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Features new to Windows 7

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Features

File:Win7M3menu.png
Desktop context menu showing the return of the Display Properties icon (previously removed in Vista) and new options for Gadgets. Screenshot based on Milestone 3.
File:Windows Solution Center.png
The new Windows Solution Center in build 6780 which replaces Windows Security Center
File:Windows 7 UAC.png
The new user account control settings in Windows 7
File:Windows 7 Start Bar 1.jpg
The new start bar allows you to see the window before you click it.

According to reports sent to TG Daily [1], the Milestone 1 build of Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors and a new version of Windows Media Center.[1] New features in Milestone 1 also reportedly include 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 Recycle Bin, improved media features, the XPS Essentials Pack being integrated, and a multiline Calculator featuring Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion.

Reports indicate that a feedback tool included in Milestone 1 lists some coming features: the ability to store Internet Explorer settings on a Windows Live account, updated versions of Paint and WordPad, and a 10-minute install process.[2] In addition, improved network connection tools might be included.

Many new items have been added to control panel including: Accelerators, ClearType Text Tuner, Display Color Calibration Wizard, Gadgets, Infrared, Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other Sensors, Credential Manager , Biometric Devices, System Icons, Windows Solution Center, and Display.[3]

In build 6780, the Windows Security Center has been renamed the Windows Solution Center (Windows Health Center in earlier builds) which encompass both Security and Maintenance of the computer.

In the demonstration of Windows 7 at D6, the operating system featured multi-touch, including a virtual piano program, a mapping and directions program and a touch-aware version of Paint.

According to released PDC 2008 (taking place in October 27-30, 2008) session information, Windows 7 discussions will cover "enhancements to the taskbar, Start Menu, thumbnails and their desktop elements"[4], a new networking API with support for building SOAP based web services in native code (as opposed to .NET based WCF web services) [5], new features to shorten application install times, reduced UAC prompts, simplified development of installation packages[6], and improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API [7].

Methods of input

Hilton Locke, who worked on the Tablet PC team at Microsoft, reported on December 11, 2007 that Windows 7 will have new touch features. An overview of the touch capabilities was demonstrated at the All Things Digital Conference on May 27, 2008. A video demonstrating the multi-touch capabilities was later made available on the web on the same day.[8]

Also, Bill Gates has said that Windows 7 is also "a big step forward" for speech technology and handwriting recognition.[9]

Virtual hard disk

On May 21, 2008, Microsoft posted a job opening for Windows 7 regarding work to implement VHD support, i.e. support for single-file containers that represent an entire hard drive including partitions, and transparently performing I/O operations on this as a typical hard drive, including boot support.[10]

In Windows 7, our team will be responsible for creating, mounting, performing I/O on, and dismounting VHDs (virtual hard disks) natively. Imagine being able to mount a VHD on any Windows machine, do some offline servicing and then boot from that same VHD. Or perhaps, taking an existing VHD you currently use within Virtual Server and boost performance by booting natively from it.

Multicore CPU support

In Windows 7 Microsoft is intending to increase performance on systems with multiple cores. Currently software often cannot take full advantage of multiple cores due to the way in which the software is written and executed. The program will fail if it is not synchronised across all cores, this is why greater parallelism is required.

Clearly, modern microprocessors offer enormous processing power and with the advent of multiple cores we see the opportunity for more parallelism than ever before.[11]

There will be a noticeable increase in system performance if the load created by executing programs is shared across multiple cores where available.

Boot performance

According to data gathered from the Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program, 35% of Vista SP1 installations boot up in 30 seconds or less. [12] The more lengthy boot times on the remainder of the machines are mainly due to some services or programs that are loaded but are not required when the system is first started. Microsoft's Michael Fortin, a Distinguished Engineer on the Windows team, noted in August 2008 that Microsoft has set aside a team to work solely on the issue, and that team aims to "significantly increase the number of systems that experience very good boot times." They "focused very hard on increasing parallelism of driver initialization." Also, it aims to "dramatically reduce" the number of system services, along with their processor, storage, and memory demands.

Kernel features

Windows 7 will be a major topic of technical sessions at WinHEC 2008 [13] The following improvements and additions to Windows 7 (and Server 2008 R2) kernel components will be discussed:

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference tgdailym1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Long Zheng (2008-01-22). "Neowin.net forum member posts first review Windows 7 Milestone 1 Build 6.1.6519.1". Retrieved 2008-01-26.
  3. ^ "Windows 7 M3 Build 6780 Pictures and Video". Thinknext.net.
  4. ^ "Windows 7: Integrate with the Windows 7 Desktop Taskbar". PDC 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
  5. ^ "Windows 7: Web Services in Native Code". PDC 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
  6. ^ "Windows 7: Deploying Your Application with Windows Installer (MSI) and ClickOnce". PDC 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
  7. ^ "Windows 7: Writing World-Ready Applications". PDC 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
  8. ^ Windows Vista Team Blog. "Microsoft demonstrates Multi-touch". MSDN Blogs. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
  9. ^ Fried, Ina (2008-02-20). "Windows 7 goes beyond keyboard and mouse". ZDNet Australia. Retrieved 2008-02-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  10. ^ "Job Details - Software Development Engineer in Test". Microsoft. 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2008-05-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Engineering Windows 7 Blog (2008-08-27). "Engineering Windows 7 Blog". Retrieved 2008-10-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "Engineering Windows 7 - Boot Performance".
  13. ^ "WinHEC 2008 Sessions". Microsoft.
  14. ^ http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/28/windows-7-details-galore-interface-tweaks-netbook-builds-medi/
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