Windows 7 has hit RTM finally. Some users will start getting their greedy hands on the RTM ( some already have! ) soon, including yours truly, as soon as it hits MSDN and TechNet on 6th of August. This means that a lot of users will be (preferably) doing a clean install of Windows 7. I decided to create a list of some must have applications for Windows 7. They match most of what you had for Windows Vista and XP, but I’ve thrown in compatible drivers and antivirus software for good measure.  Read more...

Permalink: Free Windows 7 Downloads

Adrian Kingsley over at Hardware 2.0 has done another comparison between Vista and 7, keeping XP out this time, and based on gaming performance. He doesn’t reveal any accurate numbers for his benchmarks as that is against the Windows 7 RC EULA ( I wonder if using a leaked build is against that as well?! ). The benchmarks have been run on a fairly powerful system, with graphics cards ranging from mainstream to enthusiast performance, an Inter Core 2 Due E8500 processor overclocked to 3.6 GHz, 4 GB of RAM and pixel killing games like Crysis Warhead, Far Cry 2 and Left 4 Dead, all at a resolution of 1,680 x 1,050. 32 bit versions of both OS were used.  Read more...

Permalink: Windows 7 RC vs. Vista SP 1 – Gaming Performance