It’s something few people have ever said about Vista, but it looks like it could become a widespread phrase soon:
“Windows 7 is better than XP”
There will of course be a certain group of people who will refuse to admit that is even possible however I and many others have been saying it for a while now-and now Engadget have reports of something approaching proof!
Adrian Kingley-Hughes from ZDNet compared XP, Vista and Windows 7 at performing everyday tasks such as “boot up, shut down, file maneuvers, installations and other common tasks” and “On both test systems, an AMD Phenom 9700 setup and an Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2200 number (with ATI and NVIDIA graphics, respectively), the Windows 7 install soundly bested XP and Vista task by task, with few exceptions.”.
While this isn’t an exact science, it’s certainly very indicative of how things will be once Win 7 is released-and it’s looking good 🙂 Especially considering that this is the Beta of Windows 7 that’s being tested so one would assume that it’s final RTM (Release to Manufacturing) version will be even slicker.
It seems that Microsoft are really onto a good thing here…I can’t wait!
According to apcmag.com, Windows 7 will include DivX out of the box.
“So what?” you might ask…this will go along way to putting an end to hours spend trawling the web to find the correct/latest codecs to play that (legally) downloaded/ripped for backup purposes movie; thus making media watching in Windows an even more enjoyable experience 🙂
Codec packs are often from unverified publishers and run the risk of infecting your PC with malware and/or you ending up with various conflicting codecs that slow your machine down. Windows 7 shows a real attempt by MS to give users what they need and want and to help make the user experience as smooth, safe and stable as possible-good on you boys!
It doesn’t stop there though…Windows 7 will also play the H.264 video and AAC audio formats, as used by iTunes, via Windows Media Player. However, don’t get too excited as Good Ol’ Apple refuse to licence their FairPlay DRM so tracks purchased via the iTunes store are still off limits to WMP…Boo Hiss I say-that would make things SO much easier for me and stop me having to double up on tracks in both AAC and WMA/MP3 formats. Still, the AAC inclusion should mean that WMP can search & index all the (non-purchased) iTunes media, so simplifying the listening experience.
Microsoft have, yet again, given XP a stay of execution. System builders will now be able to purchase copies of XP up until 30/06/09.
Mary Jo Foley over at ZDnet has some interesting points to make on this though:
This definition of “System Builder” doesn’t include the likes of HP, Dell, Lenovo etc but rather the small “White Box” vendors, the kind who have a shop in town…
Also, this is separate to the deadline for Netbooks-which is 30/06/10 or one year after Windows 7, whichever comes last.
So all in all not a massive announcement in my opinion, but it does seem to show that the demand for XP is still there. I have been a fan of Vista pretty much since it was released and I can’t wait for Windows 7, so I think people really should move off XP where they can. I can see the attraction now that Netbooks are gaining popularity but it seems that people have got Windows 7 working on them without too much of a problem…
This week saw another Microsoft conference, this time WinHEC (Windows Hardware Engineering Conference) and, as at the PDC, Windows 7 has featured heavily. So too has Windows Server 2008 R2 and it appears Windows 7 and Win Svr 2008 R2 are going to be released on the same day, according to Mary Jo Foley.
New features will include:
Direct Access support, eliminating the need for VPN connections for secure communications
Branch-office caching (hosted server caching)
Version 2.0 PowerShell and Hyper-V releases
Support for .Net and PowerShell in the Server Core role
Live migration support within Hyper-V
Terminal Services gets repositioned and renamed as Remote Desktop Services
The inclusion of Hyper-V R2 with it’s Live Migration feature is a huge thing, really putting Microsoft’s Virtualization offering on a par with it’s biggest rival, VMWare.
Windows Server 2008 R2 is going to bring a whole host of great features into the business world, to make businesses more efficient, cost effective and streamlined. Once that is coupled with Windows 7, I think Microsoft will again have really changed the game…so many things for so many people are going to be so much better!
Windows 7 Application Compatibility is a hot topic and will only get hotter as the next MS Operating System gets ever closer. Will there be the same issues as with Pre-SP1 Vista?
Microsoft have stated that the vast majority of apps that currently work on Vista will work with Windows 7 too, however it won’t (and couldn’t be expected to be) 100%. It an effort to head off any potential problems at the pass Microsoft have released the “Windows Application Quality Cookbook” which contains a list of the aspects most likely to cause problems for developers.
These are:
Internet Explorer 8—User Agent String
Internet Explorer 8—Data Execution Protection/NX
Removal of Windows Mail
Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ)—Removal of Windows 2000 Client Support Service
Compatibility — Operating System Versioning
Server Core — WoW64 Is Now an Optional Feature
User Interface—Enhanced Taskbar
Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ)—Improved Queue Handling
Windows Server — Terminal Services
User Interface — High DPI Awareness
Removal of WPDUSB.SYS Driver for Windows Portable Devices
Server — Hyper-V
Server — 64-Bit Only
File Library Replaces Document Folder
New Binaries—Refactoring
Compatibility—Application Manifest
Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ)—SHA-2 Is the Default Encryption Algorithm
Where is Microsoft after this year’s PDC Conference?
I think Microsoft is in a very strong position-at the head of many points of the market, and hot on the heels of the leaders in others..Cloud computing, Web applications, Desktop OS, Collaboration and more..
Windows Azure & Windows 7 have had a massive amount of buzz around them, and it nearly all seems to be good! I’ve got a few colleagues in the “Anti-Vista” camp but even they are cautiously optimistic about what Win7 will bring us…I am ridiculously excited and everyone else is looking forward to it 🙂
Azure instantly puts MS in the top 3 players in the Cloud space, and I don’t think it will be long before the No.1 spot is theirs.
Office Web Apps shows that Microsoft ARE taking the web seriously and as an answer to Google, it’s a pretty good one! This will bring online apps to a whole new section of users..I don’t use Google Apps for many reasons..but I’ll definitely use Office Web…
Live Mesh was another big part of PDC 2008 and this could seriously make peoples lives easier, faster and more fulfilling…if it’s executed correctly. Mesh isn’t a huge concern for me personally (at the moment) but could be important for so many others.
All in all I think the most important thing that PDC 2008 has done is breathe new life into Microsoft, it’s partner eco-system and the end users, who let’s face it are the ones that REALLY matter! People once again believe in Microsoft, are excited by Microsoft and dare I say it, people LIKE Microsoft!!! 🙂
A number of Windows 7 features have been announced today (28/10/08) at the Microsoft PDC 2008. The vast majority of the features we saw today were for the consumer but fear not, Microsoft promise there are numerous Enterprise related additions too! These include:
Federated Search: Deliver a consistent experience finding file across PCs, networks, and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server systems.
DirectAccess: To link users to corporate resources from the road without a virtual private network.
BranchCache: To make it faster to open files and Web pages from a branch office.
Bitlocker ToGo: Data protection for removable devices.
Refined Universal Access Control: To give fewer prompts for users and more flexibility for IT.
PowerShell and group policy management.
Client virtualization: With virtual desktop infrastructure enhancements, to improve memory utilization and user experience.
Device Center: To provide a single place to access all connected and wireless devices with Device Stage, to see status and run common tasks from a single window.
HomeGroup: To make it easier to share media, documents, and printers across multiple PCs in offices without a domain.
Direct Access:
“DirectAccess in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 enhances the productivity of mobile workers by connecting them seamlessly and more securely to their corporate network any time they have Internet access—without the need to VPN.”
Anything that means we don’t need to use VPN’s is brilliant! I find they rarely work as well as end users need them to and they can make a System Admin’s life difficult, so removing VPN’s could be enough to make the detractors forget all about Vista!
“With DirectAccess, IT administrators can manage mobile computers by updating Group Policy settings and distributing software updates any time the mobile computer has Internet connectivity, even if the user is not logged on.”
“To keep data safer as it travels public networks, DirectAccess uses IPv6-over-IPsec to encrypt communications transmitted across the Internet. DirectAccess can use split-tunnel routing, which reduces unnecessary traffic on the corporate network by sending only traffic destined for the corporate network through the DirectAccess server (running Windows Server 2008 R2)…”
Bitlocker To Go:
With all the lost data flying around these days, BitLocker To Go extends the proven BitLocker technology to removable USB devices, securing them with a passphrase. “In addition to having control over passphrase length and complexity, IT administrators can require users to apply BitLocker protection to removable drives before being able to write to them”.
Administrators can still allow unsecured USB devices to be used in a Read-Only mode and policies are also available to require appropriate passwords, smart card, or domain user credentials to utilize a protected removable storage device.
A related addition is AppLocker which is “a flexible, easy-to-use mechanism that enables IT professionals to specify exactly what is allowed to run on user desktops.” It uses “publisher rules” that are based on digital signatures so, with correctly structured rules, you can deploy updates etc without having to create new rules.
Virtualization Enhancements
Virtual Desktop Infrastructire (VDI) in Windows 7 is closer to the experience of a local PC now with support for Aero, video viewing in Media Player 11 and multiple monitor configurations. New microphone support enables remote desktops running WIndows 7 Enterprise to provide VOIP & speech recognition functionality. Last, but by no means least, is Easy Print which allows users to print to local printers without installing drivers on the server.
The guys over at ActiveWin have got a great, in-depth review of the Windows 7, M3 Preview which contains any number of screenshots and a whole host of info. Some of the bits that caught my eye were:
Location Aware Printing:
In Windows 7, you no longer need to select the printer to match your location. When you change network locations, such as taking your work laptop home for the evening, the default printer setting can change to reflect the best printer for that new location. When you print at work, Windows 7 will print to your work printer. When you print at home, Windows 7 will automatically select and use your home printer.
Media Player 12 will ship with Windows 7 and according to ActiveWin: “this new version features radical changes to its menu structure, with some menus positioned on the left and right sides of the interface…and features two thick toolbars of controls, the second one focusing on traditional features such as Organization, Sharing, Playlist and Search…Common media formats supported include WMV, WMA, MPEG-4, AAC and AVC/H.264.”
Ultra Wideband (UWB) and Wireless USB (WUSB):
UWB and WUSB are new technologies that provide wireless alternatives to USB cables. Support for UWB and WUSB in Windows 7 lets you take advantage of new wireless devices and wireless USB hubs.
Libraries also seem like a really cool multimedia feature. I’m forever duplicating files as I can’t find where I saved them, creating numerous folders in different places all with the same names and finally just keeping stuff on my desktop so I don’t lose it. None of this leads to a brilliant user experience at home or at work and this is where Windows 7 libraries come in.
“With Libraries, you can not only organize, but view and manage files that that are stored in more than once place. This reduces the need to view files even when they are stored in different folders. Libraries are so powerful that they even span different disk drives and/or PCs on your home network. There are a range of options for organizing and browsing, by type, date taken or genre depending on the file type.”
On top of this, there is the already well known addition of touch and multi touch capabilities to Windows 7. If you’ve got a touchscreen monitor, or more likely a Tablet PC, you can open things from the Start Menu etc by pressing them. MultiTouch will let you zoom in and out on images by moving 2 fingers together/apart as needed and more..
Another new feature of Windows 7 will be the ability to re-order applications on the taskbar…I think this is awesome! This is one of those little things that has annoyed me for years and will finally be gone. I have a certain order that I like my applications to be in and I always have Outlook as the first program. However at the minute if I have to re-start Outlook it ends up buried on my Taskbar between to IE windows or something..and then it takes me a little while each time I need to go back Outlook.
I’ve asked around the office and this addition is met with unanimous approval!
Something else I’ve just seen on pcworld.com is that you can schedule desktop background changes with WIndows 7, I think that’s quite a neat touch!
Over at ZDNet, Ed Bott has got a great gallery of Windows 7 Screenshots which you can find here. Below is a shot of the desktop which shows another new feature, that gadgets are no longer confined to that bar on the right hand side..now they can reside anywhere on the desktop 🙂
The Windows 7 Pre-Beta Build will be available to PDC 2008 attendees from Tuesday 28th of October (tomorrow) but Mary Jo Foley over at ZDNet has got some info on what features we can expect to see:
Device Stage – a central location for customers to more easily interact with devices, ranging from printers, cameras, cell phones, media players, etc. Device Stage will only recognize “Device-Stage-enabled” peripherals.
Action Center – a self-diagnosis feature to help users troubleshoot problems with their Windows 7 systems
A new Animation Framework for customizing animations
New Task Bar & Shell Integration
Multi-Touch & Gesture Recognition
There isn’t much more info on these features as of yet so roll on tomorrow!!
It seems that Windows 7 will be missing a few common Vista applications when it is released so an article over at ComputerWorld says.
It seems that when Windows 7 is released to the public, it won’t include Windows Mail, Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Movie Maker. These will instead be made available for free download from the Windows Live website, in an attempt to get more people frequenting the site and thus more users downloading from the site as a way to take market share from Google.
Windows 7 is set to feature improvements to the following areas:
Migration & Deployment
Security Optimization
Desktop Management
Enterprise Search
Desktop Virtualisation
Application Virtualisation
HelpDesk Optimization
Corporate Compliance
Branch Office Optimization
Remote Access to Corporate Applications
Mobility Solutions
Green Computing
Some of these are already big topics of interest such as Desktop Virtualization, Mobility, Green IT etc and I think significant improvements to these areas (or in fact any of the above) could well lead to great adoption of Windows 7.
A couple of suggestions I made were to include some of the Enterprise CAL functionality from certain products in the WIndows 7 Enterprise SKU. So potentially having Windows 7 Enterprise would give you the Enterprice CAL functionality for OCS for example..
I also think that rolling VECD (Centralized Desktops) into either MDOP (Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack) or Windows 7 Enterprise. Let’s see if that happens in the final version 😉
Cloudy with a chance of Licensing 