hmm, interesting. I like it, but I wish it mirrored the entire task bar instead of just running tasks and it opened/unminimized the windows/programs on the monitor in which you clicked (don't know if it's possible, but that would be a cool option).

however, at $40, I think I may stick with RocketDock for now...

2/22/2010 3:53:02 PM

meh, it's free via torrents

and yea i wish you could put icons on it too but oh well. not that big a deal. and it adds buttons to the top right of windows so you can send them to the other monitor which is damn nice for me when i'm moving a lot of stuff around all the time

2/22/2010 3:54:34 PM

lol, yeh, I guess you could get it free by other means.

I really do like the look & functionality of ultramon (especially the window controls) and I'd be really tempted to get it; however, having a toolbar with shortcuts is my first priority.

Quote :

"Christian Studer 2010-01-21 14:50 Support for new Windows 7 taskbar features will be considered for a future release. "

from the realtimesoft forum... if they reproduce the W7 task bar with full functionality & aero effects, then I would probably get it.

2/22/2010 4:00:42 PM

anybody else have a pre-release version that's about to expire?

do i have to scrap my install, or is the some way buying and entering a key somewhere?

2/27/2010 12:02:11 PM

i'd like to know this too.. i put it on a computer at work, it expires monday.. i have to travel all day monday and the person whose computer is going to quit working is not going to be happy about that.. hopefully it expires at the end of monday or something but i dunno

also, what happens when it expires? does it do the shutdown every 2 hours thing or what?

[Edited on February 27, 2010 at 12:21 PM. Reason : asdf]

2/27/2010 12:03:57 PM

I read that you have to do a clean installation. I'm not sure if they mean "format + installation" or just "installation."


And this is such a bummer. The product itself is so not worth $170 to me, but not having to ruin all my settings and programs by reverting back to XP is.

I've never considered pirating OSes until now.

2/27/2010 12:57:07 PM

you can do it either way..

2/27/2010 1:02:51 PM

To answer your questions:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/3075/how-to-upgrade-the-windows-7-rc-to-rtm/

2/27/2010 1:17:33 PM

^^^ yes it is, stop being a cheap ass

2/27/2010 1:32:24 PM

Goddamn iphone

[Edited on February 27, 2010 at 1:32 PM. Reason : Fuck apple]

2/27/2010 1:32:24 PM

I was waiting for M$ to send Noen in for that comment.

2/27/2010 1:33:15 PM

The only windows box I run anymore is an old Atom mini-pc I bought from newegg for $105+$20 for 2GB RAM. There's no way in hell I'm going to pay more for an OS than I did for the entire PC. If I could have gotten in on that $30 copy of 7 a while back, I would have jumped on it, but I definitely don't feel to bad exploring other alternatives in this situation.

2/27/2010 2:21:51 PM

I think I read about a feature on Acronis Home Plus that has a method for upgrading XP to Win7 pretty seamlessly. Also that you can clone to dissimilar hardware now. Almost want to drop the 50 bucks for that license because I can't find a warez copy anywhere yet.

2/27/2010 2:23:12 PM

Quote :

"There's no way in hell I'm going to pay more for an OS than I did for the entire PC."

There's some rationalization at it's peak. I love the retarded thought that physical things are worth more inherently than digital things. You go spend a thousand dollars on a custom gaming rig, then all of a sudden it's too expensive to pay for the software platform to actually use it.

You pay more for your internet than you did for all you're PCs put together. That isn't even tangible. So why aren't you all pirating your services too?

2/27/2010 2:30:23 PM

Quote :

"I love the retarded thought that physical things are worth more inherently than digital things."

Why exactly is that retarded? I'm not claiming that digital things have NO value, just that in this particular situation, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it's not worth paying literally 135% of the cost of my entire PC in order to make my copy of 7 legit. Not when there are cheaper alternatives out there that would work out just as good for me. Like installing one of the legal copies of XP or Vista that I have.

2/27/2010 2:38:35 PM

KB971033 has killed more legit systems than pirated ones. brutal.

2/27/2010 10:44:53 PM

Quote :

"Starting on March 1, 2010 your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. Your work will not be saved during the shutdown. The Windows 7 RC will fully expire on June 1, 2010. Your PC running the Windows 7 RC will continue shutting down every two hours and your files won’t be saved during shutdown. In addition, your wallpaper will change to a solid black background with a persistent message on your desktop. You’ll also get periodic notifications that Windows isn’t genuine. That means your PC may no longer be able to obtain optional updates or downloads requiring genuine Windows validation. To avoid interruption, please reinstall a prior version of Windows or move to Windows 7. In either case, you'll need to do a custom (clean) install to replace the RC. As with any clean installation, you'll need to back up your data then reinstall your applications and restore the data. Thanks again for helping us test Windows 7."

3/1/2010 8:06:00 AM

is there any good reason why the $30-for-students option is no longer available?

i think i'll continue using a pirated copy that i found lying in the park until they bring that back and i can get in on it

[Edited on March 1, 2010 at 9:03 AM. Reason : .]

3/1/2010 8:59:59 AM

why would you pay $30 for a new license when you already have that free one you found?

3/1/2010 9:07:44 AM

i'm...a good american and like to support socialism capitalism?

3/1/2010 9:51:46 AM

had to install vista on my work comp cause the rc ran out. Waiting for HP to ship the win7 upgrade discs for some laptops we bought during the upgradeability period before it came out last year.

3/1/2010 4:58:48 PM

boy i tell you what though. I do love me some live mesh.

3/1/2010 5:07:46 PM

^^^^^You can still get Windows 7 Professional for $64.95 from the bottom of this page:

http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatesteal-us/default.aspx

3/1/2010 5:40:33 PM

Quote :

"is there any good reason why the $30-for-students option is no longer available?"

yes, because it was a limited time promotion.

3/1/2010 10:38:26 PM

^ well, durr...i'm asking if there's a REASON it was a time-limited promotion as opposed to offering it to students at a discount all the time...sorry i didn't spell that out for you

3/2/2010 8:05:22 AM

M$

3/2/2010 8:17:17 AM

Quote :

"^ well, durr...i'm asking if there's a REASON it was a time-limited promotion as opposed to offering it to students at a discount all the time...sorry i didn't spell that out for you "

Probably because companies don't like giving extreme discounts on software for exceedingly large periods of time.

It's bad business.

3/2/2010 8:30:50 AM

Quote :

"Probably because companies don't like giving extreme discounts on software for exceedingly large periods of time. It's bad business."

i disagree...your statement implies that they are making this "extreme" discount available to everyone, but that's not true at all...tech-savvy students likely make up a relatively small portion of their customer base (by "tech-savvy," i mean students that would be comfortable installing their own OS, as an upgrade or otherwise) and as such, it's NOT bad business to offer those most interested and most capable of singing their product's praises a discount...i'll bet dollar to doughnuts that their $30/copy promotion sold significantly more than just those copies purchased through word-of-mouth

for example, they've lost out on two purchases of mine...because, quite honestly, i have no moral issue with continuing to use these copies i found lying in the park...i'm guessing that there are more students like me than there are that will be willing to shell out the cost of two copies at retail prices...granted, i wasn't aware of the $65/copy link from above, and i might consider it...but knowing that it was available (and that microsoft can still make a profit) at $30/copy makes me less willing

*shrug*

[Edited on March 2, 2010 at 8:46 AM. Reason : .]

3/2/2010 8:45:06 AM

My statement doesn't imply that at all.

3/2/2010 8:55:12 AM

^ oh...so you're saying it's also bad business for companies to provide large discounts for their employees, as well...since the size of the customer segment is irrelevant?

blanket statements like the one you made generally stem from ignorance

[Edited on March 2, 2010 at 9:02 AM. Reason : .]

3/2/2010 9:00:25 AM

I didn't say that either.

Take a few minutes, re-read my post a few more times, then try to put a few more words in my mouth.

GOD WHY WON'T THIS COMPANY CONTINUE OFFERING ME A $200 PRODUCT FOR $30?!?!?

3/2/2010 9:06:01 AM

Quote :

"I didn't say that either. Take a few minutes, re-read my post a few more times, then try to put a few more words in my mouth."

why don't you try reading your own post again...you specifically say "it's bad business" to give "extreme discounts on software for exceedingly large periods of time"...how is this NOT a blanket statement? do you even understand what you wrote? the fact is that many companies do exactly that for customers of a certain sector, not to mention hefty discounts for bulk purchases...they do this because they're not stupid and realize that in certain situations, they will achieve a higher net profit by offering the discounts and selling more of a particular product than by keeping their prices high for everyone, regardless of the sector or circumstances

this is especially true in situations where the product is something with an insanely low cost of production (you know, something like software which is extremely cost-efficient to duplicate)

have you ever even taken an economics course? i'm not even talking about this particular situation...i don't give a rat's ass if microsoft gives me win7 for $30/copy or not, since i'll likely not pay for it past that price point...i'm talking about the ignorance that's blatantly obvious in your (incorrect) blanket statement

Quote :

"GOD WHY WON'T THIS COMPANY CONTINUE OFFERING ME A $200 PRODUCT FOR $30?!?!?"

oh jeebus, THIS again...value is determined by the consumer, not the producer

[Edited on March 2, 2010 at 9:19 AM. Reason : .]

3/2/2010 9:17:29 AM

value is determined by the consumer

prices are determined by the producer

if the price > value, don't buy it

3/2/2010 9:33:02 AM

Quote :

"oh jeebus, THIS again...value is determined by the consumer, not the producer "

Great, and I never once mentioned value.

I seriously have no idea what posts you're reading.

[Edited on March 2, 2010 at 9:34 AM. Reason : .]

3/2/2010 9:33:49 AM

^ i'm sorry, i thought that since you don't work for microsoft, you wouldn't know what it costs to produce a copy of windows 7...that $200 figure you threw out came from where, again? if it's not cost, it HAS to be a determined value (which you would understand had you taken even a single econ course once in your life)

3/2/2010 9:40:52 AM

It's the full retail price on Newegg. You go ahead and tell them about it's value to you and maybe they'll adjust their price to suit you.

Oh wait, they won't.

(Though there's a sweet $15 discount currently! Buy now!)

[Edited on March 2, 2010 at 9:46 AM. Reason : .]

3/2/2010 9:43:35 AM

RAWR RAWR RAWR

3/2/2010 9:50:20 AM

^ i'm confused...what does the full retail price on newegg have to do with your actual knowledge of cost to produce? oh wait, nothing

you're still missing the point...i was curious as to why they stopped offering the discount and you came in, contributed nothing of value by making some uninformed blanket statement about something you know nothing about (which is part of the reason your statement was completely wrong)...i'm not sure where you think you provided anything valid

3/2/2010 9:50:37 AM

Quote :

"^ i'm confused...what does the full retail price on newegg have to do with your actual knowledge of cost to produce? oh wait, nothing "

The cost to produce has absolutely nothing to do with the price.

3/2/2010 9:52:42 AM

Quote :

"The cost to produce has absolutely nothing to do with the price."

also incorrect...the cost to produce has very much to do with a price, since the general idea of how businesses make money (i'm going to dumb it down for you, so that you can follow me here) is that they PRODUCE something and then set the PRICE at a point over COST that makes them a PROFIT...the cost to produce an item is the most basic component of determining price

[Edited on March 2, 2010 at 9:57 AM. Reason : .]

3/2/2010 9:56:36 AM

Quote :

"since the general idea of how businesses make money (i'm going to dumb it down for you, so that you can follow me here) is that they PRODUCE something and then set the PRICE at a point over COST that makes them a PROFIT"

If this is true, then you can see how offering a product at 15% of your determined cost (since according to you the cost of the product is determined by the cost to produce) for an extended period of time would be considered "bad business".

Gosh, it's almost like I said that before...

3/2/2010 10:02:12 AM

Quote :

"If this is true, then you can see how offering a product at 15% of your determined cost (since according to you the cost of the product is determined by the cost to produce) for an extended period of time would be considered "bad business". Gosh, it's almost like I said that before..."

gosh, it's almost like you're completely ignoring the fact that the retail price of a product is not always determined by an exact formula provided by the manufacturer...seriously, do you not understand how business works? i mean...really? distributors? manufacturer-direct prices versus reseller prices?

the cost of a product is the cost of the product, there's no arguing that (though determining cost is more complex than that, since in the vast majority of cases, the overall cost of a product goes down as production increases)...retail price reflects cost only insofar as it will almost always be above cost to produce (this why your assertion that cost has "absolutely nothing" to do with price is completely and utterly retarded)...past that, retail price is meaningless

let me try to help you understand this using some numbers...let's say it cost microsoft $1000 to create windows 7 in its entirety (obviously this number is too low, but i'm trying to simplify it for you)...if they make 10 copies at a cost of $1 per DVD, that's a total cost of $1010...if they sell those 10 copies for $101/each, they'll break even...if they make 100 copies, though, even at that $1/copy production cost, they only have to sell each copy for $11 to break even...the lower price increases the likelihood of consumers purchasing their product...do you really not understand this?

it's completely retarded to think that microsoft was LOSING money selling copies of win7 for $30/each to such a tiny segment of their customer base...if you want to believe this, though, i don't suppose there's any amount of logic i can use to bring you out of your ignorance

[Edited on March 2, 2010 at 10:27 AM. Reason : .]

3/2/2010 10:23:16 AM

I just found a copy lying in a park, too. Crazy coincidence.


Srsly. $170? That's 50% of what it would cost to buy a new PC with Windows 7 on it.

3/2/2010 10:35:41 AM

Be thankful you aren't purchasing Adobe CS.

3/2/2010 10:40:02 AM

Quote :

" contributed nothing of value "

How can you quantify the amount of value he has provided?

3/2/2010 10:54:47 AM

^^^ you never know what you'll find in those crazy parks

^^ jeebus, i know...if the company didn't pay for my copy, i'd likely know GIMP a lot better

^ easy...we have determined that the consumer determines value and as i am one that is consuming his contribution, i assess that it carries no value since he doesn't grasp basic business concepts or the idea that relatively small consumer sectors are not comparable to the customer base as a whole

*shrug*

3/2/2010 11:17:10 AM

Quote :

"the consumer determines value"

the consumer can influence value and cause price changes... and by "the consumer" I mean the masses of consumers... not a consumer.

either keep on with your illegal copy or cough up $65.

3/2/2010 11:23:07 AM

Quote :

"the consumer can influence value and cause price changes... and by "the consumer" I mean the masses of consumers... not a consumer."

this is not true...the consumer absolutely, unarguably determines VALUE...they do not merely influence, they determine it (did you, also, never take any econ courses?)...your assertion is flawed because you are assuming that just because some people purchase an item at a set price that means that they're only influencing its value, but that's not the case at all...it just means that the company has common sense and has set its price at a level that corresponds to the consumer's value of the product

Quote :

"either keep on with your illegal copy or cough up $65."

exactly...as a single consumer, i have determined that the value of the software is below $65 (this isn't necessarily true, though, as i stated above that i might cough it up)...but in any case, each consumer determines value individually and consumer TRENDS demonstrate whether the manufacturer's price is in line with the consumer value assessment

3/2/2010 11:29:33 AM

Sooner or later he's going to realize I was trolling him.

That's my hope, at least.

It has provided for an invaluable level of entertainment for me though.

Entertainment which I both produced and consumed.

Quote :

"Be thankful you aren't purchasing Adobe CS."

When I was at the Apple Store yesterday, one of the people at the Genius Bar told a woman that her copy of CS2 wouldn't work on her new Mac. I was legit shocked that she didn't stab someone then and there.

[Edited on March 2, 2010 at 11:41 AM. Reason : .]

3/2/2010 11:39:35 AM

if windows doesn't support an old application its microsoft's fault. If osx doesn't support an old application, its an opportunity to purchase a better computing experience.

3/2/2010 11:51:33 AM