Windows 7 On its Way!
Just as you have finally started getting to grips with the ill-fated Windows Vista, which is now – believe it or not – over 2 years old, Microsoft has been busy developing the next generation operating system, Windows 7. The system has been released for testing for some time now and may well be officially launched later this year. Here at ESP, we have had an early copy of it running on a test rig and thought you might be interested to know what (allegedly) is in store, so here are some of the more contentious highlights & our thoughts on them:
“You shouldn’t need a new or better PC”. That’s a pretty bold claim coming from Microsoft, who ran into a lot of legal trouble over similar claims about Vista-capable machines. If its true, that’s superb news, but we strongly suspect that there is a caveat here, in that..
“It will be available in different versions to suit different markets”. We’re old enough to remember when there was only one Windows, and back then things were nice and simple. Even by introducing two flavours with XP Pro and XP Home, many people were baffled to find that they bought the wrong version and had to pay to get it corrected later. With Windows 7, MS seems to be perpetuating the confusion-storm that really took hold under Vista. No fewer than 6 versions are planned.
Faster…or not?
We can’t really tell for ourselves because the version we have is not the finished article. Reviewers at PC Pro mag though stated that ‘there is no doubt it feels faster than Vista’. Sure, but the same article also noted that there was actually no performance difference whatsoever between Windows 7 and its predecessor in real–world benchmarks!
We can’t really tell for ourselves because the version we have is not the finished article. Reviewers at PC Pro mag though stated that ‘there is no doubt it feels faster than Vista’. Sure, but the same article also noted that there was actually no performance difference whatsoever between Windows 7 and its predecessor in real–world benchmarks!
Document Libraries
The aim of this feature is to make it so that any document or file can be found in one place, a ‘library’. And you can see why – opening different resources from your PC, your mapped drives, your intranet and other web folders is a pain and involves constant messing around in file explorer windows with all those mysterious and exotically-named folders on show. But we have one question – how easy will this be to adapt to?
Easier to find what you want. We think the search feature in Vista is one of its true virtues. Just click the Start button and type whatever you are looking for. Easy. This is improved in Windows 7 and the new O/S will also unleash a welter of other innovations to make it easier to do stuff. For advanced users, the resultant sleek and sexy look will no doubt appeal, but for those conditioned to the XP-way, we aren’t so sure. All too often this thinking has driven the hiding away of functions that people do actually want to use.
Less Nagging
If operating systems were people, Vista would have made a good fishwife. Out-of-the-box, it just couldn’t shut up – pop-up boxes, system tray alerts and constant demands for the user’s attention drove people insane. Windows 7 should be a lot quieter, with all of those messages concealed into one ‘Solutions Center’. Good for those who like the quiet life, but let’s hope they haven’t gone too far..
Better Remote Working
With Web 2.0 services now competing directly with Microsoft, the software giant is having to fight something of a rearguard action to make its systems work in the modern world of remote, mobile and home workers. Windows PCs and Server technology tacitly assumes that everyone using them is likely to work at desks in a large office and leave their work behind when they walk out of the door. Within both Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7 on the PC, there is sea-change in the quality of remote access options available and our prediction is that concepts like DirectAccess and BranchCache will become increasingly familiar to ESP and our user-base.
Easy Upgrade Path (but only from Vista?)
As we all know by now, the transition from XP to Vista meant a new PC for most people and a clean install for the rest. Windows 7 can be easily be upgraded to if you already have – you guessed it -Vista! Whilst that makes it nice for those of us that have taken the plunge but are already fed up with Vista, those forsaking XP will need to re-install. Thankfully, 7 does have an ‘XP mode’ which allows you to run software that only works on XP. A nice touch, if it works. Could it be the killer reason to go ahead with the new operating system? Only time will tell!
