Windows 7 is finally here. Will it redeem Microsoft's Vista-tarnished image? All indications are that it will. The hardware driver issues that plagued Vista won't recur, for the simple reason that Windows 7 reuses the same deep plumbing code that Vista did, and after nearly three years, the incompatibilities have actually been ironed out. In other words, most of the drivers already exist. Microsoft has also remedied the other two big complaints about Vista: its bloat and those obnoxious User Account Controls. While the trend has long been for new OSes to be bloated with new goodies, Windows 7 actually performs better and takes up less disk space than its predecessor. Long story short: I like Windows 7 a lot, and with its new taskbar, user interface, and home networking enhancements, PCMag.com gives the new OS the thumbs up.
The new streaming media functionality, together with Windows 7's new taskbar, Device Stage, HomeGroup networking, and XP Mode make this Windows far more than a service pack for Vista—though the two operating systems share much underlying plumbing. That means we haven't seen the compatibility hassles we saw with Vista. But Windows 7's lighter system footprint makes for faster start-up and slightly faster performance. Cap all this with rock-steady reliability, and Microsoft may just have a winner.
Microsoft Windows 7 RTM: The New Desktop
The fish is finally gone! And the RTM version is the first not to show a build number in the lower-right corner. The Windows flag is now adorned with plants and animals for a more enchanting look than its dry predecessors. Otherwise, the interface is identical to that of the release candidate. This is the default Windows Aero theme, but there are also some other beautiful new choices, like nature and architecture.
Microsoft Windows 7 RTM: Jump Lists and Architecture
This shot shows not only the jump list for the Paint accessory (which has finally been updated), but also how you can have taskbar buttons wider, closer to how they looked in previous versions of Windows, by choosing a different combine option.
Microsoft Windows 7 RTM: The Menu and Landscapes
The Windows menu is largely unchanged from Vista's, here shown with the Landscapes desktop theme. The menu is highly customizable, letting you show major choices as links or pop-out menus. You can add things not included by default, such as Recent Items, Connect To, Favorites, and Home Group.
New Power Flyout Menu
The Power flyout menu, reachable with a left-click on the battery icon, now lets you change between power schemes.
Allow Internet Access to Home Media
A new feature lets you remotely access your media by linking an online ID to your Windows user account.
Windows Live Sign In
By linking your Windows account to your Windows Live Sign In (currently the only online ID provider available), you can remotely access media on your home PC.
WMP Share Menu in Build 7000
In the Beta version of Windows 7, Windows Media Player had a Share menu that let you enable DLNA, and the Play To feature.
Receive Media Warning
Before turning on the Play To function in the Beta, Microsoft presented you with a warning about potential privacy issues.
How to Turn on Play To
Windows Media Player has a Stream menu rather than a Share menu, with expanded functionality.
Options in the Play To Menu
Select "Allow remote control of my Player…" from WMP’s Stream menu and you’ll see options for remote control, which allows other devices to push music, pictures, and videos across your network.
Play To in Action
Once you’ve enabled remote control in WMP, you’ll see the Play To menu when you right click media in WMP or in Windows Explorer.
Play To in Action, Part 2
When you opt to play a song, video, or photo remotely, the Play to app pops up on your desktop. You can control playback on the remote PC from here.
Control Panel Jump Lists
The aged Device Manager and the Control Panel have gained new icons, but more important, if you pin the Control Panel to the Taskbar, you’ll note a very versatile new jump list.
Changes to Multimedia Sharing
Sharing of multimedia has undergone a fair bit of revision, as the HomeGroup feature is finalized. The function is called Media Streaming now, for one thing.
Media Streaming Options
Windows 7 will allow numerous options for streaming media between computers on the same HomeGroup.
A New IE8...Not Quite
In the Release Candidate, the beta tag is gone, and IE8 is updated to version number 8.0.7100.0. Is this a newer version? Hardly. The build string of Internet Explorer is tied to the operating system you’ve got it installed on.
Microsoft Windows 7 RC1: Welcome to Media Center
Windows Media Center gets a funky animation screen as it loads, and the initial set up menus have been cleaned up and revised.
Media Center Guide
Windows Media Center includes Internet TV in the Guide. The items became alphabetized between beta and RC, but the hoped for integration of Hulu and other IP-based TV doesn’t exist. Yet.
PlayReady Version 1.3 Due Soon
PlayReady, Microsoft’s new DRM scheme for recorded television, is soon to get an update to version 1.3.
UI – Personalization
Microsoft added a lot of polish to the themes.
UI – User Icons
MS has tripled the number of user log-on icons in the RC build.
Polished Control Panel
The Control Panel itself has seen a few minor tweaks. A new "View by" menu appears beneath the Control Panel search box, which defaults to the category view but also lets you see all Control Panel items (rather than clicking the "All Control Panel Items" item, as in the beta). The Windows 7 Beta had a whopping 59 Control Panel items; the Release Candidate whittles that list down to 48.
SideShow Is Only Partly Dead
The SideShow Control Panel is missing from Windows 7, but install a device and it appears. It seems certain items are keyed to appear only if relevant—which makes an awful lot of sense, from a user perspective.
Windows Update Polished
Windows Update gets some polish too. Gray boxes highlight important items now.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : New Taskbar Buttons
Now they show you side-by-side previews of open documents, rather than the stacked buttons of earlier versions. If you hover the mouse over any document preview, that doc appears in the full-size app window. Note how the active taskbar button glows; related buttons glow in the same color.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Themes
The window border glass is more prominent in these choices. The choices with multiple pictures can rotate every 30 minutes, or any other time interval you choose.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Taskbar Options
You can move your taskbar to the sides, and choose whether you want buttons for a single app combined or separate. When you choose one of the last two options, your taskbar buttons look a bit more like older Windows versions.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : The System Tray Showing Wi-Fi Connections
Your possible Wi-Fi connections pop right up from the system tray now. Note also the flag, which leads to the Action Center.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : The Action Center
This replaces several different Windows features, including updates, security, backup, and maintenance.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Turning Down User Account Control Warnings
You can do away with one of the most annoying aspects of Vista—all the UAC warning when you change settings or install programs.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Notifications
Now you can choose what applications and Windows components will interrupt you with popup messages from the system tray.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Adding a Library
Windows 7 offers a new way to organize your files: Libraries. These can span different drives and networked PCs, and can be organized by date and tags as well as folder location.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Library Setup
Here you can specify where a library should look for files to be included.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Windows Media Player’s Taskbar Options
Now you can pause or skip to the next track right from the Taskbar.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Bluetooh Pairing
The new OS takes a lot of steps out of pairing Bluetooth devices such as your cell phone with your PC. It can generate a code to type into the device, use one printed on some devices, or pair without a code for simple devices like mice.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Set Network Location
When you connect to a network, you specify whether it’s home, work, or public. If home, you can create or join a HomeGroup.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Creating an HomeGroup
HomeGroups take the complications out of sharing files and printers.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Home Group Password
Windows 7 generates a password you can use to connect other PCs to a HomeGroup.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Sharing Media
This control panel lets you set up sharing media to devices and PCs. Note you can prevent the PC from sleeping so that media on it will always be available.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Devices and Printers
This control panel is accessible from the Start menu, and gives you access to all your hardware’s capabilities and settings.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Device Stage
If a piece of hardware’s manufacturer submits the information, clicking its entry in Devices and Printers will open a page like this, showing a realistic photo of the device and giving access to all its capabilities.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Arranging Library Contents
You can view library contents by date or tag as well as by folder location.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : New Paint and Calculator Accessories
Microsoft finally updates the very long-of-tooth accessories. Here you can see Calculator within Paint. Note the new calculator modes, and Paint’s Office-like "ribbon" interface.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Audio Playback
Windows 7 supports HDMI.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Saving Paint Files
Users get help with what file type they should choose, if they need it.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Success!
When you’ve successfully paired a Bluetooth device, you’ll see a message like this.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Play To
You can play audio and video stored on your PC on your home entertainment system or other wireless playback devices.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Flicks
Tablet PCs can take advantage of ‘flicks’ to navigate and edit.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Touch Settings
Touch screen PCs can take advantage of Windows 7, with configurable actions.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Control Panel with Touch Options
Only PCs that have the capabilities will see the Pen and Touch and Tablet PC Settings options in their Control Panel.
Microsoft Windows 7 Beta 1 : Turn System Tray Icons On and Off
You can prevent system icons such as the speaker from appearing in your system tray.