Move From XP to Windows 7 Without Headaches

Want to move from XP to Windows 7 without headaches? Here's how:

In a previous posting on discomBOByoulated, Tech Republic showed you how to revise your existing Windows XP partition to add a Windows 7 installation, a "dual-boot configuration" on the same hard disk. As you’ll remember, the goal was to make the task of migrating your settings, documents, and applications from XP to Win 7 a much more relaxed experience, allowing you to boot into Windows XP to check out settings and then boot into Windows 7 to re-create the same configuration.

Once you complete your migration and are comfortable working in Windows 7, you’ll want to remove the dual-boot configuration, remove Windows XP, and just boot Windows 7 as your primary OS. In this edition of the Windows Vista & Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to safely undo Windows XP and 7 dual-boot system so that you can complete your migration from Windows XP to Windows 7.

This blog post is also available in the PDF format in a free TechRepublic Download.

Label the drives

In order to make it easy to identify which partition is which throughout this operation, you need to make sure that each partition or drive is labeled. In either Windows XP or Windows 7, open My Computer and label, or rename each drive with the name of the operating system, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

Labeling each drive, which is a simple rename operation, will make it easy to identify which partition is which throughout this operation.

As you can see here, this screen shot was taken in Windows XP, which in this case assigned the Windows 7 partition to drive E and its partition to drive C. On the other hand, Windows 7 assigns the Windows XP partition to drive D and its partition to drive C. For the purposes of this operation, it really doesn’t matter what drive letter is assigned to a partition, because we know that Windows XP is on the first partition and Windows 7 is on the second partition. However, labeling each drive will help you to keep them straight in the event that the drive letter swapping catches you off guard.

Creating a System Image

The first thing that you’ll want to do is protect all your hard work by creating a System Image from within Windows7’s Backup and Restore. When you do, you’ll end up with a complete image of your hard disk that includes both the Windows XP and Windows 7 partitions in a dual-boot configuration. That way, if anything out of the ordinary were to occur as you follow the steps in this procedure, you will be able to return to your current configuration.

To create a system image, you’ll need to have a CD-RW/DVD-RW drive, an external hard disk, or access to a network drive. For my system, I used an external hard disk. To access Backup and Restore, click the Start button, type Backup in the Search box, and press [Enter] when Backup and Restore appears in the result pane.

Once you have Backup and Restore up, select Create a System Image, select your backup location, and then launch the operation to create an image of both drives. The procedure is shown in Figure B.

Figure B

Create a system image that contains both drives in the dual-boot configuration as a safety precaution.

Make a data backup

Even though the system image is a backup, you’ll want a separate backup all your data — at least one and maybe two, just in case. Maybe just make copies of all your data files on CD/DVD or on an external hard disk. While it may sound like overkill, having an extra backup will give you peace of mind.

Copying boot files

When you create a dual boot system and install Windows 7 on a second partition, 7’s Setup installs all the Windows Boot Manager files on the first partition, which in this case is the Windows XP partition. As such, if the goal is to remove the Windows XP partition and boot from the Windows 7 partition, the next step involves copying the Windows Boot Manager files from the Windows XP partition to the Windows 7 partition.

Boot into Windows XP, launch Windows Explorer, pull down the Tools menu, select Folder Options, and on the View tab, make sure that the Show hidden files and folders is selected and that Hide extensions for known file types and Hide protected operating system files are cleared. Then, access the root of drive C and locate the Boot folder and the bootmgr file, as shown in Figure C.

Figure C

You’ll need to make sure that these settings are configured in the Folder Option dialog box in order to be able to see the Windows Boot Manager folder and file.

Now, open a second instance of Windows Explorer, access the root of the Windows 7 partition, which in the case of my example is drive E, and then copy the Boot folder and the bootmgr file from root of drive C to root of drive E, as shown in Figure D.

Figure D

You’ll need to copy Windows Boot Manager’s folder and file from the Windows XP partition to the Windows 7 partition.

Manipulating the partitions

With your system image backup in place and Windows Boot Manager now on the Windows 7 partition, you’re ready to delete the Windows XP partition and configure the Windows 7 partition as the main partition. To do so, you’ll boot your system from the Windows 7 DVD, access the System Recovery Options toolbox, use the DiskPart command to manipulate the partitions, and then use the BootRec command to enable Windows Boot Manager on the Windows 7 partition.

To begin, insert your Windows 7 DVD, restart your system and when prompted, select the option to Boot from the DVD. When the first Install Windows screen appears, select the appropriate language preferences and click Next. On the second Install Windows screen, select the Repair your computer option.

When you see the System Recovery Options dialog box, the Windows 7 partition should appear in the list and the Use recovery tools option should be selected. To continue, click Next.

When the second System Recovery Options dialog box appears and prompts you to choose a Recovery Tool, as shown in Figure E, select the Command Prompt option. (As you can see, when booting off the CD, the Windows 7 partition is assigned to drive letter D. However, since we labeled the drive, we can tell for sure that it is the correct drive.)

Figure E

You’ll select the Command Prompt option from the second System Recovery Options dialog box.

Once the Command Prompt window opens, you’ll enter the DiskPart environment and issue a series of commands to select the Windows XP partition, delete it, select the Windows 7 partition and then make it the active (primary) partition.

1. Type the command:

Diskpart

2. Once the Diskpart environment is ready, select first hard disk by typing the command:

Select disk 0

3. Once the first hard disk has the focus, select the first partition (Windows XP) by typing the command:

Select partition 1

4. Just for peace of mind, you may want to double check that you have the Windows XP partition selected by typing the command

Detail partition

5. Delete the Windows XP partition by typing the command:

Delete partition

6. Now select the Windows 7 partition by typing the command:

Select partition 2

7. Make the Windows 7 partition the active primary partition by typing the command:

Active

8. Exit the DiskPart environment by typing the command:

Exit

At this point, you are ready to enable the Windows Boot Manager on the Windows 7 partition using the BootRec command.

9. Write the master boot record to the Windows 7 partition by using the command:

Bootrec /fixmbr

10. Write a new boot sector to the Windows 7 partition by using the command:

Bootrec /fixboot

Now, close the Command Prompt window and click the Restart button in the System Recovery Options dialog box. Be sure to remove the Windows 7 DVD.

Booting Windows 7

When your system restarts, you’ll see the Windows Boot Manager menu and Windows 7 should be selected. Keep in mind that even though Windows XP is gone, the menu will still contain an item for it at this point. Allow the system to boot into Windows 7 and login as you normally would.

To remove the Windows XP item from the Windows Boot Manager menu, you’ll use the BCDEdit command. To do so, open a Command Prompt window with Administrator privileges. (Right click and select Run as administrator.) Then, type the command:

BCDEdit /delete {ntldr} /f

Now, restart the system and you should boot right into Windows 7.

Further cleanup

If you look at your hard disk with Disk Management, you’ll discover that the partition that used to hold Windows XP is still there at the beginning of the disk but that it is marked as unallocated, as shown in Figure F.

Figure F

Unfortunately, Windows 7’s Disk Management tool is unable to extend drive C into unallocated space at the beginning of the disk.

If you wish, you can configure the unallocated space as a simple volume and it will become drive D. (Right-click on the unallocated block and select the New Simple Volume command.)

On the other hand you can just leave it be for now and in a upcoming article, I’ll show you how to redistribute that unallocated space to drive C. Unfortunately, since the unallocated space is at the beginning of the disk, Windows 7’s Disk Management tool is unable to extend drive C into that space. In order for that to be possible, Disk Management requires that the unallocated space be at the end of the disk.

How To: Create a Windows 7 and XP Dual Boot Configuration

If you’re like of lot of Windows users out there, you skipped Vista and are still running XP on your computer. You’ve been waiting for October 22 and now that it’s here you’re ready to try Windows 7. Your system is relatively new, about three- to four-years old, and you’ve run Microsoft’s Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor and your hardware is well on par with Windows 7’s requirements.

However, you’re not quite ready to give up XP just yet. Maybe you have some applications that failed the Upgrade Advisor’s compatibility check or maybe you got burned during the Vista debacle. No matter what the reason, you want to give the new operating system a chance but you just don’t want to put all your eggs in the Windows 7 basket.

So you’re pondering the idea of installing Windows 7 in a dual-boot configuration along side of Windows XP. Doing so will place both Windows XP and Windows 7 at your disposal, which will be a big advantage as you begin your experimentation. You can investigate Windows 7, but when you need to get some work done, you can boot back into Windows XP. This type of configuration will also be handy if and when you decide that you want to move to Windows 7.

Migrating your settings, documents, and applications from XP to 7 is a much more relaxed experience when you can simply boot into Windows XP to check out how something is set up and then boot into Windows 7 to re-create the same configuration. Again, if something doesn’t quite work right in 7 or is taking longer to get just the way that you want it, you can boot back into Windows XP and get your work done. Then, when you have more time, you can boot back into 7 and work on it some more.

If things continue to progress satisfactorily and you get comfortable working in Windows 7, at some point in the future you’ll remove the dual-boot configuration. When you do, you’ll want to set Windows 7 as the primary OS and then remove Windows XP. In order to make this type of transitions as work as smoothly as possible, both Windows XP and Windows 7 must be installed on the same hard disk but on separate partitions.

In the past, if you only have one partition on your hard disk, creating this type of configuration could be a tricky operation that required expensive third-party disk partitioning software. Fortunately, those days are long gone. Today, you can find great disk partitioning software for free, such as Easeus Partition Master Home Edition 4.0.1. And best of all, Easeus Partition Master will safely adjust partitions while keeping data intact.

In this edition of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to use Easeus Partition Master Home Edition to easily resize your existing Windows XP partition and then install Windows 7 in a dual-boot configuration on the same hard disk. In a future article, I’ll show you how to remove the dual-boot configuration and set up Windows 7 as the primary OS.

This blog post is also available in the PDF format in a free TechRepublic Download.

Make a backup

Even though Easeus Partition Master can safely adjust partitions while keeping data intact, you’ll want to back up all your data — at least once and maybe twice, just in case. Maybe just make copies of all your data files on CD/DVD or on an external hard disk. While it may sound like overkill, having an extra backup will give you peace of mind.

Creating a partition for Windows 7

Once you download and install Easeus Partition Master Home Edition, repartitioning your Windows XP hard disk is easy. When you launch Partition Master, you’ll see your partition in a nicely organized user interface, as shown in Figure A. As you can see, on my example system here, I have a 120GB hard disk that is configured with a 114GB partition on which Windows XP is installed.

Figure A

Easeus Partition Master Home Edition provides as easy to use interface.

To begin, select your partition and then click the Resize/Move button. When you see the Resize/Move Partition dialog box, specify the size of the new partition in the Partition Size box. As you can see in Figure B, I’ve simply divided my 114GB partition in half by typing 59616 in the Partition Size box.

Figure B

On my example system, I divided my 114GB partition in half.

To continue, click OK. When you do, you’ll return to the main screen and will see how your Resize operation will change the partition once it’s complete, as shown in Figure C.

Figure C

Partition Master will show you what your new partition configuration will look like.

To initiate the operation, click the Apply button. When you do, you’ll see a confirmation dialog box followed by a warning message, as shown in Figure D. Just click “Yes,” to work through both.

Figure D

After you click the Apply button, you’ll work through several dialog boxes.

When you click the last Yes, your system will restart and boot into a Partition Master environment which will carry out the resize operation. When it is finished, it will shut down your system and you will then need to manually turn it on. When you do, you’ll see a Partition Master screen that tells you the operation was successful and Windows XP will boot normally.

If you launch Partition Master again, you’ll see the new partition, as shown in Figure E. Once you close Partition Master, you’re ready to install Windows 7.

Figure E

Once Windows XP boots up, you can launch Partition Master again to check te new partition configuration.

Installing Windows 7 on the new partition

To begin, insert your Windows 7 DVD into the optical drive and restart Windows XP. When your system boots from the DVD, you’ll begin the installation procedure as you normally would. When you’re prompted to choose the installation type, select the Custom (advanced) option, as shown in Figure F.

Figure F

When prompted to choose the installation type, select the Custom (advanced) option.

In a moment, you’ll be prompted to select where you want to install Windows 7, as shown in Figure G, and will select the new partition. You’ll then click the Next button and continue with the installation procedure as you normally would.

Figure G

You’ll then select the new partition and click Next.

Booting Windows 7

When you restart the system, you’ll see the Windows Boot Manager menu and you’ll see that the Installation procedure names the new installation Earlier Version of Windows, as shown in Figure H.

Figure H

When you see the Windows Boot Manager screen, you can choose to boot either Windows XP or Windows 7.

You can now easily boot between Windows XP and Windows 7 and migrate your settings and data at you leisure. When you are ready to give up Windows XP, you’ll be able to make Windows 7 your primary OS and move forward.

reprinted from:

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=1728&tag=leftCol;post-1751

Soupy Sales Dead at 83 - He Took 9,000 Pies in the Face

Soupy Sales, the rubber-faced comedian who made an art form out of taking a pie in the face and delighted a generation of Detroiters with his loopy TV show on Channel 7 in the 1950s, died Thursday night in New York.

Sales, who had been in ill health for several years, was 83. His former manager, Dave Usher, said Sales last week entered a Bronx hospice, where he died. He is survived by his wife, Trudy, and two sons, Hunt and Tony.

“He was the first person from Detroit television whose first name had instant recognition from coast to coast,” said former Channel 7 anchorman Bill Bonds. “If you said ‘Soupy' in New York, they knew who it was. If you said ‘Soupy' in Los Angeles, everybody knew who it was. I'd worked in both markets, and the first thing anybody said when I mentioned I was from Detroit was ‘Soupy.' ”

Born Milton Supman in Franklinton, N.C., and raised in West Virginia, Sales was best known to Detroiters as the goofy yet cerebral host of “Lunch with Soupy,” a half-hour show that featured Sales hamming it up in a variety of sometimes surreal situations.

The show, which began airing in Detroit in 1953, featured a cast of unforgettable characters: an incorrigible dog by the name of White Fang, “the meanest dog in all Deeeetroit,” who communicated via a series of guttural noises; Black Tooth, an overly affectionate dog whom Sales would constantly tell “don't kiss”; Hippy the Hippo, and Willy the Worm.

Of course, there were the pies. Sales once estimated that he took 9,000 pies in the face during the course of his career.

But the most famous of Sales' bits was “lunch.” A typical menu might include a hot dog as the main course. Before Sales would take a bite, viewers would hear the sound of squealing pigs. Or, viewers might hear the sound of mooing cows as Sales sipped milk.

The lunchtime show was also known for its unpredictability. Sales would leave the set, camera in tow, and harass other Channel 7 hosts.

He once left the set in mid-show and hunted down Channel 7's Edythe Fern Melrose, a woman of unyielding dignity who was known as “The Lady of Charm.” Sales blasted her with a pie.

“She didn't know it was coming,” once recalled former Detroit radio personality Mark Andrews, himself since deceased, who watched the program as a grade-school student at Fraser's Eisenhower Elementary. “It might be the funniest moment I've seen on television.”

The show was “must-see” TV, long before NBC came up with the phrase. Thousands of Detroit baby boomers would become “Birdbaths,” the designation given to members of his club.

Tom De Lisle, a Detroit writer and TV producer, once recalled to the Free Press growing up on Detroit's east side and watching the show. He and his brother, Skip, lived close enough to their grade school that they could go home for lunch to watch Sales.

“We calculated that we could catch the last joke on the show and make it back to our desks by the time the bell rang if we ran like hell. And that's what we did,” recalled De Lisle. “We stood in the doorway, hung right to the last second of Soupy's show, said ‘Go!' and ran. The show was creative, different and live every day.”

With the success of the noontime show, Channel 7 quickly developed a nighttime show, “Soupy's On,” for the 11 p.m. time period.

“Soupy's On” was a comedy-variety show, with Sales performing sketch comedy with a team of local actors and actresses. He also regularly featured the best jazz performers of the day, including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk.

Sales created a multitude of characters for his evening show: Charles Vichyssoise, a slippery French crooner who was forever sparring with unruly patrons at the Club Chi Chi; Wyatt Burp, and Ernest Hemingbone, who argued with his literary rivals.

Sales later admitted that the pace of doing a noon show and a 11 p.m. live comedy program — one hour of live television, five days a week — contributed to the breakup of his marriage, played havoc with his family life and left him exhausted.

But he made serious money for Channel 7 — so much money that Sales could be credited with saving the American Broadcasting Company, which owned the station, in addition to the ABC-TV network. At the time, ABC was struggling and relied heavily on its owned-and-operated stations in cities like Detroit, where Sales was raking it in.

Sales left Detroit in late 1959 and ended up at KABC-TV, the ABC-owned station in Los Angeles.

“I thought it was time to move on because I didn't want to be 60, 65 and be sitting around one night having a drink and wonder if I could have made it in another market,” he wrote in his autobiography, “Soupy Sez.”

After Detroit, Sales hosted children's shows in New York and Los Angeles. Frank Sinatra asked to appear on the Sales show in Los Angeles and take a pie in the face.

When Sinatra appeared on the set, a director offered the singer a tour of the set. “Don't bother,” Sinatra reportedly said, “I know the show better than you do.”

Sales' L.A. show ran between 1961 and 1963, but was canceled because local television was moving from live, locally produced TV to syndicated material.

But Sales had one more go-around with children's television, at New York's WNEW-TV between 1964 and 1967, where he get into trouble for jokingly asking his fans to send him money.

Sales was suspended for the stunt, but reinstated after massive demonstrations in front of WNEW-TV studios.

Sales left Channel 5 in New York in 1968 after years of fighting with station management.

His attitude about station managers, which remained unchanged until his death, was that TV executives ruined television. He said that most station managers would not “know a tap dancer from a trombone player,” and that their primary contribution was “getting drunk on their six-martini lunches.”

His mark on television remained well into the 1980s and beyond. New York Times critic John J. O'Connor noted in 1986 that Pee-wee Herman's act could be traced back to Sales.

Said Channel 7 anchorman Erik Smith: “He was our youth. He was my lunch every day. He was my Jell-O. He had that profound an impact as an individual as anybody in the history of Detroit television. I still find myself doing some of his mannerisms. And I'm still a proud Birdbath.”

By TIM KISKA, DETROIT FREE PRESS

On This Day......JFK Announced a Naval Blockade of Cuba

JFK announced a Naval blockade of Cuba on October 22, 1962, a ball-sy move !

I was in 6th grade, living in NJ, close to Manhattan, the epi-center,

We were "duck and cover" ing and told "don't look at the flash".

Windows 7 - Good If You're Buying a New PC or Running Vista

The three-year Windows Vista nightmare is over. As recently as this summer, at least two-thirds of corporate computers were still running Windows XP.

Windows 7 is a different story. It keeps what’s good about Windows Vista, like security, stability and generous eye candy, and addresses much of what people disliked.

The Pros:

Item 1: Sluggishness. As Microsoft’s triple redundancy puts it, Windows 7 offers “faster, more responsive performance.”

Item 2: Hardware requirements. They’re no steeper than Vista’s three years ago (the standard edition requires 1 gigabyte of memory and 1 gigahertz processor; more is better).

Item 3: Nagging Windows 7 is far less alarmist than Vista, which freaked out about every potential security threat. In fact, 10 categories of warnings now pile up quietly in a single, unified Action Center and don’t interrupt you at all.

The Cons:

What’s not good? There are three ugly aspects of Windows 7:

Item 1: Out of fear of antitrust headaches, Microsoft has stripped Windows 7 of some important accessory programs. Believe it or not, software for managing photos, editing videos, reading PDF documents, maintaining a calendar, managing addresses, chatting online or writing e-mail doesn’t come with Windows 7.
What kind of operating system doesn’t come with an e-mail program?
Instead, you’re supposed to download these free apps yourself from a Microsoft Web site. It’s not a huge deal; some companies, including Dell, plan to preinstall them on new computers.
But a lot of people will be in for some serious confusion — especially when they discover that the Windows 7 installer has deleted their existing Vista copies of Windows Mail, Movie Maker, Calendar, Contacts and Photo Gallery. (Mercifully, it preserves your data.)

Item 2: Upgrading from Vista is easy, but upgrading from Windows XP involves a “clean install”— moving all your programs and files off the hard drive, installing Windows 7, then copying everything back on again. It’s an all-day hassle that’s nobody’s idea of fun.
Microsoft doesn’t think XP holdouts will bother; it hopes that they’ll just get Windows 7 preinstalled on a new PC. (It’s no accident that new operating systems come out right before holiday shopping.)

Item 3: There is an insane matrix of versions. Again, there are five versions of Windows 7 — Starter, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate — each with its own set of features, each in 32-bit or 64-bit flavors (except Starter), at prices from $120 to $320. Good luck figuring out why some cool Windows 7 feature, like the much-improved, TiVo-like Windows Media Center, isn’t on your PC.

Overall, Windows 7 represents a departure from Microsoft’s usual “success is measured by the length of the feature list” philosophy. This time around, it was, “Polish, optimize and streamline what we’ve already got.”
That seems to be the industry mantra for 2009 — see also Apple’s Snow Leopard release in August — and it’s fantastic news.

There are some slick, efficient new features for managing windows.
You can drag a window’s edge against the top or side of your screen to make it fill the whole screen or half of it. You can give a window a little shake with the mouse — kind of fun, actually — to minimize all other windows (or to bring them back again) when you need a quick look at your desktop.

The taskbar now resembles the Dock in Apple’s Mac OS X. That is, it displays the icons for both open programs and those you’ve dragged there for quick access. (Weirdly, though, you can’t turn individual folders and documents into buttons on the taskbar, as in Mac OS X, only programs.)

Better yet, if you point to a program’s icon without clicking, you see Triscuit-size miniatures of all the windows open in that program. And if you point to one of these thumbnails, its corresponding full-size window flashes to the fore. All of this means easier navigation in a screen awash with window clutter.

Windows 7 also introduces libraries: virtual folders that display the contents of up to 50 other folders, which may be scattered all over your system. Libraries make it easy to keep project files together, back them up en masse or share them with other PC’s on the network.

Speaking of which, networking is also more refined in Windows 7. Handling of Internet hot spots is much better than before, and the new HomeGroups feature lets you unify all Windows 7 computers and printers on your home network without having to mess with accounts or permissions. You just enter the same long, one-time password on each machine. (Only at Microsoft do “user-friendly” and “write down this password: E6fQ9UX3uR” appear in the same sentence.) Once that’s done, each computer can see the photos, music and documents on all the other ones. It’s a little buggy, but it’ll get there.

Compatibility is excellent. I connected a couple dozen cameras, phones, iPods, printers and scanners, and Windows 7 recognized them all. Recent, brand-name apps fare well, too, but there are no guarantees. I found a couple of smaller, older programs that wouldn’t work in Windows 7.

Some Windows 7 developments fall under the heading, “If you build it, they might come... eventually.” For example, the updated Windows Media Player program can now send music playback to another gadget on your network: an Xbox, digital picture frame, another Windows 7 machine and so on. The catch: the other gadget has to be D.L.N.A.-certified, which you’re supposed to know refers to an industry compatibility standard.

Or take the new Device Stage screen. When you connect a gadget to your PC, you’re supposed to see its actual photograph, model name and list of relevant features. But until all the gadget makers get on board, you sometimes see only generic icons here.

Even the multi-touch feature of Windows 7 falls into that hit-or-miss category. On new laptops and even desktop PCs with multitouch screens, you can drag two fingers on the screen to rotate photos, scroll and zoom, exactly the way you do on an iPhone.

Alas, software programs have to be rewritten to understand these gestures; for example, they all work in Microsoft’s Photo Gallery, but only the zoom gesture works in Google’s Picasa. You’re in for many “Doh!” moments as you realize you’ve reached out awkwardly with your arm, dragged around on the touch screen, and produced nothing but gross grease streaks.

Now, Windows 7 is still Windows. It’s still copy-protected, it still requires antivirus software and its visuals still aren’t consistent from one corner to another.
On the other hand, it’s still Windows in a good way, too, meaning that it’s your ticket to a world of choice — a huge catalog of software and computer options. This Win is a win if you’re in the market for a new machine, or if you’re running Vista now and you’re not thrilled by it.

Above all, Windows 7 means that Microsoft employees can show up in public without avoiding eye contact.

Here are some screen shots:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/10/21/technology/personaltech/22pogue-ss_index.html

By David Pogue, New York Times, 10/22/09

Saturday Night Massacre

On this day...

Oct. 20, 1973, President Nixon abolished the office of special Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox, accepted the resignation of Attorney General Elliot L. Richardson and fired Deputy Attorney General William B. Ruckelshaus

Windows 7 - Hits and Misses

From TechRepublic.com...

Windows 7 does a better job of simply getting itself out of the way, which is critical in an era where the OS is becoming less important. Windows 7 code is leaner and the new OS can make PCs more power-efficient.

Of course, Windows 7 isn’t all good. Microsoft still hasn’t fixed the problem of system files and data on the same default partition. The new Taskbar changes will confuse a lot of users.

More...

To say there’s a lot riding on Windows 7 would be the understatement of 2009. The PC industry is counting on Windows 7 to unleash pent-up demand for new computers - among both consumers and businesses. Microsoft needs Windows 7 to restore the tarnished image of its OS after the Windows Vista debacle. And, IT departments need Windows 7 to be faster, more compatible with the latest hardware and software, and more manageable.

So does Windows 7 deliver? That’s a question that we’ll be talking about a lot over the next year, and external factors will influence the ultimate outcome, including economic trends, corporate budgets, and the ever-evolving needs of users.

But, focusing on the software itself, it’s time to make a few judgment calls about Windows 7. Let’s look at where it hits the mark, and where it misses.

Hits

• A slimmer OS
  The best part of Windows 7 is addition by subtraction. In other words, it’s not the stuff that Microsoft put into the new OS, it’s the stuff they took out. Microsoft developers clearly spent a lot of their energy streamlining the underlying code in Windows 7, because compared to Windows Vista, Windows 7 installs much faster and has a smaller footprint. That’s why Windows 7 can be installed on minimal hardware such as netbooks and nettops, something not possible with Vista. Microsoft has also taken out software such as Windows Mail and Windows Movie Maker in favor of making them free downloads. That’s a very good trend.
• Power sipping
  I’ve reports from the field of IT pros who have installed Windows 7 on laptops and tablets that were previously running Windows XP and they quickly noticed up to 30% better battery life. That was even before Microsoft’s Rob Bernard started publicly talking about the power savings built into Windows 7. This has the potential to be a killer feature for business adoption, because it can save companies a lot of money in aggregate and the battery issue can boost the productivity of road warriors.
• Less UAC pain
  One of the worst features in Windows Vista was User Account Control (UAC). UAC was designed with good intentions as a security enhancement, but in practice it was far too noisy and resulted in users simply clicking it blindly to make it go away. UAC is not nearly as noisy in Windows 7, thankfully.
• More tools for IT
  Windows 7 includes some new tools and enhancements that will be warmly welcomed by IT professionals, including Problem Steps Recorder, enhanced projector compatibility, Biometric device integration, and PowerShell v2. For more, see 10 cool tools in Windows 7Five features that will make you love Windows 7. and

Misses

• Taskbar changes
  The default installation of Windows 7 includes a drastic change to the behavior of the Windows Taskbar and it’s not a change for the better. While there are ways to tweak the Taskbar’s behavior to make it pretty useful, most users will never change the defaults and they’ll be stuck having to make more clicks and spend more time scanning to find things that were fast and simple in Windows XP. For example, I often have multiple message windows open in Microsoft Outlook, and in XP I could quickly get to the one I needed with a single click because they were all shown on the taskbar. In Windows 7, I have to click the Outlook icon and then make a second click on the item - if I can identify it among the group of useless thumbnails of all the Outlook items I have open. Ultimately, the new default Taskbar feels like a poor knock-off of the Dock in Mac OS X and it feels like it’s skewing the Windows design toward light users who only use a handful of apps, at the expense of heavy users who typically have lots of apps and windows open.
• OS and data still on same partition
  One of the worst things that the default installation of Windows does is to load system files and user data on the same partition. This has always been the case and Windows 7 has perpetuated the problem. I’ve publicly petitioned both Microsoft and Apple to change this with their respective operating systems. At the very least, the default installation of the OS should create two partitions, one for the system files and one for user data. That way if there’s ever a system failure, you can blow away the OS and reinstall it and when you boot back up all of the user files and data will still be there on the data partition.
• Needs more imaging tools
  One of the IT tricks that became very popular during the Windows XP era was system imaging, where IT departments configure one machine, build a software “image” off that configuration, and then use that image to replicate the company’s standard configuration across all of the computers that use similar hardware. While Microsoft still pushes methods like unattended installs, system imaging has largely become the standard method of doing mass installations. Microsoft has done a few things to make imaging easier in Windows 7, but the company could have gone a lot further. The software giant could have built functionality into Windows 7, Windows Server, and System Center that allowed IT pros to create system images in a much more granular and flexible manner in order to better adapt to hardware changes and company policy changes.
• Missing cloud integration
  For all of Microsoft’s ambitious talk about Azure and “Software+Services,” there’s almost no online services integration in Windows 7. This is a huge missed opportunity. Microsoft could have done simple things like providing a Windows Live service for backups to automatically backup a person’s My Documents folder. This would have given Windows 7 a reputation for being well-connected and ahead of the curve. It’s possible that anti-trust concerns may have tempered any of these types of efforts, but whatever the case may be, it’s an opportunity that was squandered.

Mac Snow Leopard - Simpler and Better Than Windows 7 (but More Expensive)

By now, you've seen the Windows 7 commercials and read the reviews.

Apple's Senior Director of Mac OS X Product Marketing Brian Croll gave PC Mag his side of the story. Then they interviewed Microsoft's Jay Paulus, Director, Product Management Windows Client, to let him make his case.

Although the interviews were conducted separately, they blend the comments to make it something of an ex post facto debate.

The 64-Bit Question

Lance Ulanoff: Let's start with 64-bit. For perhaps the first time in operating system history, average consumers are aware of the 64-bit choice and thinking about whether or not they need or want to use it. Mr. Croll, what does Apple bring to the table here? Brian Croll: We have one version of Snow Leopard. Contrast that to Windows, which has six versions and adds a lot of complexity. Their product matrix gets really complex very fast. Then multiply by two, because you have to know if you want 32- or 64-bit.

In 2003, we started adding 64-bit technology. Apple went from a 32-bit to 64-bit environment without any issues for customers. Now we can allow 64-bit apps to run entirely on a 64-bit Intel processor. The major system apps now run in 64 bits. We architected Snow Leopard to allow the whole system to run in 64-bit mode on a 64-bit chip, not partial. (Ed. Note: But the vast majority of Macs will still run the OS kernel in 32-bit mode.)

Application developers can package up applications to put both 32- and 64-bit binary in one package. We never wanted the consumer to have to decide, and app manufacturers do not have to offer two versions.

LU: Mr. Paulus, your rebuttal?

Jay Paulus: We do have two versions. When you buy media, it comes with both in the box. We recommend people with 3GB or more of memory install the 64-bit version. (Ed. Note: You cannot upgrade from a 32-bit version of Vista to a 64 bit version of Windows 7. You must do a clean install.)

I think the transition to 64-bit is hard. It takes work to transition to 64-bit. Apple knows 64-bit is hard. They wanted to take credit for the work they did. OS X 10 Snow Leopard doesn't boot into 64-bit by default. And switching between 32-bit and 64-bit causes a big performance hit. The only SKU that boots into 64-bit by default is OS X server. Tough position for them to take, as much as I like their 64-bit logo.

We've had 64-bit and drivers since 2003 on Windows XP. Pretty hard for them to claim a lead on that.

LU: What about Microsoft's two-version approach, as opposed to one binary? JP: I think it's representative, a pretty good way to make transition. As the hardware and software catches up and people have more and more memory in the systems, 64-bit makes more sense. The fact that they can make a choice, is that a bad thing?

Programming for Multicore

LU: Modern computers now feature multicore CPUs. However, consumers aren't always sure if their operating systems or apps are taking full—or any—advantage of all those cores. What are you guys doing in the multicore space?

BC: We took a step back and rethought the problem. It's a big deal for developers to get the most out of multicore systems. Programmers usually have to write apps differently if there are two, four, or eight cores. Grand Central lets the operating system figure it out. We'll shield the developers from having to worry about it. It's a big breakthrough in software. For application developers to take advantage of it, they only need to add a couple of constructs to their code. It's minimally invasive to the current set of code.

The primary benefit is speed (how fast it goes on screen) and responsiveness, if I click on something on the screen how quickly it comes back.

JP: It's a tough computing problem, the multicore, multithreading, programming across GPU and CPU. These are tough problems, no doubt. Anyone who does this wants to take credit. I feel like Apple is playing catch-up in this realm. We've had threads and fiber since 2000. The Windows 7 kernel is the same kernel as Window Server 2008 [R2]. I would hold our granular scheduling and multicore scaling up to theirs any day of the week. They're providing a queuing mechanism. People will still have to design their apps to be multithreaded. I reject the fact that it's going to fundamentally alter the way people are building apps to be multithreading or multicore.

The Face of It

LU: Okay, let's step out from under the hood and talk about what consumers see on their desktops, specifically, the UI. Mr. Croll?

BC: We have the Dock, Windows 7 has the taskbar. The taskbar took its inspiration from the Dock, but there's a big difference. We handle applications as well as files and folders. In the Windows taskbar, you have to pin the file inside the application. Then you have to go in, click on the Jump List. Not as easy or accessible. We have Stacks that let you put a whole folder in the taskbar. The icons are bigger on the Dock. It scales nicely if you have a lot of items. Expose is there to help you sift through a cluttered desktop. We take full advantage of the entire screen. Click and hold on dock tile, you get a full-screen preview.

With Windows 7, you mouse over an app, you get a series of small thumbnails, you also see a full-screen visualization. It's confusing. There are window panes left over that leave a lot of clutter. We offer graphical previews of the contents of the system. In the Finder, there's Cover Flow, which is just like flipping through album art in iTunes. Windows 7 doesn't have anything like that. We built previews everywhere. Microsoft Windows isn't like that. You have to have apps in OS to preview. In OS X, you can preview without apps.

JP: What did Dock's Expose take inspiration from? (Ed. Note: The implication is that the dock came way after the Windows taskbar.) I think the Windows 7 taskbar, to a Windows user, feels pretty natural, a natural evolution of the taskbar and Quick Launch. I think of Apple's Dock as a launcher, not a window manager. Some of the little things don't get much credit, like Aero Snap and Shake, which help you organize your desktop. Our taskbar is good at managing windows.

In Windows 7, you can hover over Windows and use all instances and overlays with actual controls. You get high-level interaction with applications. I think reviews have been pretty positive overall. You know you really hit the feature on the head when people say, "Oh, I thought it always did that." We've had millions of people testing Windows 7, gotten a lot of feedback, and received lots of positive reviews. Ultimately, UI stuff is tough. It's something everyone gets to have an opinion on.

Backing Up

LU: Okay, let's talk about backup—something everybody needs, but no one really does. Windows Backup has been around for a long time, but isn't widely used. Apple's Time Machine arrived with Leopard and deep integration with the hardware. Where are we now with OS-based backup?

BC: Time Machine versus Windows Backup: We built it in with Time Machine. It's easy to use, easy to restore, easy to understand, easy to search. There's a huge qualitative difference between what you get on a Mac and what you get on Windows.

JP: There's been some work done to make Windows Backup easier to use. It does a good job of full-system backup. If you have pictures scattered around the disk, you can send them to Library view—Backup is smart about picking up files from wherever they are. Another feature that is key is Previous Versions. It was called Time Warp and we have had it since Server 2003. It manages previous versions of files and is running by default on disk—it's a file system feature. There's no separate disk. It doesn't protect you from disk failure, but lets you go back in time to previous versions of files.

Upgrade Paths

LU: Perhaps one of the most stressful things users face is the act of upgrading their OS. With Windows 7 coming out, people will be making choices and possibly upgrading their OS. Mr. Croll, what's Apple's perspective on what's happening with Windows 7?

BC: Over 60 percent of the people are out there running Windows XP. I will point out that Microsoft more or less left the XP users behind. So I'm not understanding the logic.

LU: Mr. Paulus, Brian has a point. There were a lot of netbooks sold over the last 12 to 18 months, and the vast majority of them shipped with Windows XP.

JP: The majority of people get their new OS with a new machine, so the notion that we're leaving behind a vast set of people, I'm not sure I accept that. The fact is that Windows XP shipped eight years ago and hardware and software has moved on. We made a tough choice and I hope in the end that it's the right choice. It's a bit disingenuous for Apple guys to talk about us leaving people behind. On positive side, Windows 7 will run really well on those netbooks.

Windows users aren't left behind to the degree that people who are running those old Macs are being left behind. If you didn't buy a Mac since the Intel transition three years ago, you are really getting left behind. (Ed. Note: Snow Leopard only runs on newer, Intel-based Macs.)

What's Inside

LU: After years of integrating utilities and even full-blown apps from competing products in the operating system, or as part of the OS package, Microsoft made an about face this year and is letting end users decide whether or not they want to download Mail, Messenger, Movie Maker and other apps. Why?

JP: Pulling things out allows us to update them on a more regular basis. There's more customer value, the apps are more directly integrated with the cloud offerings. I think that people will realize that that's the way they want it: software plus service. Those upgrades are free. Apple can say they include it in the OS, but they also charge you for the upgrade.

LU: Mr. Croll, how do you view the debundling of applications?

BC: We build everything in and put together a package that works beautifully out of box. Microsoft is going in a different direction, pulling out Mail, and other apps and having people download them. For example, we have Exchange support in Snow Leopard. You have to buy Microsoft Office to get Exchange support in Windows 7. We bundle that right out of box.

JP: The premier client for Exchange is Outlook. If you want the full-fidelity experience, you want Outlook. For those that don't want to buy Outlook, there's Outlook Web Exchange. It's a strong, high-fidelity client.

What's Different

LU: In the race to build the best operating system, where do each of you think you stand? What sets you apart? Mr. Croll?

BC: Mac OS X is much simpler than Windows. We're more advanced from a technological standpoint. Windows 7 still has DLL and the Registry, still has defragmenting, still needs activation. We don't make users enter in activation codes.

LU: It's a fair point, Mr. Paulus. Microsoft has done many things to Windows 7, but couldn't change some of the fundamentals like the DLL and Registry.

JP: So what? Yeah, we've got the Registry and DLL, so what? It's not something we talk about. We do a lot of work around reliability and performance. Getting into notions of replacing Registry and DLL, it just doesn't become relevant.

LU: What about Mr. Croll's activation and technology comments?

JP: Apple has a different model. They charge you a lot of money for the hardware and charge you again for the OS. We're selling you the OS. We use the activation to help ensure that you have genuine versions of Windows out there.

Pricing

LU: Let's talk about pricing. There are free operating systems out there, like Linux, but, as we can see from market share, free does not necessarily translate into mass-market adoption. How do the two of you see price and the OS?

BC: With Snow Leopard, the upgrade price is $29 for Leopard users or $49 for a family pack with five licenses. With Windows 7 Ultimate, the upgrade is $119 for Home Premium and $199 for Professional—that is really expensive software.

LU: Jay, I know Microsoft has one $30 plan for students. What else do you have to say about pricing?

JP: Snow Leopard is much more akin to a service pack and Apple is charging $29. We don't do that. Windows 7 demonstrates a lot of customer value and priced at a pretty attractive price point. Most users get their OS automatically when they buy a new system. With Apple, you're going to be paying an Apple Tax. You're going to have to buy their expensive hardware just to get in the game.

Making the Choice

LU: Okay, here's your opportunity to make your case for your OS. Mr. Paulus, why Windows?

JP: I would say it's all about value, choice, compatibility, and simplicity. Value we've talked about that lot. There is value in a Windows ecosystem with nearly a billion users and thousands of PCs manufactured. Having lots of apps and systems drives a lot of end-user value. Stack any PC up against a Mac, we'll win pretty comfortably.

Windows 7 was designed around simplicity. It offers innovative features that set it apart, including Jump Lists and HomeGroup. A whole bunch of things that we think will make Windows 7 land as a game changer. I think the game has changed.

LU: Mr. Croll? Why should people choose Snow Leopard?

BC: Over last ten years we've been adding a lot of features, and it all culminated with Leopard. It's the best-selling software product Apple has ever done. It added things like Cover Flow and Time Machine. For Snow Leopard—the goal was to make a better Leopard. Mac OS 10 was made up of 1,000 different projects. For Snow leopard we refined 90 percent of them. Mac OS 10 continues to be much simpler than Windows.

A New Low in Network Morning Shows

Balloon Boy Pukes on Today Show

Please click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTa_Q0QggSk&feature=player_embedded

For True Beatles Audio Freaks Only !

Blow the dust off your old reel to reel tape recorder.

This web site is for true Beatles audio freaks who are fascinated with the audio production behind their ground breaking music.

This web site catalogs all those curious little sounds, vocal asides, mistakes, edits, SFX, hidden messages, etc.

http://wgo.signal11.org.uk/html/sounds.htm

There are links to mp3 clips of the sounds.

Also, here's a good chronology of Beatles albums

http://wgo.signal11.org.uk/html/album-index.htm

Dog Pack Attacks Gator In Florida

Stupid but funny

100 Hotels Under $150

By STUART EMMRICH, N. Y. Times

Budget hotels. Sometimes they turn out to be a disaster, leaving you to lie awake at night, fighting to go to sleep as you try to shut out the noise from the busy street just beyond your window and hoping you will get to morning without having inherited a family of bedbugs.

And other times, they turn out to be diamonds in the rough, places you can’t wait to brag about to friends back home.

Over the last three years, thousands of N. Y. Times readers have posted comments about their favorite hotels on the roughly 1,500 destination guides found on the Travel Web site.

For this special issue, “Fall in Europe,” we used that database to research and then select 100 hotels that we feel represent some of the best bargains for travelers headed to one of 14 European cities in the next few months. (In some instances, we have included reader comments explaining the reasons behind their recommendations.)

All prices listed are for a double room for a weekend in either October or November, and are based on rates found on the hotels’ Web sites or on travel sites like Expedia or Hotels.com.

The $150 limit was based on the conversion rates of roughly $1.60 to the pound and $1.50 to the euro.

Amsterdam

1) Hotel Prinsenhof
Prinsengracht 810
(31-20) 623-1772
www.hotelprinsenhof.com
89 euros (private bath)

I stayed at Hotel Prinsenhof for around 65 euro/night. ... I was very happy with the accommodation. They had one of the lowest prices I could find for a 2-person private room with common bath on a summer weekend. It turned out much more comfortable than I’d expected. — ratchford22

2) Hotel Nes
Kloveniersburgwal 137-139
(31-20) 624-4773
www.hotelnes.nl
90 euros

Hotel Nes is in a charming old canal house in the center of Amsterdam. Half the rooms have a lovely canal view. — Esther Shaya

3) Sunhead of 1617
Herengracht 152
(31-20) 626-1809
www.sunhead.com
89 euros

4) Hotel Kap
Den Texstraat 5b
(31-20) 624-5908
www.kaphotel.nl
83 euros

We have stayed at the Hotel Kap twice now and have loved it both times. It’s in a beautiful, quiet residential neighborhood, close to public transport and only minutes away from the Leidseplein and Rijksmuseum. — Delia

5) Hotel Brouwer
Singel 83
(31-20) 624-6358
www.hotelbrouwer.nl
95 euros

An absolutely beautiful canal house. Each of the rooms have a view of the canal. Prices can’t be beat. — Anonymous

6) Leidse Square Hotel
Tesselschadestraat 23
(31-20) 612-6876
www.leidsesquarehotel.nl
75 euros

7) Seven Bridges Hotel
Reguliersgracht 31
(31-20) 623-1329
www.sevenbridgeshotel.nl
100 euros

The Seven Bridges is wonderful, and I have stayed there many times. Located on the corner of Reguliersgracht and Keizersgracht, it is on one of the best inner-circle canal spots in Amsterdam. No elevator. — wvanrijn

Barcelona

8) Hotel Spa Senator Barcelona
Carrer del Cardenal Reig, 11
(34-93) 260-9900
www.hotelsenatorbarcelona.com
79 euros

We stayed at Hotel Senator, which we liked very much. The hotel is in more of a neighborhood, but very near a subway stop (Collblanc), so it was pretty easy to get wherever we wanted to go. — ebf9q

9) Market Hotel
Passatge Sant Antoni Abad, 10
(34-93) 325-1205
www.markethotel.com.es
65 euros

A well-kept secret, but probably not for long is the Market Hotel in Eixample. It’s modern, inviting and simply wonderful. Paid about 80 euros/night (included a continental-style breakfast). The restaurant is great as well! — Leelee

10) Hotel Diagonal Zero
Plaça de Llevant
(34-93) 507-8000
www.hoteldiagonalzero.com
91 euros

11) Hotel Gran Derby
Loreto, 28
(34-93) 445-2544
www.derbyhotels.com
90 euros

12) Hotel Astoria
París, 203
(34-93) 209-8311
www.derbyhotels.com
48 euros

13) Hotel Banys Orientals
Calle Argenteria, 37
www.hotelbanysorientals.com
(34-93) 268-8460
99 euros

Berlin

14) Westin Grand, Berlin
Friedrichstrasse 158-164
(49-30) 20270
aktuelles.westin.de/berlin_en
96 euros

The Westin is smack in the center of former East Berlin and an easy walk to the major museums, Alexanderplatz, Brandenburg Gate. Rooms are good size, quiet and at a $150 rate, including their diverse breakfast, which otherwise goes for an outrageous 25 euros per person, this 4/5-star hotel was good value. — Artnuvo

15) Ku’Damm 101
Kurfürstendamm 101
(49-30) 520-0550
www.kudamm101.com
92 euros

16) art’otel berlin-mitte
Wallstrasse 70-73
(49-30) 240-620
U.S. reservations, (800) 791-9161
www.artotels.com
92 euros

17) Circus Hotel
Rosenthaler Platz 1
(49-30) 2000-3939
www.circus-berlin.de
78 euros

The Circus Hotel is a hip 60-room hotel in an area that seems to be up and coming. Prices start at about 70 euros and include breakfast. Wi-Fi is free and you can rent a Segway to tour the neighborhood. Across the street is their hostel version, packed with young people from around the world. — VividTurtle

18) Hotel Transit
Hagelberger Strasse 53-54
(49-30) 789-0470
www.hotel-transit.de
72 euros

I highly recommend Hotel Transit. The nearest U-Bahn is Mehringdamm, about two blocks away. The building doesn’t look like much on the outside, but there is a beautiful courtyard tucked away inside that many of the rooms look out to. The rooms (doubles/triples) are simply but elegantly decorated, and best of all, it is technically a “hostel” so it is very reasonably priced! — lmzhang

19) Hotel Gates Berlin City West
Knesebeckstrasse 8-9
(49-30) 311-060
www.hotel-gates.com
85 euros

20) Arte Luise Kuntshotel
Luisenstrasse 19
(49-30) 284-480
www.luise-berlin.com
99 euros

I stayed at the Arte Luise Kuntshotel on a recent visit and paid about 50 euros per night for a very basic single room. The hotel staff is wonderful and each guest room has been designed by a different artist (hence the name of the hotel). And the location couldn’t be better — in Mitte, steps away from many “touristy” sites, but not far by foot or train to many off-the-beaten-path locations. — Adrian

21) Holiday Inn Berlin City Center East
Prenzlauer Allee 169
(49-30) 446-610
www.hi-berlin.com
64 euros

For the past few years, I have stayed regularly at the Holiday Inn in Prenzlauer Berg, a lively area with excellent pubs, restaurants, art galleries, bookshops etc. — David Kemp

Brussels

22) Le Dixseptieme
25, rue de la Madeleine
www.ledixseptieme.be
(32-2) 517-1717
100 euros (weekend special)

Hotel Le Dixseptieme near Central Station is a charming, small, high-end business hotel. It has about 25 rooms/suites, a private courtyard and common sitting rooms. We took advantage of weekend discounts. — Tom and Laura

23) Chambres en Ville
19, rue de Londres
(32-2) 512-9290
www.chambresenville.be
90 euros

24) Stanhope Hotel
9, rue du Commerce
(32-2) 506-9111
www.stanhope.be
84 euros

25) Hotel Queen Anne
110, boulevard Emile Jacqmain
(32-2) 217-1600
www.queen-anne.be
95 euros

My husband and I stayed at the Queen Anne. Hotel was clean, modern and simple. Decent subway access one street away. All we ask is for a good bed and bathroom for the price and we got that. — swindu

Dublin

26) Azalea Lodge
67 Upper Drumcondra Road
(353-1) 837-0300
www.azalealodge.com
100 euros

We enjoyed our stay at the Azalea Lodge so much that we lodged there during our two trips to Dublin. Accommodations are comfortable and clean, it is located right on the bus line to Center Dublin and breakfasts are delicious. — Lisa

27) Baggot Court Townhouse
92 Lower Baggot Street
(353-1) 661-2819
www.baggotcourt.com
69 euros

I was visiting Dublin and didn’t want to stay in Temple Bar, as it’s a little wild for me, but after a few mishaps with lodgings on Gardner Street, I went to the area where there are Georgian houses and found a large B & B called Baggot Townhouse. It’s such a lovely place — very warm and friendly, and they do a great breakfast. — Helen Moore

28) Fitzwilliam Townhouse
41 Upper Fitzwilliam Street
(353-1) 662-5155
www.fitzwilliamtownhouse.com
89 euros

29) Paramount Hotel
Parliament Street and Essex Gate
(353-1) 417-9900
www.paramounthotel.ie
94 euros

30) O’Callaghan Stephen’s Green
Stephen’s Green
(353-1) 607-3600
www.ocallaghanhotels.com
89 euros

31) Harcourt Hotel
60 Harcourt Street
(353-1) 478-3677
www.harcourthotel.com
89 euros

Edinburgh

32) York House Hotel
27 York Place
(44-131) 557-6222
www.yorkhouseedinburgh.co.uk
£74

We just stayed at the York House Hotel, which is an 18th-century town house in New Town that has been converted into a bed-and-breakfast. It is not fancy, but it is clean, modern and conveniently located to everything we wanted to do. I would stay there again. — ebf9q

33) MW Townhouse
11 Spence Street
(44-131) 655-1530
www.mwtownhouse.co.uk
£79

The MW Townhouse is owned by a young, enthusiastic couple. Modern, pristine, welcoming. Faultless. — Kathleen Brooke

34) The George Hotel
19-21 George Street
(44-131) 225-1251
www.edinburghgeorgehotel.co.uk
£89

35) The Walton Guest House
79 Dundas Street
(44-131) 556-1137
www.waltonhotel.com
£85

36) Glenora Guest House
14 Rosebery Crescent
(44-131) 337-1186
www.glenorahotel.co.uk
£89

37) The Salisbury Hotel
43-45 Salisbury Road
(44-131) 667-1264
www.the-salisbury.co.uk
£85

I recommend the Salisbury. Great place for walkers. Near the University. Good food of all nations all around. — henson1b

Florence

38) Hotel Colomba
Via Cavour, 21
(39-055) 289-139
www.hotelcolomba.com
80 euros

We stayed for just one night in a quad room at Hotel Colomba. The room was spacious (huge), immaculately clean and comfortable. If you’re looking for a reasonably priced hotel close to everything, then this is the place to book. The breakfast was just great. Internet was free. — Mike Reds

39) Residenza Proconsolo
Via del Proconsolo, 18
(39-335) 657-4840
www.proconsolo.com
85 euros

We found a lovely B & B, the Residenza Proconsolo, located at the corner of the Piazza Duomo and the Via del Proconsolo. It was a perfect place to start walking everyday and was close enough to the train station and to bus stops to go further afield. — Anonymous

40) Hotel Cestelli
Borgo Santissimi
Apostoli, 25
(39-055) 214-213
www.hotelcestelli.com
80 euros (private bath)

The Cestelli is a wonderful little hotel a stone’s throw from the Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi, run by a lovely young couple. A double with shared bath cost us only 75 euros. Think Renaissance meets Zen inside. — Jane P

41) Hotel Globus
Via Sant’Antonino, 24
(39-055) 211-062
www.hotelglobus.com
76 euros

42) Il Bargellino
Via Guelfa, 87
(39-055) 238-2658
www.ilbargellino.com
85 euros

43) Locanda Orchidea
Borgo degli Albizi, 11
(39-055) 248-0346
www.hotelorchideaflorence.it
50 euros

Locanda Orchidea is small, friendly, comfortable, helpful, inexpensive. The owner saved our vacation when my wife became ill by calling her doctor, who had us come into her office on her day off and treated the problem. Viva Italia! — mikeoregon

44) Pensione Perseo
Via Cerretani, 1
(39-055) 212-504
www.hotelperseo.it
99 euros

Lisbon

45) York House Lisbon
Rua das Janelas Verdes, 32
(351-21) 396-2435
www.yorkhouselisboa.com
90 euros

The York House is a small boutique hotel in a charming old building. Very near the Tagus — views of the water. Superb. — celiaf

46) Evidência Tejo
Rua dos Condes de Monsanto, 2
(351-21) 886-6182
www.booking.com
85 euros

47) Vincci Baixa
Rua do Comércio, 32 and 38
(351-21) 880-3190
www.vinccihoteles.com
88 euros (nonrefundable)

48) Albergaria Residencial Insulana
Rua da Assunção, 52
(351-21) 342-7625
www.insulana.net
50 euros

The Albergaria Insulana is very cheap, clean, close to Praça do Comércio and Bairo Alto. It was very simple, but had a ’50s understated vibe to it. We loved it! — Anonymous

49) Hotel Borges
Rua Garret, 108
(351-21) 346-1951
www.lisbonhotelborges.com
76 euros

The Hotel Borges, located in the heart of the Largo do Chiado, is in a beautiful area right next to the unforgettable Bairro Alto. Step out of the door and you have a beautifully constructed subway station by the famous local architect Álvaro Siza. — Maegen

London

50) Derby Hotel Kensington
155-157 Cromwell Road SW5
(44-207) 244-1199
www.lth-hotels.com
£84

I was visiting London for the first time, and was looking for a safe place, in a central location. I stayed at Derby Hotel in Kensington, a small hotel with homely atmosphere. If you are traveling on tight budget, check rates of this hotel out. — Shilpi

51) Base2Stay
25 Courtfield Gardens SW5
(44-207) 244-2255
www.base2stay.com
£86

I found everything I wanted, and none of the things I don’t but usually end up paying for anyway, at Base2Stay in Kensington. The rooms are air-conditioned, clean and modern. Great location for transport and restaurants as well as close to all the tourist spots. — Sydney Perlman

52) La Gaffe
107-111 Heath Street NW3
(44-207) 435-8965
www.lagaffe.co.uk
£85

La Gaffe is small but great value for money. Conveniently located near Hampstead Heath (my wife and I love taking long walks!) and not 5 minutes from the Tube. Lorenzo, the manager is the second generation managing the place and is a very pleasing, helpful person. — Kartik Varma

53) Jurys Inn Chelsea
Imperial Road, Imperial Wharf SW6
(44-207) 411-2200
www.jurysinns.com
£79

54) Meliá White House
Albany Street NW1
(44-207) 391-3000
www.melia-whitehouse.com
£86

55) Balmoral House Hotel
156 Sussex Gardens W2
(44-207) 723-7445
www.balmoralhousehotel.co.uk
£85

Over the last 13 years we have stayed at Balmoral House Hotel. Small but immaculate rooms. Around the corner from Paddington and a few blocks from Lancaster Gate Tube Station. — Bachjsb

56) Luna Simone
47-49 Belgrave Road SW1V
(44-207) 834-5897
www.lunasimonehotel.com
£85

The Luna Simone is clean, beautiful, and the hotel staff there is absolutely charming. The beds are great, and the bathrooms are very cool. I really do suggest this hotel — it’s awesome! — Lizzie

57) Ridgemount Hotel
65-67 Gower Street WC1E
(44-207) 636-1141
www.ridgemounthotel.co.uk
£78

The Ridgemount Hotel in Bloomsbury is a delightful family-owned hotel. Steps away from the British Museum and Russell Square. Rooms can be a bit small. But with a wonderful breakfast and all the tea you can hold included, the price is right. — Kevin

58) Novotel London Tower Bridge
10 Pepys Street EC3N
(44-207) 265-6000
www.novotel.com
£89

59) Hilton London Canary Wharf
South Quay Marsh Wall E14
(44-20) 3002-2300;
www.hilton.co.uk/canarywharf
£79

60) Regency Hotel
100 Queen’s Gate SW7
(44-207) 373-7878
www.regency-london.co.uk
£86

Madrid

61) Room Mate Alicia
Calle Prado, 2
(34-91) 389-6095
www.room-matehotels.com
96 euros

Room Mate has several nice design hotels at reasonable prices with free Wi-Fi, including Laura, Mario, Alicia and Oscar. — arnonk

62) Room Mate Mario
Calle Campomanes, 4
(34-91) 548-8548
www.room-matehotels.com
84 euros

We have enjoyed Room Mate Mario. It’s quaint and welcoming, near the Royal Opera House and not far from the Royal Palace and gardens. Rooms were comfortable, well-appointed and clean. We also enjoyed the fresh fruit in the room. The hotel is within walking distance of several metro stations and close to Sol. — Isidro Rivera

63) Hostal Acapulco
Calle de la Salud, 13
(34-91) 531-1945
54 euros

If you are looking for a great cheap hostal (different than a hostel), make a reservation at Hostal Acapulco. It is a great location, just steps away from Puerta del Sol yet very quiet. Most rooms face a small quiet square and get lots of morning sun. It’s small (after all it’s a hostal) but clean, nice bathrooms. Free internet. — orlie228

64) Hotel Agumar
Paseo Reina Cristina, 7
(34-91) 552-6900
www.hotelmadridagumar.com
92 euros

65) Petit Palace Londres
Calle Galdo, 2
(34-91) 531-4105
www.petitpalacehotellondres.com
79 euros

66) Hostal Alaska
Calle Espoz y Mina, 7
www.hostalalaska.com
(34-91) 521-1845
52 euros

I would greatly recommend the Hostal Alaska. We stayed here twice. The rooms were nice and clean and there were baths/showers in each room. They were also warm, which is not always so easy to find in Spain in Dec/Jan! The hostal is located on the fourth floor of the building (with no elevator), but is only one block from the Plaza del Sol. — Rob Stolzer

67) Hotel Liabeny
Calle de la Salud, 3
(34-91) 531-9000
www.liabeny.es
88 euros (nonrefundable)

Paris

68) Les Chansonniers
113, boulevard de
Ménilmontant 75011
(33-1) 43-57-00-58
59 euros

I stayed at the Hôtel les Chansonniers in Paris last year, and it offers excellent value. If you are visiting the usual sights, it is quite far out of the way; but that whole neighborhood (except for Père-Lachaise) is quite undiscovered by the tourist world, and there are many excellent-value (and excellent-quality) restaurants to be found there. — Notworthwords

69) Hôtel Jeanne d’Arc
3, rue de Jarente 75004
(33- 1) 48-87-62-11
www.hoteljeannedarc.com
70 euros

The best hotel, dollar for dollar, in Paris is the Hotel Jeanne d’Arc in the Marais district. Last time I stayed there in 2007 it was $90 a night with an en suite bath. Great location, on a lovely side street, charming and clean rooms, nice staff. It’s been the same price since I started going there 20 years ago. — Cathy

70) Hotel Ibis Paris Montmartre 18ème
5, rue Caulaincourt 75018
(33-1) 55-30-18-18
www.ibishotel.com
61 euros

I’m always a bit surprised I never read about the Ibis hotels. If you can reserve in advance, rooms are as cheap as $60 and these are nice, functional, clean hotels and usually near all kinds of transport. It’s our hotel of choice when we travel. — Dave Ferre

71) Etap Hotel Paris La Villette 19ème
57-63, Avenue Jean Jaurès 75019
(33-8) 92-68-08-91
www.etaphotel.com
58 euros

If you really wish to stay at low cost (60 euros and less) do look for the Etap Hotel. They are usually just outside city limits but there is an invaluable one on the rue Jean Jaurès in Paris 19th Arrondissement, not far from Gare du Nord and easily reached by Métro (Jaurès) in a wonderful area far from tourist traps. — Manon

72) Hôtel Tiquetonne
6, rue Tiquetonne 75002
(33-1) 42-36-94-58
55 euros

At the risk of giving up the quintessential secret for the one of the most inexpensive places in Paris, I want to recommend the Hotel Tiquetonne. (Directions: Metro: Etienne Marcel or Réaumur-Sébastopol) The hotel is simple but clean, on a quiet street, near les Halles & Rue Montorgueil. — Richard Hess

73) Hôtel Claret
44, boulevard de Bercy 75012
(33-1) 46-28-41-31
www.hotel-claret.com
94 euros

74) Mama Shelter
109, rue de Bagnolet 75020
(33-1) 43-48-48-48
www.mamashelter.com
97 euros

75) Hôtel des Arts Bastille
2, rue Godefroy Cavaignac 75011
(33-1) 43-79-72-57
www.paris-hotel-desarts.com
59 euros

76) Hôtel Du 7e Art
20, rue St.-Paul 75004
(33-1) 44-54-85-00
www.paris-hotel-7art.com
95 euros

I always stay at the Hotel du 7th Art. A wonderful small hotel in the Marais area and near the Seine on St. Paul. Pictures of Frank Sinatra and other great movies greats all over the place. A friendly and helpful staff. Very nice. — edwalterslv

77) Hôtel de la Porte Dorée
273, avenue Daumesnil 75012
(33-1) 43-07-56-97
www.hotelportedoree.com
80 euros

A friend and I found the lovely Hôtel de la Porte Dorée in a quiet corner of Paris called Porte Dorée. We enjoyed their many fine shops and huge public park in that neighborhood, and were able to get into the city very quickly by Métro. I believe our room was less than 90 euros. They have beautiful furnishings and friendly staff. — Nancy Welsh

Prague

78) Hotel Aureus Clavis
Nerudova 27
(420- 257) 534-569
www.aureusclavis.com
55 euros

I recommend the Hotel Aureus Clavis — a small, pleasant, reasonably priced hotel well-situated on one of the main streets in the Mala Strana. Very short walking distance to Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, old Jewish quarter. Helpful, friendly staff. Breakfast included. — Harperfm

79) Arcadia Residence
Hostivitova 3
(420-224) 922-040
www.arcadiaresidence.com
75 euros

The best place we’ve ever stayed in all our years of travel was the Arcadia Residence in Prague. Fantastic location, excellent apartments, amazing hosts, huge memorable breakfasts. You get the spaciousness and freedom of an apartment, the luxury of having someone else make breakfast, and the services of Pasquale, the best host ever. And it’s a bargain. It sounds too good to be true, but it is true. — Barbara Stuart

80) Hotel Monastery
Strahovske nadvori 13
(420-233) 090-200
www.hotelmonastery.cz
1,950 koruny (about $111 at 17.6 koruny to the dollar)

81) Pension Rosa
Mezi Potoky 6
(420-271) 751-263
www.rosapension.cz
53 euros

82) The House at the Big Boot
Vlasska 30/333
(420-257) 532-088
www.dumuvelkeboty.cz
2,000 koruny (shared bath; cash only)

The Big Boot is a wonderful family-run hotel in Mala Strana. It’s small and yet very modern and clean. I enjoyed chatting with the Rippl family who runs the hotel. They were very generous with local suggestions and were eager to talk about Prague’s history. — lullah75

83) K+K Hotel Central
Hybernska 10
(420-225) 022-000
www.kkhotels.com
88 euros (nonrefundable)

84) Hotel Salvator
Truhlarska 10
(420-222) 312-234
www.salvator.cz
73 euros

85) Hotel Anna
Budecska 17
(420-222) 513-111
www.hotelanna.cz
45 euros

There are lots of hotels and pensions under 90 euro in Prague. Try the Hotel Anna, in the middle of one of the most beautiful areas of Prague - Vinohrady. To save even more money, visit www.pension.cz and run a search there. — Julia

86) Claris Hotel
Slezska 26
(420-242) 446-111
www.hotel-claris.cz
39 euros (nonrefundable)

Rome

87) Le Finestre sul Vaticano
Via Angelo Emo, 130
(39-347) 7563811
www.romabandb.it
90 euro

88) Matisse B & B
Via Nazionale, 243
(39-389) 9787112
www.matissebb.com
72 euros

89) Hotel Felice
Via Tiburtina, 30
(39-06) 4453347
www.hotelfelice.com
72 euros

I loved the Hotel Felice. The management was so helpful. They gave us maps to Rome and suggested places to go and see. They were very helpful with the buses. Great location! — Carl

90) Le Real de Luxe
Via Cavour, 58
(39-06) 4823566
www.lerealdeluxe.com
85 euros

I looked long and hard to find a place acceptable to my very mixed group of friends, some wanting the cheapest place in town and some wanting the best. This turned out to be a good choice: Le Real de Luxe. They adopt a low-cost airline model of charging for various extras so as to keep the basic price down. However, the staff are very friendly and helpful, and as long you read the rules when you arrive it’s really not a problem. — John

91) Accommodation Delia Bed & Breakfast
Via Gaeta, 64
(39-06) 97277089
www.deliabb.com
70 euros

I recommend the Delia B & B. Great location! 5 mins walk from tube/train station. Rooms fantastic — modern, and cleaned every day (possibly the cleanest room I’ve ever stayed in anywhere — either hotel or b & b). Great value for money. — Kok

92) Arco del Lauro
Via dell’Arco De Tolomei, 29/27
(39-06) 97840350
www.arcodellauro.it
85 euros

93) Hotel Paba
Via Cavour, 266
(39-06) 47824902
www.hotelpaba.com
88 euros

Venice

94) Ca’delle Acque
San Marco 4991
(39-041) 241-1277
www.locandadelleacque.it
80 euros

I can suggest a budget yet inviting bed-and-breakfast called Ca’ delle Acque. Very central, just between St. Mark’s Square and Rialto Bridge. The room was clean and private (there is just one room per floor), and the service helpful. No special services like Wi-Fi or telephone, but we really didn’t miss them because we were all the time discovering the city. — Christin

95) Bed & Breakfast Venezia
Santa Elena-Calle Bainsizza, 3
(39-041) 520-0529
www.bbvenezia.com
80 euros

The B&B Venezia is a small and charming family-run hotel in the quiet Santa Elena neighborhood, a 20-minute walk from San Marco Square. The owner, Roberto, made us very comfortable, even upgrading our room when we experienced a slight problem with the shower. We also loved the roof deck overlooking a park on the lagoon. The double room with A/C was 75 euros with breakfast and included Wi-Fi (a rare amenity in Italy!). — tharned

96) Faronhof B & B
Via Seriola Veneta
Sinistra, 51, Mira
(39-041) 428-363
www.faronhof.com
45 euros

We stayed at a lovely B & B called Faronhof, situated on the mainland not far from the center of Venice. The owners were really friendly even helping us make phone calls for a stolen bag! Fully recommend. — Ian Wilson

97) Ca’ Arco Antico
San Polo 1451
(39-041) 241-1227
www.arcoanticovenice.com
60 euros

98) Hotel Gorizia “A La Valigia”
Calle dei Fabbri 4696/A
(39-041) 522-3737
www.hotelgoriziavenezia.it
97 euros (nonrefundable)

99) Hotel Bernardi
Calle de l’Oca
(39-041) 522-7257
www.hotelbernardi.com
70 euros

The staff at the Hotel Bernardi was very friendly and the rooms were neat and clean. This little hotel is over 100 years old and hidden from the main streets near Cà D’oro. If you are looking for a respite from the hubbub of the streets, this place is fabulous. — Amanda J

100) Antica Locanda Montin
Fondamenta di Borgo
(39-041) 522-7151
www.locandamontin.com
75 euros (shared bath); 100 euros (private bath)

We stayed at Locanda Montin in Dorsoduro for E80 a night — double room, pvt bath, breakfast included. Quiet and excellent location. There are plenty of choices in good locations around E80-90 but you have to do your homework online. —Michael Weiss

By STUART EMMRICH, editor of the N.Y. Times Travel section.