Windows 7 – Part I

[tcolvinMI]

After reading through some articles, I feel I need to comment on some of the changes in Windows 7.  This is by no means a complete list, just some thoughts and comments I have.

User Account Control
Im glad Microsoft is adding some level of control to the User Account Control.  It appears as they will give you a slider that will allow you to control how often you receive warnings, with the default being to only receive messages when installing applications.  I have to tell you that this will be a huge improvement from the constant “Cancel or Allow” messages when working in Vista.  While the UAC is a good enough idea, and is actually somewhat of an idea ripped off from the Unix/Linux community, I think Microsoft was a bit overzealous thinking they could add so many popups.  For example, not only do I get the Cancel or Allow message, I would also receive messages saying that a program was attempting to install and did I want to continue or cancel.  There is really nothing that can be done to deter users from doing what they want to do, but prompting them multiple times turns into a huge annoyance, especially as they become more experienced. 

Libraries
Microsoft is now adding a level of obscurity to the mix by adding the concept of libraries, which are essentially virtual directories designed to organize specific types of files that could possibly be spread throughout the system.  While Im all for organization, if Microsoft doesnt give you the ability to back up files within a library, then the point is almost lost.  Finding the files is one thing, but recovering them when something happens to the system is something else.  Libraries, in my opinion, only allow the user to become more lazy than they already are, relying on a system that could possibly come back to bite them later if they dont know where their data is when their system crashes. 

Jump Lists
This isnt actually a bad idea.  Basically what this is is a list of common tasks that can be accessed from within the start menu or next to a running program so that when minimized or not running, you can simply click on the list and it will give you the most common tasks associated with said application.  Where I find this to be useful is with running IE as it would give you a list of your browsing history, so that you can open a specific webpage right away rather than opening the browser and then sifting through your history as a second step.  Legacy applications may take a hit here, but as new software is released, this could be a huge time saver for those commonly used applications.

Homegroups
This is a concept that Im not really sure about.  It feels way too much like a workgroup to me.  Workgroups essentially allow you to network computers together so that you can access files and resources across the network.  Homegroups are essentially the same thing, except by default, they are password protected by a single password, instead of by user account.  The one thing Im not too happy about is that the software auto generates a keycode and wants you to write it down so you dont lose it.  However, if you do lose it, there is a way to obtain said key code from within the system.

Conclusion
While UI changes are great, I dont think Im all that impressed with Windows 7.  Im not thrilled about re-learning where things are.  From a personal user standpoint, these changes may make the user experience better.  However, from a business standpoint, having technical users relearn everything is NOT a good idea and only slows down their ability to support these systems.  Better organization is good, but there is such a thing as too much organization.

Keep reading, Im sure there's a ton of stuff I missed.

[tcolvinMI]

Here's a better version of the changes being made in Windows 7.  I came across this article this morning while reading.  Even includes screenshots, for those who want to see what the features actually mean.

Again, UI changes are the biggest improvements so far, that I see.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto…..ws-7-beta/

[tcolvinMI]

Windows Vista has been out for two years and Im still not running it full time anywhere.  The only PC in the house that is running it is on my wife's laptop and she seems to be pretty happy with it.  Although, she doesnt use it like Greg or I would use it.  Nonetheless, its coming up on time for another release from Microsoft.  I have to commend them, hopefully, for being a little quicker on the release schedule.  According to what I have read, 7 will be released sometime in 2010, about 3 years after Vista. 

Attached are a few articles about the OS, including what you can expect and what is already being seen from the pre-beta releases.  Beta testing is supposed to start happening this month, from what Im reading. 

Im also attaching Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows Link, so that you can read through other articles he's written about Windows 7, specifically.  His articles, in my opinion, give a somewhat objective approach, where there usually isnt one when it comes to talking about Microsoft products. 

Here are just a few that I found interesting.

http://www.winsupersite.com/fa…..dows_7.asp – Windows 7 FAQ's
http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/ff.asp – Windows 7 Feature overview
http://www.winsupersite.com/wi…..review.asp – Windows 7 Milestone 3 Review
http://www.winsupersite.com/wi…..7_beta.asp – Windows 7 Beta Review

http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/ – Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows – Windows 7 content
http://www.winsupersite.com/ – Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows – Main Page

I still have some reading to do myself, so I will reply with comments later on.

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