South Korea circa the Second Millennium on Planet Earth : the IT-powered nation with the fastest domestic Internet connection in the WorLD IS running on Windows . and the sub-title to this BLog-post is “What You’ve ALways wanted to know about using Windows 7 in South Korea but didn’t know WHERE to ask – The Layman’s Guide .” no tech specs here folks 😉
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[ Episode I – Beta Versions ]
ever since the dawn of CyberSpace in South Korea at the onset of the 90’s, technologically oriented On-Line Communities tested Beta versions of software (intentionally leaked) well before official introduction to the general public . and there-after as Windows was introduced /glitzy/ AND user-friendly workspace reminiscent of the Mac, every each version coming its way were preluded with all sorts of hype AND criticism from the nerds AND geeks growing by the tensm then hundreds .
and as South Korea still acknowledges itself as a second rate “Developing Country”, its citizens are well accustomed to being the guinea pigs of the electronics as well as the automotive industry . it’s like going to board a plane in a small rural airport in China : the clerk takes the /cash/ and just mumbles at you in despise for taking away his/her time for they are gloriously allowing you to taste the modern miracle of um, flying . meaning : many more than curious nerds, geeks AND Early-Adopters try out beta versions before they come out . more-so because it is readily available, NOW especially riding on the proliferation of /legal/ download or file-sharing sites (which have now made a conflicting deal with the DeviL AND the authorities at the same time : possible because it is .. Korea, a culture accustomed to finding a rear way out in times of harsh rule).
the other side of the coin is that especially at the early stage : you cannot be serious and keep the beta OS for long . because
- for the teen enthusiast : latest games would not even start or crash,
- for those who actually have to work : you simply don’t know when the program will dissappear with all your latest project,
- and foremost : in a country where much from buying groceries to even sex is done On-Line : your on-line bank account would NOT be accessible .
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so at the early stages of Beta : usually you would install in your “other” computer (which there are in any household OR office) to get the /feel/ of it out of sheer curiosity . then you read all the pro’s and con’s on the news and offered by critics . you then erase it and go back to your normal cyber-life and re-install it again once more in the latter stage to decide if you WOULD use it when it’s done .
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[ Episode II – Why have you Skipped Vista ? ]
in South Korea, most wise people have “skipped” Windows Vista in favour of the older BUT reluctantly updated Windows XP SP1, SP2 and then SP3 mostly because :
( this is in reference to those who have the slightest ability to assemble AND upgrade their computer hardware )
- Vista takes too much Hard Disk space . well NOT so much important just a while back when HDD space was catching onto CD and over DVD, in space-to-price ratio . but now as more advanced users are opting for space-conscious SSD’s : it IS beaucoup importante !
- Vista DeskTop was simply a WoW pleasure to watch every single day . but the resource it consumed made older computers gloom over applications as if it was mixing pancake batter (while XP would be like swimming in the pool).
- the above two reason has been a huge obstacle on NoteBooks (um, we don’t call’em LapTops anymore, ’cause of its shrunken size) where Hard Disk Space AND Speed was scarce or at least very very valuable . but the new Windows 7 has been designed from the beginning with portable users in mind, conscious of the increasing mobile market .
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[ Episode III – between Vista AND 7 ]
basically everyone who has tried Beta versions of Windows 7 were wondering (ditto same voices around the WorLD) “Why the heck was Vista such a space AND resource-consuming glob ?” when they could have made this 7 much compact as XP AND as graphically beautiful as Vista ?! so essentially you have the best of both Worlds here plus .
OK, that too, but the whole business arena as well as sales points have been ready for 7 now, as opposed to 2007 when Vista was introduced . even banks, who have been the latest ones to adopt Vista long~ after its introduction (believe-me : it /really/ was a mess, seem ready for 7 now, introduced officially on October 22nd 2009 in the whole of South Korea . for added on-line security measures, it is the international or rather foreign banks and credit card companies such as CitiBank and American Express that have been the latest to be Vista-compatible in South Korea . and as I have checked last week : they too are ready for Windows 7 . more-over MS Korea has openned a Press Conference Oct.22nd to confirm that Windows 7 IS compatible with on-line activities for 21 banks in South Korea . on this note they’ve added it currently supports aproximately 85% of the popular 100 on-line games here .
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[ Episode IV – the Hype and Changing Times ]
add to this the current lagging recession lingering long after the IMF Crisis, South Korean marketeers have long waited for a Boom ! for them to voice up their sales pitch once again . so all around YongSan Electronics Market (District) you’ll be noticing “Windows 7 – Compatible” or “Free UpGrade !!!” signs .
and ofcourse you should know the era has changed since you last installed your OS (Operating System) from scratch :
- the reason you see NO A:/ Floppy Drive NOR D:/ CD-ROM Drive on your brand new computer is because you can now install from your tiny USB (memory) Dongle – very complicated for the laymen still, but once you have it on your USB Drive you can use it repeatedly .
- especially on NoteBooks for light weight, but also on DeskTops for incredible speed factor : more advanced users are installing their OS on credit-card-sized SSD Drives then leaving the now 1 TeraByte-ish Hard Disk space for personal/study/work files .. what kind of personal/study/work files take up TeraByte of space ? .. graphically moving professional sectors plus increasing entertainment factors, including latest games AND movies PLUS all your favourite TV-series – from around the WorLD oh, so now you need to attach another TeraByte ?
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[ Episode V – still : the Pro’s AND Con’s ]
install Windows 7 on a SSD Drive and watch it boot-up to the glory of your (the classic Sci-Fi movie) “2010 – The Year we make Contact” WoW astonishment~al pleasure //
but sorry, NOT just yet folks -_-
head-on over if you are buying a new system AND Windows 7 comes with it, OR if you have a support staff in stand-by 24 hours . yes its instant shut-off and speedy boot time is remarkable to say the least, but random drags in midst of process abound, plus some software still ain’t ready for it yet NOR 64 bit versions . mucho more so, you won’t find blockades if your computing habit is of a good boy / girl with everything neatly on the racks, but if you are least into tweaking or operating in the ‘grey’ area : count on frustrating nights . independent business operators should NOT consider this until you have read over at least ONE guide book on what it is for YOU that makes Windows 7 work for you . but accept they’ve got it right this time around compared to the lurky beginning days of Vista, for it works seamlessly on ALL major Banks AND on-line shopping malls in South Korea (WoW).
.. well, that is .. until the Beta version of the following OS start circulating in CyberSpace :
[ Episode VI – Windows 7 Ultimatum ]
Korea Tech BLog /always/ give you no-B.S. simple answers in a Oh-My-God-I’m-sooo~Lucky-to-be-Livin’in-this-Age-AND-TIME World where you have so mucho beaucoup many choices in selecting machines as well as your Avatar oops um, I mean passage into Life . we’re NOT lollipop-eyed early-adopters watin’to snatch the latest of anything on the brink of being introduced but sincere beings with much appreciation for Life in Nature taking in technology to spice up the daily chores AND artificial joys . so,
- take it, if it comes with your brand-new NetBook 😉 Merry Christmas !
- upgrade, if you’ve been using an incomprehensible looser in the Millennium : Vista -_-
- pass for a while until update patches perfect 7 AND lesser softwares catch-up, and update your XP to XP SP3 “V”
- (while on XP SP3) still better yet : update your Windows Media Player to version 11 AND Internet Explorer to version 7 .
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– Korea Tech BLog, December 2009 –
