This patch has been pulled by Microsoft as some users have complained that it actually further lowers performance. See this story.

Microsoft today released a hotfix for Windows 7 users using AMD’s ‘Bulldozer’ chips that aims to address performance issues with simultaneous multithreading.

According to the hotfix page: This article introduces an update that optimizes the performance of AMD Bulldozer CPUs that are used by Windows 7-based or Windows Server 2008 R2-based computers. Currently, the performance of AMD Bulldozer CPUs is slower than expected. This behavior occurs because the threading logic in Windows 7 and in Windows Server 2008 R2 is not optimized to use the Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) scheduling feature. This feature was introduced in the Bulldozer family of AMD CPUs.

Users can find the update here.

Microsoft has had trouble convincing PC users to switch to their latest OS. Statistics released in July by Net Applications showed that Windows XP was still the OS of choice for 49.69% of users.

Gartner believes that the increased usage share of Windows 7 has to do with enterprise adoption. Annette Jump, research director at Gartner, said in a press release that “Steady improvements in IT budgets in 2010 and 2011 are helping to accelerate the deployment of Windows 7 in enterprise markets in the U.S. and Asia/Pacific, where Windows 7 migrations started in large volume from 4Q10. By the end of 2011, nearly 635 million new PCs worldwide are expected to be shipped with Windows 7. Many enterprises have been planning their deployment of Windows 7 for the last 12 to 18 months, and are now moving rapidly to Windows 7.”

Gartner’s forecast shows that Chrome OS, Android or webOS will make any meaningful inroads into the PC market within the next year. However, the research firm estimates that in 2012 50 percent of the applications for enterprise will be OS-agnostic.

As of June of this year Windows 7 was powering 21 percent of all corporate desktops, with the decade-old Windows XP at 60 percent.

PCMark 7 provides a set of 7 PC tests for measuring different aspects of PC performance with a high degree of accuracy. Overall system performance is measured by the PCMark test. The Lightweight test measures the capabilities of entry level systems and mobility platforms unable to run the full PCMark test. Common use performance is measured by the Entertainment, Creativity and Productivity tests. Component performance is measured by the Computation and Storage hardware tests. The Storage test is ideal for testing solid state drives (SSDs) and external hard drives in addition to the system drive.

PCMark 7 helps you choose the best component upgrades

With the launch of PCMark 7 today, everyone can use this powerful PC test and its online services found at www.pcmark.com to compare the PCMark scores from thousands of systems. By comparing the increases gained by upgrading either the CPU, GPU, RAM or system storage device, then comparing the cost of each component, it’s easy for PC users to see which upgrades deliver the biggest performance increase per dollar spent.

PCMark 7 is designed for the full range of modern hardware

The PC landscape is changing rapidly thanks to new hardware innovations like solid state drives (SSDs), CPUs with integrated graphics and computing capabilities and new form factors such as netbooks and tablets. PCMark 7 is the only benchmark that lets PC home users and business managers make valid performance comparisons across such a wide range of hardware and usage scenarios.

The video transcoding workloads, for example, use dedicated hardware acceleration if it is available. This allows for a better comparison between newer components which enable acceleration and older parts that rely on brute force calculation alone.

The storage workloads in PCMark 7 have been extensively developed to accurately and fairly compare systems with either SSD or HDD storage drives. An SSD may be ten times faster than an HDD, but upgrading will not make your PC ten times faster. Tests that use the storage workloads take this into account, and comparing the scores between systems with an SSD and without will give you an accurate estimate of the difference in performance for your complete system, not just that one isolated component.

While Windows 7 has been publicly available since October 2009, many users began demoing the operating system when it was still a release candidate in early 2009.

Unfortunately the time has come for the RC to call it quits, and beginning Monday, March 1st 2010 those still using the RC – including this writer – will  finally have to bite the bullet and install a retail version of the OS.

Come March 1st, users still using the RC will begin receive a constant reminder about their expired license and will experience shutdowns every two hours without warning – your work will not be saved. All support will cease on June 1st 2010, and you will be targeted as using non-genuine software.

Unfortunately there is no direct upgrade path for those moving to a retail version from the RC; users will have to complete a fresh install.

So, pickup a copy of Windows 7 which can be found for around $99 (Home Premium) and prep yourself for an action packed weekend of document backup and program re-installation.

For more info and a comparison of Windows 7 versions, visit the Microsoft Website

Which operating system are you currently using, and for those currently using the Release Candidate, will you be updating to the full retail version or going back to a previous version of Windows?

It appears consumers are indeed willing to give Microsoft a second chance at creating a wonder OS, and so far it seems well received.

A private research firm has published statistics comparing the “first few days” of Windows 7 sales, vs. the launch of Windows Vista. Despite the fact that Vista was the more heavily marketed of the two by a wide margin, the study showed that Windows 7 sales trumped the predecessor by 234%, a study Microsoft is sure to be proud of.

Despite the enormous popularity, the profit gain from the launch only rang in at an 82% increase as compared to Vista. This is mainly attributed to the subdued promotion of the rather expensive (and profit padding) Ultimate version. Bad news for Microsoft, great news for consumers; confirming that there are definitely deals to be had.

“Microsoft’s program of early low-cost pre-sales, high visibility marketing, and aggressive deals helped make the Windows 7 software launch successful,” said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. “In a slow environment for packaged software Windows 7 brought a large number of customers into the software aisles.”

The study continued in comparing the overall growth of PC sales during launch week, which saw a 95% boost in sales of Windows based PCs over the week before the launch of Windows 7. This however was eclipsed by the report that Vista had caused a 170% boost in sales over its preceding week. Overall Windows 7 PC sales were down 6% from comparable Vista PC sales in the first week.

Given the current unfavorable economic climate as compared to the far more stable 2007 conditions, the slight decrease could actually be interpreted as an enormous success.

Windows 7 was ushered in only two weeks ago, amidst much fanfare and great anticipation that Microsoft would finally be able to right all its Vista wrongs.

While consumers are still deciding if it is in fact the messiah OS, reports from Wzor – a website which eerily seemed to be able to provide nearly every early beta release – indicate that developers have been plugging away at Windows 7 Service Pack 1.

Microsoft obviously is tight lipped, but rumour states that we could be seeing a public beta testing for SP1 as early as January 2010. The service pack will undergo two beta releases and two RC versions before hitting RTM in summer 2010 and becoming an official end user update in the fall.

While bug reports are likely flying in on a daily basis, yet the question must be ask; what exactly does Microsoft intend to offer this shortly after release, that couldn’t be accomplished with the usual regular updates?

So now that Windows 7 has been officially released, users have had some time to fiddle and play around, did it live up to the hype? Are you happy with the new OS or if you have yet to upgrade whats holding you back?

“DirectCompute takes GPU computing from a niche to the mainstream by making this potentially life-changing technology available to the millions of users of the Windows 7 operating system,” said Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group. “Using the GPU and the CPU as co-processors has already yielded amazing results in fields such as medical, geological and scientific research and will have a transforming effect on consumer applications as well.”

“NVIDIA has demonstrated its commitment to GPU computing with the announcement of the Fermi architecture,” said Mike Ybarra, general manager of Windows Product Management at Microsoft. “Windows 7 and DirectCompute will make it even easier for developers to create innovative applications that take advantage of the GPU’s massively parallel processing power.”

NVIDIA has worked closely with Microsoft on the development, testing and validation of Microsoft DirectCompute. DirectCompute will be distributed as part of the DirectX 11 API and is supported by NVIDIA’s current lineup of DirectX 10 GPUs and upcoming DirectX 11 GPUs based on NVIDIA’s recently announced NVIDIA Fermi Architecture.

Windows developers who are interested in learning more about developing with DirectCompute and NVIDIA GPUs can get more information atwww.nvidia.com/directcompute.

Consumers already running a GeForce GPU with Windows 7 can download the new WHQL-certified drivers supporting DirectCompute directly fromwww.nvidia.com/drivers.

“New advances in parallel computing, physics, and, stereoscopic 3D have amplified the importance of the GPU,” said Mike Ybarra, general manager of Windows Product Management at Microsoft. “These advances, combined with Windows 7, DirectX 11, and DirectCompute will transform PC gaming for years to come.”

A Windows 7 PC powered by NVIDIA GeForce GPUs will feature technologies that provide an unprecedented level of immersion that make gaming more rewarding than ever, including:

• NVIDIA 3D Vision™ technology turns a 2D world into a fully immersive stereoscopic 3D experience. Characters and objects appear to have real depth and literally jump out of the screen.
• NVIDIA PhysX™ engine turns a static world into a dynamic world that comes to life. Walls can be torn down, with realistic effect. Glass can be shattered. Trees bend in the wind. Water flows with body and force.
• NVIDIA SLI™ technology allows the highest quality and fastest frame rates by combining multiple GeForce GPUs in a PC. On average, SLI technology is up to 15% faster on Windows 7 than on previous Windows operating systems.
• Microsoft DirectCompute, a new application program interface (API) for GPU computing, will allow game developers to introduce new visual effects with fewer compromises to performance. Applications include image post-processing, shading & lighting effects, and artificial intelligence.
• Microsoft DirectX 11, the next-generation Direct3D API, will enable game developers to take advantage of NVIDIA’s next generation GPU architecture, codenamed “Fermi”, and create advanced visual effects for upcoming 2010 gaming titles.

“Despite rumors to the contrary, research shows that PC gaming is growing at a rapid pace and NVIDIA is the torchbearer for PC gaming,” said Jon Peddie, principal analyst for Jon Peddie Research. “Superior graphics, stereoscopic 3D, and advanced physics are features that differentiate the NVIDIA GeForce gaming experience from gaming consoles and other PC components.”

For more information on Windows 7 and NVIDIA GPUs visit http://www.nvidia.com/windows7.

Wow, this is just to good to pass up! Microsoft has been known to pull the odd PR stunt (think Jerry Seinfeild and more recently, the racial ad debacle ) however, their latest campaign to celebrate the launch of Windows 7 by encouraging people to have a house party for its release, really takes the cake.

Yes you heard right, Microsoft is setting up to promote the upcoming release of Windows 7 on October 22nd, by throwing House Parties across 12 nations and is inviting you to host it! For this, hosts will receive a “Signature Edition” of Windows Ultimate 7, along with a Windows 7 Party Pack.

Microsoft  has set out a few guidelines for the party, and enlisted the help of professional party planners “House Party” to help you set up for the event. Organizers must choose a theme; PhotoPalooza, Media Mania, Setting up with Ease, or Family Friendly Fun. People are encouraged to upload photos and videos of the event and share organizational tips or ideas for the party with other hosts.

The Parties will be held in the United States and Canada along with the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and Australia.

For more details or to sign up to be a host or attend a party check out the website: http://houseparty.com/windows7

So….who wants to host?

As reported back in June 2009, the EU is pursing an investigation

As a result Microsoft chose to completely eliminate IE from their upcoming release of Windows 7 in Europe.  Upon release, this is guaranteed to leave untold numbers of consumers struggling to figure out exactly how they are supposed to get on the Internet, or install a competitor’s browser, something the EU is greatly encouraging through its investigation.

The Commission’s persistence has only served to cause more hardship on user’s rather than alleviating the burden of being forced to use IE to download a competing browser (or avoiding Microsoft brainwashing). However, this morning Micrsoft’s lawyer’s relayed an announcement that the two parties may have found common ground. Microsoft forward a proposal that may see “full” versions of Windows 7 on store shelves in the near future that include a “ballot” style system of  popular browsers for users and OEM’s to choose when installing the OS. 

Brad Smith, General Counsel fo Microsoft states: 

As the European Commission has just announced in a statement, Microsoft has made a new proposal in an effort to address competition law issues related to Internet Explorer and interoperability.

Under our new proposal, among other things, European consumers who buy a new Windows PC with Internet Explorer set as their default browser would be shown a ‘ballot screen’ from which they could, if they wished, easily install competing browsers from the Web.  If this proposal is ultimately accepted, Microsoft will ship Windows in Europe with the full functionality available in the rest of the world.  As requested by the Commission, we will be publishing our proposal in full here on our web site as soon as possible. 

While the Commission solicits public comment and considers this proposal, we are committed to ensuring that we are in full compliance with European law and our obligations under the 2007 Court of First Instance ruling.

As we said June 11th, we currently are providing PC manufacturers in Europe with E versions of Windows 7, which we believe are fully compliant with European law.  PCs manufacturers building machines for the European market will continue to be required to ship E versions of Windows 7 until such time that the Commission fully reviews our proposals and determines whether they satisfy our obligations under European law.  If the Commission approves this new proposal, Microsoft will begin work at that time to begin implementation of it with PC manufacturers.

As the European Commission announced, Microsoft’s proposal also includes a public undertaking designed to promote interoperability between third party products and a number of Microsoft products, including Windows, Windows Server, Office, Exchange, and SharePoint.

Like the Internet Explorer proposal, the interoperability measures we are offering involve significant change by Microsoft.  They build on the Interoperability Principles announced by Microsoft in February 2008, which were also based on extensive discussions with the Commission, and they include new steps including enforceable warranty commitments. 

We believe that if ultimately accepted, this proposal will fully address the European competition law issues relating to the inclusion of Internet Explorer in Windows and interoperability with our high-volume products.  This would mark a big step forward in addressing a decade of legal issues and would be good news for European consumers and our partners in the industry.

Microsoft is currently offering only the “E” versions (no IE) in European regions, but have them priced at “upgrade” levels, which are far below regular retail. When (or if) the browser ballot version is released – likely in early 2010 – it will be offered as a “full version” commanding the retail price tag. The “E” version is full functional and can be purchased with the usual upgrade requirements (purchasing a full system) , not a bad way to save money if you have a source to easily obtain your browser from.

Microsoft only recently announced that the official public launch date for the OS be October 22nd.

Key features of the Enterprise edition are:

• DirectAccess
  Give mobile users seamless access to corporate networks without a need to VPN.

• BranchCache
  Decrease time branch office users spend waiting to download files across the network.

• Enterprise Search Scopes
  Find information on network locations including SharePoint sites with a simple user interface.

• BitLocker & BitLocker To Go
  Help protect data on PCs and removable drives, with manageability to enforce encryption and backup of recovery keys.

• AppLocker
  Specify what software is allowed to run on user’s PCs through centrally managed, but flexible, Group Policies.

• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Optimisations
  Improved user experience for VDI with multimon and microphone support. Plus the ability to reuse virtual machine (VHD) images to boot a physical PC.

• Multi Lingual User Interface 
• Create a single operating system (OS) image for deployment to users worldwide.

With the release client already on thousands of potential customers computers, the official release date set and the box art revealed, the only secret left for Windows 7 was going to be the pricing. Well, this morning, Microsoft is taken off the veil.

To top it all off, Microsoft has announced some pretty spiffy pre order pricing, available for the next 2-3 weeks. The pricing is shown as both “Upgrade” for users upgrading from accepted prior versions of Windows, and the “Retail” price for those purchasing for a new installation straight off the shelf

*prices is USD. Vista Retail Pricing taken from www.newegg.com

From June 26th – July 11th, Microsoft will be running promotions on the upgrade version of Windows 7 through their store, available to residents of Canada and the USA. It will feature Home Premium at $49 or Professional at $99. Visit the Microsoft Store for more details

Windows 7 Home Premium should offer the necessary tools for a majority of consumers, with Pro/Bus featuring a few extra tidbits for Networking and Backup, and Ultimate boating unique features such as the BitLocker security software and Multi language support. Microsoft has listed a handy and simple comparison tool on their website, found here

Microsoft also announced, that due to their recent decision to only offer retail, fresh installation editions of their branded “E” versions in Europe, (due to the European Commision’s medling) that pricing for retail “E” copies in affected EU countries would be the same as the unavailable upgrade versions.

The last remaining mystery, is the question of cost for OEM copies of the operating system. Microsoft has traditionally released cheaper versions of the OS, that mimick the retail versions without the fancy packaging and official Microsoft technical support. They generally can only be purchased by users buying computers from authorized retailers, but consumers often find a way to toss the software in with computer hardware purchases.

In the never ending saga of Microsoft vs the European Union, new developments have been announced regarding Microsoft’s latest attempts to smooth things over in it’s European market, unfortunately the EU isn’t still is not happy and is adamant about continuing its pursuit for cash…err, justice.

Starting with its record fine of approx $800 million USD  in 2004, the EU has seemed to have found its primary cash cow, rather target, rather….. well to be truthful, there really is no pleasant way to word it. After handing down an astonishing $1.4 Billion fine last year in 2008 (for failing to comply quickly enough with the their 2004 decision) the Commission announced in January of 2009, that they would yet again be investigating Microsoft’s perceived unfair monopoly in only offering its own Internet Explorer browser on Microsoft’s Windows Operating Systems. As with Windows Media Player, which in compliance with the 2004 ruling was removed from specially labelled “N” versions of Windows – Microsoft announced they would would be completely removing  IE from “E” versions in Europe for the upcoming release of Windows 7, and store shelves will only feature “N” and “E” versions of the Windows software, with no options for a regular edition.

Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Microsoft, Dave Heiner write, ”We’re committed to making Windows 7 available in Europe at the same time that it launches in the rest of the world, but we also must comply with European competition law as we launch the product.”

“Given the pending legal proceeding, we’ve decided that instead of including Internet Explorer in Windows 7 in Europe, we will offer it separately and on an easy-to-install basis to both computer manufacturers and users.”

 ”Microsoft will not offer for distribution in the European territory the Windows 7 product versions that contain IE, which are intended for distribution in the rest of the world,” reported Microsoft  to its OEM partners “This will apply to both OEM and Retail versions of Windows 7 products.” 

How Microsoft exactly plans to dump IE and allow OEM’s and end users to choose their browser is unknown. The EU has suggested a ballot selection system, which would have the major browsers included for a user to select during the install process. Though potentially, Microsoft could opt to include no browser at all, letting OEMs determine the software they wish to ship, and leaving end users hanging; having to obtain a suitable browser themselves via telekinetics or however else one expects to download a browser, without using a browser.

Microsoft had hoped this would help to stave off further investigation, and possibly fines, showing that they are committed to working with the EU to find a suitable solution. 

Unfortunately the EU isn’t about to let this money tree just die. In a statement released after Microsoft’s announcement, the Commission said they were sticking to their guns and would still be pursuing charges, asserting that Microsoft has been acting unfairly since 1995 when IE was first introduced into the operating system.  Even if the the Commission gets their way and forces Microsoft to bundle competing browsers with the OS in a ballot system, it is likely the investigation and inevitable “trial” will continue.

“At the level of both computer manufacturers and retail sales, the Commission’s statement of objections (SO) suggested that consumers should be provided with a genuine choice of browsers. Given that over 95 percent of consumers acquire Windows pre-installed on a PC, it is particularly important to ensure consumer choice through the computer manufacturer channel.”

It will be interesting to see Microsoft’s final response come release day, October 22nd 2009. If the browser bundle does make it through – what type of hits will IE take in the European markets?  Will it cause confusion amongst a large majority of consumers who may have never heard or used of these competing browsers? And will Microsoft be investigated again if they decide to put IE at the top of the ballot box, or having it selected by default; using their position as the operating system’s developer to unfairly direct users towards their own product.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions HardwareCanucks or its staff

Well, just in case you were concerned with how pretty your new Windows 7 packaging was going to be, Microsoft has listed the product on its online store, devoid of the most important detail – price.

They say don’t judge a book by its cover (how did you not see this analogy coming?). Well the same could be said for software. How many can recall seeing an absolutely stunning graphical depiction of a game on store shelves, whith screenshots of the pre-rendered cinematic on the back, only to then buy, install, play, and be sorely disappointed. Microsoft’s Vista  had a pretty spiffy retail box, guess we didn’t learn from our gaming experiences. Hopefully with Windows 7 the opposite will be true with the simple, and almost boring box art housing a redeeming OS.

Microsoft’s Web Store has put a little teaser up, listing Window’s 7 with an image of the box art as well as a short list of new and improved features. It is listed as “Coming Soon” which as earlier reported, will be October 22, 2009, but offers no hints as to pricing. The art also only features 3 different versions of the OS; Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate – not the planned  six reiterations. Though this time round, consumers should have an easier choice with only Home Premium and Professional being marketing for regular consumers, and the others specifically targeted for certain consumer groups.

Keep in mind you will only be able to get this gorgeous beauty of a box if you buy retail, which, if following the prior MS marketing schemes, will be roughly double the cost of an OEM license.

It has been less than a month since the first official Release Candidate for Windows 7 was opened for public consumption, now it appears the all new operating system will be set to make its debut on October 22 2009.

Microsoft Corp. announced the date the latest version of the Windows operating system, Windows 7, will be in general commercial availability: Oct. 22 according to sources from the Wall Street Journal.

The milestone comes amid intense pressure on the world’s largest software maker to reverse its perceived missteps with Windows 7′s predecessor, Vista, and as evidence mounts that computer makers are increasingly considering alternatives to its ubiquitous operating system.

“We feel confident that we will deliver Windows 7 with our partners on Oct. 22,” Bill Veghte, senior vice president for Microsoft’s Windows business, said.

While the date confirms Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft will be able to get the latest version of its most important product onto retailer’s shelves and into manufacturer’s computers by the all-important holiday season, it also means the company will miss some opportunity to get the product into the hands of school children and students going back to school in the fall.

Windows generated around one-third of Microsoft’s $60 billion in 2008 sales and is on more than 90% of the world’s personal computers. Microsoft has been under unusual pressure to deliver a smooth launch for Windows 7 to avoid some of the glitches which affected its predecessor, Windows Vista.

Vista’s launch, in late 2007, was dogged by compatibility problems with other software applications and components, and many corporate customers avoided the product, saying it required costly hardware upgrades, preferring to rely on an earlier version of the operating system, Windows XP.

With Windows 7, Microsoft also needs to address another growing challenge, the growth of the so-called “netbook” computer. Sales of these small, low-cost machines, designed for lightweight computing, have soared over the past two years, appealing to cash-strapped consumers, and Microsoft has been less successful in persuading the computer manufacturers to bundle Windows with the machines than it has with the larger desktop and laptop makers.

This week at a computer show in Taiwan, Acer Inc. (2353.TW), the world’s third-largest computer maker by revenue, said it will launch a low-cost computer that runs on Google Inc.’s (GOOG) Android operating system.

While Microsoft’s Windows is still expected to ship on the overwhelming majority of low-cost netbooks, Acer’s move is seen by some analysts as prefiguring a trend towards building computers which rely less on proprietary software operating systems, posing a particular challenge for Microsoft.

Veghte said that notwithstanding Acer’s experiment with Google, Microsoft’s hardware partners were “betting heavily on Windows 7.”

As the rumoured Fall ’09 debut grows closer and with the release of a free, practicaly fully functional release candidate – Microsoft’s Windows 7 is creating a lot of buzz – especially given the promising preliminary results. However, even though the release candidate is free, and will remain so until June 2010, Microsoft does intend to actually sell the operating system and so the question of price has been inevitably dredged up. Microsoft’s OS prices have sat at roughly the same price level for both XP and Vista releases, eventually dropping after full market saturation. However, in a recent interview with CNET, the marketing director for Dell, expressed concerned about what he claims, is a higher than normal release price for Windows 7