I have been using Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-Bit for more than a month and I must say I am pretty comfortable with it. Even though not much changes from Windows XP besides the GUI, it supports DirectX 10 which is a must have for all gamers.

Till now, I have gotten only 1 Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) when I am upgrading to the Windows Vista 64-bit service pack 1. Since then, I have not gotten a single crash *TOUCH WOOD*.

Most of the applications out there that works for 32-bit WILL WORK WELL with 64-bit. The only exception I can think of is anti-virus software like NOD32 where it specifically requires a 64-bit version of it.

As for games, the only complain I have is with Steam. Regardless whether I do a proper exit or an improper one for any Steam games, once the game exits, Windows Vista will gave me the stopped working message, “hl2.exe has stopped working”. Apparently after doing some Googling, it is a known problem and there is a fix for it. I am still waiting for Valve to resolve this issue.

The only thing you need to take note is peripherals drivers. If you are using 64-bit OS, you NEED to be using a 64-bit version of your peripheral driver and not a 32-bit one. If your peripheral don’t support 64-bit OS, I think it is time for you to dump it and get a new one.

Somehow I feel safer when using Windows Vista 64-Bit as compared to Windows XP 32-bit as I know there are lesser viruses for Windows Vista and even lesser for the Windows Vista 64-bit as compared to Windows XP. I am keeping my fingers cross.

PS: I am NOT paid by Microsoft to promote Windows Vista, what have been mentioned are my personal views.

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 is due to be out tomorrow (29th April 2008), but apparently the file it is already on the Windows Update server. If you are suspicious of the authenticity of Windows XP Service Pack 3 file posted by 3rd party sites, this is the link for you as it is directly from Microsoft.

Here is the direct link (Right Click -> Save Link As). The file size is 316.43MB (331,805,736 bytes).

The official hashes for the Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 posted on TechNet are as follows:

• CRC32: C411A9DA
• MD5: BB25707C919DD835A9D9706B5725AF58
• SHA-1: C81472F7EEEA2ECA421E116CD4C03E2300EBFDE4

You can verify the hashes by using FileVerifier++, it is a freeware.

Source: Neowin: Windows XP SP3 Now on Windows Update

*UPDATE* Just downloaded the file and verify the checksum with FileVerifier++ and all the 3 hashes (CRC32, MD5 and SHA-1) matches exactly. Now I am going to install it.

*UPDATE 2* Installed WinXP SP3 and everything works normally at the moment. Firefox 3 Beta 5 loads MUCH FASTER.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 will support 64bit OSes running Windows, whereas for Mac, it will still be 32bit only. When Adobe Creative Suite 5 comes, it will support both 64bit OSes in Windows and Mac.

What’s Adobe doing with Photoshop? In the interest of giving customers guidance as early as possible, we have some news to share on this point: in addition to offering 32-bit-native versions for Mac OS X and 32-bit Windows, just as we do today, we plan to ship the next version of Photoshop as 64-bit-native for Windows 64-bit OSes only.

The development is frankly bittersweet for us: On the one hand we’re delighted to be breaking new ground with Photoshop, and when processing very large files on a suitably equipped machine, Photoshop x64 realizes some big performance gains. (For example, opening a 3.75 gigapixel image on a 4-core machine with 32GB RAM is about 10x faster.) On the other hand, we work very hard at maintaining parity across platforms, and it’s a drag that the Mac x64 revision will take longer to deliver. We will get there, but not in CS4. (Our goal is to ship a 64-bit Mac version with Photoshop CS5, but well be better able to assess that goal as we get farther along in the development process.)

Source: John Nack on Adobe: Photoshop, Lightroom, and Adobe’s 64-bit roadmap

Whats up with the Internet today? So many major news floating around the Internet.

• Microsoft releases the long awaited Windows Vista Service Pack 1 to Windows Update
• Apple releases Safari 3.1
• Intel officially announced new 6-core processor codenamed “Dunnington” and new Itanium processor codenamed “Tukwila”
• NVIDIA officially launched GeForce 9 - 9800 GX2
• Nokia officially announced N82 in Black
• Engadget played with iPhone Firmware 2.0
• WordPress releases the long awaited WordPress 2.5 Release Candidate 1

Did I missed out any technological news?

Some new features in IE8 Beta 1:

1. Activities - Activities are contextual services that provide quick access to external services from any webpage. Activities typically involve one of two types of actions.
2. WebSlices - Web sites can expose portions of their page as a WebSlice that users can subscribe to and bring that content with them on their links bar wherever they are on the web. Users receive update notifications when the content changes.
3. Choice of layout engine - Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 will ship in standards mode by default. However, three different rendering modes (Quirks mode, Strict mode and IE8 standards mode) that may be set using the X-UA-Compatible header.

Copy + Paste from IE8 Official Site:

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 (Developer Preview)

Welcome to the website for Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1. Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 is a developer preview for web designers and developers to help prepare their websites for the launch of Internet Explorer 8. Some of the new features designed for developers include a developer toolbar and improved interoperability and compatibility.

Internet Explorer 8 is designed to work in standard mode out of this box. However, Microsoft provides a way for users to browse the web in a way similar to Internet Explorer 7 by using the emulate Internet Explorer 7 button on the chrome. The web at your service

Internet Explorer 8 will take the web experience beyond the page. Internet Explorer 8 introduces a new way to seamlessly experience the best of the web whether you are a web developer writing to standards or a user discovering a new online service. Be one of the first developers to take advantage of improvements in Internet Explorer 8 for your websites and applications.

Official Site: Internet Explorer 8
Download: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1

Here are some post install details about Windows 7 (Seven) M1 originally posted by “Kenipnet” in Neowin’s Forums. Hopefully we can get some leaked screenshots soon.

Over the weekend I finally managed to play with the build¦. but disappointed.

One my primary machine, it asked for my SATA driver (never happened when installing Vista, as my drives were set as IDE in BIOS). After adding the driver from my USB thumb drive it would finally install. It didnt boot after first restart, however.

On my laptop it installed perfectly, but with no driver support for the video card. After numerous tries I gave up in the end, so Aero is now left in the dark.

Oh well, so theres nothing to show.

The build is 6.1.6519.

The GUI, as much of you have guessed, is very much like Vista. I dont know if once the right video card driver is in place whether there will be flashy stuffs to surprise me. The system is very responsive, using barely 480MB of memory after boot.

Gadgets are now integrated into explorer. You can right click on desktop and select œAdd Gadget or œHide Gadget. There is a new gadget called œWindows Media Center that displays now playing information from the WMC. On the same menu, œDisplay is added above œPersonalization which gives you direct access to display DPI settings. The page is much more polished than the one in Vista.

The start menu features a pin besides each item. Clicking on it toggles pinning/unpinning the item. Search in explorer is now states where you search within (usually being within the folder, as in Vista). You can now, however, adjust the size of the search box.

XAML fonts, called the œComposite Fonts are now added to the font folder. Perhaps WPF will be much more prominent in this release. Its disappointing that I dont have Aero running, or otherwise there might be some interesting stuffs to see.

A new application is added, dubbed the œXPS Viewer, no surprises, either.

Then finally, something interesting came up: the feedback tool. The feedback tool lists the œpillars of Win 7. You can see that Microsoft is aiming to fine tune this release as the case in XP rather than technological advancement as in 2K. highlights includenetwork aware, with improved connection tools and detections. It will have the ability to detect which network youre in and switch your settings and devices accordingly; With Live account, you can carry your IE settings and favorites with you; Gadget data caching; New Calculator, Paint, and Wordpad using WPF; install to desktop in 10 mins with only 1 reboot; instant streaming; better battery mileage, etc. All descriptions are scenario-based, so what will actually turn up is still yet to know.

Oh.. how could I miss this. A new boot screen does show up, finally. A full screen Vista-logon screen like boot screen with a beam scrolling across the whole screen near the bottom. Looks nice but reminds me of Win9x (well since XP weve been in the œdark, so surprised to see such a bright boot screen)!

Source: Neowin.net: Windows 7 (Seven) M1 post-install details leaked?

Sun Microsystems will plunk down $1 billion to buy MySQL, the maker of a popular open-source database.

Sun said Wednesday that it will pay about $800 million in cash for MySQL’s privately held stock and will assume about $200 million worth of options. MySQL CEO Marten Mickos will join Sun’s senior executive team after the transaction closes.

The acquisition is a bold move for Sun, which has embraced open-source software and development practices in an effort to garner more revenue from its software business. Until now, it has sold support services for a competing open-source database, PostgreSQL.

Company executives said they will continue to support PostgreSQL and continue to partner with database giant Oracle.

MySQL, founded in 1995, is one of the most successful open-source companies. It’s part of the popular combination of open-source development products referred to as LAMP, for Linux, Apache Web server, MySQL and the PHP development language, which is broadly used on the Internet and within companies.

Mickos had previously said that the company intended to go public rather than be acquired.

Full News @ CNET

NOOOO. I hate Sun because I hated Java too. Look at how slow Java is. Imagine MYSQL written in Java?

Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack1 has been officially released!

What can you expect in Service Pack 1?

• Stability. Using data from the Dr. Watson bug-reporting system, we’ve fixed the top software issues for each application in the 2007 Office system. The 2007 Office system SP1 also improves the stability of server components in the 2007 Office system and delivers compatibility with Windows Server 2008, so you can confidently plan for future upgrades.
• Performance. The 2007 Office system SP1 improves performance in applications and servers. Performance improvements can be found in Microsoft Office Excel 2007, Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007, and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.
• Security. By incorporating incremental advances in security and results from application testing, the 2007 Office system SP1 offers home and office users better protection against malicious software and potential threats to privacy.

Download: The 2007 Microsoft Office Suite Service Pack 1 (SP1) (218.3 MB)

Go: Microsoft Office Download Center

Source: Neowin

Mozilla Firefox is a fast, full-featured Web browser that makes browsing more efficient than ever before. Firefox includes pop-up blocking; a tab-browsing; integrated Google searching; simplified privacy controls that let you cover your tracks more effectively; a streamlined browser window that shows you more of the page than any other browser; and a number of additional features that work with you to help you get the most out of your time online.

Features:

• Improved Tabbed Browsing
• Spell Checking
• Search Suggestions
• Session Restore
• Web Feeds (RSS)
• Live Titles
• Live Bookmarks
• Pop-up Blocker
• Streamlined Interface
• Phishing Protection
• Automated Update
• Protection from Spyware and more….

Download: Firefox 3.0 Beta 1 (Win32) (en-US)

Source: Neowin.net - Mozilla Firefox 3.0 Beta 1

Microsoft has created a stripped-down version of the Windows core, called MinWin, that will be at the heart of future Windows products, starting with Windows 7, the Windows client release due in 2010.

While the Windows team has been working for years on reducing the dependencies in Windows which have made the operating system increasingly bloated and difficult to maintain and upgrade, its only been recently that the team has been able to create a separate, usuable new core.

Going forward, MinWin will be at the heart of future versions of Windows Media Center, Windows Server, embedded Windows products and more.

Microsoft Distinguished Engineer Eric Traut described some of the work the Microsoft Core OS team has done to build the MinWin core during a recent talk he gave at the University of Illinois. The full video of Trauts talk is here. Blogger Long Zheng clipped out the piece of Trauts talk which highlighted how the MinWin core will work in Windows 7 and posted it to his site.

MinWin is internal-only and œwont be productized but it will be the basis for future products, Traut said. But œits proof there is a really nice little core inside Windows.

MinWin is 25 MB on disk; Vista is 4 GB, Traut said. (The slimmed-down Windows Server 2008 core is still 1.5 GB in size.) The MinWin kernel does not include a graphics subsystem in its current build, but does incorporate a œvery simple HTTP server, Traut said. The MinWin core is 100 files total, while all of Windows is 5,000 files in size.

Traut said he is running a team of 200 Windows engineers working on the core kernel and Windows virtual technologies.

Traut acknowledged tat the Windows kernel is between twelve and fifteen years old right now. He said that Microsoft is operating under the premise that œat some point, well have to replace it (the kernel), given that it œdoesnt have an unlimited life span.

Traut did not mention Singularity ” Microsoft Researchs built-from-scratch microkernel-based operating system ” during his talk.

Instead, Traut spent most of his time describing Microsofts thinking around virtualization, and how virtualization can be used to ease backwards compatibility and other problems Windows users incur. He did not speak specifically about how Microsoft plans to incorporate virtualization in Windows 7, but did stress that virtualization should not be viewed as a crutch, in terms of improving existing code. He said Microsoft considers application virtualization, like that it provides via SofGrid, presentation virtualization (Windows Terminal Services and œenhancements to core Windows functionality are all other ways that the company can improve users Windows experience.

Source: Stripped-down MinWin kernel to be at the core of Windows 7 and more