With the launch of Windows 7 this week, we’ve seen a number of product marketing attempts that made us ask “what on earth does this have to do with anything?”
Listen now:
Download today’s podcast
Subscribe with iTunes (audio)
Subscribe with iTunes (video)
Subscribe with RSS (audio)
Subscribe with RSS (video)
Windows 7 Whopper marketing promotion
Pistachio ad campaign featuring Levi Johnston
Dolce & Gabbana Sony Ericsson Jalou
…
Originally posted at Gadgettes, the blog
Of course plenty of folks have Windows 7 running in Boot Camp just fine, but if you’re one of those crazies that goes in for Apple’s seal of approval you’ll have to wait a little bit. The official support is coming “before the end of the year” to Snow Leopard and will obviously require an update to the Boot Camp software. Unfortunately, Apple’s excluded a lot of its 2006 Intel-based computers from this forthcoming update, and we’re getting the vibe that this is a Snow Leopard-only affair. Basically, par for the Apple course.
[Via Mac Rumors]
Filed under: Software
Apple will officially support Windows 7 in Boot Camp before end of year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
We just got off stage with Steve Ballmer, where we garnered a blistering 40 minutes of wild conversation with the man, touching on all things Microsoft. Of course, Windows 7 was at the forefront of talking points, be we also got Ballmer chatting up that Courier vid, and the lack of Zune integration on Windows Mobile. For the former he swears he hasn’t actually seen it, but that it sounds like it’s something someone should make, while for Zune he says Windows Mobile is going to get integration in the next release — which is a comforting thought, if perhaps a bit late. Of course there’s plenty more to what he said, and we’ll have an HD version of the whole show up tomorrow so you can sit back and take it all in if you missed the live shindig.
Update: We’ve uploaded a gallery of photos courtesy of our good friend and podcast producer, Trent Wolbe. Check ’em out!
Filed under: Portable Audio, Tablet PCs
Steve Ballmer hasn’t seen the Courier video, promises Zune integration in next WinMo release originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Continue reading Bose Wave SoundLink wireless music system goes on sale today
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio
Bose Wave SoundLink wireless music system goes on sale today originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Windows 7 is out today! Huzzah! But wait; if you’re still rocking Windows XP, you might want to think twice before upgrading. Here are some reasons to stick with an old OS.
You do realize that you can’t just pop in the disc and install the OS, right? Coming from XP, you’re going to need to backup all of your data, format your hard drive, install a clean version of Windows 7, and then start from scratch, reinstalling all of your old programs—and that’s assuming Old Faithful even meets the system requirements. Sounds delightful!
How many programs do you have installed? You’re going to have to reinstall all of them. Do you have all of your install discs handy? And I hope you haven’t lost any CD Keys! Do you still have all of your downloaded installer executables? Feel like finding them or redownloading them? Because that’s what you’re going to have to do. And as far as new programs go, you do realize that almost all new software is still compatible with XP, right?
What do you do on your computer? Surf the internet, maybe use some office programs? I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that Windows XP has been handling such duties just fine for you. So why upgrade? For shiny new aesthetics? For a fancier taskbar? For juggling 22 devices? You don’t need that.
Do you have $120+ to burn? Because that’s how much upgrading will cost you unless you use the $30 college-kid discount. Why not put that money in savings or use it to pay off a credit-card bill, like a grown up?
Every OS has bugs when it’s first released, and even if 7 isn’t the shitshow that Vista was, it’ll surely need some patching up once the masses get their hands on it. You won’t get any bonus points for being an early-adopter. Why not play it safe and, if you do decide to upgrade, hold out for Service Pack 1?
Tons of people (including you) still use XP, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Because of that, Microsoft has no choice but to continue supporting it, releasing security patches and the like. You don’t need to upgrade in order to get such benefits.
You won’t have your current computer forever, especially if you bought it long enough ago to come pre-loaded with XP. Since installing a new OS is one of the most risky and frustrating things you can do with your computer, you might as well just hold out until you buy a new one. It’ll have Windows 7 pre-installed on a clean drive, allowing you to start from scratch.
If you’re running Vista, however, you should by all means upgrade. What are you, crazy? Upgrade!
Even before 6.5 got official, the Windows Mobile community has been toying around with post-RTM leaked builds that really amp up the finger-friendliness — thing is, no one seems to know what it is, what it’s called, when it’s coming, who will get it, or how it meshes with the upcoming release of WinMo 7 next year. For now, it’s being informally called 6.5.1 — sounds like a fair name to us — and new mockups floating around suggest that Microsoft really wants to bridge the gap and make major user experience modifications to 6.5; the pre-7 platform hasn’t yet reached the end of the road, apparently. Big buttons at the bottom of the screen look like they should be usable by even the fattest of fingers on a resistive display (and indeed, we’ve seen various forms of these in leaked builds) and interface elements throughout the OS have been spruced up to finally put the stylus to bed. We’ll take it, but we would’ve been happy to take it in lieu of 6.5, too.
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
Windows Mobile 6.5.1 (or whatever it’s called) looking ready for primetime originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
The granola girls over at Autoblog Green had the rare opportunity to test out the quirky little U3-X on a visit to the Honda R&D center in Japan. You remember: the self-balancing unicycle that fits in a car door and relies on an inclinometer (not gyroscope) to know which way is up. In essence it balances the rider like a broomstick held on-end in the palm of the end. Autoblog calls it “far more intriguing than a Segway” due largely to the Honda Omni Traction (HOT) drive system that allows the personal transporter to move forward, back, and left and right on a series of small wheels. Unfortunately, Honda wouldn’t let anyone peek underneath to see the magic. When turned on the U3-X stands upright making small motions to maintain balance. And as awkward as it looks, riding the U3-X “couldn’t be easier” — like a Segway you just lean ever so subtly in the direction you want to go. It will tip over if the rider leans too far or too fast but it’s apparently very simple and intuitive to keep upright. The 20-pound model tested was designed for indoor use only and booked along at an overdue-toilet-break pace of 4MPH. Check it out in the video after the break.
Continue reading Honda’s U3-X taken for an awkward squat (video)
Filed under: Transportation
Honda’s U3-X taken for an awkward squat (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
You know how annoying it is when you stick your bread in the toaster and accidentally set the dial too high, and when your toast finally pops up, it’s darker than you want, or burned?
Granted, most of us over the age of, say, 6 are probably
…
Originally posted at Appliances & Kitchen Gadgets
I tried to have a Windows 7 Launch Party, I really did. Unfortunately, it’s really hard to convince people to come to a party centered around an operating system and the installation of said operating system. It…didn’t go well.
Did you have a party that went better? We’re looking for your pics and videos, so send em over to me at contests@gizmodo.com with Windows 7 Party Pics in the subject line.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
