Advantages of Windows 7

Almost four years after the launch of Windows Vista, Microsoft finally launched the next version in the Windows series on 22nd October 2009. Windows Vista had many promising features in its GUI interface. However, when it came to RAM usage and performance, many users considered reverting back to Windows XP. When it comes to the advantages of windows 7 over windows XP, the answer is not just the improved GUI. Microsoft has already announced that they will stop supporting Windows XP by 2014. Many of you might consider that its a long time, but then, the countdown has already started. As for the Windows 7 advantages over Vista, Windows 7 supports many of the features available in Windows Vista, and also brings in extra features, but the best part is the improved speed. No doubt, Windows Vista had provided the users with a very interactive GUI, but it was taking a toll on the RAM. Windows 7 uses RAM more effectively and uses less space on the RAM for its GUI features. After discussing these common advantages of Windows 7 over its earlier counterpart, that you must have already heard off, its time to take a look at some of the more specific features that this version of Windows is offering. Read more on computer performance.
Windows 7 Advantages
Lets not directly jump into the complicated advantages of Windows 7. How about having a first hand look on those advantages of Windows 7 which any user, irrespective of the type of work he does on his computer, will find exciting.
Interface
The first aspect which can simply decide the fate of a particular product. Well, Microsoft has worked a lot on this part it seems. Windows 7 uses the concept of jumplists, to organize recently used files as well as webpages. Windows 7 also presents to the users a new improved taskbar – an interactive taskbar that allows you to align the objects on the taskbar of your own accord and with more functionalities. The three new features, Aero Shake, Aero Peek and Snap provide very simple ways to get yourself out of the clutter on your desktop.
Media Sharing
Media sharing is another aspect which any common user would find a very much enhanced and improved factor in Windows 7. Technology has kept on changing over the ages and media formats have not been an exception. Windows 7 provides much better enhancements and drag and drop features which were not available with the previous Windows Media Player. TV tuner cards can be used with much more ease, making the media viewing experience a much more lively utility of the Windows 7 operating system.
Home Networking
Windows 7 has made home networking a much more easy to use feature. The interface for connecting the machines to a home network has been made much more lively and easy to use. Setting up a few computers in a network is a much more easier task and sharing information is also relatively easier, not that it was much complicated in the earlier versions. It has also provided better features for network security making a small home or office network less vulnerable to hackers. Read more on computer networking.
Accessories
Let us now take a look at some of the improved accessories that Windows 7 provides.
* One of the greatest changes is the calculator. New features like unit conversion, fuel economy and auto lease payments have been added to the calculator, not to mention about the new look that the calculator has of now.
* The Wordpad is no more a dull looking text editor, it has now more of a look similar to that of Microsoft Office Word. Word prediction is another feature that this new version of Windows operating system provides.
* Speech recognition was alredy present in Microsoft Office, but this facility has been further enhanced in Windows 7, making browsing through websites and sending mail a simple task, without the use of keyboard.
* Paint, an already appreciated feature of Windows operating system, has been added with more features. Realistic brushes help you add more impact to your pictures.
* Undoubtedly, sticky notes were already present in Windows Vista, but Windows 7 allows you to add more effects to them, like changing fonts and the color of the sticky note background.
User Specific Advantages of Windows 7
Windows Powershell
Any person into networking would find this tool interesting. Linux administrators always found the command line utility a superior feature. This version of Windows again provides what was missing for network administrators. Windows Powershell allows network administrators to try out the command line utility. This can be considered similar to the Linux version of the command line terminal.
Windows XP Mode
For those features which can are only supported by Windows XP, Windows 7 provides an XP mode interface, something similar to the VMWare, though not exactly. Obviously you cannot have the full set of utilities present in Windows XP, but nevertheless, this is a very important utility.
Developer Zone
For SOAP-based web services in native mode, Windows 7 proved a new networking API. The Extended Linguistic Services API also improves the globalization support. These features reduce the time for installation of applications.
Bitlocker
Windows Vista users are definitely aware of this term. However, this feature has been further enhanced in Windows 7. Windows Vista provided bit locking facility, in other words, supported the encryption of the internal drives, but Windows 7 provides the same feature for external hard drives as well as USB flash drive. This makes backup and restore a simpler task. Read more on computer security.
Technologies and Hardware Supported
Most of us already saw this coming. Blue-ray is supported in Windows 7 and Microsoft is also considering the support of USB 3.0 with Windows 7. Windows Touch has been improved further. Of course, this particular utility is for specific users with touch screen terminals, but then its worth mentioning, as there are various features included in this version of Windows Touch. Multi-touch is supported and all common utilities like Start Menu, Windows Explorer, etc. can be accessed using this utility. Microsoft manufactured hardware units like keyboard, mouse, etc. are provided with some special support features in the Windows 7 operating system.
There are many more enhancements and changes in Windows 7 as compared to its previous versions. Improved accessibility, Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) browser (the latest web browser from Microsoft) and improved VPN connection which automatically makes connection to the Internet, once broken, are a few of the other interesting features of Windows 7. Only a look and first hand experience on this operating system, will put in front of you, these and many more features.
Windows 7, in fact, instead of providing more and more new features, tried to simplify and improve the already existing applications of Windows Vista. The advantages of Windows 7 mentioned in this article were from a user point of view. No doubt many people out there will be finding out and writing about the ‘n’ number of problems or disadvantages of Windows 7. But then, to give a technology its credit, its worth mentioning all these new features, which any layman can consider before upgrading to a Windows 7 system. (Source)

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