Windows 7 Review

I wrote a partial review of Windows 7, with some parts done by Callum. It never progressed but it is quite lengthy. Feel free to read what we have done so far, though Microsoft and countless other people have reviewed it, just use Google.

Windows 7 – the next big thing the boys at Microsoft are cooking. And it smells good.

I've decided to download the Release Candidate of Windows 7 – its mine to use until June 2010. I am trying it out for many things, including making this post, using the Windows Live Writer application, and the review will be from a normal computer user’s point of view. I’ll explain each section briefly then followed by screenshots. So first things first, installing.

Installation proved a breeze. I don’t have any screenshots, as it is on my main PC, I partitioned it, meaning I can choose Windows 7 or Vista on startup. The installation went smooth, it copied some files, then after a little while I choose where it was to be installed, and that was basically it. Windows 7 copied across, expanded and installed itself. I then entered my serial key and choose my username. After restart, and startup, which was speedy, I logged in and was presented with the Windows 7 desktop. First impressions – similar to Vista but with a nifty new taskbar and start menu.

The Windows 7 Desktop

The first thing I wanted to do was to change the theme, and to my delight a “United Kingdom” theme was present. As I flicked through the themes, Windows played a sample sound from each set, varying in pitch each time, and the theme change was instantaneous. One thing to look at is the desktop background, which changes every now and then. You’ll see as we progress through the screenshots.

Now to the most obvious change, the taskbar. It has been completely redesigned, its a little taller, but “Quick Launch” is gone and is combined with the open programs. This screenshot explains:

The Windows 7 Taskbar

The start orb is the same as Vista’s, but we can see the “Pinned” programs to the right of it, Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer, Windows Media Player, and Windows Live Messenger. Also open are Windows Live Writer (Surprisingly…not) and Paint. The opened applications have a frame around them, and programs which have multiple windows opened appear stacked.

Windows Live Messenger, as an example, if right clicked on, brings me up with a set of “Tasks”, replacing the old icon and menu in the notification area. It is handy in my opinion, as I can see all my open programs in one place and perform actions on them with ease. Here’s a screenshot:

Windows Live Messenger Tasks

Switching programs is new and interesting too. If I hover over an open program’s icon, I get previews of the open windows and switching between them could be described like Vista’s infamous Flip 3D, only it shows the open windows from your program, and other programs are simply a border. See for yourself:

Switching tasks in Windows 7

I’m moving on to applications now. Paint has had an overhaul, with some more shapes and a new “Ribbon” interface. No layers yet, though. The start menu, interestingly, lets me see recently opened items from programs as I hover over them, and can open them directly from there. This works for Remote Desktop Connection, Windows Media Center, Notepad, Sticky Notes and more!

Paint and Start Menu

And now to the section where most people criticize and are quick to find error: Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Media Player. I am a usual Firefox person, and indeed the only use of previous Internet Explorers was to call up www.mozilla.org, but this is no longer the case. Surprisingly, I don’t know if it was 64-bit or my 2GB RAM, but IE8 managed to browse the internet speedily and, well I only had one problem on web page which was soon fixed by the programs “Compatibility View”. Internet Explorer 8 is a welcome change, a welcome inclusion with Windows 7 and for once, the red fox was redundant from one of my computers! Microsoft have also taken the extra effort to integrate IE into the desktop environment, instead of previous versions, which had that 'separate' feeling whilst running. For example in Windows 7, you can hover your mouse over the IE icon in the taskbar, and be presented with screenshots of all the tabs you currently have open. This is an amazing time saver, and will certainly encourage more efficient use of time.

Perhaps on a slightly-biased side note, are those who find error in IE the ones who visit, shall we say “dodgy” websites, and get infected easily? Even if so, give IE8 a spin, it claims to have improved phishing and malware protection, as well as this new “InPrivate” feature, where I can browse websites, such as e-banking, with supposed improved privacy. I’ve not had time to test these features, as this is a Windows 7 review, not Internet Explorer.

Mindless Rubbish displayed from a decent browser.

Despite claiming malware protection, IE8 sadly doesn't provide Rickroll protection!

The new Windows Media Player 12 is similar to version 11 however it has had a UI overhaul. Some buttons and toolbar items have been moved around, but the experience should be pretty familiar to users of version 11. What does represent a big change is the removal of the Now Playing button, which in WMP11 switches to a view showing the current playlist, this is because WMP12 completely separates library management from what's currently playing, with two distinct player modes; Now Playing view, and Library view. Library view contains all the library manipulation features that should be familiar from WMP11. Probably the most amazing thing about WMP12 is that as well as the standard MP3, WMV, WMA, etc, codecs, there is built in support for H.264 video, AAC audio, and both Xvid and DivX video, 'rendering' WMP12 of being able to play most videos out of the box. Media Sharing has been improved too, as well as streaming to remote PCs, WMP12 also includes improved support for controlling Digital Living Network Alliance v1.5 devices, known as DLNA. Such devices include the Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3.

To conclude, Windows 7 has potential and boasts many new abilities and features. Perhaps the better technologically minded people will find fault and error with the new operating system, but it looks well for me. It may well be on the cards for me! I hope the best for this development and happy Windows-ing.