Hello again! It’s Mark Relph from the Windows Ecosystem Team here at Microsoft.  There is a lot of excitement for the launch of Windows 7 and we know many of you are looking for information as you think about upgrading. To help you, we are announcing the availability of two great tools today – the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor and the Windows 7 Compatibility Center.

Both these tools are available at www.windows.com/compatibility- your place to go for any Windows 7 compatibility questions you might have. Not only will you find links to the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor and Windows 7 Compatibility Center, you’ll also get compatibility help from experts in the Microsoft Answers Forums and the Windows Help & How-to team.

Now let me tell you a little bit more about what we are releasing today…

The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor scans your PC to see if it’s ready for Windows 7. It checks to see if your PC meets the system requirements, lets you know if your processor is capable of running 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and gives guidance on your upgrade options. It also tells you about any known compatibility issues with the most commonly installed software programs and devices connected to your PC. If an issue can be resolved, it suggests next steps for you to take before installing Windows 7.

 

The Windows 7 Compatibility Center helps you easily check the compatibility of thousands of devices and software programs for 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows 7. Usually, you won’t need to do anything to ensure compatibility. If you do, the site goes beyond just telling you what will or will not work. It also provides links to drivers and software updates to help get your PC running with the latest software.

These tools draw on an expansive database of product information that is the result of the work I described in my post on our progress with statements of support for Windows 7 for an ever expanding universe of products all around the world. We have thousands of products listed and will continue to add thousands more over the coming months. As a result, the Windows 7 Compatibility Center and Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor will be regularly updated with more products. If you don’t see a product listed on the site, please suggest an addition! If you are a hardware or software partner, be sure to tell us about your products using the Partner Submission page.

Windows 7 has been built for compatibility and we hope these tools help you as you prepare to upgrade. See you on October 22^nd for the launch of Windows 7!

Most consumers will experience Windows 7 one of two ways, either by upgrading their existing PC or by purchasing a PC with Windows 7 preloaded. At work, most of our business customers have their own in-house IT support (or a dedicated partner that they work with) to deploy new versions of Windows.

For the customers that want to upgrade their own PC (and have experience installing Windows), an overview of the process is provided below.

For customers running Windows Vista:

Once Windows 7 is available on October 22nd, customers will be able to upgrade from their current edition of Windows Vista to a corresponding edition of Windows 7. For example, it is fairly straightforward to upgrade from Windows Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Home Premium or from a 32-bit version of Windows Vista to a 32-bit version of Windows 7. The process involves inserting the appropriate Windows 7 installation disc, running the setup program, and choosing the “Upgrade” installation option. An Upgrade is the fastest and easiest type of installation and will preserve your files, settings, and programs.

For customers running Windows XP:

Customers who wish to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 will need to follow a different upgrade process due to the changes in PCs since the introduction of Windows XP in 2001. To upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 you must first determine if your PC meets the minimum system requirements using the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. Assuming it meets the requirements, you can install Windows 7 using the “Custom” installation option. A custom installation does not preserve your files, settings or programs so you need to first back up your data to an external drive and re-install your programs once installation has completed.

If you are upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 and installing it yourself, we have detailed step-by-step instructions here.

If you are a business customer, please note that there are other migration options for you that include a broad range of deployment tools and guidance to assist your migration to Windows 7. This also includes solutions to assess application and hardware compatibility. Please visit the Springboard Series.

For customers who want to upgrade to Windows 7:

We’ve received a lot of questions from our customers about getting Windows 7 before October 22nd. While you won’t be able to go into a store and purchase a copy until then, you can take advantage of our pre-order option which is available now via the Microsoft Online Store as well as a variety of participating retailers.  If you’re an eligible college student, you can also take advantage of a sweet deal on Windows 7 for $29.99 by visiting http://www.win741.com/. And, if you have multiple PC’s at home, then on October 22nd for a limited time, you’ll be able to get the Windows 7 Family Pack Offer, which will provide 3 Upgrade Licenses for $149.99.  Look for more details on this soon.

For more information on moving to Windows 7, I suggest you read our Windows 7 Upgrade FAQ which answers many of the commonly asked questions regarding moving to Windows 7.

In 2008, the global PC game software market reached $12.7 billion in revenue from a combination of retail sales, subscriptions, virtual item sales, advertising and digital distribution revenue according to the PC Gaming Alliance Horizons Software Report (click here to download the report). This was up 18% from 2007! PC gaming is hotter than ever!

So today we are announcing that we are revamping the Games for Windows Program. This revamp includes new technical guidelines, a self-certification option, and a set of 22 technical requirements which are designed to:

• Create an easier game installation experience.
• Support both 32-bit and 64-bit Platforms.
• Support Ratings and Parental Controls in Windows 7
• Game titles populated in the Game Explorer.
• Enhanced game update notifications for game titles.
• Stability, security and compatibility against commonly known issues.

The idea is to have more game developers participating with more game titles that pass a standardized set of technical requirements. Games that go through and pass these technical requirements will offer consumers a better gaming experience. Gamers can expect awesome high-quality gaming with Games of Windows titles going forward.

The new requirements for Games for Windows will also allow developers to take advantage of Windows 7 features and compatibility when Windows 7 is released on October 22^nd. 

You get some of these improvements today with Games for Windows – LIVE titles. When you install the Games for Windows – LIVE 3.0 client on Windows 7, Games for Windows – LIVE is added to Game Providers in Games Explorer.

As you can see, I can receive the latest news on Games for Windows – LIVE in the right-hand pane directly within the Games Explorer in Windows 7. When I click on Street Fighter IV (which is a Games for Windows – LIVE title) I can see whether or not the game is up to date directly from Games Explorer.

You can download the Games for Windows – LIVE 3.0 client here.

I posted about many of the brand new enhancements to Games Explorer (and the gaming experience) in Windows 7 several months ago.

Starting today, the program will be available to all PC gaming developers and publishers.

Over the past few years, we have worked to improve the quality of PC gaming in Windows for consumers through the Games for Windows. We hope that the revamp of the program we are announcing today makes gaming in Windows and on a PC even better!

It was noticed last week that Games for Windows – LIVE now has a new desktop client. The Games for Windows – LIVE desktop client is designed to deliver free content in the Marketplace such as game demos and videos like trailers to PC gamers. The Games for Windows – LIVE client will also deliver premium downloadable content like additional maps and levels for your games that can be purchased.

Download: Games for Windows – LIVE desktop client

I figured I’d give the new client a spin and share my experience walking through the client.

To login, I used the same Windows Live ID as my Xbox Live Gamertag.

After logging in, I was presented with key gaming announcements for Games for Windows – LIVE as well as what’s new in the Marketplace, News, and Tips & Tricks. On the top left, the client has several “sections” presented sort of like tabs: Home, Marketplace, My Media, and Settings.

 

Under Marketplace – I was able to choose from a variety of content being offered such as game trailers like the one for the James Bond game Quantum of Solace. This is also the place where you will find premium content for games. I am also able to check my balance of Microsoft Points and recently played LIVE games. You can see I’ve played Shadowrun and Halo 2 – although it’s been a while. I could choose to view content in the Marketplace by Game title which is nice. That means I could choose a specific game and see all the content for that game in the Marketplace.

I wanted to grab some content so I decided to download the “Reveal” trailer for Quantum of Solace. I was thinking about picking this game up.

When I clicked on the Quantum of Solace “Reveal” trailer – I was taken to the download page for the trailer which allowed me to either watch the trailer directly within the client or download it in high resolution as a .wmv file. I downloaded the high resolution video which played nicely in Windows Media Player, Zune, and Windows Media Center.

NOTE: The Games for Windows – LIVE client puts all game videos under your Videos folder within your user profile in Windows Vista. The Zune software will automatically see these videos - where you can then choose to sync with your Zune device.

The video I downloaded shows up under My Media. All premium game content and videos show up here.

You can manage all downloaded content under My Media. So if I were wanting to delete some downloaded content I could do so here.

And in Settings, I was able to customize where the Games for Windows – LIVE client puts downloaded Game Demos and Game Videos. If I wanted – I could also clear all stored profiles as well.

In testing the Games for Windows – LIVE client, I used my 64-bit PC and the client functioned just fine. So you 64-bit users out there will have no problem installing and using this.

Expect to see more news happening around the release of the Games for Windows – LIVE client in the future as well as more content being delivered to the Marketplace for games under Games for Windows – LIVE.

A few weeks ago, John Obeto published a very extensive review of HP's 2nd generation TouchSmart PC. The new HP TouchSmart PCs are a follow-up to the 1st generation HP TouchSmart PCs which were released in January of 2007. The 1st generation HP TouchSmart PC was one of the first consumer PCs that took advantage of features in Windows Vista such as Windows Media Center. John's review goes from unboxing and OOBE (Out-Of-Box-Experience) to several testing scenarios. While the HP TouchSmart PC is a consumer PC - John also discusses the "unintended" use of the HP TouchSmart PC for the Small Business.

  

On my recent visit to Disneyland to see the Innoventions Dream Home, I was able to play around with the new 2nd generation HP TouchSmart PC courtesy of HP. At the Innoventions Dream Home, today there is a mixture of 1st generation and 2nd generation HP TouchSmart PCs. HP hopes to replace all the 1st generation HP TouchSmart PCs with the new 2nd generation TouchSmart PCs at the Innoventions Dream Home in the coming months.

So what is the HP TouchSmart PC exactly? It is an all-in-one PC with a 22 inch widescreen display that has built in touch capabilities. That means you can essentially touch the screen and utilize applications that take advantage of the built in touch features.  HP ships a suite of TouchSmart applications that take advantage of touch but more about this in just a bit. 

The new HP TouchSmart PC ships with the following specs (complete list of details specs are listed here in this PDF):

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5850 (2.16GHz)
Chipset: Intel GM965 Express Chipset
Memory: 4GB DDR2 SDRAM
Hard Drive: 500GB 7200RPM SATA
Optical Drive: Slot-load SuperMulti DVD Burner
Video Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9300 M GS HD with 256MB Dedicated Video Memory
Network: 10/100/1000 BaseT network interface
Wireless Connectivity: Integrated Bluetooth / Wireless LAN (802.11b/g/n) with built-in WLAN antenna
Audio: Integrated High Definition Audio with High-performance 2.0 Speakers
TV Tuner: Dual-format NTSC or over-the-air ATSC High-Definition TV Tuner
Remote Control: HP Media Center Remote control with IR (infrared) Receiver
External Memory Port:  5-in-1 memory card reader

You'll notice the system ships with 4GB of RAM. Because of this - the HP TouchSmart PC also ships with Windows Vista Home Premium x64 to take advantage of the full amount of memory. The HP TouchSmart PC also ships with Windows Vista SP1 installed as well.

There are 2 models of the HP TouchSmart PC today: the IQ504t and IQ506t. The biggest difference between the two models is that the IQ506t is the model that ships with the TV Tuner built in.

The design of the 2nd generation HP TouchSmart PC is quite a bit different than the 1st generation. The main PC is a much sleeker design. HP describes the design as a "sleek piano black design with elegant espresso side-panel highlights". The unit also comes with a HP Ambient Light that allows users to see their keyboard in the dark. The keyboard is also conveniently able to be tucked under the unit when needed as well which is nice especially if you would like more room.

While the design of this all-in-one PC is impressive, equally impressive is the HP TouchSmart Suite that ships with it. The TouchSmart Suite consists of the following applications:

• HP TouchSmart Music
• HP TouchSmart Video
• HP TouchSmart Photo
• HP TouchSmart RSS Feeds
• HP TouchSmart Browser
• HP TouchSmart Calendar
• HP TouchSmart Notes

These applications take full advantage of the touch capabilities of the HP TouchSmart PC. Navigate through your RSS feeds with the touch of a finger. Go through your calendars by simply touching the screen. Play music, view photos, watch videos - all by touching the screen. In using these applications you can see that HP has invested a great deal in touch capabilities for this PC - which is very exciting. In my own experience trying these applications out myself - I found everything responds elegantly to the move of my finger on the screen. No lag, not hiccups what so ever. It was certainly a "wow" moment for me. If this PC was sitting in your kitchen or living room, to use it all you would need to do is walk up to it and touch the screen - no keyboard necessary.

Side-note: I'd like to note because this PC ships with Windows Vista Home Premium x64 - the TouchSmart Suite of applications work fully under 64-bit.

HP has invested quite a bit in touch technology for the PC. The HP TouchSmart PC is a culmination of 25 years of HP touch technology design and development. HP first brought a PC with touch technology to the market in 1983 with the introduction of the HP 150 PC.

For more details on the HP TouchSmart PC - check out HP's TouchSmart Website at www.hp.com/go/touchsmart. There you can view a demo of the HP TouchSmart PC's impressive capabilities. You may have also seen their ad on TV as well. If you want to check out the HP TouchSmart PC out yourself in person - the HP TouchSmart PCs can be seen in a variety of stores such as Best Buy, Fry's, and Circuit City. You can also see them, as mentioned above, at the Innoventions Dream Home at Disneyland.

A few weeks ago I discovered Nikon had released a new version of their Nikon RAW Codec for download - Version 1.4.0. This new version adds support for Windows Vista SP1. The Nikon RAW Codec is for users shooting in the RAW photo format with Nikon cameras to view Nikon's RAW .NEF files in using Windows Live Photo Gallery.

Download: Nikon RAW Codec Version 1.4.0

I discovered a hidden "gem" with this new release however. It runs on PCs running 64-bit versions of Windows Vista.  Apparently, this version of Nikon's RAW Codec takes advantage of Windows Vista's built in 32-bit emulation feature called WOW64. I've got it installed on my Windows Vista 64-bit PC and am able to import and view RAW images (.NEF files) off my Nikon D40 into Windows Live Photo Gallery and view them just fine. I've confirmed this works with a few friends of mine who also use Nikon cameras and running a 64-bit version of Windows Vista.

If you shoot photos with a Nikon digital camera, use the RAW file format and run a 64-bit version of Windows Vista - definitely give this version of the Nikon RAW Codec a try. It worked for me, I'm hoping it works for you!