The new explorer navigation pane
HomeGroup is another feature designed with ease of use in mind. It allows any computer running Windows 7 to easily connect to another Windows 7 machine. Or many computers for that matter; businesses are you listening? I have only home grouped my wife’s and mine. She wanted access to all my movies and music and HomeGroup was a very easy way to make that happen. Your welcome honey!
Start your Homegroups here
One more feature I would like to touch on is the new Search capabilities of Windows 7. One of our editors; Mustafa Mohamed, has written a really good article on all the ways Windows Search was improved in Seven. Click here after you finish reading this article to check it out.
My favorite new feature is the ability to stream music and movies to my Xbox 360 or Media Streaming as it’s called. With a supported device like the Xbox 360. You can easily set up a connection and stream all your favorite media to the location of your choice. You can set it up so you can stream your media to other computers, for example; when you’re at work or at a friend’s house. I love this new feature and use it frequently. Did I say that it is also uber easy to set up?
Don’t judge me for my taste in music
A feature that got blasted by users in Vista for being way to bothersome is the UAC. In Windows 7 it is now much easier to deal with. In fact, I have never changed it’s setting from the default and I hardly notice it. There are a lot less annoying pop ups to deal with in general. Never the less you can completely turn the UAC off all together if you want, which I am sure a lot of Vista users will do.
On to the performance side of Windows 7. Does Windows 7 feel faster than XP or Vista? Absolutely, I can easily tell a difference in Vista and Seven. Seven just performs better and faster than any previous version of Windows bar none. Many benchmark tests have been done on XP vs. Vista vs. Seven. Almost every single one says that Windows 7 is the best performer of the three operating systems. Check out this article at Maximum PC if you don’t believe me.
To bring this review to a close; even though I could keep going on Windows 7’s new upgrades and features for another 1200 words; I feel I have covered the main categories of what makes Windows 7 great. I strongly urge you to consider upgrading to Windows 7 on Oct. 22nd; when it is officially released to the public. It is a great operating system and all around very pleasing to use. Now when does that Windows 8 beta program kick off?
34 Processes, Not bad
Nice review. I was wondering if you could make a list of compatible applications?. For example, Rhinoceros, 3dsmax, AutoCAD, Adobe CS3/CS4, etc.
that is the kindav thing you would do with wine in linux. Windows 7 is most likely campatible with any applications you are going to be using :p
No, it’s the kind of list people made for Vista when it was launched. Did all your applications run on Vista from day one? How about drivers?
Oh, and I have one question: Does 7 boot in 3 seconds? I seem to remember Ballmer promisin that Vista would do that, but no one remembers that promise. Perhaps because no one took it seriously.
Maybe not 3 seconds, but it’s a lot faster than XP.
I’ve installed windows 7 on every computer I own (even ones supposedly well below the system reqs, like a 1.3ghz laptop with 768mb ram), and one of the first things that hit me was how much faster startup and shutdown were.
In short, yes; all my applications ran fine in Vista. How about drivers? They all worked too. The difference between XP and Vista is that in XP you needed a disc to install your drivers (in most cases), whereas in Vista Windows Update would grab them for you. Vista was a HUGE improvement over XP. If you didn’t like Vista, it’s because you jumped on the bandwagon right off the start and never gave it a chance.
Almost any. There are a few applications I’ve used for a couple now years back when I was still on XP. Most, if not all, work willing on 7 when I first install them. Only the few that don’t work correctly for me I can just use the Application Compatibility feature, set if to work under Windows XP, and it’s works brilliantly!
It takes me, on a clean installation of Windows 7 on a ‘decent machine’, to boot in 20 seconds or so. I don’t mind the time though.
I dislike libaries, it just doesn’t do what I expect it to do.
I kind of agree, but I do like how you can separate out folders in W7MC e.g. I keep folder.jpg images in Server/Music/Album/ and with VMC if I added Server/Music to my library it would add the images to the Photos library. With W7MC I can add Server/Music to my Music Library, not to the overall library and this stops images appearing in the wrong place.
I believe Windows 7 will be a great OS, specially after Windows Vista fiasco. The only one problem with it is that it comes with IE.
wait….can’t you use IE to get another browser of your choosing? Oh that’s right, you can. So stop whining.
Very compelling review with almost all of the major Windows 7 features and nice screen shots
I believe that Windows 7 is great and definitely the ‘best OS’ yet. I’ve been using the RTM for a while; It’s more stable than the RC, actually works (Vista didn’t) and the new taskbar is a joy to use!
Would love to test Windows 8 as soon as its beta program starts. What to expect?
thanks man, did you like that link to your article? man i cant wait to test windows 8. i think they need to overhaul the aero(like add way more features or redo the whole thing) and the ui, to something new and different. seven just feels alot like vista in terms of looks and use. no big deal. but for windows 8 microsoft should really change the way windows works all together. if it is gonna compete with whatever apple’s next new os is, and googles for that matter. it has got to be spectacular! come on windows 8…
Yep, thank you very much!
I hope Microsoft changes the interface in Windows 8. I’m getting bored of Aero. Plus, they should restore Dreamscenes, add a close button in the task switcher (ALT + TAB) and do a complete overhaul of Windows Explorer, etc. etc.
Lol great taste in music.
Great article, Sean. I’ve been using RC7200 and love it except for it’s tendency to not wake or respond at all occasionally when hibernating. MS should have added a Power/Standby menu item to cover this “feature”:
•Sleep
•Hibernate
•Dirtnap
Again, great article. Looking forward to the official release in October.
Joe!!! Thanks Man!
This is a very good review that focus on the best/new features of W7, but i think things aren’t all pink and good as this review tries to show…Almost every new feature could’ve easily been added in a vista service pack, or even by 3rd party developers…
The only (noticeable) new feature is the boot time, which is indeed very good.
Also, not so noticeable: less hard disk space, faster install time, less RAM consumption.
The features W7 lacks that i, and many many users more, i’m sure were expecting:
– Ability to choose what to install at install time
– Better gaming performance
With those to features, i think it would make perfectly sense for MS to make W7 a new OS. Without them, i think it should be just a service pack for Vista…
As for the question if upgrading is worth or not, here’s my opinion:
– If you have vista: NOT worth it (unless, very low specs)
– If you have XP:
– If your machine is a Single Core/slow machine: NOT worth it
– If your machine is multi-core/medium to fast machine: totally WORTH IT
This is a very good review that focus on the best/new features of W7, but i think things aren’t all pink and good as this review tries to show…Almost every new feature could’ve easily been added in a vista service pack, or even by 3rd party developers…
The only (noticeable) new feature is the boot time, which is indeed very good.
Also, not so noticeable: less hard disk space, faster install time, less RAM consumption.
The features W7 lacks that i, and many many users more, i’m sure were expecting:
– Ability to choose what to install at install time
– Better gaming performance
With those to features, i think it would make perfectly sense for MS to make W7 a new OS. Without them, i think it should be just a service pack for Vista…
As for the question if upgrading is worth or not, here’s my opinion:
– If you have vista: NOT worth it (unless, very low specs)
– If you have XP:
– If your machine is a Single Core/slow machine: NOT worth it
– If your machine is multi-core/medium to fast machine: totally WORTH IT
– If you’re buying a new machine: totally WORTH IT (unlike Vista)
7 is a better os than vista buy a far margin…7 is built to be light, and fast. Where vista was bogged down with excessive processes and pre installed crapware. 7 functions way better than vista in all areas including gaming! i think your single core line is way off. My wife’s lappy is a single core and i could tell a big difference in performance with seven over vista. just my two cents on your comment and thanks by the way!
this article pwns!
I dislike libaries, it just doesn’t do what I expect it to do.
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Hi in my laptop containing widows 7 home basic when we right click on screen there is no option of PERSONALISATION
Plz tell me what to do…..