Microsoft Windows 7 preview

The Windows 7 desktop
The Windows 7 desktop includes a chunkier Taskbar and features that make it easy to arrange windows. Microsoft is keen to promote the ability to interact using touch ­ but you’ll need a compatible monitor or laptop.

Early indications are that computers such as the HP Touchsmart TX2 have a way to go before the potential of this new way of interacting with a computer is realised, but then touch technology is relatively new.

The Windows Sidebar has gone, and the tools it used to contain now live on the desktop. The new Taskbar makes the Quick Launch area ­ familiar from Vista and XP ­ almost redundant because you can install shortcuts onto the Taskbar itself.

Another welcome feature is a multiple preview of documents you have open. Imagine you have several Word documents open on a crowded Taskbar. In XP, you get one icon showing the number of open documents, while in Vista you can hover the mouse above that same icon to get a preview of the first document in the ‘stack’. Windows 7 shows a preview of all open documents.

The Jump List is a menu accessed using the right mouse button that software companies can customise. This menu is part of the running application so it can highlight key features such as playback controls in Windows Media Player, while the application remains minimised.

Exploring the new Explorer
Windows Explorer is the application that manages windows and their contents. The Explorer in Windows 7 reveals the Libraries feature, which lets users view multiple folders as if they were one.

You might not keep all your videos in the same folder or disk; Libraries group media and documents from various sources into a single folder, regardless of what type of they are.

Windows 7 has made it easier to deal with anything that’s plugged into a computer. One aspect of this is the Device Stage, which enables manufacturers to customise what happens when their device is connected to a PC.

Another development is a new Sensor Platform, which provides a tool for developers that produce sensors for sound, lighting and motion. The idea is that some applications will have the ability to respond to your environment, such as changing the way video is displayed to match the lighting conditions of a room.

Windows 7 should be less ‘chatty’ than earlier versions. One example of this is less intrusive UAC prompts ­ the dialogue boxes that seek your permission to proceed whenever programs try to change their behaviour or settings.

Microsoft has noted the irritation this caused among users and, based on the preview we saw, has changed the default settings to reduce the number of prompts that appear.

Returning to Vista’s verbose level is done easily using a slider control.

Another example is in the new Notification Area at the bottom-right of the Taskbar. In Vista, an application can install itself there and bombard you with ‘balloon’ messages. Windows 7 has a customisation dialogue where you can control the ones you want to see. It offers more control, but useful notifications might be missed if you fail to realise they ought to be switched on.