64 bit, all my backup files loaded, my antivirus, the video driver, and Google Chrome (love that browser).
So far this puppy is FAST and looks crisp. Of course, it was a clean install.
What should I install first? Office? Flash? Fallout New Vegas? hehe
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| 8 SEP 2011 at 12:45am |
tincup2Journeyman
Posts : 817
Joined: 8 MAR 2011
Location: US, NYC
Status : Offline | Not to go geek on you, but have you tried the freeware OpenOffice / LibreOffice?...
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| 8 SEP 2011 at 2:14am |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | Heck yeah. I use Open Office and Google Docs most of the time.
Right now, my problem is turning on my sound. Drivers are loaded, I need to find why I can't hear anything. woohoo!
UPDATE:
Note: To hear sounds in W7, it helps tremendously to have your speakers turned ON. :
Install of drivers, etc., going great. Loving the slick interface and resorting of menus, etc.
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| 8 SEP 2011 at 4:14pm |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | Doing fine, feeding Windows 7 my drivers and programs. I love the interface, and how the browser tabs dive to the taskbar. The Control Panel is a little disorganized, with the alpha display going sideways instead of up and down columns, with system restore being called system restore in one place, system protection in another, or simply no name at all. Or in the category view, you only see half the topics. I'll get used it though.
The only program I'm having trouble with so far if Fallout Mod Manager. Just won't work and spits back a an error when it tries to scan the fomods in the Game folder. Luckily, it is not an essential program. Fallout New Vegas runs smoothly without a hitch.
Oh, my 2003 printer won't work with Windows 7. Thank god I have a reason to get a new one!
And where is the Run field? I Googled. It is hidden deep with other optional taskbar features "somewhere." But Windows Key + R brings it right up.
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| 8 SEP 2011 at 8:26pm |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | Oh, I meant to mention earlier, that Win 7 backs up the XP program files, and other files, for you! It's saved in a Windows.old directory. Very helpful.
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| 9 SEP 2011 at 5:19pm |
TravellerGuild Master
Posts : 4039
Joined: 3 JUL 2010
Location: US
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By TAS (8 SEP 2011 2:14am)
UPDATE:
Note: To hear sounds in W7, it helps tremendously to have your speakers turned ON. :
[smiley=rofl.gif] yes, that might help.
Install of drivers, etc., going great.
Ok, I'll admit. Seamless, easy hardware interfacing and easy install of the OS itself, is something that 7 really did right for me. Credit where it's due.
And where is the Run field? I Googled. It is hidden deep with other optional taskbar features "somewhere." But Windows Key + R brings it right up.
This is the kind of thing that's been irritating me. Ok, one eventually get's to live with it, but why couldn't they keep it available like in XP, and why not make the taskbar pop-ups and elevation nonsense a user decision to toggle on or off?
Oh, I meant to mention earlier, that Win 7 backs up the XP program files, and other files, for you! It's saved in a Windows.old directory. Very helpful.
That is nice, Halcyon. Of course I didn't get to use that, going to a new system like I did.
Well, glad to see you're enjoying it so far! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
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| 9 SEP 2011 at 7:59pm |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | Yeah, it's different, and I miss some of my old habits--I knew XP so well.
I actually like bringing Run right up with two keystrokes. But I admit the jury is out on the Task bar. I mean, I get it, but I'm wondering how I benefit from it.
I've already had to get a new printer ($30 at Walmart, HP 1000 -- and it gets great reviews). Fallout 3 won't work (some kind of Windows Live problem, I'll bet. Luckily I've been playing it heavily lately and am a bit tired of it, so it can rest). Oblivion runs great. I'm starting that from scratch--tonight!--to get into the mindset of Skyrim.
Sidebar: I am now using Google Chrome exclusively. Love it.
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| 10 SEP 2011 at 12:37pm |
TravellerGuild Master
Posts : 4039
Joined: 3 JUL 2010
Location: US
Status : Offline | Good luck with Oblivion, Halcyon, I think you mentioned you'll be starting it from scratch?
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
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| 10 SEP 2011 at 1:44pm |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | Yup, I have started from scratch. I remember the first time playing Oblivion...sneaking slowly about, afraid of what lay around the next bend....
Now, I'm running fearlessly ahead, looking for items and opportunities I have not tried before.
So after delivering the amulet, I decided to head for the Mage's Guild and do the first quest. Now, I don't know what mod I have running -- maybe the crowded cities mod -- but I'm walking through Anvil and up strides a topless female archer! I can't open conversation with her (and, frankly, who cares what's in her brain!), then she calmly walks away.
Quite refreshing, really.
PS: For all you kiddies out there reading this, I was only joking about not caring about a topless woman's brain. I was just implying that I was not utilizing my own brain at the moment.
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| 10 SEP 2011 at 3:28pm |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | Back on topic, W7 says my primary HD has a slow transfer rate. Is that a setting, or a hint to upgrade?
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| 10 SEP 2011 at 5:19pm |
TravellerGuild Master
Posts : 4039
Joined: 3 JUL 2010
Location: US
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By TAS (10 SEP 2011 1:43pm)
Now, I don't know what mod I have running -- maybe the crowded cities mod -- but I'm walking through Anvil and up strides a topless female archer! I can't open conversation with her (and, frankly, who cares what's in her brain!), then she calmly walks away.
Heheh- not in the vanilla game, I can guarantee that.. though, if the nude Oblivion better bodies is anything like the nude Morrowind Better Bodies, the bodies look pretty good, and of course, you get an eyeful every time you do a "take all" loot from any dead body. Have you done the Sheogorath quest yet? Not part of the Shivering Isles- part of the Daedric quests in vanilla Ob.)
Back on topic, W7 says my primary HD has a slow transfer rate. Is that a setting, or a hint to upgrade?
What are the specs of your hard drive that has your Windows on it? Your C-drive) Or the model make and number? )
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
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| 10 SEP 2011 at 7:38pm |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | Just ran HDTune, which says the HD is fine.
Here's its ID: WDC WD5000AVDS-73U7B1 (500 GB)
It's running in Ultra DMA mode
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| 10 SEP 2011 at 7:52pm |
TravellerGuild Master
Posts : 4039
Joined: 3 JUL 2010
Location: US
Status : Offline | Sadly I don't have time to look up those specs right now, (I think you actually might have a reasonably fast disc) but, I want to re-assure you a bit; - if you did that Win 7 hardware test and your hard disk came up worst (slowest) of all your hardware, don't worry too much about that. It does that with most of us who can't afford an SSD yet.
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
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| 10 SEP 2011 at 8:27pm |
HalcyonSchattenjger
Posts : 1652
Joined: 17 NOV 2006
Status : Offline | Yes, the HD was lowest at 5.9. Thanks for the insights!
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| 10 SEP 2011 at 9:41pm |
JKingSchattenjger
Posts : 2349
Joined: 4 MAY 2008
Location: 0
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By TAS (10 SEP 2011 8:26pm)
Yes, the HD was lowest at 5.9. Thanks for the insights!
5.9 is not too bad for a conventional hard disk. on't worry about it.
You can't kill someone in a studio.
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| 10 SEP 2011 at 9:46pm |
JKingSchattenjger
Posts : 2349
Joined: 4 MAY 2008
Location: 0
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By TAS (9 SEP 2011 7:59pm)
Fallout 3 won't work (some kind of Windows Live problem, I'll bet. Luckily I've been playing it heavily lately and am a bit tired of it, so it can rest).
Yeah, that's likely. For some incomprehgensible reasion the patch needed to install one of the add-ons (Point Lookout, maybe?) suddenly makes the game require Games for Windows Live. And of course if you don't have it installed there's no indication that's the problem when you run the game; it just crashes. Sloppy coding. I think this is what you need, though:
http://www.microsoft.com/games/en-gb/live/pages/livelaunch.aspx
You can't kill someone in a studio.
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