After a long wait, filled with speculation and hype, Windows 7 has finally arrived. Obviously, Microsoft hopes that Windows 7 will erase the failings of Windows Vista and help to finally move users off of Windows XP. Whether or not that happens is yet to be seen, but one thing is certain. Windows 7 is a whole new ball game and introduces a multitude of enhancements and features that could make Windows 7 a real home run for the company.
However, the question remains, will corporations open up their pocket books and purchase Windows 7 or take a wait-and-see approach to determine if the new features are worth the money. With that in mind, lets take a look at some of what’s new and why it matters.
Navigation / Interface:
Windows users are all too familiar with the pros and cons of Windows Explorer. With each release of Windows, Microsoft has made changes to Windows Explorer, some well accepted, others not so much. With Windows 7, Microsoft has once again reinvented Windows Explorer, and users can expect changes for the better.
Aero Desktop:
Enhancements to Aero include features like Aero Peek, which allows users to make open windows transparent to see what’s underneath. Users will also find the new Aero Shake a welcome feature – users can simply “shake” the active window to minimize it, something that notebook users will grow to appreciate. Aero “Snaps” offer the opposite approach — users can simply “snap” a desktop item to expand it to the borders of the screen. There are many other enhancements that improve Aero’s look and feel, which should help to make Windows 7 easier to use.
Windows SideBar: Microsoft has changed the Windows Sidebar to a decoupled interface that allows users to place gadgets (sidebar applications). Users no longer need to dedicate desktop real estate to the sidebar, and thanks to Areo Peek, uses can now see active gadgets behind open windows.
Jump Lists:
Jump Lists are automatically populated lists that are created from the Start Menu. With Windows 7, Jump Lists can include task bar items as well as the most recently used applications. Users will be able to use Jump Lists to create quick and easy links to popular parts of an application. For example, by pointing the mouse at Internet Explorer, a jump list can pop up with common tasks like opening a tab or fetching bookmarks.
Windows Search:
Microsoft has added some much needed strength to the integrated search function of Windows. Users can search from the Start menu, from open windows and by right-clicking on the desktop. Searches are now much more extensive and can return results from libraries and external resources (SharePoint, Web sites, etc.). An enhanced search algorithm offers other improvements, such as highlighting related words, as well as incorporating dynamic filtering, and offers input recommendations for search terms.
Windows Touch:
Windows 7 adds enhanced support for touch screen technology and allows users to select icons and control applications with just a touch of the screen. Windows Touch adds multi-touch capabilities, allowing users to zoom in and out as well as perform other tasks by using multiple fingers.
Other Changes:
There are also many minor improvements, bug fixes and usability enhancements throughout the Windows 7 UI, all of which help to create a better user experience. Microsoft has also improved many bundled applications, thanks to the UI enhancements. Wordpad and Paint now incorporate the infamous Windows Ribbon interface and resemble Office 2007 applications. The Windows calculator features support for touch, has a new interface and handles date calculations. Sticky notes have been improved and can be resized and support virtual ink, as well as cut and paste. Windows accessibility benefits from an improved magnifier and better speech recognition. Some small but useful changes have been incorporated into Windows Explorer, most of which you will have to experience to appreciate.
Performance and Stability:
Performance has been one of the biggest complaints with Windows Vista, which came across as bloated and slow, suffering from long bootups and slow shutdowns, as well as slow program launches and the responsiveness (or lack of responsiveness) of the Start menu. Microsoft has put a great deal of effort into making sure Windows 7 performs acceptably, but Windows 7 is still a complex bit of code and no one should expect earth-shattering performance. However, the improvements are readily noticeable when compared to Windows Vista.
Ready Boost: Microsoft’s Ready Boost technology was introduced with Windows Vista as a method to cache applications and data into fast RAM, instead of relying on slow hard drives. With Windows 7, Ready Boost can be used with multiple memory devices concurrently. In other words, with Vista, Ready Boost could only use a single USB key drive to cache with; Windows 7 lifts that limit and allows users to plug in multiple key drives or other high-speed memory devices to crank up the boost.
Battery Performance:
Windows 7 offers more intelligence around powering peripherals and running applications, which helps to improve battery life. Windows 7 is able to shut down processes and suspend applications when the system is idle to conserve battery life. The OS also features adaptive display brightness, automatically dimming the screen during periods of inactivity. Windows 7 also powers down network ports, if no cables are plugged in, while a more efficient video decoder reduces the processing power needed when playing DVDs. New battery controls and tools give users the ability to fine-tune performance for extended battery life and prove to be more informative.
Security:
Windows Vista was often derided because of the poor implementation of security features. The reality was that Vista did improve security over Windows XP, but contrived enhancements left many unhappy. Users had to deal with cryptic messages, frequent pop-ups and several layers of security, which made security more of a hassle than it was worth. Even so, the core security functionality of Windows Vista proved to work quite well, meaning that most of the security fixes under Windows 7 were only minor changes. But those changes will make a big difference in the user experience.
AppLocker:
AppLocker is a new feature, which is used to restrict program execution based on firewall profiles. Users will appreciate the ability to “lock down” applications and can now set up portable systems that can be used both in a business environment and in a home environment. Applications that are deemed less secure can be disabled when a user is connected to a corporate network and re-enabled when on a home or public network. AppLocker also features in-depth application controls, which can be used to define polices to allow or prevent an application from launching. With Windows 7, Microsoft has reduced the number of applications that require administrator-level permissions to execute. Users will be less frequently prompted for permission to run system applications.
Action Center:
Windows 7 brings with it “Action Center,” which is a new management console designed to handle all alerts and warnings. Action Center keeps users informed of critical events, ranging from security problems to diagnostics to solutions. Action Center makes it much easier to deal with the numerous events, warnings and messages that Windows generates.
Windows Defender & Windows Firewall:
Windows Defender has a vastly improved interface, which is much easier to understand. What’s more, Windows Defender events are relayed to Action Center, which keeps users better informed. Windows Defender offers improved continuous monitoring, helping to better protect systems. Windows Firewall now supports more third-party security applications, which add extended features, such as customized firewall policies. Windows Firewall offers multi-profile capabilities, which are concurrently or separately activated based upon a user’s connection status or other defined policies.
Media Player 12:
Microsoft has added support for more media formats than ever before, including AAC audio and H.264, DivX and Xvid video. Users will no longer have to install third-party codecs to use those file formats. Media Player can be used to stream media to remote PCs or devices, which allows a Windows 7 system to function as a media server. Windows Live leverages that feature and users can now stream media to remote systems over the Web. The redesigned interface of Windows Media Player offers some much needed enhancements, including a nifty pop-up mini music player. Common tasks are now much easier to accomplish, especially functions like Play, Burn and Sync, thanks to a new set of tabs on the right hand side of the UI.
One of the most interesting additions is the new “play-to” feature, which has the ability to send music, video and photos to any compatible devices on the network, without the need to run proprietary software and without any additional setup. In other words, sending a song, video or photo to an Xbox or other compatible device just takes a mouse click and nothing more. All of these enhancements should make Media Player 12 a multimedia force to be reckoned with.
Windows Media Center: A new UI makes Media Center much easier to navigate and use. Media Center supports more devices and can be used with Windows Touch, allowing users to add touch screen TVs to the mix. Cable-TV users will welcome the addition of ClearQAM support, a technology that receives unencrypted digital TV over cable-TV lines. ClearQAM can eliminate the need for adding a cable company set-top box to receive digital cable TV feeds. Those looking for an improved TV experience on a PC will appreciate the improvements to the channel guide, which include faster updates and improved controls, making it easier to record programs. Other usability improvements include an on-screen keyboard, which eliminates the need for a wireless keyboard and brings more functionality to a media center remote control. TV viewing is enhanced with features like “commercial skip,” which allows viewers to skip ahead 30 seconds at a time. Those looking to build large libraries of recorded content will appreciate the new sorting features, which allow users to sort by title, date, length and so on, almost instantly.
Microsoft’s enhancements to Windows 7 multimedia capabilities could place the operating system back into competition with other PC-TV solutions and could eventually make a Windows 7 PC a fixture in the entertainment center. With both Media Player and Media Center, it appears that Microsoft closely listened to user gripes and has put much effort into getting those two feature sets right with Windows 7.
To Sum Up:
There are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of other improvements incorporated into Windows 7, so many that a very large book would be needed to explain them all. Other significant features, such as XP Mode, will prove themselves just as critical to Windows 7’s ultimate success. XP mode, which uses virtualization technology, is currently available as an add-on download.
One thing is certain: Windows 7 will prove to be much more than just a rehash of Windows Vista. It seems Microsoft has learned a lot from the failures of Vista and has created Windows 7 as a new operating system that looks to change people’s perceptions about Microsoft’s products.