Windows 7 gives better performance, greater stability

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.