Windows 7: The Upcoming Microsoft Operating System
Microsoft has learned from it’s previous experience with Vista and is rolling out a new operating system called Windows 7. Windows Vista has such a bad reputation that Microsoft felt compelled to come out with a new operating system.
The hardware requirements of the new operating system will not be different from those of Windows Vista. Microsoft made sure that Windows 7 will run on the same hardware more efficiently.
Microsoft has handed out test builds of the Windows operating system since October 2008 to selected testers. While the early versions where lacking some of the features they did give a good impression of the things to come. One of the main and first changes that users will see is the new Windows 7 Taskbar that got revamped completely.
The sidebar that was one of the new features in Windows Vista has been changed so that gadgets can now be placed anywhere on the computer desktop. Libraries are another new feature that makes it possible to group folders together for easier searching.
Touch support has been added to to Windows 7 which obviously requires a monitor screen that is touch compatible. It can be used to control the operating system with the fingers to perform operations like scrolling or opening applications.
It won’t be easy for Microsoft to find the right blend for all the different methods of controlling the operating system.
Windows 7 comes with a new hardware feature called Device Stage. It can be used by device manufacturers as some sort of mini control center tailored specifically for each device.
It is possible to update the device stage at anytime using an update service in Windows which makes hardware updates more easier. Some classic Windows applications have been updated in Windows 7 including Wordpad and Microsoft Paint who make use of a ribbon user interface.
One of the most significant changes in Windows 7 is the revamped Windows Media Player which among other things is now supporting several popular codecs such as divx, xvid or h264. Gamers will love the inclusion of DirectX 11 in the next operating system.
Another new feature his BitLocker to Go. This feature encrypts data that is written to any removable drive such as a USB, and also enables users to use network shares without using a VPN.
The overall security of windows seven seems to take a similar approach to vista, which tells the user when certain programs have expired.
Microsoft build Windows 7 on the Vista code but streamlined and optimized it. One of the main aspects of Windows 7 is compatibility with all devices and applications that were running fine under Windows Vista to avoid application incompatibilities.
Many users are looking forward to the Windows 7 release. Especially those that have skipped Windows Vista due to the bad press that it received during release.