Update: read our full Windows 7 Ultimate review and our full Windows 7 Home Premium review.
From Windows 3.1 to Windows Vista, the Windows operating system has taken many giant leaps. And while Vista received a lukewarm reception from some users, Windows 7 is likely to be remembered for addressing those criticisms.
In fact, there aren't many changes to the overall look of Windows 7 when compared to Windows Vista. Instead, Microsoft seems to have paid attention to the feedback it received and created an OS that is not only stable, but also very capable.
So what is new in Windows 7? Here are 18 cool things Windows 7 does that Vista doesn't.
1. Shake 'em away
Ever had 10 Notepad, two Powerpoint and 50 Outlook windows open? Want to minimise all of them except the most important one? In Windows 7, you can grab the top of the window and shake it about to scare away all of the other open windows. Simple.
2. Jumplists
Jumplists are a new feature that give you the option to view a list of recently accessed files by application, even when the application isn't open, by right-clicking on the application's icon in the taskbar. It also allows you to quickly access a favourite playlist without opening your media player. Jumplists can also be found integrated into the Start Menu.
TIME-SAVER: The Jumplist for Windows Explorer – pretty useful
START HERE: A Jumplist integrated into the Start Menu
3. A step forward in previewing
In Vista, hovering over a minimised window on the taskbar would provide a preview of the window. In Windows 7, a similar preview pops up which also gives the option to close a window (within the preview), along with a full-size 'peek'. You can also press Win + T to scroll along previews in the taskbar.
PREVIEW PLUS: A smaller preview, along with a full-size 'peek' with the ability to close the window
4. Snap into place
Simply drag your window to the left or right edge of the desktop to snap and resize the window to one half of the screen. Drag the window to the top to maximise it. A pretty neat idea made neater by the use of the keyboard shortcuts (Win + respective arrow keys). No longer do you have to frustratingly position the mouse at the edge of the window to resize it.
5. XP Mode
This time, you do not have to slap your head that same way when Vista would not run an XP application. For those XP applications that do not work under Windows 7, you can download XP Mode free from the Microsoft website and run XP applications in an emulated XP environment in Windows 7. Imagine Parallels on Mac OS X without the need to fish out money on an extra OS.
6. An easier and quicker way to adjust multiple displays
Do you constantly connect your computer to different external monitors or projectors, especially at work? Try Win + P, and duplicating or extending your display to the other monitor takes just a second. Win + P presents you with an Alt + Tab style menu, which is ideal if you give a lot of presentations at work on your laptop.
7. A personalised Stage for your device
With the new 'Device and Printers' button on the Start Menu, devices which are connected to your computer can have their own Stage. This Device Stage presents supported devices with a photo-realistic render and a link to the vendor's website, along with other updates and useful information (such as firmware updates and manuals).
8. (Almost) eliminate the notification area!
What, I can even get rid of the clock and volume icons? Yes. Click the arrow that gives access to the overflow icons in the notification area and click 'customise'. Select each icon and click 'hide icon and notifications' to remove it. Clean.
QUIETER: Stop all those notifications – but you might want to keep the clock there
9. Problem Steps Recorder
The 'Problem Steps Recorder' lets you record a particular problem you are having with your PC so you can send it to someone who may be able to help. Click 'Record', and a screenshot is taken with every mouse click, allowing comments to be added in between if required. These screenshots (and comments, if any) are placed in a well-formatted HTML document that is placed inside a zipped folder on your desktop - ideal to be attached to an email.
A PROBLEM HALVED: Simple, yet so effective. Send this to tech savvy friends or even manufacturers
Your comments (40) Click to add a new comment
bullitinn56
November 8th
40. There is one cool thing I am going to do... Stick with what I have got..the cool thing I wont have to do is start messing with the regedit to get the thing to work!
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aaaarmsaaa
October 28th
39. I just performed a clean install on my toshiba laptop (satalite p100-216). Although the toshiba website didn't have any x64 vista or windows 7 drivers I only needed to visit nvidia to download the x64 beta drivers and Synaptics for the touchpad. The wifi and sound worked straight away.
If deciding whether to upgrade or not it seems to me that if you have Vista then upgrade, if you have XP on a new quick machine then upgrade. If you have XP on a old machine or don't want DX10 stick with XP at least for now.
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wmehrban
October 26th
38. I seriously cannot believe that people who read this website to keep up to date with upcoming technologies find it so difficult to embrace the 'new'.
Windows 7 is an advance over Vista and XP. It may not be perfect but from the user's perspective the whole experience is significantly easier to get along with and far more intuitive. Throw in more stability and hey presto... a better system!
Whether 7 is better that OSX or Linux is completely subjective. We may as well argue how long a piece of string is. I, and I'm sure others too are sick of fanboys banging on about this that and the other.
For those with compatibility issues, why vent your anger at MS when the old software you should be updated to accommodate the new? I mean, you wouldn't blame MS if ATI made wrote drivers that caused Windows to crash would you? I may be wrong but it seems illogical as the market and tech has to move forward. it cant slow down for the sake of a minority.
@ Lovelid - I agree, If it runs on my old Tosh it will run on anything!
Sorry for the rant. Just curious as to why it gets so heated on TechRadar these days.
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pete_l
October 24th
37. To summarise.
A few minor tweaks to the UI and the inclusion of some features that were previously only available as freeware you had to download yourself. The only major point is the workaround to the problem MS made for themselves with the inability to keep XP software running. They've obviously worked out that this is a factor for a lot of people.
So apart from the superficial desktop changes, there's no reason to upgrade my XP box - which is just as well as I doubt it could support the extra bloat.
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lovlid
October 24th
36. @ sjlowe.
"So I ran the compatibility test on my Tosh laptop. Virtually none of the Toshiba features is supported from graphics card through touchpad to the audio system."
You have been to the Toshiba support and downloads page, yes? No major problems reported there. And the graphics wont be made by Toshiba, so you really ought to look at nvidia or ati for that solution. How old is your laptop? this guy,
http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/11688-test-installed-7137-toshiba-satellite.html
loaded Windows 7 onto a satellite 3000 s353, a machine not even supported on Toshiba's discontinued laptops database. Fair enough its only good for browsing, but it works.
"Add this to the need to do a full clean install and then put all the software back and you may see why I won't be upgrading."
Lazy much? ;-)
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sjlowe
October 23rd
35. So I ran the compatibility test on my Tosh laptop. Virtually none of the Toshiba features is supported from graphics card through touchpad to the audio system. Add this to the need to do a full clean install and then put all the software back and you may see why I won't be upgrading.
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