Microsoft stated in 2007 they were planning Windows 7 development for a three-year time frame starting after the release of its predecessor, Windows Vista. Microsoft has stated that the final release date would be determined by product quality.[4]
Unlike its predecessor, Windows 7 is intended to be an incremental upgrade from Vista, with the goal of being fully compatible with device drivers, applications, and hardware with which Windows Vista is already compatible.[5] Presentations given by the company in 2008 have focused on multi-touch support, a redesigned Windows Shell with a new taskbar, a home networking system called HomeGroup,[6] and performance improvements. Some applications that have been included with prior releases of Microsoft Windows, most notably Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Photo Gallery, are no longer included with the operating system; they are instead offered separately (free of charge) as part of the Windows Live Essentials suite.[7]
Originally, a version of Windows codenamed Blackcomb was planned as the successor to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Major features were planned for Blackcomb, including an emphasis on searching and querying data and an advanced storage system named WinFS to enable such scenarios. Later, Blackcomb was delayed and an interim, minor release, codenamed "Longhorn" was announced for 2003.[8] By the middle of 2003, however, Longhorn had acquired some of the features originally intended for Blackcomb. After three major viruses exploited flaws in Windows operating systems within a short time period in 2003, Microsoft changed its development priorities, putting some of Longhorn's major development work on hold in order to develop new service packs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Development of Longhorn (Windows Vista) was also "reset" in September 2004.
Blackcomb was renamed Vienna in early 2006,[9] and again to Windows 7 in 2007.[4] In 2008, it was announced that Windows 7 would also be the official name of the operating system.[10][11] The first external release to select Microsoft partners came in January 2008 with Milestone 1 (build 6519).[12]
Bill Gates, in an interview with Newsweek, suggested that the next version of Windows would "be more user-centric".[13] Gates later said that Windows 7 will also focus on performance improvements;[14]Steven Sinofsky later expanded on this point, explaining in the Engineering Windows 7 blog that the company was using a variety of new tracing tools to measure the performance of many areas of the operating system on an ongoing basis, to help locate inefficient code paths and to help prevent performance regressions.[15]
Senior Vice President Bill Veghte stated that Windows 7 will not have the kind of compatibility issues with Windows Vista that Vista has with previous versions.[16] Speaking about Windows 7 on 16 October 2008, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed compatibility between Vista and Windows 7.[17] Ballmer also confirmed the relationship between Vista and Windows 7, indicating that Windows 7 will be an improved version of Vista.[17]
On 27 December 2008 Windows 7 Beta was leaked onto the Internet.[18] According to a performance test by ZDNet,[19] Windows 7 Beta has beaten both Windows XP and Vista in several key areas, including boot and shut down time, working with files and loading documents; others, including PC Pro benchmarks for typical office activities and video-editing, remain identical to Vista and slower than XP.[20] On 7 January 2009, the 64-bit version of the Windows 7 Beta (build 7000) was leaked onto the web.[21]
The official beta, announced at the CES 2009, was made available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers on 7 January 2009[22] and was made briefly available for public download on Microsoft TechNet on 9 January 2009 before being withdrawn and replaced with a coming soon message. The servers were experiencing difficulty in dealing with the number of users who wished to download the beta. Microsoft added additional servers to cope with the large volume of interest from the public.[23] Due to the unexpectedly high demand, Microsoft also decided to remove its initial 2.5 million download limit and make it available to the public until January 24 2009[24], and later until February 10, from where it was no longer available to the public, although paused or deferred downloads of the DVD image files still worked until February 12.[25]
Users can still download Windows 7 via the Microsoft Connect program. According to Neowin, the release candidate is scheduled to be released wordwide on 10 April 2009.[26]
Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors, a new version of Windows Media Center,[31]Gadgets being integrated into Windows Explorer, a Gadget for Windows Media Center, the ability to visually pin and unpin items from the Start Menu and Taskbar, improved media features, the XPS Essentials Pack being integrated, Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE), and a redesigned Calculator with multiline capabilities including Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion.
Many new items have been added to the Control Panel including: ClearType Text Tuner, Display Color Calibration Wizard, Gadgets, Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other Sensors, Credential Manager, Biometric Devices, System Icons, Action Center, and Display.[32]Windows Security Center has been renamed to Windows Action Center (Windows Health Center and Windows Solution Center in earlier builds) which encompasses both security and maintenance of the computer.
The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the Quick Launch toolbar has been merged with the task buttons to create an enhanced taskbar or what Microsoft internally refers to as the "Superbar". This enhanced taskbar also enables the Jump Lists feature to allow easy access to common tasks.[33] The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons.
A small rectangle adjacent to the system clock is a new feature called 'Peek'. Hovering over Peek makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop.[34] This could be useful for users who want a quick look at the news gadget on the desktop. Clicking on Peek shortcuts to the desktop.
Unlike Windows Vista, window borders and the taskbar do not turn dark when maximized when Windows Aero is applied. Instead, it remains in Aero Transparency even when maximized in Windows 7.
For developers, Windows 7 includes a new networking API with support for building SOAP based web services in native code (as opposed to .NET based WCF web services),[35] new features to shorten application install times, reduced UAC prompts, simplified development of installation packages,[36] and improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API.[37]
At WinHEC 2008 Microsoft announced that color depths of 30-bit and 48-bit would be supported in Windows 7 along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which for HDMI 1.3 can be converted and output as xvYCC). The video modes supported in Windows 7 are 16-bit sRGB, 24-bit sRGB, 30-bit sRGB, 30-bit with extended color gamut sRGB, and 48-bit scRGB.[38][39] Microsoft is also investigating better support for Solid State Drives and Windows 7 will be able to identify a Solid State Drive uniquely.[40]
Online versions of Spades, Backgammon and Checkers were removed from Windows Vista, but restored in Windows 7.
Windows 7 will include Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Media Player 12.
Enhanced UI
User interface
Windows 7 retains the Windows Aero user interface and visual style first introduced with Windows Vista, but many areas have seen enhancements.
Aero's performance has also been improved significantly,[citation needed] allowing it to run on lower specification hardware next to Windows Vista, with even older Intel GMA chips (which were precluded in Vista) able to display Aero's 3D Desktop.
Desktop
Windows 7's Desktop Slideshow
Desktop Slideshow
Windows Explorer now includes a desktop slideshow that changes the desktop background in a designated amount of time. This feature supports pre-downloaded sets of wallpapers and also supports photo RSS feeds.
Windows Explorer
Libraries
Windows Explorer in Windows 7 presents Libraries for different file types (documents, music, pictures, videos etc). Libraries are virtual folders that aggregate content from various locations - including shared folders on networked systems - and present them in a unified view. Libraries are accessible from the Start menu, Windows Explorer as well as the Open File and Save File dialogs. Searching in a library automatically federates the query to the remote systems, in addition to searching on the local system, so that files on the remote systems are also scoped by the search. Unlike search folders in Windows Vista, Libraries are backed by a physical location which allows files to be saved in the Libraries. Such files are transparently saved in the backing physical folder.
Federated search
Windows Explorer also supports federating search to external data sources, such as custom databases or web services, that are exposed over the web and described via an OpenSearch definition. The federated location description (called a Search Connector) is provided as a .osdx file. Once installed, the data source becomes queryable directly from Windows Explorer. Windows Explorer features, such as previews and thumbnails, work with the results of a federated search as well.
Taskbar
The Windows Taskbar has seen its most significant revision since its introduction in Windows 95. The taskbar is 10 pixels taller than in Windows Vista to accommodate a new larger default icon size, though a smaller taskbar size is available. Running applications are denoted by a border frame around the icon, while applications can be pinned to the taskbar, so that shortcuts to them appear when they are not running. Within this border, a color effect (dependent on the predominant RGB value of the icon) that follows the mouse also indicates the opened status of the application. The taskbar is also transparent. This new taskbar can be customized though to look like previous versions or to "intermediate" version including window titles.
The start orb that was originally introduced in Windows Vista exists entirely inside the taskbar, and has a fade-in highlight effect when the user moves their mouse over it. The start menu itself is largely unchanged from Windows Vista, but does contain new options to provide direct access to Windows Explorer's Libraries, as well as to the new "Devices and Printers" page in the Control Panel. The classic single-column Start menu is no longer available.[41]
Pinned applications
The Quick Launch toolbar has been removed. The Windows 7 taskbar is more application-oriented than window-oriented, and therefore doesn't show window titles (these are instead shown when an icon is clicked if there are multiple windows, or hovered over). Applications can now be pinned to the taskbar allowing the user instant access to the applications they commonly use. There are a few ways to pin applications to the taskbar. One can drag and drop the icon onto the taskbar. The other way to do so is by right-clicking the application’s icon and pinning the icon to the taskbar.
Windows 7's taskbar shows user a preview of the window.
Preview pane
The preview pane which was introduced in Windows Vista has been expanded to not only preview the windows opened by the application in a small-sized thumbnail view, but to also interact with the preview pane. The user can close any windows opened by clicking the X on the corresponding preview pane. The name of the window is also shown in the preview pane. Another new feature added is the ability to get a "peek" of the window by hovering over the preview pane. Peeking brings up only the window which the mouse hovers within the preview panes and turns any other windows on the desktop into glass. This also works for tabs in Internet Explorer; individual tabs may be peeked at in the preview pane. In addition to these features, the preview pane has decreased the amount of times a user has to click to get to basic features by integrating them into the preview pane themselves. For example, if Windows Media Player is opened and the mouse is hovering on the application icon, the preview pane will allow the user the ability to Play, Stop, and Play Next/Previous track without having to actually open Windows Media Player.
These are menu options available from right-clicking any of the icons on the taskbar or by holding the left mouse button and sliding up on an icon. Each application will have unique jump lists which will correspond to the features unique to the application whether it be recent files opened or common tasks. For example, a Microsoft Word jump list might display all the recent documents opened. The Windows Media Player jump list, for example, displays recently played tracks and playlists that have been played. Internet Explorer's jump bar displays recent history of websites. Windows Live Messenger's jump list displays select common tasks such as instant messaging, signing off, and changing online status.
The redesigned notification area and a balloon notification showing the Action Center messages.
Notification area
The notification area has been redesigned; the standard Volume, Network, Battery and Security Center status icons (now renamed "Action") are still present, but no other application icons are shown unless the user has chosen for them to be shown. A new "Notification Area Icons" control panel has been added which replaces the "Customize Notification Icons" dialog box in the "Taskbar and Start Menu Properties" window first introduced in Windows XP. In addition to being able to configure whether the application icons are shown, the ability to hide each application's notification balloons has been added. The user can then view the notifications at a later time.
A triangle to the left of the visible notification icons displays the hidden notification icons to the user. Unlike Windows Vista and Windows XP, the hidden icons are displayed in a window above the taskbar, instead of on the taskbar. Icons can be dragged between this window and the notification area.
File:PeekAfter.jpgWindows 7 desktop displayed through Peek.
Aero Peek
In past versions of Windows, the taskbar ended with the notification area on the right side. However, there is now the Aero Peek button, which, when clicked or hovered over with the mouse, displays the desktop and gadgets by turning all windows into glass. This replaces the Show desktop shortcut in the Quick Launch bar in previous versions of Windows. Aero Peek exhibits the same features used by the preview pane, except it applies them to the desktop. If the mouse hovers over it, all windows are transparent, as shown in the picture. If the button is clicked, all applications are minimized, and when clicked again, they are restored.
Window management mouse gestures
Window maximizing and tiling
Windows can be dragged to the top of the screen to maximize them and dragged away to restore them. Dragging a window to the left or right of the screen makes it take up half the screen allowing one to tile two windows next to each other. Also resizing the window to the bottom of the screen or top will extend the window full but retain your width of the window.[42]
Aero Shake
Aero Shake allows users to clear up any clutter on their screen by shaking a window of their choice with the mouse. All other windows will minimize, while the window the user shook stays active on the screen.[43] When the window is shook again, they are all restored, similar to desktop preview.
Keyboard shortcuts
A variety of new keyboard shortcuts have been introduced.[44]
Win+P shows an "external display options" selector that gives the user the choice of showing the desktop on only the computer's screen, only the external display, on both at the same time (mirroring), or on both displays with independent desktops (extending).
Win+Space operates as a keyboard shortcut for Aero Peek.
Win+Up and Win+Down are new shortcuts for Maximize and Restore/Minimize.
Win+Left and Win+Right snap the current window to the left or right half of the current display.
Win+Shift+Left and Win+Shift+Right move the current window to the left or right display.
Win+T provides keyboard focus to the taskbar, then cycles the keyboard focus through taskbar items. Win+1 through Win+5 provide immediate shortcuts to the first five taskbar items.
Win+G displays all the Gadgets above other windows.
Win+ + and Win+ - (minus sign) zoom the desktop in and out.
Font management
The user interface for font management has been overhauled.[45] As with Windows Vista, the collection of installed fonts is shown in a Windows Explorer window, but fonts from the same font family appear as "stacks" instead of as individual icons. A user can then double-click on the font stack and see the individual font. A preview of the font is displayed as part of the icon as well. New options for hiding installed fonts are included; a hidden font remains installed, but is not enumerated when an application asks for a list of available fonts. Windows Vista had received considerable criticism for including the same "Add Font" dialog that had existed as far back as Windows 3.1; this dialog has been removed.
Removed features
While Windows 7 contains many new features, a number of capabilities and certain programs that were a part of Windows Vista are no longer present or have changed, resulting in the removal of certain functionality. The following is a list of features that were present in Windows Vista but have been removed in Windows 7.
As with other Microsoft operating systems, Windows 7 is being studied by United States federal regulators who oversee the company's operations following the 2001 United States v. Microsoft settlement. According to status reports filed, the three-member panel began assessing prototypes of the new operating system in February 2008. Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research said that, "[Microsoft's] challenge for Windows 7 will be how can they continue to add features that consumers will want that also don't run afoul of regulators."[50]
It has been noted that in Europe Windows 7 may be required to ship with rival browsers including possibly Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome. The reason for this suspicion is on the inclusion of Internet Explorer which is seen as harming competition.[51]
Windows 7 will be released in six editions, although only two of them, the Home Premium and Professional editions, will be most emphasized. The names given to them will be the same as in Windows Vista, except for the Business edition which will become Windows 7 Professional.
Only Home Premium and Professional, and Ultimate editions will be available at retail stores and through most OEMs. Home Basic will be only availble to emerging markets, Enterprise only through Volume Licensing and Starter only to selected OEMs.[citation needed] Microsoft has yet to announce the pricing for the editions.
Each successive edition will include all the features of the more basic editions. As a result, upgrading from one edition to another will be simplified and more seamless.[52]
Hardware requirements
Microsoft has published their recommended specifications for a system running Windows 7 beta. Since Windows 7 is similar to Windows Vista, the recommended specifications are much the same as for premium editions of Vista; however, Windows 7 uses less hard disk space.
^ abFoley, Mary J (20 July 2007). "Windows Seven: Think 2010". ZDNet. Retrieved 2007-09-19. Cite error: The named reference "zdnet592" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
