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[sev]

Its want you want from your computer - some (misguided) people say that Linux is better than everything....

Ok. I do agree with you on that, but those guys still have 16bit platforms and listen to prog-rock  

Tried it, but far too much dicking around with code.  I like the multiple desktops though.

[Martin_1962]

Last Apple PC I haev used was an Apple 2

[sev]

so what happens when the BETA expires in August?

Do microsoft release a production prototype as it were, or do they just cut you off till commercial release?

I'm interested to know because I really like it, and i'm loathed to go back to Vista or XP.  I'd be more than happy to keep updating till commercial release and then buy the thing.

Also, historically, do they offer any incentives for beta testers on the commercial release as a thankyou or is it a case of thanks for the input -  now stand in the que like everyone else?

[dbug]

The above is true for mainstream applications but at the fringes things move a bit slower.

We recently had to support some customers using an old DOS based platform for testing GSM base stations. The box is totally obsolete but there is nothing else on the market that will do the testing they require. It's based on a DOS PC but there are no issues with software support. It doesn't connect to anything so security is a non-issue. It's unlikely that we'll find a bug in DOS or the development environment (Borland C++ - Sorry ) that will be a show-stopper at this stage - so manufacturer support for those is not an issue. It's no problem to support (a breath of fresh air compared to Windows based stuff, in some respects).

The problem is hardware support - which reminds me - anyone know of a source of 486 Motherboards?

In most respects Windows (currently 2K) was a monumentally bad choice for the successor to that box IMHO. If the users can get it into the building under the radar of the IT police it's fine, but as soon as someone figures out it's a PC internally and starts altering security policies, installing antivirus software, etc. the problems start...

A substantial amount of development effort does into continually migrating it from one version of Dev Studio to the next too. That disappears into the noise for a huge volume app with lots of manpower being poured into it generally, but for something a little more specialised it's a real pain.

Had it been based on something the end user barely recognises as a computer I suspect it'd have been much easier.

Kevin

Sure I've still got a good 486 mobo fitted with 486DX4 (100) cpu somewhere.

[tunnie]

put Windows 7 on an old Dell C600 kicking around, seams to work well on it. Picked up the wireless pcmcia card no problems. Seams to be much lighter than Vista.

It seams to run Win 7 on that 1.2ghz laptop better than XP! Vista would have never run on it.

So it looks like a step in the right direction.

[TheBoy]

so what happens when the BETA expires in August?

Do microsoft release a production prototype as it were, or do they just cut you off till commercial release?

I'm interested to know because I really like it, and i'm loathed to go back to Vista or XP.  I'd be more than happy to keep updating till commercial release and then buy the thing.

Also, historically, do they offer any incentives for beta testers on the commercial release as a thankyou or is it a case of thanks for the input -  now stand in the que like everyone else?

There may be another beta (unlikely according to my sources) and a RC - which traditionally has always been free to try as well.

Be aware, when RTM comes out, very often you have to rebuild