Windows 7 gives better performance, greater stability.
Love it or hate it, but on October 22, all eyes will be focused on Microsoft as it unveils the next operating system, Windows 7. Having come out with a release candidate late in April, Windows 7 has garnered a positive response so far. Better performance, greater stability and a more intuitive interface seem to be on the cards.
Higher efficiency
One key requirement of an operating system is efficiency. All the fancy effects and pretty icons would come to nought if it didn’t live up to its billing. Vista, for instance, had the basics of a clean and intuitive interface that was bogged down by sluggish performances. Well, with Windows 7 all that is likely to be history.
Windows 7 is designed to be leaner and more memory-efficient than Vista, running background tasks only when required. An improved sleep/resume feature is added, quicker and better searches and faster identification of USB drives.
Increased efficiency, of course, translates into better power management. Windows 7 will be less draining on laptop batteries, and will include automatic screen dimming, low-power DVD playback, and cutting power to unused ports. Networking features are set to get a boost as well. Wireless or wired, it will be that much easier to discover and connect to networks.
The much-awaited full 64-bit support with also be ready with Windows 7, and users will be able to take full advantage of 64-bit CPUs, including tapping into 4 GB or more of RAM.
Better interface
Apart from its lean, mean under-the-hood features, Windows 7 will have a smart new turnout that translates not just into good looks, but also a more intuitive user interface. The desktop and taskbar see many changes and innovations, including the various options to organise the desktop and improved customisation for a completely reworked taskbar. New desktop features include the Snap feature to resize and arrange windows by dragging them to the edges of the screen. Aero Peek and Aero Shake allow one to scythe through open windows by making everything between the user and the desktop transparent, and also to focus on a single window buried deep down.
The introduction of jump lists now make access to preferred documents, websites and other items — including frequently used commands — much easier. Accessed via the context-menu, jump lists are specific for different programmes, such as music files for a media player. Users may also ‘pin’ items to jump lists.
Gadgets, introduced in Vista, are seeing an overhaul too in Windows 7, and can now be placed anywhere on the desktop; the sidebar is gone. A collection of stunning new themes, wallpapers and desktop slideshow pictures will be packaged with the new operating system as well.
We will also see complete touchscreen compatibility, with multi-touch support with the right hardware. One may now rearrange files and folders with one’s fingers, and zoom in on photos with a pinch Mac-style, and even finger-paint!
The HomeGroup feature makes setting up home networks a snap, whether it is connecting a number of PCs to share files or sharing common resources such as printers. It is secure and access rights are customisable by the user.
The media centre sees major improvements as well. Now supporting a larger number of popular formats, including high definition, it makes for easier watching, listening, sharing, recording and even showing off.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Comparison chart Windows 7
Comparison chart
| Cost & Features / Availability | Starter | Home Basic | Home Premium | Professional | Enterprise | Ultimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OEM licensing | Emerging markets | Retail and OEM licensing | Volume licensing | Retail and OEM licensing | ||
| 32-bit and 64-bit versions | 32-bit only | Both | Both | Both | Both | Both |
| Maximum physical memory (64-bitmode)[29] | N/A | 8 GB | 16 GB | 192 GB | 192 GB | 192 GB |
| Maximum CPU chips supported | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Home Group (create and join) | Join only | Join only | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Backup and Restore Center[30] | Cannot back up to network | Cannot back up to network | Cannot back up to network | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple monitors | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fast user switching | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Wallpaper Changeable | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Window Manager | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Mobility Center | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Aero | No | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Touch | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Premium Games Included | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Windows Media Center | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Media Player Remote Media Experience[31] | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Encrypting File System | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Location Aware Printing | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Desktop Host | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Presentation Mode | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server domain joining | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows XP Mode[32] | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AppLocker | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| BitLocker Drive Encryption | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| BranchCache Distributed Cache | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| DirectAccess | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Subsystem for Unix-based Applications | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multilingual User Interface Pack | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual Hard Disk Booting | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
[edit]Upgrading
Windows Vista can be upgraded to Windows 7 with an in-place upgrade if the processor architecture, comparable edition, and language version are the same. Windows XP can only be upgraded to Windows 7 via a clean install. Windows 7 will support in-place upgrades from a lower edition to a higher one using the Windows Anytime Upgrade tool.
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