windows Archives - Stefano Ottolenghi's Place

I spent a good week trying to get Windows 7 to work on a modern laptop, having an Intel i3 8th generation CPU and other recent components, such as a NVMe SSD. What I did not know in the first place, is that officially, Windows 7 does not support Intel CPUs later than 6th gen. Moreover, it does not support UEFI boot (not GPT partition tables). For reference, we are talking of a PC Specialist Ultranote IV 14″. Up to now, everything works almost flawlessly but the wifi/bluetooth adapter.

I am not gonna provide a full tutorial on how to install Windows 7 on a modern computer, but I am going to list here all the relevant resources that helped me succeed in the mission, as the research turned out to be quite exhausting.

The main issue is that the installer will stop quite soon and abruptly, stating that “A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing“. Clearly, this is bullshit, as the laptop does not even have an optical drive and the installer was running from USB.

Continue reading “Install Windows 7 on a modern, Intel 8th generation computer”

I’ve just had a quick look at the Windows 8 developer preview. Not screenshots, rumors or reviews around, I’ve actually installed it on VirtualBox and tried it myself. Yeah, it’s still early beta, developer preview, whatever you want… but what a crappy thing!! It’s not really up to bugs, instability and this kind of stuff, it’s all about the concept, that’s doesn’t make any sense at all! With this, I think Microsoft showed the last -though more evident- evidence they can’t lead – they must follow others’ footsteps. Apple has already said that eventually iOS and Mac OS will converge somehow but it’s not speeding this change up, it’s obviously something that will take time and, of course, PCs will never disappear. Anyway, slowly, it’s fine to develop new stuff for the mobile ecosystem and leaving the desktop a little behind because that’s where the average user will move, and the mass market with it. What’s not ok -actually, it’s foolish– is to think that the same operating system can provide a great user experience on both small and large screens. On portable and desktop devices. On 7/10″ and 25″ monitors. How could you possibly think that?!

Continue reading “How Windows 8 is the clear proof that Microsoft can’t lead”