I posted this in another thread, but the ignorance is as deep in here, so:
Windows Taskbar (with new features which Apple promptly copied in Snow Leopard, like drag-drop. They still need to copy aero peek, aero shake, aero snaps and jumplist, though).
Multitouch/Touch . Touchscreens natively supported with gestures etc. Buttons and jumplists will automatically increase in size on touch enabled devices. API for application control.
Libraries - automatic organization of files and content. Like a multiple continously updated stored search results.
Homegroups . Easily set up a home network to share files, access computer, share accounts, stream from computer to computer etc.
Device Stage . Absolutely astonishing end user control over devices. Easy and intuitively to use, advanced features.
Built-in App-V Application virtualization support. Allows apps to be executed locally off a server, but without local installation.
Windows Biometric Framework - API for various biometric support, currently fingerprint readers.
Integrated Fingerprint Logon - Oh I forget macs don't have fingerprint readers.
Mobile Broadband support . Built-in mobile broadband modems (3G, Wimax) natively supported with no need for "vendor" utilities. Oh I forget - macs don't support built-in mobile broadband, yet.
Blue-Ray support - both playback and recording. Ah, I forget - macs don't support Blue-Ray
Multiple Active Firewall Policies - not just multiple alternative firewall policies were introduced with Vista, but *simultaneously* active profiles. OSX still has but a single firewall policy, right?.
WDDM 1.1 and DirectX 11 - Advanced 3D tesselation, parallelization and GPGPU (Microsoft "Grand Central").
BranchCache - Allows files from server fileshares to be transparently cached at branch offices with or without their own server - the cache can be transparently and securely (encrypted) distributed across client machines while still being resilient to PC going off-lin etc.
DirectAccess - Easier than VPN connections and just as secure allows access to private networks from across the Internet.
Media streaming - from mediaplayer and mediacenter. Remote control of mediaplayer from devices across the network or even over the Internet. A range of devices already exists which support the Digital Media Renderer (DMR) role.
AppLocker - allows admins to control exactly which applications can be installed, control patch level etc.
Disk Image Boot - let you boot from a virtual disk image. Windows full system backups are images based so this basically lets you boot a backup from another system (Win7/2008R2) or from a previous backup *without* affecting the current state. Also image mounting.
Action Center . Convenient control panel for all things maintenance: AV, firewall, backup, updates etc.
Windows XP Mode - Although Windows7 will run the vast majority of XP applications natively or with "compatibility mode" - some applications have been coded so poorly that they require XP. Windows 7 offers Windows XP mode for these rare instances. How was Apples track record for legacy support again?
Problem Steps Recorder -Endusers can use this nifty utility to automatically record screenshots and collect telemetry and packages it up in a nice archive for support requests.
Bitlocker to Go - Enterprise class (policy driven) encryption of flash- and thumbdrives. Integrated with the TPM (which macs still doesn't have).
PowerShell 2.0, PowerShell IDE with script debugger, editor. Object-oriented full-featured command-line scripting. Also an IDE with full support for debugging, breakpoints, singlestepping, variable inspection, etc etc.
PS Remoting and Eventing - use powershell to remotely administer workstations and servers - without the need to execute the script on the targets themselves. Eventing to launch scripts on certain system or job events.
Troubleshooting Packs and -Builder . A number of wizards and powershell scripts to help troubleshoot a number of common problems. Support for letting admins build their own packs which can be launched by end users.
Windows Recovery Environment - installed by default in a small partition of the HD. No need for the original installation disk if you need to recover from an image or backup or need to repair a botched installation.
Client virtualization improvements (thin clients): multi-monitor support, bi-directional audio to enable Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and speech recognition applications, and access to local devices, such as printers. From within a thin client (remote desktop)!
Group Policy enhancements across the board.
Boots faster - smaller memory footprint - runs faster .
Kernel changes : Support for 256 processor cores, new scheduler with fine-grained quantum reporting, consolidation of timer events, power saving features such as shutting down entire cores/processors etc. Improved support for ReadyBoost (larger devices, more devices). Sensor support, such as GPS built-in.
UAC Tweaking - fewer UAC prompts (changing UAC prompt level always require an UAC prompt confirmation)
Accessibility improvements such as improved speech recognition, new magnifier with full-screen and lens modes. Improved high-DPI support.
Parental control improvements . More control over which games and with which ratings can be played by who.
Tablet features - support for more languages (tablet/ink support handwriting recognition making notes and annotations searchable by the built-in search).
----------------------
Note how "Grand Central" is one of the biggest new features in SL. In Windows 7 the comparable technology is just a part of an update to an API (DirectX).