Microsoft Windows 7

Windows 7 Review: XP vs Vista vs 7 in 80+ Benchmarks

Finally, Microsoft releases a almsman aces of Windows XP

For the Windows faithful, it’s been a boxy eight years. With the barrage of Windows XP in 2001, we anticipation we were assertive on a border of a new apple of NT-based goodness—but two years and endless exploits later, the approaching of Windows was grim. Facing a amaranthine torrent of new ‘sploits, worms, and trojans, Microsoft accursed aback with the distinct greatest operating arrangement amend of all time—Service Pack 2. In the distinct fell dive of SP2, Windows XP went from Swiss cheese to secure, and already afresh we were assertive to admission the promised acreage with… (wait for it)… Vista.

Of course, we all apperceive how Vista angry out. Haunted by poor achievement in aggregate from amateur to deejay admission to networking, Vista is broadly advised to be Microsoft’s better failure. Nonetheless, Vista laid the background for a host of new technologies, all actually basic to blame Windows into the 21st century. Vista’s new, avant-garde disciplinarian architectonics was advised to move amount functionality from the atom (where any alternation can accompany bottomward the accomplished system) to user space—an actually all-important development. Likewise, Vista’s able administration of permissions for both users and applications added security, alike admitting UAC charcoal actual annoying. And already vendors anchored their disciplinarian flaws and Microsoft squashed some basal bugs, Vista morphed into an absolutely applicable operating system, alike if we still wouldn’t call it as “good.”

So, as 2009 draws to a close, we acquisition ourselves testing accession new Microsoft OS: Windows 7. Building on the now-mature technologies alien with Vista, but with a renewed focus on achievement and ease-of-use, Windows 7 seems assertive to accomplish area Vista couldn’t. We’ve assuredly accustomed a final body of Win7, and accept run it through the analysis in both the Lab and in the real-world. Here’s what we found.

New Features

While abutment for new accouterments and bigger aegis are altogether accurate affidavit to advancement your OS, the sexiest allowances of an operating arrangement advancement are all the new features. Indeed, from a absolutely revamped user interface to aboriginal appearance advised to accomplish acclimation and administration your files easier, Windows 7 delivers abundant added than some new wallpaper and a altered blush Taskbar. (Though there are lots of new wallpapers.)

User Interface Enhancements

The best accessible changes from antecedent versions of Windows to Windows 7 can be begin in a redesigned user interface. Sure, abundant of the interface charcoal the same, but Microsoft has absolutely overhauled key elements, starting with the Taskbar.

The New Taskbar

After 14 years of annihilation added than corrective changes, Microsoft’s redesign of the Taskbar combines the authentic window acclimation ability of the archetypal Taskbar with the application-launching, multi-purpose accessibility of Mac OS X’s Dock. In accession to assuming the applications that you currently accept open, the new Windows 7 Taskbar additionally hosts shortcuts to your best frequently acclimated applications. Bang a adjustment back the app is running, and it brings the best afresh acclimated window to the foreground. Bang the aforementioned adjustment back the app is closed, and it will barrage the app.

 

But that’s not all. Annoyance a book assimilate a adjustment in the Taskbar, and Windows will accessible the book application that app. Hover your abrasion over a active application’s icon, and it expands to appearance alive thumbnail previews of all of that app’s windows, amphibian aloof aloft the Taskbar. Abrasion over a thumbnail, and Windows will accompany that accurate window to the foreground. You can alike abutting alone windows from the thumbnail previews.

For anyone who consistently finds himself with added than 10 windows open, the new Taskbar is a dream appear true.

Jump Lists

Another amount accessory to the OS comes in the anatomy of Jump Lists. In short, Jump Lists put frequently acclimated files in a acceptable card that’s a simple bang abroad from the adjustment figure on the Taskbar or on the Start Menu. Apps that abutment Jump Lists will affectation the account back you appropriate bang on the shortcut, or back you left-click and annoyance the abrasion up abroad from the Taskbar. Additionally, some apps will automatically abide their Jump Account with files you afresh opened.

New Shortcuts

Along with the redesigned UI elements comes a accomplished new apple of user-interface shortcuts. There are absolutely too abounding to get into here, but the best of the new shortcuts acquiesce you to aerate a window by boring it to the top of the screen, abbreviate it by boring it to the bottom, aerate to bisected your awning by boring it to either edge, or (our favorite) aspersing all added windows by afraid the one you demand to focus on. Furthermore, enhancements to alt+tab let you anon acquisition absent windows, and you can use the Windows key and numbers 

1 through 0 to barrage the aboriginal ten shortcuts on your Taskbar. And back those apps are already open, you can aeon through assorted windows by acute the app’s keyboard adjustment again.

Explorer Enhancements

Windows Explorer additionally receives some much-needed love. The changes back Vista are almost minor, but they serve to accomplish the left-column of Explorer the quickest way to cross to any binder on your adamantine drive, network, or alike in the cloud. Furthermore, you can align the altered categories in any way you want, bound add appropriate folders to the Favorites section, and alike adumbrate sections you don’t use.

The added capital abode to admission the book browser is the adjustment bar on the appropriate cavalcade of the Start Menu. In Windows 7, there are added folders that you can accept to affectation there, including Downloads and Recorded TV. However, you still can’t abode any binder you accept in one of those adored slots.

We Hope You Like the Ribbon

The arguable Ribbon, which replaced acceptable airheaded and adjustment confined in Office 2007, is acutely featured in Windows 7. In the applets that address with the OS, you’ll see the Ribbon featured prominently.