No laptop speaker sound Gateway 7320

moptop said:

If the general attitude for older systems and driver support is "you are on your own" then I think there will be many frustrated users.

Yep, and its been this way with every new technology. This is not a Windows 7 issue, it is an issue with the chipset makers, sound card makers, and computer makers. They are so busy making new and better hardware, they don't want to take time to go back and make old technology work with new technology. There is no money in doing that. They want you to buy the new technology. So if your old sound chips aren't AC97 compatible, you will have to decide whether to stick with XP or not.

Ken;
Did build 7600 help with sound driver issues at all?

Robert

Robert

I dont have 7600 on the computer that has the audio chipset

Ken

zigzag3143 said:

Robert

I dont have 7600 on the computer that has the audio chipset

Ken

Well, I am hoping the retail 7 edition will have resolved some of these issues. Some here have indicated that the 7600 build was an improvement over the 7100 (what I have).

Yep, I agree the incentive is an economic one. However, the argument for Windows over *nix and other OSes has been support for older - but not ancient - hardware in the upgrade path. This has been around since the days of Windows 95 and was a strong selling point for MS products. If they refuse to support the basics (video, sound, etc) Microsoft is going down the wrong path. Expect a lot of disgruntled users who will give the OS a bad name if they are not willing to do the driver dance everyone here does.

moptop said:

If they refuse to support the basics (video, sound, etc) Microsoft is going down the wrong path.

Once again, in a very kind way, I would remind you that Microsoft CANNOT force hardware makers to write drivers so their old hardware will function correctly with Microsoft Software. Microsoft makes the means available to 'them' to write compatible drivers well in advance of software release. Windows 7, for example, has been in a public testing mode since January. This gives hardware makers plenty of opportunity, if they choose to take advantage. This is NOT a Microsoft issue.

Something about this has been amusing to me for some time (and I mean no offense to you or your opinion, moptop) in that for Microsoft OSs to be backward compatible, as they have done in the past, meant their OSs appeared to be "bloated" as I have heard many criticisms over the years. Now Microsoft offers a leaner, cleaner OS than they have ever produced and they are criticized for not having the "bloat" that would allow them to be compatible with chipsets made for Windows 98. It would appear that in this matter, Microsoft is damned if they do and damned if they don't?

Robert