64-bit Windows 7

To run the current version of NB on a 64-bit operating system, an additional installation step is required. Exactly how you proceed depends on which version of Windows 7 you have. 64-bit Windows 7 Premium Although the easiest way to run NB under 64-bit Windows is to get the Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise versions (see below), you can run NB on 64-bit Windows 7 Premium machines if you install: “Virtual machine” software, such as VMWares' Player (this is available for free) A copy of Windows (preferably XP) under that virtual machine (most people can obtain a low-     or no-cost version of XP from university IT departments; others may have unused [that is,     uninstalled] copies from old machines available) Although installing a virtual machine and then XP will take a little initial setup time, doing so involves almost no effort/interaction on your part. And once installed, you will be able to use NB effectively on that system. See also the “Notes for all 64-bit Windows 7 — Premium, Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise” section below. 64-bit Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise The easiest way to run NB on 64-bit versions of Windows 7 is under “XP Mode” on Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise. If you have the Starter or Home Premium version, you will need to upgrade to the Professional version (the upgrade is reportedly available to people with an .edu email address for $30—please contact Microsoft to confirm this price). XP Mode is available for free to all users of Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise. However, you will     need to download and install it before you can use it. NEW! Hardware Virtualization no longer required Until March 19th, 2010, XP Mode would only run on computers with CPUs that supported something called “Hardware Virtualization” (VT). However, as recently announced by the Microsoft Virtualization Team, that is no longer necessary: “The Virtual PC team is thrilled to announce the availability of KB977206 which allows our customers to use Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode on non-HAV (Hardware-Assisted Virtualization) machines. Windows XP Mode continues to use hardware virtualization such as Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel© VT) or the AMD-V™ chipset when available but it no longer requires them. A number of our customers and partners have been asking us to support a wider range of PC’s including those without HAV capability and we have delivered this software patch to address their needs. We believe that this change simplifies the customer experience and makes this benefit accessible to many more PCs.” NB users will applaud this change (which should, we note, have been the way this worked from the very beginning). For written documentation and videos on how to install XP Mode and how to install an application (like Nota Bene) using XP Mode, see http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/support/default.aspx. The PDF file “Running Windows XP Mode with Windows Virtual PC” and the videos are particularly helpful. Notes for all 64-bit Windows 7 — Premium, Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise Once installed, if you find that the on-screen display is not as crisp as it should be, make sure that ClearType is on (check Windows Help for instructions). Special note: If you do not keep all your NB files in the NBWIN folder, but instead save them in a project folder or other more general location outside of NB, you will need to map all the “host” (non-virtual) machine and/or other network drives to a drive letter (see Windows XP Mode Help for instructions) in order to see and access the files on them from within NB. Note that you can also map particular folders to a drive designation (you don’t need to map the root of my physical “c” drive).

New Computer

If you are buying a new computer, and running NB is a priority, here's the order of preference:

Note that even though most new computers are now being sold with 64-bit operating systems, most NB users do not need a 64-bit operating system. Unless you have particularly high memory requirements (for example, you need to run high-end mathematical or graphics programs), the 32-bit version of Windows 7 will serve you very well.

Although we do not recommend any particular brand or any specific computer, if you are having trouble obtaining a Dell, Toshiba, HP, Acer, Gateway or other system running 32-bit Windows 7, you should check out Lenovo, which seems to be making it easier to obtain such computers. If you are looking for a desktop, try the Lenovo C300 or ThinkCentre A63. If you want a laptop, try Lenovo G555 or G455, IdeaPad S12, or several of the Thinkpad models including R400 and R500, T series, and X series. Of course, this information is subject to change, and you need to take final responsibility for any system you purchase. Please see www.lenovo.com and/or contact Lenovo to confirm which operating system comes with any computer that you are thinking of purchasing.

On-Screen Help

With the release of version 9.0 of Nota Bene, the NB help system is now fully compatible with Windows 7 (and Vista).

Future Versions of Nota Bene

We are currently working on a version of Nota Bene that will work natively on 64-bit operating systems. While much of the work has already been completed, we do not yet have a beta (testing) version, and so we cannot accurately give a projected release date.