One of the new features introduced in Windows 7 is the use of themes to customize the system’s appearance in a very easy way. Themes enable you to personalize wallpaper, screensaver, window color and system sounds in just one click. Then, if you want, you can change small details inside the selected theme and create a new custom version of it.

Themes can be selected from the Personalization window, which you can open by right clicking anywhere on the desktop and selecting Personalize. Switching to a new theme is as easy as clicking the theme’s thumbnail. The theme will be immediately applied to your system, so you get the full preview before formally applying it. You can then click on any of the customizable elements at the bottom of the window (desktop background, window color, sounds and screensaver) and change them to suit your taste. Read the rest of this entry »

Windows: Do you like Skype? Then you’re going to love Skype Portable! This is a special version of the popular VoIP client that doesn’t require installation and can be taken anywhere on a USB pendrive. Skype Portable works just like its desktop brother, features great audio and video quality, and has everything you need to keep in touch with your beloved ones!

iPhone: It’s been a long time coming but iPhone gamers at last got a decent driving sim. Firemint Real Racing GTI is a Volkswagen-sponsored racing game which makes wonderful use of the iPhone’s hardware to deliver a high-octane, realistic driving experience. The control system is probably the most refined, yet simple you’ll find anywhere on the iPhone platform.

Mac: The ability to run Windows on Macs has massively increased the reach and popularity of Apple computers. But you need a virtual environment to do so and the choice usually comes down to either Parallels or VMware Fusion. For developers this ability is absolutely essential, allowing you to run Ubuntu, WinXP and now even Windows 7 (in fact this latest release 3.0 has been optimized for it) all at the same time.

One thing you can usually guarantee with Apple’s OS releases is that they will work properly. That wasn’t the case with Snow Leopard - released exactly two months ago today - and the compatibility problems that have dogged it hark back to Microsoft’s disastrous release of Vista. I’m not for one minute arguing that the functionality of Snow Leopard is as bad as Vista and the incompatibility problems are far fewer. But the number of problems being discussed by users on this site alone suggest that for the first time in Apple OS releases, they got it badly wrong.

Apple Mail in particular has caused a huge number of problems as the comments following a post I wrote addressing Snow Leopard incompatibility issues with it prove. Mike’s frustrations are typical of many:

Massive problems here. Mail crashes occasionally, Aperture crashes all the time, especially when trying to export. CS3 has crashed. I mainly see the crashing when going into the dialog boxes (i.e export etc). I am not going to go into work-arounds, that’s not my job, I paid a fortune for all of my apple gear to get away from this type of issue. Apple should have gotten this right before releasing it.

He’s absolutely right to be so angry. The least Apple users deserve is that Apple’s own software works with what was merely a revised version of Leopard. And as he found out, it’s wasn’t only Mail that caused problems. Adobe’s CS3 was a well publicized victim of Snow Leopard. Since we update programs on a regular basis here at Softonic, it’s been unavoidable for us to notice the large number of updates rushed-out by developers in the wake of Snow Leopard’s release and the volume of frustrated users finding that programs suddenly aren’t working anymore.

InformationWeek reported that at least 100 applications were incompatible with Snow Leopard on its release. Users at Wikidot are keeping track of those programs still incompatible including at the time of writing major packages such as Adobe After Effects and Adobe ColdFusion. And to complete the surreal Vista-esque scenario, there were even security issues on Snow Leopard’s release. We had the security hole created by Guest Accounts and a vulnerability in Java both of which put your Mac at risk of hijacking.

Don’t get me wrong. Snow Leopard was far less problematic than Vista on balance. Minor incompatibility problems are to be expected with completely new OS releases but Snow Leopard was hardly a revolution - it was merely a tweak of Leopard so it shouldn’t have been hard for Apple to get it right. That is, unless they rushed it out in advance of Windows 7 which seems like the most likely reason for the problems.

For many Apple users, the release of Snow Leopard will forever be remembered as the mark of the devil - 10.666. Let’s hope they get it right next time.

Windows: Are you planning to upgrade to Windows 7 from Windows XP? Microsoft has developed a special tool to make this process much easier. It’s called Windows 7 Easy Transfer for Windows XP and lets you copy all your documents, music, photos, user settings, bookmarks and more to a new computer with Windows 7. Oh, and there’s also a version for Vista!

Mac: If you think Macs don’t need a virus checker then think again. Although the risk of virus attack is very small compared to Windows, Mac viruses are on the increase and this will continue as Macs become more popular. Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac offers quick and thorough scanning options as well as real-time scanning of files download from the internet, via email, etc.

Phones: Hangman Classic Free is an iPhone version of the classic game, in which you need to figure out what a word is by guessing letters. Simply tap a letter on the screen and if it’s in the word it will be displayed, if it’s not then another body part will be drawn onto the hanging stickman. Guess the word before the drawing is complete and you win, or else you die. It’s that simple.

Windows: It’s finally here. Windows 7 has hit shelves worldwide! Generally considered as the true heir to XP, Windows 7 brings many new features and enhancements to your computer that make it faster, more stable and easier to use. Take a look at our review and video, and follow our full coverage on the blog about Windows 7.

iPhone: Boulder Dash is one of the oldest franchises around, and surprisingly the basic format hasn’t changed for 25 years! Boulder Dash - ROCKS! is the latest addition to the family, this time on your iPhone. This Lite version only has 8 levels, but is fun never the less. You control Rockwell as always, and he’s trying to collect all the jewels he can find.

Mac: It’s no surprise then that Altitude has been developed by two self confessed nostalgics for the good old days of computer games when everything was so much simpler. Altitude is a beautifully put together shoot ‘em up where you take control of World War II biplanes and blow the enemy out of the skies. It’s a frenetic game with lots of levels and a breakneck pace.

I’ve barely been able to think this week due to the Microsoft marketing machine going into overdrive. Mainstream, and even not-so mainstream media, have been singing the praises of the new operating system like it’s some kind of revelation.

In my humble opinion, it’s clearly not a revelation. It’s yet another blatant copy of Mac OS X by Microsoft and merely the final version of Vista that they messed-up so monumentally 3 years ago.

If you’re in two minds about whether to upgrade, here are 7 reasons not to believe the hype or make the switch:

1. Little difference to Vista

Yes, there are a few juicy new features such as the “Superbar”, Libraries and it’s quicker but it remains essentially Vista. As some people are already realizing, Windows 7 isn’t much more than a Vista Service Pack. If, Vista is Windows 6.0 then Seven is merely 6.1.

2. It’s expensive compared to other options

A cursory glance at other operating systems shows that Windows 7 is still very expensive. Ubuntu and other Linux releases are free, and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard costs only around $75 and just $45 for a version upgrade.

Windows 7, depending on the version chosen, costs between $119.99 and $219.99 for the upgrade and between $199.99 and $319.99 full version.

3. XP and Vista work fine

XP was released in 2001 and remains a good option thanks to the service pack. Even though it’s 8 years old, it still remains the world’s most widely used operating system and almost completely dominates the netbook market. As for Vista, despite an awful start, Microsoft updates have served to clean up many of it’s problems if not solved the bloatedness and speed issues which plague it. If you’re happy with your current Windows, why change?

4. It’s still built on the same old insecure infrastructure

Compared with previous versions, Windows 7 is more secure, yes. But at the end of the day, it’s still based on the same old vulnerable NT kernel that Windows 3.1x was based on 17 years ago. It’s still also necessary to activate the firewall and make sure antivirus updates have been kept up to date. Other systems are more secure where to install anything you need to be the Administrator.

5. Upgrading XP requires a clean install

While Vista users can choose a convenient “Upgrade” option which takes less than 30 minutes to install Windows 7, XP users  - which is the vast majority of Windows users out there - have to perform a clean install. Even a brief glance at the BBC’s guide to upgrading to Windows 7 tells you that there is no way offices and general home users are going to go to the trouble - or even feel confident - to perform a clean install of a new operating system.

6. Incompatible programs

Windows 7 will be compatible with far more programs than Vista was on release and most major developers have been updated their software for it. But there will inevitably be tools or small business applications designed for particular businesses which don’t work well with it. The only solution to this is the XP compatibility mode only available in the more expensive editions.

7. Windows remains a closed system

Years ago almost everyone had Windows installed so interoperability wasn’t an issue. Now there are many users sharing Windows with Mac OS X and Linux. While these two operating systems have endeavored to facilitate coexistence, Windows hasn’t. Thus while Mac and Linux can access Windows files and install the two operating systems together, this is not the case in Windows 7, which still reads HFS or EXT3/4 natively.

Will you be one of those that sticks with what you’ve got and doesn’t upgrade to Windows 7? Do you think that Windows 7 is worth upgrading to? Have your say.

One of the most common doubts when changing operating system is whether or not your computer will work with the new platform. This week, Microsoft finally launches Windows 7, and one of the most important tasks for us at home is to find out if we’ll be able to say “Yup, I’ll be able to install Windows 7 without a problem” when it arrives. As well as finding out if our computer is up to the job, we’ll also want to know if our favorite programs will work with the new operating system.

To get started, Microsoft has developed Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, which will give you a complete report on your PC’s compatibility with Windows 7. The analysis only takes a few minutes - depending on your computer - but will list everything you need to know about your hardware and software. This is Microsoft’s official solution, but as we saw with the Vista version of the tool, it’s not infallible.

Luckily, Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor isn’t the only option. Despite the fact that DMS Clarity Metrics Tracker has absolutely nothing to do with Microsoft, it actually does the same job. The only difference is that it carries out a slightly more in-depth analysis and, as a result, takes a little longer.

Windows 7 itself ensures ‘retro-compatibility’, something that should reassure people thinking about upgrading. If you currently have Windows Vista, you’re likely to be able to use pretty much all of your favorite programs with Windows 7.

If you are running XP, Windows 7 (Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate versions) will have an integrated Windows XP mode. Basically, this makes it possible to run a virtual version of XP, not just for compatibility-checking purposes, but actually using XP’s source code to run a fully-functional system. In order to use this feature you need to make sure that your computer can support 64 bit instructions; SecurAble is a good tool to check if it can.

Remember that on Softonic, all Windows 7-compatible programs have a symbol to help you identify them easily. Now that all your compatibility problems are solved, there’s just one decision left to make. Will you keep XP/Vista, or upgrade to the new Windows 7?

Testing a new version of Windows is like getting the keys to your brand new car and ride it for the first time… all shiny outside and spotless inside, with that unmistakable new car scent that only stays for a few days. After the first impression, you make yourself comfortable in the driver’s seat and begin looking at all the buttons, lights and knobs on the dashboard. After adjusting the wheel and buckling up, it’s time to start the engine!

This is when Windows 7, our new car in this short story, leaves the garage and hits the track. That is, it leaves Microsoft’s labs and factories to become part of our daily lives. And it’s our turn, as users of this operating system, to pay attention to every single detail about it: any hardware problems? Is it difficult to get used to? How does it behave under the harshest conditions? An in-depth analysis with one main objective: to get to know an operating system that will become an essential tool in our work.

This post gathers our first impressions of Windows 7, the latest version of the Microsoft operating system. Just like each driver has a different driving style, each Softonic editor has also a different personal perspective when it comes to test a new operating system. And this is what Softonic editors from very diverse nationalities and backgrounds think about it.

Vista was not that bad, but Seven is not that good either”

I’m a positive person, so my first impression was kind of hopeful. But as soon as the system loads - much faster than in Vista, I must say - this initial hope vanishes. My dear old classic Start menu is gone and UAC is still up to its old tricks. These two things, together with the system’s overall design and behavior, make me think about Seven as Vista in disguise: a new appearance, but no really outstanding new features. Of course, there are also positive elements, like a seamless compatibility with software and drivers. In short, any improvement to Vista is more than welcome, but Windows 7 doesn’t seem to be a truly revolutionary new operating system. It’s just what Vista should have been from the very beginning.

Iván Ramírez ( Softonic ES)

I hope Seven doesn’t have as many bugs as Vista”

Windows 7 looks very similar to Vista: there are transparency effects everywhere! It doesn’t seem that different from its predecessor, but at the same time, you can tell usability and performance have been greatly improved. Windows Media Player 12 is very similar to version 11, but includes new functions: now it’s a complete multimedia suite with which you can not only listen to your favorite music, but also browse photos, watch videos, rip CDs, sync data with portable devices and much more. I hope Seven doesn’t have as many problems and bugs as Vista.

Felipe Pessoa ( Softonic BR)

Read the rest of this entry »

So it’s almost crunch time for Windows users. Is it really worth paying $120 to upgrade to Windows 7? Here are 7 reasons in favor:

More Speed

By almost all accounts, Windows 7 is considerably faster than Vista (which isn’t hard) but this will be one of the most important draws for most users. No amount of fancy features can make-up for wasted time waiting for Aero graphics to render, applets to load and painfully slow startups. Windows 7 is faster in almost every department.

The ‘Superbar’

Out goes the old Taskbar and in comes the “Superbar”. Ok, Microsoft have clearly copied the Dock on Apple Macs but there are worse things they could have chosen to pinch. You can preview thumbnail windows of open applications windows using “Peek” simply by clicking on it’s icon. You can also “pin” favorite programs anywhere on the taskbar for easy access and re-arrange them any way you like by clicking and dragging.

Manage files with Libraries

Forget folders, Libraries is the new management concept in Windows 7. Libraries basically eliminate the old faithfuls such as “My Documents” and “My Pictures” and bring everything together under one umbrella. Nothing is actually physically stored in Libraries however which makes it more of a reference point for locating files wherever they are stored. This makes it much easier to locate photos and video stored on an external devices or networks (i.e. virtual folders).

Enhanced Built-in Search

Windows might still lack something as good Spotlight on Macs but the search improvements in Windows 7 are a darn sight better than Vista. The use of Libraries is largely to do with this as Windows 7 will even search virtual and network folders that aren’t physically stored on your machine. Even better, clicking on a result brings-up a preview of it and searches are much better organized by category. Read the rest of this entry »

The good news is that Windows 7 is out this week and it looks awesome. The bad news is there’s a global financial crisis going on, it’s nearly Christmas, and upgrading to the new operating system is expensive. Don’t worry your pretty little head about this, because you can still experience Windows 7 without actually paying any money, by installing themes and apps that will make your copy of XP or Vista look and feel like the new Microsoft OS. Here’s what you need:

Themes and styles

The most obvious place to start is by installing a theme or a style to mimic the Windows 7 GUI. These programs alter things like the Taskbar, Start menu, windows, and fonts, to make XP or Vista behave like Windows 7. The SevenVG RC Theme for XP is one of the better ones, and includes a wallpaper manager, along with a tool for reducing the size of the program window title bar with a single click.

Windows 7 Style for Vista brings the elegance of version 7 to your Vista PC. The small utility changes things like the height of the System Tray and displays icons for running programs in the tray without the text. Windows 7 Style for Vista also alters the look of the Start menu and comes with a whole bunch of smart new Windows 7 icons. The addition also of the Aero transparency effect helps this style to turn Vista into a work of art.

Wallpapers

If you want to truly capture the look of Windows 7 then you need to get the right wallpapers. Try the Aero 7 Windows Seven Series I Wallpapers, a collection that includes the gorgeous Aero and Aurora designs at different resolutions. A meatier collection is to be found in the Windows 7 Wallpaper Pack. The striking designs inside this bundle include landscapes, animals, oceans and abstract structures. If none of these please you then you might want to put up this Windows 7 Wallpaper, which pays homage to the new OS in fine style.

  Read the rest of this entry »

This week is only about one thing in the computer world - the release of the Microsoft’s new operating system Windows 7. With the ghosts of the Vista release fiasco still haunting them, some are also questioning whether its success or failure could also mark a historic moment in the evolution of Microsoft. Will it be the operating system that restores some pride to the much maligned company and gets it back on track in the operating system world or could it spell the beginning of the end of Microsoft’s domination of the PC market?

One thing we can say with certainty is that it can’t be worse than Windows Vista. The only way is up for Microsoft in terms of operating systems which isn’t a bad place to start from. Vista was not only delivered two years late but caused all manner of incompatibility problems with third party software and hardware (including even Micrsoft’s own Zune!) and had users flocking back to Windows XP. It says something that one of OnSoftware’s most popular posts ever was a simple list of Vista themes for XP proving that users liked the look of Vista but hated the bloated Aero engine and frustrating functionality.

The timing of the release is also probably better for Microsoft. Apple have recently proved that they’re not immune to new operating system cock-ups with basic incompatibility problems surrounding the release of their latest operating system edition, Snow Leopard. And Microsoft executives must have breathed a sigh of relief when Google announced that its new operating system Chrome OS won’t be launched until mid-2010. However, Google have announced that they will be releasing the code for it later this year which could yet throw a spanner in the works for Windows 7. Read the rest of this entry »

This week will see the release of Windows 7, Microsoft’s latest push for control of your PC. As the launch date approaches, we’ll be posting lots of helpful articles, reviews and videos all about the brand new edition of Windows. To kick things off, here’s our first ever OnSoftware poll. Yeah, I can’t believe it either! So how do you feel about the new OS’s imminent arrival?

Let us know by voting in the poll below - and leave a comment to let us know why!

Picture the scene. You’re happily surfing the net over the weekend and suddenly this baby pops up:

Lots of things might be running through your head: What is it? Where did it come from? Why me?! Basically, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is part of the Windows .NET framework. According to Microsoft, WPF combines “application UI, documents, and media content, while exploiting the full power of the computer”. In layman’s terms, it is a graphics plug-in.

Some people are in a huff because Windows didn’t ask for explicit permission to install the plug-in and instead sneaked it in as part of the NET Framework 3.5 SP1 update. Geeks have been on the case for a while, and claim that it is not the first time Windows has done something similar, having previously installed the Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant. It only came to the attention of most users, however, when Firefox plonked a giant warning on their screens. The plug-in has been automatically disabled, as Mozilla believes it creates a security problem that leaves Firefox open to a ‘remote code execution vulnerability’ - in other words, makes it susceptible to drive-by spyware picked up while browsing.

For the moment, Mozilla has dealt with the problem, but many will be left wondering if Windows should go around installing things without our explicit permission. If you were reading a software review and the reviewer mentioned that the program sneakily installed things without asking, you’d be rightly suspicious. Should the rules be any different for Microsoft?

They say 13 is unlucky for some and today will be a nightmare for those of you who dread lengthy Microsoft updates and the restarts they often involve.  Microsoft are issuing their biggest security update ever today involving 13 bulletins which will address 34 vulnerabilities. Six are listed by Microsoft as definitely requiring a restart while the rest “may require a restart”.

Reading through the Executive Summaries, it appears that eight of the updates are classed as critical and will close backdoor loopholes on Windows, Internet Explorer and Office. One of them includes a loophole caused by using Internet Explorer 8 with Windows 7. There are two critical updates relating to Service Pack 3 for Windows XP and Service Pack 3 for Office.

On the Microsoft Security Response Centre (MSRSC) blog, MSRSC’s Jerry Bryant explains:

Among the updates this month, we are closing out two current security advisories. Vulnerabilities in SMB Could Allow Remote Code Execution and vulnerabilities in the FTP Service in Internet Information Services. Usually we do not go into this level of detail in the advance notification but we felt that it is important guidance so customers can plan accordingly and deploy these updates as soon as possible.

Although the restarts are a pain, you’re advised to let Microsoft Windows Update install them as soon as possible as there are so many critical fixes in this latest batch.

Note that you can keep up-to date with details of the latest Windows updates by subscribing to Microsoft Technical Security Notifications. You can choose from Basic Alerts for general users, Comprehensive Alerts for IT managers, Security Advisory Alerts for those updates related to security issues and finally Microsoft Security Response Centre (MSRSC) Blog Alerts for first-hand explanations of the fixes and updates.