Windows 7 SP1 Officially Out

[redrumy3]

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...e6-4056-4059-8a1b-3a9b77cdfdda&displaylang=en

for those who want to try sp1 rc

Microsoft has announced the launch of the Release Candidate version of Windows 7 Service Pack 1, the last test version prior to its official release.

While the service pack, which is shared between Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, comprises a collection of all the latest bug fixes and security patches to have been released since the launch of the operating system, Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc has confirmed that Windows 7 users won't be getting any new features if they choose to install the update.

While Windows Server 2008 R2 users will enjoy the addition of two new virtualisation-related technologies, Dynamic Memory and RemoteFX, to their operating system, Windows 7 users will have to be content with the knowledge that they are running the very latest patches on their system.

Dynamic Memory is an improvement to Microsoft's Hyper-V virtualisation hypervisor which, the company claims, increases the software's memory usage efficiency, allowing physical memory to be rapidly allocated to hard-working virtual machines with no down time.

RemoteFX is designed to improve the use of thin-client machines on Microsoft's Remote Desktop protocol, adding support for local USB peripheral pass-through and improved performance for graphics-intensive applications.

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2010/10/27/windows-7-sp1-rc-released/1

 

[Wathnix]

Think I'll wait till MS releases the 'gold' version before I go SP1

 

[SteveLord]

Looks like mostly server goodies.

 

[nd4spdbh2]

i will wait till the actually release the RTM, slipstream into a windows 7 install then reinstall windows.

 

[EarthDog]

I guess I dont need this as I am up to date on my updates!

 

[hokiealumnus]

I guess I dont need this as I am up to date on my updates!

Yes, but this makes it much faster to come back from a dead install.

 

[EarthDog]

Absoultely.. slipstream installs FTW!

 

[DaveHCYJ]

Looks like mostly server goodies.

Although its a "server goody", I read somewhere SP1 for Server2k8 is going to include hardware accelerated remote desktop. To take advantage of it on the client side you will need Win7 SP1. This seems like a pretty darn exciting new feature to me.

Imagine dropping any graphics intensive program or game on a powerful server somewhere and being able to smoothly play it from an uber inexpensive laptop while sitting on your couch...

This will have huge implications for virtualization of desktops (in addition to the servers they already virtualize) in the corporate world. Really I just want to be able to play Civ V from my laptop though

Edit: Can't find the article, but the technology is called RemoteFx

 

[Redstone]

Luckly, for the first time in several operating systems the initial release of Win7 has been mostly stress free.

 

[SteveLord]

Although its a "server goody", I read somewhere SP1 for Server2k8 is going to include hardware accelerated remote desktop. To take advantage of it on the client side you will need Win7 SP1. This seems like a pretty darn exciting new feature to me.

Imagine dropping any graphics intensive program or game on a powerful server somewhere and being able to smoothly play it from an uber inexpensive laptop while sitting on your couch...

This will have huge implications for virtualization of desktops (in addition to the servers they already virtualize) in the corporate world. Really I just want to be able to play Civ V from my laptop though

Edit: Can't find the article, but the technology is called RemoteFx

I doubt it would go as far as enabling remote gaming...

 

[DaveHCYJ]

I doubt it would go as far as enabling remote gaming...

I can hope can't I?

It supports full screen video, and since all the rendering is done on the server side there really is no difference between full screen video and a game as far as the amount of information that needs to be captured and sent to the client. DX 9 is supported (since things like IE 9, Aero, and Office 2010 use it).

I suppose we will have to wait and see. It probably also depends on the type of game. FPS type games may not be playable at first, but maybe turn based games will?

There is a demo of full screen video 12 minutes in to this presentation: http://nvidia.fullviewmedia.com/gtc2010/0922-a7-2243.html

 

[petteyg359]

Most server systems aren't made for gaming, and therefore have cheaptastic integrated GPUs. Most home connections, where you might have a "server" with gaming hardware, do not have the upstream bandwidth needed to run full-screen video. Even my laptop, at 1280x800x24bpp, would need 3 MiB/s (24Mibps or ~24.6Mbps) for raw video. You can compress that, but it'll look so crappy you might as well go home to play your game. Useless feature, IMNSHO

It might be good for an "internet movie theater", though... have a server playing a playlist of videos, each one starting at a specified time, and sell tickets to read-only sessions, and if they don't "get there" on time, they've missed their movie I must patent this idea...

 

[DaveHCYJ]

It does include a codec for compression which ranges from lossless on high bandwidth links to lossy for WAN links.

My desires for gaming would be over either 1Gb Ethernet or Wireless N so I can plop down on the couch with a low powered laptop. This technology isn't really meant for home use though (at first at least).

You are definitely right about the hardware though, this is going to require a pretty large shift in outfitting servers. Currently there is a niche market for gpu powered high computing so servers like this do exist. They will just become much more mainstream as companies move their desktops to the datacenter.

 

[G8ortech14]

Most server systems aren't made for gaming, and therefore have cheaptastic integrated GPUs. Most home connections, where you might have a "server" with gaming hardware, do not have the upstream bandwidth needed to run full-screen video. Even my laptop, at 1280x800x24bpp, would need 3 MiB/s (24Mibps or ~24.6Mbps) for raw video. You can compress that, but it'll look so crappy you might as well go home to play your game. Useless feature, IMNSHO

It might be good for an "internet movie theater", though... have a server playing a playlist of videos, each one starting at a specified time, and sell tickets to read-only sessions, and if they don't "get there" on time, they've missed their movie I must patent this idea...

Agree with what you are saying. However if you are running over a LAN the connection speed is almost a non-issue. If you are getting 1 Gbps even the crappy Linksys G's offer that.

 

[petteyg359]

Agree with what you are saying. However if you are running over a LAN the connection speed is almost a non-issue. If you are getting 1 Gbps even the crappy Linksys G's offer that.

If you're already at home, and you have such a strong urge to game on the couch, just stick your desktop in front of the couch

 

[DaveHCYJ]

If you're already at home, and you have such a strong urge to game on the couch, just stick your desktop in front of the couch

That sounds like far too much effort and contrary to the original goal of complete couch potato laziness


Ok now that I've completely derailed this thread.... Has anyone tried out the RC? It doesn't sound like there is anything ground breaking in it other than bug fixes and support for RemoteFx. Have they updated the release date yet? The only information I can find says first half 2011, which seems like a pretty wide windows of time considering its less than 2 months away.

 

[hokiealumnus]

I had it running when I benched the other night. Didn't seem any different to me from installing all the updates. All I did was run benching programs and clock the bejesus out of my CPU though. Nothing was explored as far as whether the pack did anything.

It did put a perma-note in the bottom right of the screen indicating that my version of Windows was an "evaluation copy" with a new build number, much like the actual OS when it was in RC testing. Just FYI.

 

[G8ortech14]

I had it running when I benched the other night. Didn't seem any different to me from installing all the updates. All I did was run benching programs and clock the bejesus out of my CPU though. Nothing was explored as far as whether the pack did anything.

It did put a perma-note in the bottom right of the screen indicating that my version of Windows was an "evaluation copy" with a new build number, much like the actual OS when it was in RC testing. Just FYI.

Yes I don't like the build number in the bottom...makes me feel like I'm borrowing something rather than it being something I own. BTW anyone have good links to slipstreaming OS installs? How to that is?

 

[andreas.balzer]

Although its a "server goody", I read somewhere SP1 for Server2k8 is going to include hardware accelerated remote desktop. To take advantage of it on the client side you will need Win7 SP1. This seems like a pretty darn exciting new feature to me.

Actually you need Windows Server 2008R2 SP1 on the server side and either Windows 7 Ultimate SP1, Windows 7 Enterprise SP1 or any Remote Desktop Services compatible platform. It is possible to get this to run from Windows Server to Unix or to a phone. It just requires the manufacturer to license RDP.

Imagine dropping any graphics intensive program or game on a powerful server somewhere and being able to smoothly play it from an uber inexpensive laptop while sitting on your couch...

Like Crysis on a 100$ ultra thin client? You don't need to image any further. I did that yesterday, here's the video:

Greetings,
Andreas
Microsoft Expert Student Partner

 

[DaveHCYJ]

Welcome to the forums.


Thanks for the link, this is the first time I've seen it used with a game, all the other demos I could find were using windows media player. While windows media player and full screen video is certainly more how I'm going to end up using RemoteFx at work, its nice to see it does work for any sort of gpu workload.

We already do a fair amount of desktop virtualiztion at my work and the one major drawback we have currently is its failure at things like high end graphics, so we still have some beefy non virtualized demo machines we use for visulization.