When we reviewed the Windows 7 beta, we did so on a standard desktop machine. However, the big thing in hardware right now is not the desktop, but the netbook segment. Since Microsoft claims that Windows 7 is geared towards netbooks, I decided to give the beta a go on my trusty Acer Aspire One. Read on for installation instructions if you don't own an external DVD drive, and a few very short first impressions.
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Member since:
2006-02-05
I used to have a huge amount of customer loyalty towards them. The last 2-3 years they have managed to erode it all away. Between a huge dive in driver quality, and defective hardware on a massive scale (especially in the mobile space, it is hard to believe they are still making money.
Member since:2009-01-19
Member since:2005-06-29
Member since:2005-07-06
The driver API is pretty much the same in Vista and 7. 7's kernel is (on purpose) just a slightly updated Vista kernel.
As a Linux user I can fully agree that NVidia should get "the act together". It's been a year since KDE 4.0 was released (with betas even older). Plasma is exposing Nvidia driver bugs since then and NVidia is acting really slow to fix them. While some bugs are fixed (most notably the ultra slow rendering speed and corrupted graphics when OpenOffice is visible), others remain. Tray icons are still mostly distorted for example. I never had those problems on my other PC with a Radeon card.
Member since:2007-09-01
The driver API is pretty much the same in Vista and 7. 7's kernel is (on purpose) just a slightly updated Vista kernel. "
So what changed in order to break the driver?
Member since:2005-11-09
Member since:
2007-08-27
Not sure of the point of this article as knowing how to install Windows 7 on the Aspire One, or Any Other Netbook is all very well, even if tedious.
But, is it worth the bother can hardly, and wasn't, be answered by using such a heavily modified 'Aspire 1' that has little relevance to any Netbook your readers might have to hand.
Member since:2005-06-29
Member since:2007-11-29
Member since:2008-11-29
Member since:2006-01-02
Member since:
2005-10-11
I have tried doing this in the past Here is my output. My F: which is my usb key is not visible, but under explorer it is.
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.
C:\Documents and Settings\john>diskpart
Microsoft DiskPart version 5.1.3565
Copyright (C) 1999-2003 Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: VENICE
DISKPART> list disk
Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
-------- ---------- ------- ------- --- ---
Disk 0 Online 298 GB 0 B
DISKPART>
Member since:2005-10-11
typing list volume shows me numbers.
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.
C:\Documents and Settings\john>diskpart
Microsoft DiskPart version 5.1.3565
Copyright (C) 1999-2003 Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: VENICE
DISKPART> list
Microsoft DiskPart version 5.1.3565
DISK - Prints out a list of disks.
PARTITION - Prints out a list of partitions on the current disk.
VOLUME - Print a list of volumes.
DISKPART> list volume
Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info
---------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------
Volume 0 D DVD-ROM 0 B
Volume 1 C NTFS Partition 49 GB Healthy System
Volume 2 E NTFS Partition 210 GB Healthy
Volume 3 F WIN7 FAT32 Removeable 3936 MB
DISKPART>
is this what I am looking for?
Edited 2009-01-19 02:04 UTC
Member since:2005-07-06
For those partial to a GUI, the USB drive may also be setup using the Disk Management MMC snapin.
Assuming the drive is already formatted (FAT32 in this case):
Insert the USB drive.
Click the Start button.
Right-click (My)Computer.
Click Manage.
Click Disk Management.
Right-click the USB drive partition.
Click Mark Partition as Active.
Copy the files from the Windows DVD/iso to the USB drive.
You may now boot from the drive to install the version of Windows copied (Vista/7/Server 2008/Server 2008 R2).
Apparently the bootsect step mentioned in the article is only necessary if you are preparing the drive on a non-Vista/7 OS.
Member since:2005-10-11
Member since:
2008-09-17
From the article:
"Then, load up a command prompt with administrative privileges (right click, "Run as administrator..."), and enter the following commands to properly format the USB drive ..."
Cool! This is just like Linux. Maybe I can get into this "Windows" thing. But what is "administrator"? Is that like "root"? Where can I download the .iso? Can I do all this from Linux? Do I need "wine"?
Member since:2006-01-02
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2006-01-02
Eh? I was not intending to troll.. those are the tools I know which accomplish the task of formatting the drive and embedding a boot sector. What tool would you prefer? (It hadn't occurred to me that Linux would include a gui tool that can set up an MBR since Windows only has command line tools for this).
Member since:
2005-11-10
I've been using UNetbootin to do this kind of stuff on GNU/Linux and Windows:
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
I just have to select the ISO file, the device and it just works. I use it to boot Windows and GNu/Linux distributions without having to waste CDs.
Member since:2007-02-17
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
I just have to select the ISO file, the device and it just works. I use it to boot Windows and GNu/Linux distributions without having to waste CDs.
This works well for Ubuntu and Fedora .iso files, but I had no luck with Mandriva or SuSe.
I'm looking forward to the speed and power of KDE 4.2 on one of these netbooks. IMO this will be the only really viable way of running a full-powered desktop experience at speed on a netbook.
Edited 2009-01-19 04:49 UTC
Member since:2006-03-16
Member since:2008-10-23
I installed Mandriva on my netbook easily:
download the 'free' iso, mount it, get the vmlinuz and all.rdz from the isolinux/alt0 directory, add that to menu.lst in grub and boot. Then tell it to mount the iso from the hard drive or from the USB key and it will install your Mandriva. You didn't even need a USB key. Just let the iso on the hard drive and you can go.
http://wiki.mandriva.com/en/Docs/Installing_Mandriva_Linux
Edited 2009-01-19 16:15 UTC
Member since:
2009-01-19
If you have an SSD drive in your Aspire one (8GB Model) dont bother its not woth the hassle, windows is unusable.
http://lifesdirection.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/windows7-on-the-acer...
Edited 2009-01-19 03:13 UTC
Member since:
2006-01-06
There's also the wastefulness of running a virus scanner on these netbooks which will also bring them to their knees.
If anything the last year of netbook experiments has given the linux distro maintainers time to try to get their act together to put together useful distros.
Having an acer aspire one myself (previously having access to an EEE 701) this thing works great as a web access device, webmail reader and for watching media. It should also work well for taking notes.
Member since:
2005-07-06
Member since:2006-07-25
I think the main reason that nVidia's driver quaility was called into question even on a beta product is that the release of drivers for Vista was a shambles from nVidia. Im a big fan of the cards but when they have had a beta product (Vista) for so long and still release drivers which had poor performance and would BSOD a computer on RTM then they was seriously lazy.
Member since:2007-02-17
In the same timeframe (early 2007) as their problem with Vista drivers, nVidia also had a huge performance problem with their driver for Linux. This problem has only just recently been fixed. The Vista problem, at least, was fixed within a couple of months.
Member since:
2008-05-26
I agree that Nvidia drivers leave a lot to be desired.
On ATI and Intel graphics, you don't have to do ANYTHING in order to get your videos playing properly. No matter if your video player ships with XVideo or X11 output as the default, it'll work.
Use the open-source nv driver and XVideo will work.
Use the Nvidia proprietary driver and if your video player uses Xv, it will not render the video's colours properly. If yours works properly, hang tight - the next driver version will cause mine to work properly and yours not to work.
Nvidia knows about this bug; I'm not the first to have told them, and I'm not the last either. They never fix the problem, they just keep moving it to a different set of cards.