Nvidia updates Windows 7 beta drivers

Graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp. Monday released beta drivers for Windows 7, months earlier in the development process than it did with Windows Vista, when users blasted the company for its sluggish pace.

New drivers for systems equipped with graphics cards that include Nvidia's GeForce graphics processor unit (GPU) are available immediately for Windows 7 beta, the company said Monday. Those drivers support Microsoft's new Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 1.1, the tweaked standard for Windows 7 that debuted in its predecessor, Vista.

Nvidia's early start in delivering drivers to Windows 7 is in stark contrast to how it handled Vista . Although that operating system had been in development for several years, Nvidia was unable to provide final versions of Vista-suitable drivers in time for the operating system's January 2007 launch. Even a month later, drivers for Nvidia's new GeForce 8800 remained in beta, and had not been certified by Microsoft's Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL).

In fact, Microsoft internal documents made public during the "Vista Capable" class-action lawsuit revealed that in 2007, Nvidia driver issues were the leading cause of Vista crashes, accounting for nearly a third of all operating system crashes or lock-ups.

Slow arriving and flaky drivers set off a firestorm of protests by users, who blasted Nvidia on company forums and other online outlets. One user went so far as to threaten a class-action lawsuit, and set up a Web site -- now offline -- where others could complain.

In reaction, Nvidia created a Vista-specific bug-report form , which still remains available.

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