Windows 7 is the latest public release version of Microsoft Windows, a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, netbooks, tablet PCs, and media center PCs. Windows 7’s server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 R2, was released at the same time.
How is the UI of Windows 7 like?
The Windows 7 interface has a few noticeable changes. First, the Vista sidebar has gone, but you can still use the clock and other gadgets, and you can position them wherever you like. Second, the Quick Launch area and the TaskBar have been replaced by a sort of combo-pack.
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Instead of putting applications in the Quick Launch area, you can now right-click and pin them to the new-style Taskbar, alongside running applications. In Internet Explorer, it shows your recent browsing history; in Windows Media Player, it’ll let you play recent videos; and Windows Explorer will give you quick access to pinned and frequently used folders and files.
Here’s where we really get into what makes Windows 7’s UI really special and so different from past Windows versions—the way you handle and manage windows, and by extension, applications. It’ll change your life! Maybe! These UI changes represent a brave move by the company. The new UI takes the concepts that Windows users have been using for the last 13 years and extends them in new and exciting ways.
Windows xp vs Vista vs Windows 7
The first thing you’ll notice about Windows 7 is that it looks like Vista. However, it works much better than Vista, and most of Vista’s annoyances have either been removed, or (mostly) can be changed, so the system works the way you like. It takes personalization to extremes.
The most obvious difference is that Windows 7 doesn’t keep annoying you with prompts — though it’s also true that the latest version of Vista is much less annoying than the original. In fact, you can set the degree of annoyance on a sliding scale, though reducing it increases the risk of security breaches. However, Windows 7 is vastly more secure than XP and, in any case, the threat landscape has changed since XP was trashed by worms such as Blaster and Slammer. Today, the more important security changes are in the Internet Explorer 8 browser which, uniquely, defends against cross-site scripting.
Where Vista really needed 2GB of memory, Windows 7 will run quite happily in 1GB on a slow dual-core Intel processor, though I’d still recommend 2GB or, for preference, 4GB with the speedy 64-bit version of Windows 7.
Tips of Windows 7:
How to make the most of Windows 7 in your environment? Here are some tips and tricks to get you there.
1. Pick Your Edition. Most business users do not need the more expensive Ultimate Edition; stick with Professional unless you specifically need BitLocker.
2. Upgrading? Go 64-bit. As the second major Windows release to fully support 64-bit, the x64 architecture has definitely arrived on the desktop. Don’t buy new 32-bit hardware unless it’s a netbook.
3. Use Windows XP Mode. Yes, it’s only an embedded Virtual PC with a full copy of WinXP—but it’s an embedded Virtual PC with a full copy of Windows XP! This is the first profoundly intelligent use of desktop virtualization we’ve seen—and a great way to move to Windows 7 without giving up full Windows XP compatibility.
4. Start Thinking About Windows Server 2008 R2. Some of Windows 7’s more compelling features, like BranchCache, work in conjunction with the new server OS. The R2 upgrade path is pretty straightforward, so there’s little reason not to take advantage of the synergies if you can afford upgrade licenses.
5. Accept Diversity. Not every organization will be ready to move entirely to Windows 7 right away. That’s fine—but that shouldn’t mean the entire organization stays on Windows XP, either. The myths of the cost savings of having only one OS have been largely disproven or downplayed, so use Windows 7 where it makes sense to do so.
6. Snap That Aero. The Windows key is great for all your shortcuts. Now you can use it to work with the new AeroSnap feature in Windows 7. Select a window, hit the Windows key and a left or right arrow to snap the window to that half of the screen, or use the up arrow to snap it to the top of the screen.
Windows 7 Security Enhancements
Built upon the security foundations of Windows Vista, Windows 7 introduces the right security enhancements to give users the confidence that Microsoft is helping keep them protected. Businesses will benefit from enhancements that help protect company sensitive information, that provide stronger protections against malware and that help secure anywhere access to corporate resources and data. In this session we will discuss the core security features of Windows 7 and explore their usage scenarios. But such as Administrator password, Windows 7 still using the same encrypt arithmetic as the previous versions of windows. That mean if you need to reset Administrator password, you can just use the similar methods like windows vista password reset or windows xp password reset.
