Windows 7 - A New Look to Home and Business PCs

The long wait is over. On October 22, Microsoft released Windows 7 to retailers worldwide. The latest operating system from Microsoft is meant for all types of users including home and business users, and owners of netbooks, tablet PCs or media center PCs. The server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 R2, is also released simultaneously.

“Microsoft is too late for the release of an operating system like Windows 7,” think many. Windows XP was launched in 2001 – quite a long time if we take a stock of the dramatic changes happened in the computing world since then (not considering Windows Vista, the real successor of Windows XP that did not get much public acceptance). PCs are becoming inexpensive; new models of netbooks and tablet PCs make news almost every day; rich Internet applications (RIAs) are launched demanding powerful operating systems; and last but not the least, security threats are rising exponentially as is the number of computer users.

Windows 7 finds greater relevance in such a scenario. Windows 7 is released as a “refined version of Windows Vista.” It is designed to be more user-centric; at the same time, it focuses on performance improvements. Windows 7 is fully compatible with applications and hardware that were compatible with its predecessor Windows Vista, which saw considerably low adoption among users due to multiple issues in application compatibility and driver availability. Windows 7 is likely to address these issues. Bill Veghte, senior vice president, Windows Business, stated that Windows Vista users migrating to Windows 7 would not face the device compatibility issues they encountered while migrating from Windows XP.

Different Versions of Windows 7

Like Windows XP and Vista, the newly released Windows 7 comes in different versions. In fact, there are six different versions, of which four are going to be more popular among users. The four popular versions of Windows 7 are the following:

Windows 7 Starter Edition: Not available for retail purchase. It comes packed with Windows 7 powered netbooks like Asus Eee PC, Dell Mini and MSI Wind and is suitably designed as light and fast OS. It does not have many features found in other versions.

Windows 7 Home Premium: This version of Windows 7 offers improved interface and enhanced desktop search, and includes Internet Explorer 8. It also provides secure home networking and file sharing within the home network. It is suitably designed to cater the digital entertainment needs at home.

Windows 7 Professional: Apart from all of the features included in Windows Home Premium, Windows 7 Pro includes advanced compatibility mode called Windows XP Mode. It also provides the ability to join a business network and ability to backup data to a network drive.

Windows 7 Ultimate: This is the most comprehensive edition of Windows 7. It includes all the advanced infrastructure features of an enterprise-class operating system, suitably designed to address the needs of mobile computer users. Apart from the features included in Windows 7 Pro, Windows 7 Ultimate features a security add-on named BitLocker. It also provides display in one of 35 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, German, Greek and Korean. It also includes features that offer ultimate digital entertainment experience.

Other than the above four versions, Microsoft also offers OEM and Enterprise versions of Windows 7.

More than Just a Makeover

Windows Vista had marked a black spot on Microsoft’s reputation. Vista’s failure resulted in more hopes about Windows 7. Luckily for Microsoft, Windows 7 has succeeded in meeting user expectations, many think. Windows 7 is stable, refined and secure. It has all the elements required for a home-based user or a professional. The impressive user interface makes computing a leisurely task for them. Above all, it does not demand any hardware upgrade like its predecessor Windows Vista. Microsoft has worked hard to make Windows 7 compatible with popular hardware available today.

Windows 7 supports both 32-bit and 64-bit systems. The minimum requirements for the 32-bit OS include a 1GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB available hard-disk space, and a DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver. The 64-bit systems will require at least a 1 GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 20GB of free space on hard drive, and a DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver.

Microsoft says Windows 7 is designed to “simplify the things you do every day, work the way you want, and make some exciting new things possible.” Well, let us see what they have in offer for making this happen.

Quicker access to files and programs: With the new features like Jump Lists and Pins, you can keep the desired program or file at your fingertips. Right-click or left-click and drag on any program icon pinned to the taskbar and see a list of recently used files in that program. For example, in Internet Explorer, you will see them as recently visited Web sites (as of now, this option does not work in Firefox).

All-new taskbar: Besides retaining the translucent style of Aero in Windows Vista, the new taskbar in Windows 7 features pinned programs using larger icons. When you mouse over one icon, you will see all windows associated with that program in preview. Again, when you repeat the process, you will get different options to get the preview the way you want.

Show-Desktop icon: This feature lets you see the desktop the moment you want; no need to minimize the active windows.

Revised theme package: With the new Theme package, you can change the look of your PC using several theme packages given under Appearance and Personalization option. The changes are made instantly on the screen; no reboot required. You can also create your own themes.

Easy management of open windows: With the resize and arrange option, you can change the size of the open windows by simply dragging their borders. This new feature also lets you work with two open windows side by side. All these tasks are possible with the Snap feature included in Windows 7.

Search task made easier: The search process is no more cumbersome. Enjoy the new Windows Search feature resembling the one in Internet browser. You can quickly locate and open virtually any files – be it email, songs, videos, programs or a simple document.

File sharing among multiple PCs: Ideal for home users, this option allows them to share files, music, photos, and even printers across their home network. No more worry about shifting printers from one PC to the other in your home or home office.

Entertainment-rich operating system: Windows 7 is likely to earn reputation as the best entertainment-oriented operating system as it provides loads of features to enable all varieties of entertainment in your home PC. The new Windows Media Center is rich with features that enable you to record TV, watch Internet TV, watch DVD and enjoy all forms of online entertainment – be it playing music, watching videos or playing slideshows.

More in Windows Live Essentials: With a collection of free programs added in Windows Live Essentials, you can have quicker access to your favorite Internet applications. There are options to create movies, share them, and send instant messages, mails, and more.

Networking made easier for on-the-go users: Well, if you are away from your home or office network, just locate the nearby Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, VPN or dial-up networks with a few clicks and stay connected!

More intuitive touch-screen: If you are already using a touchscreen PC, Windows 7 could make it more intuitive and enrich the quality of computing. Just point at what you want using your fingers and move your fingers wherever you want to move those items. It’s dead simple!

Streaming with Media Player: With Windows 7, you can stream media files from your computer to another one, across the Internet, or out of the network. The Stream option is displayed on the Windows Media Player toolbar, which lets you associate your computer with your free Windows Live ID and stream media across different channels.

Easier device management features: With simplified device management features, you can now locate information about your printer, camera, music players – all in one place, and manage them easily.

Installing Windows 7 on Your Computer

There are several ways to get Windows 7 on your PC. You can get a brand new PC that has got Windows 7 already installed. In such cases, you will be paying less for the software compared to what you will be paying at the retailer shops. Upgrading from Windows XP or Vista to Windows 7 is also a cost-effective option than purchasing a fully licensed version of the software from the market. Microsoft has already announced several upgrade packages in different countries offering heavy discounts, encouraging people to move from the old versioned OS to the new one.

The upgrade process depends on what older version of Windows you are using. The job is easier for Vista users as they only have to back up their data before running the upgrade from the installation CD. However, both XP Home and XP Pro users will have to back up their data, then choose Custom from the installation disc. Once you choose Custom, select the partition of the hard drive that contains the Windows XP version, follow the instruction, enter the product key, and finally allow the computer to reboot. The custom installation is like a clean installation. It doesn’t preserve your programs, files, or settings.

Good Time for Microsoft, but Not So for PC Makers

The PC market is buzzing with the success of Windows 7. On November 5, CNET news reported that Microsoft sold 234 percent more boxed editions of Windows 7 than it did with Vista in the initial days after its releases, citing a research released by NPD Group. The report, however, says that “early discounts on pre-sales copies and a lack of a promotional boost behind Windows 7 Ultimate led to revenues only 82 percent greater than those of Vista.”

According to NPD's Stephen Baker, most of the promotional campaigns and pre-sales Microsoft launched targeted the Home Premium customers. Baker said, “Ultimate was a much bigger part of what Microsoft did with Vista, whereas this time they not only kept the price very high, but really kept the focus on the Premium product and the Premium three-pack.”

Microsoft had launched the pre-sales discount program in July. According to NPD report, Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade was sold for an average price of USD 76 whereas the Windows 7 Pro Upgrade and Windows 7 Home Premium Family Pack 3 User Upgrade were sold for USD 147 and USD 149 respectively.

Net Applications, a company which tracks the adoption of applications across Internet, found that more than 3 percent of PCs accessing the Web in the first week after the release of Windows 7 have been using the new operating system.

"The early adoption of Windows 7 looks very strong, and I don't believe Vista enjoyed the same early success," said Vince Vizzaccaro, an executive vice president at Net Applications, as reported in CNET news.

Sales of PC hardware reached the highest level for the entire third quarter – a trend partly attributed to Windows 7 release. However, the sales figure shows that it isn’t as strong as it was during Vista launch. In fact, there is a 6 percent decrease in sales from the figures corresponding to the sales of PCs immediately after the Vista launch. Moreover, there has been steady increase in the shipment of PCs loaded with older operating systems, even after the launch of Windows 7.

A number of factors have resulted in the slow sales in PCs post Windows 7 launch, notes Baker. Vista was released in January, typically when more sales happen. Baker denies that recession had a negative impact on Windows 7 PC sales. “We've seen pretty strong sales growth on computers all year regardless of the recession,” he said. “People have been buying more units of PCs all year than they had in 2008. At least from a unit perspective, we haven't really seen much impact on the consumer PC market from the recession.”

Microsoft can relax for a while. Vista will soon become the forgotten page in the company history. But new challenges are emerging to Windows OS in the form of Mac OS X. How will Microsoft deal the war with Apple? Let’s see.

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