Windows 7: Fine for gaming if you only use one input language

I take back what I wrote for a blog post saying Windows 7 is good except for Source Engine games. It's still good for Source Engine games, IF you use only one input language: English combined with a US Keyboard layout.

If you have additional input languages, Windows 7 tends to freeze Source Engine games cause you never know if the other language might pop up/switch to and try to type foreign characters in place of W, A, S, or D.

I have tested the L4D2 Demo and it ran seamlessly with only one input language used.

I will test L4D1 next and will post results on whether I was able to play "Crash Course" (a 2 level campaign) seamlessly and a full-length campaign seamlessly in an edit to this post.

Edit: I've surpassed the point where I got freezing problems in Crash Course in L4D1 with no problems. However, in the main menu the game tries hard to look for as many Steam Group Servers as it possibly can (one time I got upwards of 300-500 servers)... Even though you're not part of their group... This is probably a problem that comes and goes in Windows 7 since it only does it sporadically.

If you see blank "In-Game" fields in your Steam friends list, you might want to click the Check for Steam Updates button once, that somehow fixed it for me.

Also, be aware that Windows Firewall might block L4D2 from internet access as a FYI.

Edit #2: Played most of the Dead Air Campaign with no problems (didn't finish the campaign as it was pretty much definitively stable). Windows 7 actually has a higher CPU and GPU usage possibly due to optimizations...

Edit #3: (moved to a new post since it is very extensive)

How's Life?

Well, stressful with the final exams coming up and a recent incident with someone in RL has prompted a end to social searching in RL for now:

Journal on incident (on FurAffinity)

Best Case Scenario: I survive... barely... to Winter Break.

Worst Case Scenario: Dropping out (which one of our students in the TV program already has)

Hardest classes: Business Communications and Interpersonal Relationships

Looking back on this post in the future, this would definitively be proof that this is the hardest part...

"...is waiting for that bell to ring." -Coldplay

It's true, first semester is the hardest one.

Why I'm not as keen on using Second Life or PlayStation Home

Sure, they are the best when it comes to making far away connections that much closer, but it does have one huge drawback: Commitment.

If you start spending real $$$ for your virtual self, you are in the first phases of committing yourself for your virtual self. Spending in big cases nearly thousands of real dollars so you look presentable online.

It's the step above from Facebook. Your profile (not your avatar) is what you worry about on Facebook and enhancements to it are what you worry about with having the most apps in your profile and such.

My advice: Find a local social gathering and go to it... in Real Life. I did with Howloween Bowling 2009 and I've already had a blast over there.

My only public social site I'm able to manage for now is Twitter. So keep watching for my tweets as they do detail some stuff on what happens at my TV program.

I should have been the actor for this doctor...

Really, This doctor at the end of a recent Curb Your Enthusiasm episode should have been me. Seriously, it's such a minor role I could do it.



Or... It could also be for one of my High School buddies Bradley Jung (AKA Hyprodimus Prime in some places)

Searching for Lyrics?

Well, get ready for this, as it's now MUCH HARDER to obtain lyrics from the web and copy and paste to a text file for personal use.

Sites like MetroLyrics are starting to encode their lyrics (but not scramble them) in the HTML source and are starting to use Javascript to prevent selection of text. This is pretty much the 2nd instance where Javascript has been used as a cheap form of DRM (with the first being the right-click disabler)

Primarily, CDDB gracenote is the primary user of this crude DRM Javascript technology.

On some sites, NoScript on Firefox is enough to bypass it, but on certain dedicated embeds, if the object is blocked, so is the text.

This is showing how DRM is becoming a nuisance to all consumers, but the Film and Record Industries all back it 100% with stuff like AACS and BD+ on Blu-ray and the infamous Sony/BMG rootkit DRM.

1080p on YT? Pl-eeze...

This is not the marketing move that will make me return to YT. First off, Vimeo is much better when it comes to it's community aspect compared to the abusive community on YT.

Plus, nothing's been done about the WMG crap and Fair Use remains in a tombstone not to be disturbed on YT.

Sorry, but I'm putting my pity towards both Vimeo and YT. Vimeo disabled original file download and now that YT has 1080p, isn't that a reason to not dumb down the free accounts on Vimeo but rather bump them up in quality? And YT's ID system is exactly why veterans of the site (such as AMV makers) never use it anymore.

It's impossible to get YT to change their act, but Vimeo sure as heck can. Get 1080p on Vimeo (that is also accessible to the free users) and I'll be happy.

Edit (Expressing my right for Freedom of Speech): Looks like DOUBLE takedowns are happening where it goes Down->Counter->Up->Down->Banned.

R.I.P. Fair Use on YT.

What's with the housewife target demo driven Sci-fi dramas?

First Defying Gravity, and now V?

Listen, Sci-fi does not belong with interpersonal situational drama. It can be to a point, but if it goes overboard, it's housewife material.

V started to go a little overboard when it came to this during the pilot, but Defying Gravity went way overboard.

Sci-Fi is pretty much all about everything but interpersonal conflict. Are we living in drama viewing environments now where it's all about interpersonal stuff?

Stargate SG-1 and Battlestar Galactica (the new one) found balances in this formula to make them great shows. Star Trek (except DS9) found the perfect balance of technical and personal storyline. Defying Gravity and V? They barely go into the technical side and focus specifically on interpersonal. This makes it a flop to Sci-fi traditionalists and a hit to the general American public.

Don't let Sci-Fi shift entirely to general audiences, we need at least a couple of tried and true technique sci-fi shows on the air now.

Edit: Wow, the most recent East Meets West podcast is dead on with this topic. (which is being taped at the moment on twit.tv)

Edit #2: 2nd episode of V is just 95% interpersonal material... That's going over the amount for balance between true sci-fi and such. Trekkies, Stargaters, and members of the Colonial Fleet tune away now.

Edit #3: Here's why this demographic is being targeted. It's the biggest one.

Windows 7: Great for everyday use, but not for Source Engine 3D gaming...

Microsoft is not bringing false promises when it comes to Windows 7's ease of use for everyday tasks, but extreme gaming is where this can suffer and it's where the statement is not true.

Source engine games (practically every recent game made by Valve Corp) doesn't run well with Windows 7, often freezing the game if you hold the strafe keys too long (WASD)

Casual games probably have no problems on 7, it's the FPS shooters that will be disappointed.

My review unit was a Intel Core 2 Quad and a Nvidia GTX 275 running Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit. Since the Win 7 was on a separate hard drive from my Vista Home Premium SP1 32bit HDD, going back was easy.

Gonna wait until SP1 arrives to see if the gaming problem is fixed.

Update: I'm trying L4D with all the Stickykeys and Filter Keys turned off... I think... and hopefully this solves the problem...

Update #2: Nope, this does not solve the problem, meerly just turning off the Stickykeys or Filter Keys sound. DO NOT USE SOURCE ENGINE GAMES ON WINDOWS 7 at the moment, wait for Windows 7 SP1.