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Windows 7 ( Microsoft Windows Version 6.1 )

I installed it and all my hardware was working except sound but Windows grabbed a driver own its on via update.
Out of the box it had a average web browser and a media player that now supports DivX, but not Xvid or any other popular "open" formats.
I installed Firefox played with the new taskbar, which is quite nice although I really dislike that you cannot make it smaller. I hate autohiding, so this is small screen nogo for me.(Netbooks etc.)
Resource usage is acceptable, although not great. Windows 7 is far from being a lean system.
For some websites I had to install the latest Flash player also. I like widgets, but I don't like these widgets, because they are too basic. Just 2 sizes? Akward positioning etc.
I stopped my test when it asked me to install Acrobat Reader for viewing a PDF file. That is when I came to the conclusion, that transforming it into a usable system would require me to search, download and install numerous programs and tweaks.(Not _my_ cup of tea. Not anymore.)

If you don't like that the taskbar is taking so much space, just move it to the left or right vertical placement. That way you lose less space on a typical netbook screen.

I know that and I do something similar on my FullHD monitor. And technically you are right I loose less pixels that way, BUT I don't have 1024 pixels in horizontal anymore. So many websites demand 1024 pixels that your suggestion is no real solution.

You CAN make the taskbar smaller, it's what I do on my netbook. Right click taskbar, properties, check "Use small icons".

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to find that out.

Thank you, I didn't see that in my short testing.(TBH I just did a quick look for size (Gnome etc) or squeezing it with my mouse (KDE4))

It's as awesome as winning a gold medal in a marathon after slashing your opponents' Achilles tendons and downing a whole pharmacy of steroids!

Its as awesome as winning a gold medal in a marathon where the other opponents are in wheelchairs (but will learn to walk in the next release).

Seriously though, Win7 -- if the pre-releases are anything to go by -- will need little in the way of SPs. Its shaping up to be a fine product.

You know, I keep hearing that about every Windows release, before it is actually released. Even the ones that bomb. I think it has something to do with the fact that the Beta/RC versions of Windows is only used by those who actually know what they are doing, rather then the public at large.

Hmmm. You might have a point there. I was about to say "But really! This is a very nice product so far!" But I am one of those wieners that runs Windows, OS X, Linux and BeOS whenever, on whatever I can.

[off-topic]

Btw, has anyone here picked up an EFIX or a Psystar system and used it with OS X? How is that? I'd love to see an article from one of the regulars here on OS News who has actually used one of those.

Then you are listening to the wrong oracles. Everyone and their dog said Windows Me & Vista were horrible. Most people praised 98, 2000 & XP. But for me, its not an issue. Windows just isn't built for me. I'm now one of those anal types that wants to be able to change my computer to my liking. All of the software I care about is primarily written for Linux with windows being an after thought ( firefox, any non .Net language, LAMP stuff, Gnu Utilities). I understand I'm not in microsoft's target demographic. I'm glad at least their products are getting better for everyone else.