pc
Next Version Of Windows To Handle Game Updates Automatically
Posted by Luke Plunkett at 1:40 PM on September 23, 2008
Windows 7 - the successor to Vista - is already out there in the hands of testers. And while it's early, early days (ie it still looks exactly like Vista), a few additions/changes have already surfaced. Most pressing of those for you, video game enthusiast, is that if this screen is to be believed, it looks like the new OS will give you the option of letting Windows handle your game updates/patches. Handy (if it can be trusted).
Windows 7 M3 Build 6780: Pictures and Videos(soon) [thinknext, via Shacknews]

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
mva5580
Posted 2:21 PM 23/9/08
@Tilimorf: This feature isn't for people who actually know how to use computers, it's for the lazy-ass people who don't understand how to download and update things on their own.
I think it's a good idea.
mva5580
psycoking
Posted 2:20 PM 23/9/08
Hmmm....Sounds iffy..
Checks for software and reauthenticates your copy with our sever every five minutes ^_^
Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but, since we live in an age where companies think they can treat consumers like beggars -- and where consumers just bend over and say "that's just the way it is" -- I don't doubt MS will do something evil with this feature.
psycoking
Aethyr
Posted 2:12 PM 23/9/08
@Grey Gecko: You should find a nice, reliable Mac to settle down with. Maybe a house in the suburbs, nice white picket fence.
Aethyr
chorx
Posted 2:07 PM 23/9/08
@CockroachMan: But does it play doom?
chorx
CockroachMan
Posted 2:04 PM 23/9/08
So.. the NEXT Windows will update your software automatically? Like my Ubuntu Linux does since 2004?
Nice to see Microsoft finally catching up..
CockroachMan
Grey Gecko
Posted 2:03 PM 23/9/08
Vista has left a scar on me that will NEVER heal...
Grey Gecko
Pezdispenser
Posted 2:02 PM 23/9/08
Just make it more compatible with all of my games (especially the ones from the 80's/early 90's) and I'll be set.
Pezdispenser
Moonshadow101
Posted 2:01 PM 23/9/08
@Vezroth: So much hate!
Don't let the dark side claim you, young...
Oh, screw it. Darth Vezroth sounds too good to prevent. Continue hate.@Vezroth:
Moonshadow101
zeke009
Posted 2:00 PM 23/9/08
@magictroll: lol, you want to go around Corporate America and train in the older generation? You'd better get your will and affairs in order before doing so.
Users in my company went postal when we upgraded from Office 2000 to Office 2003 because it looked far to different! I'm glad I'm out of desktop support these days, they'll burn the place down when we move to Office 2007. ;)
zeke009
[ZTF]
Posted 1:59 PM 23/9/08
Might just be my paranoia, but it seems like this will only be used to collect more information about the users.
[ZTF]
homernoy
Posted 1:58 PM 23/9/08
@Mister_Jack: Click on Start, then Control Panel, then go to User Accounts and open that up. There is a list of six options under 'Make Changes to Your Account' The sixth one is 'Turn User Account Control Off' Turn it off and your set.
Also, you might get popup reminders for a few days but they stop. I haven't seen one in about eight months, since I formated my HDD.
homernoy
Mericana
Posted 1:58 PM 23/9/08
@RockstarLlama: you can turn that off too.
@Mister_Jack: Go to Control Panel -> Security -> Security Center -> Other security options -> Turn off User Account Control.
Mericana
zeke009
Posted 1:57 PM 23/9/08
Scary? Nah... it's what Vista should have been.
I forget, but isn't Windows 7 built on the Windows Server 2008 core that people were raving about and turning in to their workstation in place of Vista?
Either way, this feature will be handy if it makes the final build. I like it!
Can we have something for drivers that really does show you whats new as well?
zeke009
Uchikoma
Posted 1:57 PM 23/9/08
I'm more interested on the performance of Windows 7 more than anything else, which is the primary reason why I haven't installed it (Vista) on my desktop.
Understandably, I'd probably need to get a new computer anyhow for Windows 7, but I'd like to see that it's keeping the performance requirements in check instead of blowing it through the roof like they did from XP to Vista.
Uchikoma
NeVeRMoRe666
Posted 1:56 PM 23/9/08
@Metal_Slug_Solid: I know right, first they control what you can or can not open with those annoying questionnaires. Then they control the patches and updates on your games. Next...THE WORLD...
Terminator anyone? no? How bout 2001: Space Odyssey?
Get the news out now..stop them before its too
*Bzzzp*
Windows has encountered an error and needs to shut down.
NeVeRMoRe666
Vezroth
Posted 1:55 PM 23/9/08
Yeah, they need to have a new windows because Vista is commonly referred to as "Bloatware". So much extra bullshit that the OS simply DOES NOT FUCKING NEED!
It's AN OPERATING SYSTEM YOU MICROSOFT MORONS! IT SHOULDN'T TAKE UP MORE MEMORY TO RUN THAN MY FUCKING PROGRAMS.
Vezroth
Pyro Jack
Posted 1:55 PM 23/9/08
How much will something like this cost? I have vista and I don't know if I like the idea of something new coming out so fast. Unless its really cheap.
Pyro Jack
homernoy
Posted 1:55 PM 23/9/08
@Mister_Jack: Click on Start, then Control Panel, then go to User Accounts and open that up. There is a list of six options under 'Make Changes to Your Account' The sixth one is 'Turn User Account Control Off' Turn it off and your set.
homernoy
Mister_Jack
Posted 1:54 PM 23/9/08
@RockstarLlama: That makes me a sad panda
Mister_Jack
RockstarLlama
Posted 1:52 PM 23/9/08
@ArgentAngel:
Even if when you do turn it off, you get an annoying pop up in your system tray telling you that it is turned off.
RockstarLlama
Rocky_Winston
Posted 1:51 PM 23/9/08
@Vault69: I felt bad for that paper clip when I turned it off :(
Rocky_Winston
homernoy
Posted 1:50 PM 23/9/08
Personally I love Vista as it is, and little game centric things like the games folder that never existed in previous OS's. I think any pro-gaming feature that Windows 7 is bringing to the table can only be viewed as a positive. My opinion anyway.
homernoy
magictroll
Posted 1:48 PM 23/9/08
Screw Windows, the future is Linux!
magictroll
Mister_Jack
Posted 1:47 PM 23/9/08
@ArgentAngel: How do you do that? It's been driving me nuts.
Mister_Jack
SarcasmOD
Posted 1:47 PM 23/9/08
I love the smell of planned obsolescence in the morning. Or the afternoon.
SarcasmOD
Tilimorf
Posted 1:45 PM 23/9/08
That sounds pretty interesting but I think I would be on the side of I want to do my game updates myself cause I don't trust my computer to the internet.
Tilimorf
Metal_Slug_Solid
Posted 1:44 PM 23/9/08
Next Windows? :(( Scary.
Metal_Slug_Solid
ArgentAngel
Posted 1:43 PM 23/9/08
@Mister_Jack: You can turn that off by going to msconfig.
ArgentAngel
Vault69
Posted 1:43 PM 23/9/08
Let's just hope it's not a paper clip saying "It looks like you're trying to update a game. would you like help?"
Vault69
Kirk Douglas
Posted 1:43 PM 23/9/08
Why do I have a feeling this would be for "Games for Windows/Live" games only?
Kirk Douglas
Mister_Jack
Posted 1:42 PM 23/9/08
Does it ask for permission EVERY FUCKING TIME YOU TRY TO DO ANYTHING?! I JUST CLICKED ON IT! THAT'S MEANS I WANTED TO DO IT!
Mister_Jack
Moonshadow101
Posted 2:40 PM 23/9/08
@raviadso: Well, when you form your own opinions based on actual experience instead of automatically assuming every hate-rant you read online is true, it becomes easier.
Moonshadow101
QuasarSquirrel
Posted 2:39 PM 23/9/08
@Pezdispenser: Yes, I want to play some Xwing and Tie Fighter without having to jump through hoops of fire.
QuasarSquirrel
SScorpio
Posted 2:29 PM 23/9/08
@zeke009:
Nope, Windows 7 is a new version of the NT kernel thus the 7. Windows 2000 was NT5, XP NT5.1, Vista 6 and with SP1 Vista and Server 2008 were matched up to the same version.
When Vista was released it was version 6.0.6000, with SP1 it is now 6.0.6001. I'm not sure if this counts as kernel version 6.1 but I don't think it does.
Windows 7 and the next version of Server will also be the same kernel. Microsoft has modulized their architecture to allow the same code to be used across all versions. This allows faster patches and increased security as everything is only coded once.
I haven't heard about massive amounts of people moving to the Server 2008 platform, but doing a clean install of Vista SP1, and then disabling Aero adn a few other things like indexing and superfetch will trim down Vista and make it perform quicker.
SScorpio
raviadso
Posted 2:27 PM 23/9/08
how can you like Vista? Other than being pretty, its a steaming pile of buggy bull-poopy.
raviadso
Hand_O_Death
Posted 3:01 PM 23/9/08
Hey if it could update my Games and Hardware from the original manufaturers, then that could be really nice, even if its just a pop up reminder type of thing.
Hand_O_Death
okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)
Posted 2:59 PM 23/9/08
It would be as trusted as patches made for consoles. These kind of patch fears are harbored mostly by pirates :3
okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)
Ashura
Posted 2:59 PM 23/9/08
I can't imagine some games bothering to work with windows to allow this working. This may take a while for full compatibility if you ask me, I don't think game companies will jump over this too quickly for some reason. Not really feeling this, dunno why.
Ashura
Yas
Posted 2:52 PM 23/9/08
They promised this feature to Vista already. Will be interesting if they actually deliver this feature this time.
Yas
hagridore
Posted 2:51 PM 23/9/08
I'd rather Windows keep its fingers out of my games.
hagridore
shadowskill11
Posted 2:46 PM 23/9/08
Vista buggy? I've been using Vista x64 Ultimate for over a year now on my primary PC and I've never had any issues with it and I would consider myself a power user/enthusiast.
shadowskill11
otis123
Posted 2:45 PM 23/9/08
@CockroachMan:
so it updates firefox, and your word processor?
otis123
Vezroth
Posted 3:23 PM 23/9/08
@Moonshadow101:
I like the idea myself, sounds good! All hail Darth VezRoth!
Vezroth
Devenish
Posted 3:15 PM 23/9/08
Luckily Steam already does this for their games with out requiring the latest Windows.
Devenish
MikeKelley
Posted 3:11 PM 23/9/08
@kadaj24: My problem was never with Vista. It was with companies' lackluster response to making their software compatible. Adobe is on my permanent crap list for this.
MikeKelley
kadaj24
Posted 3:08 PM 23/9/08
The whole Vista issue is far overblown now. Other than needing more RAM than XP to run smoothly it doesn't have many problems, just very minor stuff now. I hate when I'm at work (Best Buy) and a customer doesn't want to buy a new computer because it has Vista, when I ask why, they can't give any reason other than hearsay.
kadaj24
sluissa
Posted 3:48 PM 23/9/08
@otis123:
you linux haters are kind of behind the times as well. not only are there plenty of GOOD open source(and therefore FREE) games out there, WINE has allowed linux users to even play many windows games.
sluissa
sluissa
Posted 3:44 PM 23/9/08
@Vezroth:
That's all fine and dandy, except the new version is just Vista 2.0. It will most likely be just as, if not more bloated.
sluissa
sluissa
Posted 3:43 PM 23/9/08
@relic1980:
I used ME for the better part of two years(I didn't want to upgrade to XP at first and even held out for an extra year after ME by going back to 98). I can safely say even with my very little experience with Vista that given the choice between the two, even now, as dated as it is, i would rather go back to ME.
I am not joking about this. I hate how to do the simplest little things in vista, have to be so complicated.
I've said it before, but if I'm ever forced for some reason to the point where I can't use XP anymore, well, that will be the stopping point of my PC gaming. I will settle with replaying all the fine things that have been produced up until that point.
sluissa
yashichi8bit
Posted 3:41 PM 23/9/08
Seems like common sense. If they got a working model functioning on Live then why not bring that to windows.
yashichi8bit
HitokiriX
Posted 3:28 PM 23/9/08
Since I hate steam I for one will never EVER!!use this feature since it'll probably be based on their half assed version of live for windows which is a total and complete train wreck. I wish they would stop trying to force this crap down pc gamers throats we said HELL NO TO LIVE AND WE'RE GONNA DO IT TO THIS RUBBISH TOO!
They should just focus on making a stable and secure OS that's decently optimized LOL yeah right that'll happen when hell freezes over
HitokiriX
relic1980
Posted 3:27 PM 23/9/08
@Pyro Jack: Ah, well that's how it used to be before the days of XP, me laddie ^_^.
Windows 3.1-1993 (I recall)
Windows 95-1995
Windows 98-1998
Windows Me (yukh)-2000
Windows XP-2001
And then, other than service packs 1 and 2, nothing, until Vista-2007. A six year gap. Which gave XP a chance that the other versions didn't have (okay, 3.1 wasn't a true OS; it, as well as previous versions of Windows, was simply a frontend for DOS); a chance to mature. Many users don't know what it was like before XP; XP was all they ever used, and they never knew what ti was like to upgrade from 98SE (many never used ME and just waited for XP) to XP. The incompatibilities, the hardware that no longer worked because of the way that XP handled TWAIN drivers (it had it's own, instead of having to rely on the hardware makers to create them), etc.
So when faced with an OS that, in many ways was like XP when it came out in 2001, and their favorite programs wouldn't work or their hardware was incompatible, or unstable video drivers made their displays mess up, it was relatively easy to blame the new OS for the problems.
The real problem with early XP and Vista was that the manufacturers of the hardware didn't want to create new drivers for their old equipment; much easier to sell new equipment with new drivers, and pass it off as being the OSs' fault. Or in the case of the software (coughEZCD Creatorcough) it was simply a matter of releasing a new full version and using the new OS as an excuse to not upgrade the old programs.
This is not to say Vista doesn't have problems of its' own (the intrusive UAC, the sluggish file-transfer in the pre-SP1 version, the beefy system requirements), but comparisons of Vista to ME are, IMO, ludicrous on it's face. It's clear to me that many of those who make such comparisons have never used ME.
But we won't see Vista mature as XP did, because Microsoft has apparently gone back to the old way of releasing the OS; namely, every two-three years. And then we'll see how the people like it when they are forced to do what we used to do in the nineties.
relic1980
em
Posted 4:05 PM 23/9/08
7 Already?
I have had a few issues with my Vista laptop(some still aren't quite resolved), but other than that it's been ok. Except when I installed the service pack and it wouldn't boot Vista anymore (I used Ubuntu to get in and save some of my files). I had to send my computer in to get that fixed, which was fine because the wireless wasn't working. But now it won't detect my SD cards at all. But that's more Gateway's fault.
But the topic. That's cool, I guess, but can't games usually do that on their own?
em
sonaiko
Posted 4:35 PM 23/9/08
@CockroachMan:
if you use linux, then u probably dont care what MS does.
Please spare us the useless comments.
sonaiko
Schmeg Peg
Posted 4:31 PM 23/9/08
@CockroachMan: I'd say Linux is still playing catch-up in the games department. Oh, what's that? Ubuntu can auto-update Tux Racer and that Tetris clone?
I love Linux (chalk me up for Slackware, not a fan of Ubuntu), but it can't, even with WINE, compare to Windows for games.
Windows auto-updating 3rd-party games is a nice feature. Admit it.
Schmeg Peg
Kirbysuperstar
Posted 4:26 PM 23/9/08
@sluissa: Yeah, you can never have enough crappy Tetris knockoffs for Gnome/KDE, crappy "Free" versions of games such as Civilization that pale in comparasion and dodgy Windows emulation for games that's slow and buggy.
There was probably a better way to word that, but.. the point is pretty clear. Linux is NOT for games, no matter how much you want it to be. Tell Stallman I said "Hi".
Kirbysuperstar
Crowbot
Posted 4:21 PM 23/9/08
Except I don't want games updated without my knowing. Apart from DRM's being added there are sometimes game changing content added in patches and I like the option to choose.
Plus it's another level of control they're trying to get you to give up.
Crowbot
cL9
Posted 4:56 PM 23/9/08
@cL9: PS: I'm liking this threaded comments thing. Looks neat.
cL9
cL9
Posted 4:56 PM 23/9/08
Not really sure what to think of this. It could be a good thing, but it could also be a really annoying thing, like when someone releases a patch that totally changes the game in ways you may not like. I still haven't upgraded to Vista and will most likely stick with XP for as long as possible.
cL9
Dogswithguns
Posted 5:03 PM 23/9/08
.... More Windows already?! Vista just came out not even two years yet!!
Dogswithguns
mlubczyk
Posted 5:43 PM 23/9/08
When did we get to the point that an operating system needs at least 2 Gigabytes of RAM to run smoothly?
I don't remember doing anything different with my computer now that I didn't do 10 years ago.
IF only Linux handled all my Windows Software I would switch in an instant.
I have 3 Gigabytes of RAM and Vista runs like Shit. Trying coping large files to ta flash drive and try doing anything else - Windows Explorer will lock-up and crash, every single time!!!
mlubczyk
Thorax
Posted 5:41 PM 23/9/08
@Dogswithguns: Vista bombed. They need to release something that isn't a proverbial pile of garbage, and stat, less those hipsters on my lawn convert me to Mac...
Thorax
sarusa
Posted 5:38 PM 23/9/08
@Dogswithguns: MS knows 'Vista' is tainted (as much as they keep making hurf burf noises to the contrary and have from the disastrous launch) and they need to get something out that's not-Vista, even if it's just Vista SP2 with some lipstick on it.
Cue a dozen people saying 'WELL SP1 WORKS FINE FOR ME NOW', and certainly they've gotten it to the point where it's about as good as XP, but the name is mud and they need a new name.
sarusa
bakakensai
Posted 6:28 PM 23/9/08
@mlubczyk: RAM is cheap, get over it mate :)
bakakensai
EloraHRanma
Posted 6:42 PM 23/9/08
Mmmh... When was the job of an operating system to manage stuff like that? I don't want more stupid processes running in the background and opening annoying bubbles which remove the focus from my videogames and take them out of full-screen, make the system load even slower and, probably, will not work properly.
Windows Vista has been telling me to install a nForce update for the wrong chipset (550? I have a 680, you stupid) for the last... 8 months? Just let me do the dirty work, please.
EloraHRanma
MentalNote
Posted 7:11 PM 23/9/08
I just hope this doesn't turn into Windows managing your game updates whether you like it or not. You know for teh piracy protection.
MentalNote
Mr.SithNinja
Posted 7:00 PM 23/9/08
@Vezroth: EXACTLY!! I have been screaming this ever since it was Longhorn in Beta. I don't think that MS knows what an Operating System is for. It should allow me to run programs, not ask me 6 times if I really want to or not.
As for the "auto game updater" I'll pass. Sounds more like a scanner for cracked software.
Mr.SithNinja
EloraHRanma
Posted 6:50 PM 23/9/08
(Please, Kotaku, make the first comments stay at the top; the quality of comments decreases in time. Oops, did I just say my comment was worthless?)
EloraHRanma
EloraHRanma
Posted 7:20 PM 23/9/08
@Mr.SithNinja: Hey, I hadn't thought of that possibility. So more DRM checking crap built into the system? That's just nice: one more process I don't want running will be blocking my hardware every x milliseconds. Even Vista is starting to look good now.
EloraHRanma
Nirual
Posted 7:51 PM 23/9/08
Most games can check and update on their own (some in fact force you to do so, so this is hardly evolutionary. I can see some synergy gains if the windows updater supports games, but otherwise...
Nirual
emag
Posted 8:14 PM 23/9/08
@relic1980: Indeed. More than that, XP was so reviled when it came out that tech sites were claiming that even ME was much superior.
It's entertaining to go back and read threads from 2001 about how terrible XP was and how home users would never upgrade from 98/ME and corporations would never upgrade from NT4/2000.
The thing is that Windows Vista is by far the most polished, least buggy, and most solid [initial] operating system release from Microsoft in history. The vast majority of problems lie between the keyboard and chair (even lazy 3rd party vendors have seen fit to update their software and drivers in the last few years), as many of these wrongheaded (but hilarious!) Kotaku comments prove.
emag
QuietStorm
Posted 8:13 PM 23/9/08
Because Steam doesn't do this fine already...
Anyway, a number of you have noted that MS should basically be making a barebones OS, while ignoring the fact that the largest market segment can't even be bothered to install programs much of the time (I work retail: I know). Building all of these "features" into an OS is, in fact, better for the average Joe.
QuietStorm
lumpi
Posted 8:06 PM 23/9/08
Oh, oh, oh.
YES. EXACTLY WHAT I WANT. Windows and their shitty, forced "usability features" to take over my games.
lumpi
Monkey Majiks
Posted 8:04 PM 23/9/08
hello windows certification (and inevitable 6 month delay) to all games patches!!
Monkey Majiks
Akin
Posted 7:58 PM 23/9/08
Windows Vista is the new Windows ME. Too bad it's being forced on new computer purchases.
Anyways, this centralization of everything by Microsoft smells bad. Very Orwellian.
@sarusa: What's the saying? you can put lipstick on Windows Vista, but it's still Windows Vista? Also, did I just insult someone's gender?
Akin
UFO
Posted 8:41 PM 23/9/08
@kadaj24: Maybe they can`t be arsed explaining to a salesman why they don`t want it and just want a quiet life?I hate these buggers that think they know more than me about something because they are selling the product and then try and bullshit a savy customer with their own pub expert opinions.It`s not worth the waste of breath arguing with them.Had this scenario with one of the so called tech guys at a pc world store years ago.Of course i was joe public that wouldn`t know a usb port from a gpu in his eyes, when in reality i was using and programming computers at the time when the best part of him was dribbling down his mother thighs.
The uac on vista and the way it`s implemented was a lazy way of trying to make the os safer without doing anything clever."Hey i know, let`s make them validate every single fucking thing they do!"
If i want to have auto game patch downloads i would turn the feature on in xfire,now,today!.It seems they have been looking at other apps trying to steal the best bits, mixing them up in a big ole pot and will turn out another large turd in the process.
UFO
TearsandScreams
Posted 8:24 PM 23/9/08
Gah Vista is annoying enough. Next time I'm at my parents house I'm stealing back my XP disc, stupid resource hungry OS.
TearsandScreams
Phibius
Posted 9:14 PM 23/9/08
why do we need an automatic windows updater, game version, when we have kotaku? :O
Plus, it makes us visit the wonderful world of internet;, see what people have been working on while we were hiding away in our basements door closed with techno music.
Phibius
string_theory
Posted 9:04 PM 23/9/08
@kadaj24:
The biggest problem w/ vista is the lack of good drivers for hardware.
Windows 7 is coming out next year anyway. Vista is a bad buy if you don't need it. If it came free w/ a new PC, not bad. But to upgrade to it is a complete waste; & may be considered a step down if you don't have a DX10 card, fast computer & DX10 games you want to play.
string_theory
string_theory
Posted 8:59 PM 23/9/08
MS should keep to just making an OS that's accessible & stop trying to regulate what people do on it.
They need to remember that the reason they beat apple was because they let 3rd party software flourish. The more they try to regulate games w/ GFW, & now this, the less appealing it becomes to the companies providing the content.
It also stifles innovation. Games are really the main driving force behind what keeps windows the #1 OS. If MS keeps on this route & some day Apple decides to sell OSX to the PC market (it's already x86); they could do to MS what MS originally did to them. Steal all the software devs.
string_theory
RammyX
Posted 10:14 PM 23/9/08
Yeah.... I'll stick to my OSX... :P
RammyX
Quicksilver4648
Posted 10:20 PM 23/9/08
This is good news. I know PC gamers feel all high and mighty up on their thrown, but there is a great deal of typically console specific features that could be crossed over. One is automatic game updates and its good to see this being taken care of. Another is a common UI or atleast standards in UI and Steam already does this and GFW is working their way towards it.
Quicksilver4648
Xer0Ph0kus
Posted 10:46 PM 23/9/08
I'm not sure where this DRM crazed world came from, but can it please go play in traffic. Everyone bitches that that MS does this and that for DRM, but they never bitch that they can't play their offline game they bought over steam without being on the internet. I can't figure people out anymore
Xer0Ph0kus
mikecoscia
Posted 11:12 PM 23/9/08
@Akin:
Vista is not even close to the horribleness that was ME. Not even remotely close.
mikecoscia
mikecoscia
Posted 11:10 PM 23/9/08
@sluissa:
You clearly need to spend more time and LEARN how to use vista. ME was the worst OS microsoft ever produced, hands down.
mikecoscia
mikecoscia
Posted 11:09 PM 23/9/08
@emag:
Agreed. I still don't understand all the bitching about Vista. It has been the most stable version of Windows for me yet and I am running it on 4 year old hardware with no problems.
Sure in the begining it had driver issues, but every new release does. Those complaing about UAC, you do know you can turn it off right?
Vista is getting a rep it does not deserve from users with limited experince with the OS.
mikecoscia
Tiber
Posted 11:37 PM 23/9/08
The problem is, MS sometimes has good ideas, but often even the best ideas don't end up implemented very well.
Want more functionality in Windows? Sure, but that comes with a bunch of stuff you don't need that's taking up hard drive space and memory. The only way to get rid of it is to reinstall with a special tool they don't tell you about to only install certain features.
Windows Media Player is on an extremely rare occasion useful if another player has problems playing a file, so I update it every now and then. Too bad upon doing that, MS goes ahead and assumes that you want to use WMP as default for all media file types, regardless of your current settings.
What do you want to bet that MS will find a way to make this feature more annoying than it is useful, even if you do like the idea?
A good interface can be catered to suit the individual needs, not just try and be semi-useful to everyone. Someone who is knowledgeable about computers should never see anything like UAC, and someone who thinks solitaire is the pinnacle of gaming should never see this.
Tiber
spock11384
Posted 11:50 PM 23/9/08
@sluissa: relic1980 was kind enough to write a well thought out explanation of current and past affairs. Since he's taken the high ground, I'll go low.
You suck for liking Windows ME. Really, that's all there is to it. Your opinion is invalid and you should stop posting on the internets because you're making them dirty.
spock11384
dgchatterbox
Posted 12:55 AM 24/9/08
@sluissa: Go buy a Mac... Windows doesn't want you anymore you noob
dgchatterbox
rebirthbyfire
Posted 1:00 AM 24/9/08
@sluissa: LOL! ME?! The Virus formally known as an operating system!!
Touche!
rebirthbyfire
Tepoz
Posted 2:00 AM 24/9/08
@mikecoscia: Actually, I believe Windows 2000 was the most stable of Windows releases. PC gamers had a hard time switching from 2K to XP. There were craploads of problems with XP when it first came out and wasn't really a viable alternative to 2K until SP1 for XP came out, much like the SE version of 98 made it the definitive gaming platform. This is why everyone in IT waited for SP1 for Vista before it was even looked at to introduce into their corporate ecosystems. We've all been down this road before.
The problem with Vista wasn't that it was a horrible OS, it was that OSX was more consumer friendly compared to Vista. The problem is that Vista is still trying to support anything and everything under the sun which hurts its stability (I hate Nvidia and Creative for their piss-poor driver support) while Apple forces software coders to be in spec for each of their OS releases.
Vista was supposed to be a break from the old Windows OS "support every application under the sun" mantra but Ballmer chickened out. Windows 7 was supposed to be the same thing also, but again, Ballmer fscked that up too. Consider Windows 7 the SE of Vista.
Tepoz
phor11
Posted 2:42 AM 24/9/08
@QuietStorm: Hell, they built 6 different versions of Vista.
How difficult would it have been to create a barebones version for the power user crowd that has been asking for one for YEARS?
phor11
phor11
Posted 2:31 AM 24/9/08
@Moonshadow101: what if your own experience involves one driver issue after another coupled with a UI that feels completely sluggish?
Not to mention it's a gigantic resource hog compared to XP.
It's not necessarily a worse OS than XP, it's just there's no real reason to upgrade if you already have XP.
phor11
Bananasniper
Posted 7:27 AM 24/9/08
@RammyX: And also to your lack of games; don't give me that boot camp crap either because you still have to have a copy of the Windows OS for that to work.
Bananasniper
Bananasniper
Posted 7:26 AM 24/9/08
I could care less about auto patching it really isn't that hard to patch stuff. All I care about is how Windows 7 will descend from the heavens in a golden chariot and deliver the best possible experience without raping on idle. If Microsoft made it so that the game developers could upload their patches to them and then distribute them that would be cool or maybe just a little reminder that a new patch has been released?
Bananasniper
Lake Somerset
Posted 9:15 AM 24/9/08
@Mister_Jack: You can turn that off in no time. Do you get your Vista PR from the Mac commercials?
Lake Somerset
Crawl to China
Posted 12:28 PM 24/9/08
Well basically Windows 7 is-
WARNING
Crawl to China is trying to comment
Cancel or Allow?
Crawl to China
cyruss
Posted 8:41 PM 23/9/08
@lumpi: can even see the option from the screenshot "Never scan automatically, I want to manage game updates manually"
How is this "forced" usability features? you're not forced to use it, it is giving you the option... you're making a fuss about nothingYou
cyruss
lumpi
Posted 8:10 AM 25/9/08
I still might have to use it for updates, but bring it up "manually", which is just as bad.
I could give you a thousand examples, from Word auto-adding a date whenever I type a weekday to being forced close a "do you want to watch photos or listen to music?" pop-up whenever I plug in a USB-stick...
They never fail to annoy me. :(
lumpi
nickymouse
Posted 3:01 PM 23/9/08
Wow! I bet this will go off completely without a hitch.
nickymouse
LordBastille
Posted 1:59 PM 23/9/08
Isn't it more appropriate to say that Vista looks like Windows 7 since Vista was pretty much just a cast off of what had been developed for 7 at that point in time and then tuned to the point where it was somewhat releasable to the generable public in order to appease those who were whining for a new MS OS?
LordBastille
stiltskin
Posted 4:26 AM 24/9/08
@string_theory:
that and the fact that mac's cost a fortune for most business and home use.
stiltskin
stiltskin
Posted 4:25 AM 24/9/08
in all honesty, vista really isnt that bad at all. Considering XP came out like what, 8 or so years ago, is it really shocking that you may need a hardware upgrade to run the newest OS? It definitely has its flaws, but its a completely redesign of the OS, its bound to have its flaws. they will build on it to make something pretty awesome im sure.
being an game developer i was scared to jump to vista, but my new lappy came with it installed so i gave it whirl. Now that ive done that i dislike having to use XP at work. The workflow is much quicker overall responsiveness of the OS much better. Oh and the fact that you can actually use vista 64 unlike xp 64 is a big plus.
stiltskin
ArgentAngel
Posted 8:12 PM 29/9/08
@Rocky_Winston: So did I. He was annoying little fucker, but I always felt bad when I turned him off. He gave me quite a bit of amusement with the little "animate" feature he had.
ArgentAngel
ArgentAngel
Posted 8:11 PM 29/9/08
@Mister_Jack: Type in the Start Search 'msconfig' (without the apostrophes). Go to the Tools tab and scroll down until you find 'Disable UAC.' Click on that and click the Launch button. That should automatically disable it for you once you restart your computer.
If ever you want to reenable it, just do the exact same thing except click 'Enable UAC' instead of Disable.
There will be a little popup in your taskbar, but all you have to do is right click on it and choose 'Exit.'
Hope this helps.
PS There are other nifty things MSConfig can do, like choose what services and programs start when you start you computer, but be careful, because it also has the potential to screw up your machine if you don't choose which programs to cut wisely.
ArgentAngel
ArgentAngel
Posted 8:06 PM 29/9/08
@RockstarLlama: If you right click on the little icon for the pop up and click 'Exit' it shouldn't bother you anymore. :)
ArgentAngel