10. A brand new Magnifier tool
If you are, or someone you know, is visually impaired, then the Windows 7 Magnifier provides two options for providing a bigger display. One of which is using the traditional dock (which took up a lot of the screen) and the other being a rectangular lens that is stuck to the cursor (meaning there is no loss of workspace).
UP CLOSE: A sleek new magnifier that follows your cursor, without decreasing your workspace
11. A new way to preview your music files
Opening and listening to an MP3 is a lot more snappier with Windows 7 due to its new smaller preview player, presenting you with album art, basic music functionality and a link to the full-blown Windows Media Player. This is an obvious attempt to mimic the preview feature of Mac OS X, but it is very well executed.
MUSIC PREVIEW: The new preview is simple – and loads up very quickly
12. Homegroup Networking
In Vista (or, frankly, any Windows OS), creating a shared folder over a network at home could be a bit of a pain. In Windows 7, using the 'Homegroup' wizard, check the default folders you would like to share. This will give you a passcode that will have to be entered in another computer on the same network to share the files. Sounds too good to be true? There is a catch: only a Windows 7 computer can join a Homegroup.
13. Stream Music directly to another computer
If you do create a Homegroup, Windows Media Player allows you to stream music directly to another computer. So, instead of listening to music through your measly laptop speakers, you can wirelessly stream to the 7.1 Surround Sound Speakers of your PC in your living room, without stepping away from your laptop. Sweet.
14. Action Center
The Action Center is the new Security Center for Windows 7, along with other notifications such as updates and access to the improved troubleshooting and recovery using restore point facilities. Basically, it is everything windows usually annoys you with, rolled into one place with one icon in the notification bar. If you find the alerts irritating, you can check out this tip to make the Windows 7 Action Center less annoying.
15. Pin just about anything to the new Windows Taskbar
Imagine a blank Mac OS X Dock with the start menu, the notifications bar and the improved 'Show Desktop' button added to it. Drag just about anything on to it and the associated application will place itself on the translucent taskbar, with an option to open the file in the Jumplist.
16. Improved Touch Navigation
Windows 7 has much improved touch navigation. The larger taskbar with squarer icons makes it a lot easier to navigate with your fingers, and Macbook-like multi-touch gestures on various applications could change the way you interact with windows. Subtle enhancements such as a larger Start Menu appearing when Touchscreen hardware is detected also help.
17. Native ISO Burner
There are those times when you inevitably have to burn an ISO file (such as when you have to copy a downloaded Windows 7 beta or RC) to a DVD. With Windows 7 you do not need to download third-party software (some of which are pretty confusing to use). Double-clicking on an ISO file will take you to a window that allows you to change the disc burner drive. Click 'Burn'. After a while, your disc is ready. Simple.
FINALLY: Burning an ISO file has never been so easy
18. Native calibration tools
If you tend to hook up your computer to an HDTV or care about getting the highest quality from your monitor, then the in-built basic and easy-to-use calibration tools built into Windows 7 will please you.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liked this? Then check out 62 seriously useful Windows 7 tips, tricks and secrets
Sign up for TechRadar's free Weird Week in Tech newsletter
Get the oddest tech stories of the week, plus the most popular news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up at http://www.techradar.com/register
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!
Alert a moderator
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.
Alert a moderator
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.
Alert a moderator
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.
Alert a moderator
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? ;-)
Alert a moderator
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.
Alert a moderator
Tell us what you think
You need to Log in or register to post comments