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Filed under: Features, Windows, Microsoft, Lists

Windows 7 avalanche: Roundup of hacks, tips, downloads, and more!

Now that you can go and pick up Windows 7 just about anywhere (I hear there's a free copy of Starter coming with every Happy Meal*), let's take a look back at some of Download Squad's past articles about the new OS.

After all, we've been covering it since it was just a rumor and using Windows 7 hands-on since...Well, frankly since that first leak appeared on torrent trackers. With our retail copies in hand, let's go back in time and take a look at some of the Windows 7 coolness you can read about right here!

Get Windows 7 installed on your netbook without a DVD drive!
A handy little secret about your Windows 7 DVD is that it's easy to dump onto a USB flash drive - which you can plug in to any DVD-less computer system and boot! It's a hassle free way to install on your netbook.

Got a clean Windows 7 install? Get some great, FREE Open Source program and games!
While these downloads aren't Windows 7-specific, this list has a ton of awesome apps and games that are right at home on your new Windows 7 desktop or laptop. Best of all, they're all free!!

Microsoft shows off Windows 7's touch features

A number of PC makers have started rolling out touchscreen (and multi-touch) laptops and desktops, and Windows 7 takes full advantage of those technologies. Take a look at what the new OS has in store for real hands-on interaction.

Read more →

Filed under: Fun, Games, Internet

Time Waster: Launch your hog over the hedges

Hedgehog LaunchLaunching stuff is cool, and doing so in a flash game online is even cooler.

VivaLaGames brings us a new Time Waster with "HedgeHog Launch".

The premise is simple, you go through a series of days and launch HedgeHogs with a nice launcher gear, much like you would water balloons. Except these aren't balloons, these are dangerous little beasts called HedgeHogs. it's not quite Sonic, but we think it's way more fun.

The name of the game is to only get distance, but to grab money in the air while your HedgeHog flies.

The controls are quite easy, and you can play in fullscreen mode too. Just don't do it at work, because we can't be held responsible for having "HedgeHog Screwoff" on your permanent record. But that would be pretty schweet though.

You can dig in and tweak your thrusts left or right, and as you go through the days, your skills will get better and the stakes will get higher. Collect money, buy better rockets, some stylish goggles, and even a parachute to get better scores.

The music is addictive too.

So launch your hog and share your scores in the comments.

Filed under: Windows, Productivity

Start menu quick launch tip

Windows Start Menu Quick LaunchLifehacker has a great tip on launching your most-used programs really quickly. It relies on the little-known (well, I didn't know it, at least) fact that when the Windows Start menu is open, pressing a letter on your keyboard will launch the first "pinned" shortcut that begins with that letter. Armed with this knowledge, you can prefix the names of shortcuts pinned to your XP Start menu with unique letters to make launching any of your 26 favorite programs as quick as pressing the Windows key and a letter. Very awesome.

Filed under: Games

Download Squad welcomes PS3 Fanboy to the family

PS3 Fanboy

Keen readers may have noticed the little dogear up in the corner linking to Weblogs, Inc.'s newest blog, PS3 Fanboy. You may think we have our obsessions here at Download Squad, but you haven't seen obsession until you visit the fanboys (and girls!) over there. They couldn't be more excited about Sony's Playstation 3, and if your enthusiasms run along the same lines, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Featured Time Waster

Graveyard Shift - zombie-busting Time Waster

With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

View more Time Wasters

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Download Squad at the Crunchies
WordPress 2.7
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Windows 7 Hands On
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