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Windows 7, Secret Feature revealed....

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Windows 7, Secret Feature revealed....

http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2009/04/24/secret-no-more-revealing-virtual-windows-xp-for-windows-7.aspx
from WinCustomize Forums

Windows 7, Secret Feature revealed....
 
 Paul Thurrott and Rafael Rivera have just unveiled a new feature of Windows 7 today that they have been forced to keep a lid on for quite some time. Introducing Windows XP Mode (XPM) for Windows 7!

Over a month ago, we were briefed about a secret Microsoft technology that we were told would be announced alongside the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) and would ship in final form simultaneously with the final version of Windows 7. This technology, dubbed Windows XP Mode (XPM, formerly Virtual Windows XP or Virtual XP, VXP), dramatically changes the compatibility story for Windows 7 and, we believe, has serious implications for Windows development going forward. Here's what's happening.

XPM is built on the next generation Microsoft Virtual PC 7 product line, which requires processor-based virtualization support (Intel and AMD) to be present and enabled on the underlying PC, much like Hyper-V, Microsoft's server-side virtualization platform. However, XPM is not Hyper-V for the client. It is instead a host-based virtualization solution like Virtual PC; the hardware assistance requirement suggests this will be the logical conclusion of this product line from a technological standpoint. That is, we fully expect future client versions of Windows to include a Hyper-V-based hypervisor.


XP Mode consists of the Virtual PC-based virtual environment and a fully licensed copy of Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3). It will be made available, for free, to users of Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions via a download from the Microsoft web site. (That is, it will not be included in the box with Windows 7, but is considered an out-of-band update, like Windows Live Essentials.)


More news - HERE - http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2009/04/24/secret-no-more-revealing-virtual-windows-xp-for-windows-7.aspx
Screenshots - HERE - http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/xp_mode_pre_shots.asp

144,027 views 44 replies
Reply #26 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Philly0381, reply 10
It would be nice to see Frogboy's take on this and hear his opinion on what effect this will have on developers or programmers, if any, or Stardock.
End of Philly0381's quote

In my opinion it will hardly have any effect at all, it's just good news for professional who still have some legacy programs incompatible with Vista/Seven. I really doubt that today any serious company would still develop a new application incompatible with Vista/Seven.

And for gamers, well it's a virtual machine and unless Virtual PC have made tremendous improvment recently when it come to 3d acceleration support you can hardly play any recent game on it.

Reply #27 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Night, reply 18
It is just more evidence of how overbloated the software is and how much of a failure Vista is. Microsoft profits are way down...interesting that they released this "secret" info now.

SUCKERS WE ARE!!!!!!!

It's time to start boycotting MS. They have used us as their testers for too long. No other industry works the way Microsoft does. It is not right. It is a scam that we as stupid frikkin people have fell for.

 

Some big whig at the hot dog factory got together with some big whig at the bun factory and decided to screw you.

 

 
End of Night's quote

:rofl:

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOh Top Secret XP. That was just plain funny as hell! Good one, NT!

Actually, it's probably there to wean XP users into 7. When will MS wake up? Most people have XP. They like it. It works. Do they really need more? No. Just another "Mine is bigger than yours" pissing contest, imho.

7 will necessitate a whole new "buying a new computer" round. Cool....the computer manufacturers (China) get an economic stim. Just what we all need. Someone above said it: Buy a new computer for an OS. Feh!

When does Sustainability, Carbon Footprint, Waste, Pollution, Planned Obsolescence and just plain Nonsense enter into all this hype?

CursorFX - Customize your Windows cursor
Reply #28 from Elemental Forums Top

This is like having a phase out period while switching to Metric...  it doesn't work.

Reply #29 from Demigod Forums Top

Yeah but too bad that windows 7 is hyper glitched and your system can be hyjacked by a 3kb program that bypasses the HDD

 

http://gear.ign.com/articles/976/976242p1.html

Reply #30 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting HaunterV, reply 4
Yeah but too bad that windows 7 is hyper glitched and your system can be hyjacked by a 3kb program that bypasses the HDD

 

http://gear.ign.com/articles/976/976242p1.html
End of HaunterV's quote

 

From what I understand of that article, that glitch requires actual, physical access to your computer during startup. You've got other things to worry about if a hacker is actually at your computer.

Reply #31 from Sins Forums Top

I have a virtual machine with 98 on it for some old games that don't work right on XP.  You guys that are bitching about backwards compatibility have some serious mental problems.  All the compatibility modes are a mess, containing them in a virtual system is much better.  I'll wait to see what they have for hardware support before I start cheering, but if the damned thing will use your gpu for 3d accelleration, it's a godsend.

Reply #32 from JoeUser Forums Top

Yeah but too bad that windows 7 is hyper glitched and your system can be hyjacked by a 3kb program that bypasses the HDD
End of quote

That sounds a mite like a BIOS to me, but I digress.

Reply #33 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting psychoak, reply 6
I have a virtual machine with 98 on it for some old games that don't work right on XP.  You guys that are bitching about backwards compatibility have some serious mental problems.  All the compatibility modes are a mess, containing them in a virtual system is much better.  I'll wait to see what they have for hardware support before I start cheering, but if the damned thing will use your gpu for 3d accelleration, it's a godsend.
End of psychoak's quote

Personal attacks are illogical and don't promote healthy discussion. They are also against the rules of the Forums.

Reply #34 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting HaunterV, reply 29
Yeah but too bad that windows 7 is hyper glitched and your system can be hyjacked by a 3kb program that bypasses the HDD
End of HaunterV's quote

:grin:  It's true that if a hacker enter into you house... physically access your computer... install VBootkit on it... then yes it will be able to access all your files.

Remember kids, don't let evil hacker enter your room ;)

Reply #35 from Sins Forums Top

Personal attacks are illogical and don't promote healthy discussion. They are also against the rules of the Forums.
End of quote

 

So I've heard.

Reply #36 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The primary reason for businesses skipping Vista is because there are a raft of compatibility issues with a lot of legacy software becoming incompatible. XP Mode on the enterprise editions of Windows 7 blows away all those arguments about legacy compatibility. It's now a non-issue and businesses will now be more confident in leaving XP behind.

This is a very smart move by Microsoft. It shows that they "get it". It

Reply #37 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Mordafoca, reply 7

Quoting Sc4rfy, reply 1But it wasn't better a Vista Virtual Machine?

This is m$ admiting how big of a fail vista is...
End of Mordafoca's quote
 

 

Couldn't agree with you more...

Reply #38 from WinCustomize Forums Top

This is a very smart move by Microsoft. It shows that they "get it". It
End of quote

No, it shows they got YOU.

Reply #39 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Personal attacks are illogical and don't promote healthy discussion. They are also against the rules of the Forums.
End of quote

Doesn't strictly classify as 'personal attack'....more a generalized opposition/opinion....;)

Back on topic....if W7 has a VPC ver of XP with appropriate 3D acc in graphics, etc then they will definitely be on a winner.

Interestingly...I have Win7 running in VMWare on an XP box....and the bloody 7 boots faster than the host.

God this thing is slow.

 

Reply #40 from WinCustomize Forums Top

God this thing is slow.
End of quote

Really? Wish I could say that about mine....

My xp out runs my win7 on any startup. Only difference is the way I have win 7 configured maybe. Hard to match that with xp. But I don't care how it boots up or shuts down. It's the way it handles and stuff it can do. But it is like a two way street. One does this better and such and such does this like this. So if you think you need another OS to get what you want on the net? Then go for it and buy a new computer with win7. Go all the way and get the 64 bit with touch screen and add a gaming table for the livingroom too.

Thats what I'm think of... A gaming table with touch screen for the livingroom. Just so the relatives can come over and play with the thing and have fun. Plus it would look nice too! Who cares if it is slow or whatever. Long as it does what they want it to do after it is running good. Then it's cool and looks good to me.

Oh and there is that little price tag too! Just get a figure on that stuff.

but who cares - if they make it - they will buy it for sure. Won't they?  Hell I will if it looks that good to me...

Reply #41 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Not trying to flame, but why does this seem typical of these forums? :) They are offering this primarily for businesses. If you don't like it, don't use it! :)

Reply #42 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting HaunterV, reply 4
Yeah but too bad that windows 7 is hyper glitched and your system can be hyjacked by a 3kb program that bypasses the HDD

 

http://gear.ign.com/articles/976/976242p1.html
End of HaunterV's quote

Intersting that they ommited it can't be done remotely.  The hacker has to be physically at your computer!  Besides, you can do this in any OS on the market.... :rolleyes:

Reply #43 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Vista is because there are a raft of compatibility issues with a lot of legacy software becoming incompatible. XP Mode on the enterprise editions of Windows 7 blows away all those arguments about legacy compatibility. It's now a non-issue and businesses will now be more confident in leaving XP behind.
End of quote


This was exactly what I thought when I read the article in the news the other day.  I know from the industry I'm in (medical transcription), that transcription services have a platform built for them for transcriptionists to work on, and when Vista came along, some companies upgraded their platform to be Vista compatible, but others didn't (trying to stay competitive by not spending money on nonprofitable expenses).  By including XP mode, they've just opening up the Win7 market for transcriptionists who work for companies with XP-only platforms.

No, it shows they got YOU. 
End of quote


Well see, I don't really have a choice now, do I?  If I want to work, i.e., if I want to have an income, eat, have a roof over my head, etc., in the business I'm in, I'm going to have to be a Microsoft borg.  None of the platforms of the companies that I know of run off of Apple, Linux, or any of the other alternative OS's out there.  I sure would love to get out of this business, it sure doesn't pay what it used to now that automatic speech recognition has come along, but I've got debts, expenses, a family that depends on me to provide for the next year at least until they become independent, and not enough lifespan to make the expensive of going back to college for vocational retraining in a separate field pay off.  Yup...they got me all right.  Sure beats sleeping on a park bench, though.

Reply #44 from WinCustomize Forums Top

At my last position we had a few people still running Win3.1 so they could run arcahic mainframe emulation.  And many of our clients had custom designed software that practically demanded Win95/98.  The same is true for XP in some cases.

Upgrading to Vista (just for the support issues) was near impossible.  If Win7 allows for seamless XP emulation then a number of problems could be resolved and the cost of ownership would be reduced significantly.

This is a huge win for MS.