Posted by the editor on December 05th, 2009

People have been waiting for Microsoft Windows 7, the successor of Windows Vista. This time, Microsoft does not conceal the new features of Windows 7. Therefore, the developers are able to analyze the latest operation system of Microsoft, Windows 7. Most alterations in Windows 7 are trying to increase the ease and conveniences of the users. They are prospective in term of usage. Here are some new features that you will get in the OS:

1. Display
In term of display, Microsoft does not make significant alteration in the Windows 7. From the architecture aspect, its software is similar to Vista. Microsoft has promised that the Vista users shall not find any difficulty in upgrading their Vista regarding to the compatibility. Since Windows 7 does not make much changes in its display, Microsoft is capable to give focus on the development of OS usage, rather than on other technical aspects, such as security and stability.

2. Taskbar
Since a significant alteration from the first debut of Windows 95, Windows 7 is no longer presenting small application icons complete with the names. It will only show bigger icon size similar to the Mac OS X. Microsoft change the list of displayed windows with the user interface (UI) “ribbon” that will display the windows thumbnails sideways.

Other devices connect to the computer, such as camera; will also appear on the taskbar with application windows. As the whole, this feature makes Windows 7 looks interesting.

3. Tray System
Microsoft officially names its tray system as the “Notification Area”. With this feature, the user can arrange their disorder desktop area. The user can select whatever icon they wish to display in the tray system. Besides that, they can also change the position of icon and use the notification.

4. Jump List menu
The jump list menu will appear in the start menu to give the users some options to do various application-supported actions. With this feature, you can have windows media player jump list that will give the users some options to play songs, see the last played songs and many others.

5. A better UAC (User Account Control)
UAC is one of the features in Vista that the users hate. The UAC in Windows 7 comes with “On” and “Off” menu. Besides that, the users are now able to select the UAC to appear during application installation or windows configuration only. Whether this alteration is sufficient to make UAC from enemy to become friend is something that we must further analyze. However, the UAC in Windows 7 is friendlier.

6. Performance
Microsoft said that they have done some improvements to increase the performance of stability of Windows 7, such as reducing the booting time by activating some applications parallel, a new memory management and many more.

7. The stage of device
This new feature collects everything that relates to a particular peripheral in a certain location, such as configuration, features, documentations, printer ink purchases and so on.

8. Libraries
If you have known the library concept for songs in iTunes, you will find that Windows 7 share a similar library concept. This feature can collect all files in your PC, based on their types into their own libraries. With this, the user can easily have a good media management. For example, this feature will collect all photos in your PC and network into a photo library that the user can access in a particular location.

9. Home Groups
Windows 7 introduces a new networking feature called as Home groups to accommodate particular networking computers to share files and peripherals as if they are from the same PC. Even though the windows networking features have the same intention since sometimes ago, the configuration to use the networking printer is still something difficult for some users.

10. Peeking feature
The peeking feature in Windows 7 will accommodate the users to open the content in particular window quickly without interacting with the window itself. When the user put the cursor on the window thumbnail at the task bar, they will change all opened windows to be transparent, except for the chosen window. Besides peeking particular application window, the user can also do the peeking on the windows desktop. 

11. No more Sidebar used
Windows 7 eliminates the use of sidebar because it occupies too many locations. The users can now place the gadgets directly on the desktop. Even though, the users can already do this in the Vista version.

13. ITunes Compatibility
The current Windows media player in Windows 7 supports the two most favorite medias in Apple, namely AAC for audio and H.264 for video. The Windows media player can also locate the iTunes library available in the network and play the content.
 
13. Minimalist WMP
When you right click a media file in the Windows explorer, and use Windows media player to play it, the player will appear in a minimalist mode that will not dominate your desktop. You can also play a certain media on the Windows explorer preview pane without launching the Windows media player at all.

14. Multimedia Streaming
Windows 7 adds a file media sending feature from the PC to various streaming supported devices, such as Sonos music system through a network. Microsoft said that Windows 7 would change the file into a certain format that your media player can play. It also means that Microsoft is one-step ahead to the vision of Bill Gates to make Windows as the media center at home. Microsoft gives a significant upgrade to the media center of Windows 7.

15. Automated Windows Setting
The users can drag the window closer to the right or left edge and the window will directly change into half of the screen. With this feature, the user can set two windows side by side (such as browser and word document) so that you can work more easily on both windows at one time.

16. Allocating all locations at once
Microsoft names this feature the Search Federation. With this feature, the user can include various computers, networking and website storage media into the Windows 7 searching.

17. Theme
It has been a long time that Microsoft does not bring a significant change on the theme customization feature in Windows. In Windows 7, Microsoft provides a better new theme selector by introducing a preview feature in its original size so that you can save your customized theme with several clicks only. Microsoft plans to change the name from Themes into Styles.

18. Windows Live
Officially, Microsoft brings a few applications on the Windows 7 package. Microsoft provides the Windows Live Essentials where the user can download free contents, such as a photo gallery application, a moviemaker and e-mail. Microsoft expects that the PC vendors will still bring the Windows Live Essentials into the computers they sell.

19. A new paint feature
Many users might forget the Windows paint, but Microsoft has significantly upgraded this feature now. The new paint feature now comes with UI ribbon from Office 2007. It has been becoming standard in various Microsoft applications.

20. Touch screen feature
Windows 7 is the first Windows version that supports multi-touch features and will enable the users to control this OS with both hands. Whether it can bring a revolution into the PC world is something that we must wait and see.