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Story: Windows 7 Release Candidate: a first look
Windows 8/2012- Intel graphics driver support
I want to just step ahead in time and to issue regarding Windows 8 / Windows 2012. Its regarding the lack of support the the Intel X3100, Intel X4500 and the cut down GMA500 Mobile Chipsets. Yet 3 years from now when Windows 8/2012 is possibily released don't expect them to be supported.
The reason - well they are all in production machines at this time (2009). In 2012 Intel have better things to be spending their time on new 3d mobile graphics chipsets which came out to compete with nvidia ion 9400M mobile chipset and amd's ATI Mobility Radeon 4850/4870 Chipset. Its a competitive market. Most companies offer 5 year support on their products but Intel seems to have a habit of ignoring its products as soon they are put out to pasture, ie. they no longer sell, therefore support.
I wrote this week about my first installation of Windows 7. The lack of support for 82855/915/945 Chipsets within the RC1 of Windows 7. There were still Centrino 82855 based tablets being sold in 2006/7. Yet no support - just the standard VGA Adapter so no DVD support-just very juddery graphics, let alone Aero.
Its quite ironic, because 5 years ago, I was trying to install Linux- Fedora Core 3, and having to search forums for possible solutions to driver issues such as getting dual display. I read a comment that one of the reasons they didn't use Linux/Ubuntu was because they would have to read through pages of code to install something as simple as a mouse.
How times have changed...
Yesterday I spent several hours looking for a workaround to get Intel 82855 Chipset to work with Window 7. One option was to use Drivermax to import 'compatibility' Vista drivers and export them for use in Win7. It didn't work. One common thread running through these Win7 forums is the sheer number of people requesting drivers the 'Centrino' chipsets and lack of Intel support.
Yes how times have changed...I put a disc into my computer running Ubuntu 9.04 it installs - all drivers recognised and hey presto I even get the option of 'Aero' style graphics, which work with Ubuntu using the Intel 82855 chipset. Not superfast but it works. It seems the tables have turned.
If Microsoft seriously want us to move on from Windows XP, then Intel need to support these graphics chipsets, whether its hard work or not.
By supporting the chipsets people install Windows 7 find it works well (no driver issues)- Windows 7 will be appreciated as a much improved product over Vista (which it is). When looking to other machines they will choose Windows 7.
Instead we are left with a product that now has the frustrating abliity to work on these machines aswell as Windows XP, yet has a fixed screen resolution of Standard VGA due to lack of Intel support. The overall effect is to pass Windows 7 off as inferior to Window XP, just as Vista was (but with Vista it was bloated it didn't run anyway) People stick with XP, so no-one wins, not even Intel.
Ubuntu support the centrino chipsets fully, by doing this its giving Ubuntu access to large user base of machines which are fairly similar in hardware design.
Drivers were a big issue regarding the uptake of Vista. Let hope that by the time Windows 7 is released, they have put pressure on Intel to support the centrino chipsets including 82855 chipset fully. Otherwise my analogy of Windows 7 being the Zune player within a new Apple ipod/iphone dominated world, (looking forward to 2010) might just be Windows 7 downfall - its a tough call whether MS have done enough. Windows XP is fighting its corner well.
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