A deep dive into Windows 7
by Ed Bott | November 18, 2008 5:00am PST | Image 1 of 32
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Evolution of the Windows interface
Click image to display full-size.
The screens shown here trace the evolution of Windows personalization options over the course of nearly a decade. The vintage-2001 XP interface is a single dialog box with multiple tabs. Vista adds a slicker Control Panel pane, but most of the links just open tabs of the old XP-style dialog boxes. With Windows 7, virtually the entire UI is accessible from a single pane.
For more details, see the full companion post:
A deep dive into Windows 7 (build 6801)
The screens shown here trace the evolution of Windows personalization options over the course of nearly a decade. The vintage-2001 XP interface is a single dialog box with multiple tabs. Vista adds a slicker Control Panel pane, but most of the links just open tabs of the old XP-style dialog boxes. With Windows 7, virtually the entire UI is accessible from a single pane.
For more details, see the full companion post:
A deep dive into Windows 7 (build 6801)
Just In
Visitors to my home/office often do a double-take the first time they connect...
I have no complaints or problems so far with programs not working correctly or not. I usually do upgrade to the NEXT OS Systems or buy New computers each time the OS Systems comes out and I like Vista a lot and I am looking forward to Windows 7 coming out ... and well hopefully I will like it to. If they will have Windows 7 in NEW PC's by the end of January I would jump right in there. And if it not out in new PC's by then, I will get me a new PC with windows Vista ! ...LOL and ok I mgiht be sorry for it one day, I don't know, but for a change I am ready to try it out and see what I think of it.
So far I love Vista myself, but the one problem I have with Vista is, the complete full access to the computer, programs and other stuff NP ! I want and love FULL access and control of ever little dll and file, but hey it's work-able.
At least for me it is !!
So far I love Vista myself, but the one problem I have with Vista is, the complete full access to the computer, programs and other stuff NP ! I want and love FULL access and control of ever little dll and file, but hey it's work-able.
At least for me it is !!
Microsoft Engineers told me back in 1994 that the mission was to go to some kind of subscription format if possible and if not they will continue to just fatten up the software with mostly worthless tools and offer it as an upgrade. Of course all this under the "more user friendly experience" line.
Note that even though the disk letter is put at the end of the name, the icons are still sorted by the disk letter so the names are probably not in alphabetic order. This is particularly a pain when long names are truncated and you want to know the drive letter, but can't see it.
Drives are further segregated by location - internal, external, network, etc. which makes it difficult to find a drive with a particular name unless you know before hand what kind of drive it is and its drive letter.
Very user un-friendly.
Microsoft just doesn't get it - the ordering of the drives in a list should have nothing to do with the physical characteristics of the drive or the drive letter (which is generally irrelevant unless it is used as the name), sort them by name.
Drives are further segregated by location - internal, external, network, etc. which makes it difficult to find a drive with a particular name unless you know before hand what kind of drive it is and its drive letter.
Very user un-friendly.
Microsoft just doesn't get it - the ordering of the drives in a list should have nothing to do with the physical characteristics of the drive or the drive letter (which is generally irrelevant unless it is used as the name), sort them by name.
I like my drives to be ordered by drive letter, thankyou!
Both (or more) methods should be available as a CHOICE or option somewhere.
In XP there are third-party utilities to alter this (just a reg hack anyway) so I'm guessing the same will be available for Win7 (think PowerToys).
Both (or more) methods should be available as a CHOICE or option somewhere.
In XP there are third-party utilities to alter this (just a reg hack anyway) so I'm guessing the same will be available for Win7 (think PowerToys).
Still looks hopelessly out of date when compared with
OS X or any of the nicer Linux distros...
OS X or any of the nicer Linux distros...
Yup, I was pleasantly surprised by Ubuntu 8.10...just installed it on a four-year-old XP box a few days ago: it runs better than Vista on my other PC and that new box has twice the speed and four times the memory if you include ReadyBoost. It's super easy to install new apps on the new 8.10 Ubuntu: it's now easier than Vista!
I'm an old Windows developer, and not a Linux fanboy: I'd rather see Windows stay dominant out of sheer self-interest. But, the objective truth is that you'll enjoy your computing experiences far more using the UNIX spinoffs, like Linux and OS 10.
Best kept secret about Ubuntu and Linux: thousands of ultra-cool first-rate free apps are available...check out KStars, OpenOffice, the GIMP, Blender, Xaos Fractal Generator, Python, Qt 4, games, music apps, video apps, ....
The Linux world is way cool!
I'm an old Windows developer, and not a Linux fanboy: I'd rather see Windows stay dominant out of sheer self-interest. But, the objective truth is that you'll enjoy your computing experiences far more using the UNIX spinoffs, like Linux and OS 10.
Best kept secret about Ubuntu and Linux: thousands of ultra-cool first-rate free apps are available...check out KStars, OpenOffice, the GIMP, Blender, Xaos Fractal Generator, Python, Qt 4, games, music apps, video apps, ....
The Linux world is way cool!
Ohhhhh a fractal generator, exactly what I need. NOT!
The Linux world may be "way cool" as you put it, but when it comes down to business, it just can't compete with windows for the sheer amount of applications available that are tried and tested and service packed so they work reliably and as expected. I don't need to support, train and then support some more users who are trying Linux systems instead of "familiar" windows environments.
Group policy works with Linux? No??? Oh I see....
All these free music and video apps would kill my (limited) bandwidth, so no, thanks anyway.
"But, the objective truth is that you'll enjoy your computing experiences far more using the UNIX spinoffs, like Linux and OS 10." Guaranteed 'ey? You won't get frustrated with trying to figure out how to do something that you've done everyday and now don't know where it is? Not even once? Objective truth is right...but whose truth is it? Yours! Not very objective now is it?
For those that have the time and the inclination and wish to learn another "language", then go for it, but for those that need to do business, Linux/Unix just can't cut it yet.
The Linux world may be "way cool" as you put it, but when it comes down to business, it just can't compete with windows for the sheer amount of applications available that are tried and tested and service packed so they work reliably and as expected. I don't need to support, train and then support some more users who are trying Linux systems instead of "familiar" windows environments.
Group policy works with Linux? No??? Oh I see....
All these free music and video apps would kill my (limited) bandwidth, so no, thanks anyway.
"But, the objective truth is that you'll enjoy your computing experiences far more using the UNIX spinoffs, like Linux and OS 10." Guaranteed 'ey? You won't get frustrated with trying to figure out how to do something that you've done everyday and now don't know where it is? Not even once? Objective truth is right...but whose truth is it? Yours! Not very objective now is it?
For those that have the time and the inclination and wish to learn another "language", then go for it, but for those that need to do business, Linux/Unix just can't cut it yet.
You sure your a windows dev ? Every decent one knows the NT ( ie windows) kernel IS a UNIX spin off and was based on the Mach 3 code which was based of System V.
Beside who cares about Kernels these days there is less than 1% difference between the best and worst.
Look at the Mac with its crappy file system which is wining market share, where Linux is not, its all about the UI.
Over the next 5 years the OS war will be become more and more boring (there was a big spike in 2000 after the big salary increase for IT people), few people study IT now . People will view all OSs the same eg a commodity and except for how it looks and hence how cool ..Developers are more tempted by the libraries and reach.
For Linux to get acceptance it needs a MUCH better and standard UI ( where apps follow the same rules) and to remove the command line.
Beside who cares about Kernels these days there is less than 1% difference between the best and worst.
Look at the Mac with its crappy file system which is wining market share, where Linux is not, its all about the UI.
Over the next 5 years the OS war will be become more and more boring (there was a big spike in 2000 after the big salary increase for IT people), few people study IT now . People will view all OSs the same eg a commodity and except for how it looks and hence how cool ..Developers are more tempted by the libraries and reach.
For Linux to get acceptance it needs a MUCH better and standard UI ( where apps follow the same rules) and to remove the command line.
Think I agree MS has not got to grips with the business issues relating to the fall out of the Vista affair.Bright management would turn over a new leaf embracing transparency and innovation.But there again the format of Windows 7 reflects out of date management.
When international and business men finally site on the board of MS a sharf of sunlight will hit whats left of the company.Then again is this legacy reflecting lack of competition for far too long!!
When international and business men finally site on the board of MS a sharf of sunlight will hit whats left of the company.Then again is this legacy reflecting lack of competition for far too long!!
Microsoft has never been able to get it through that there software is crap. They are just pricing themselves out of business, and it is IT professionals like me who have to pay the price with the long nights and headaches.
I am still trying to clean up this Vista mess, have it for over a year now, have it working, in what I would call "good" condition, not fine, not extra fine, and definitely not mint. I still have two XPs' that I use, slower but very dependable. As for Windows 7, what do I think? I won't buy it immediately, I'll wait at least a year or more, AFTER IT IS PROVEN TO BE AN OUTSTANDING IMPROVEMENT, over Vista and Millenium, get my drift? I have over a gig of power in this Vista and it runs really slow. AND I clean it out once a month. Still finding SPAM buried in the harddrive after over a year, jeeze. Will sit read comments and wait, thank you.
Hi my vista runs faster and better in my PC than any other operating system I have ever owned.
If I do get to buy Windows 7... I'll probably try to post what I think about it ... and let people know what I think about how it operates and then at least it will help others determine in they would be interested in purchasing a Computer with Windows 7 installed.
If I do get to buy Windows 7... I'll probably try to post what I think about it ... and let people know what I think about how it operates and then at least it will help others determine in they would be interested in purchasing a Computer with Windows 7 installed.
I have Vista and Linux on my new desktop - but it's Linux that's way faster.
-nt
What was wrong with the classic windows interface?
I still use it by choice.
They should spend time and resources on making the OS crash and intruder proof. Oh yeah and leave the file formats alone. docx vs doc what were they thinking. Now we live in an incompatible world.
I still use it by choice.
They should spend time and resources on making the OS crash and intruder proof. Oh yeah and leave the file formats alone. docx vs doc what were they thinking. Now we live in an incompatible world.
$ why don't somebody fixit linux Sorry it's hard to form words after looking at this ship
I can agree with you on that subject we all can use Crash and Intruder Proof in all old and NEW OS.
I agree with this comment. Microsoft seems to take the approach that they know best what the customer needs. Vista proved this idea; speaking for myself and my customers: we just want the stuff to work without all of the gingerbread. We don't want to be forced to upgrade programs that have been working well for us in the past and we don't want to be annoyed by programmers who think they know better than we do.
I wish they could leave programs alone to, that work great and exceptionally well. They do keep building upgrades and more upgrades all the time every day, I think that is why they have the problem they have now.
I've had Vista since shortly after it came out. While it is better now than it was before, it is still really, really horrible. Microsoft's big brother attitude resulted in an operating system that is bloated, unreliable, and very user unfriendly in a number of important areas.
Sounds like Windows 7 was invented by the same crew.
Sounds like Windows 7 was invented by the same crew.
THE SEARCH FEATURE SHOWN ARE COMPLETE RIPOFFS OF TRACKER FROM LINUX
Irregardless if it's open source or not, who's the original inventor and user of that particular "search feature"?... LINUX!! Now MS comes along some time afterwards and uses it. You don't consider that a ripoff?
One of the many definitions of "ripoff" is, "As a related meaning: even though legal, a ripoff is a blatant use or copy of."
So I ask you "gypkap", you don't think MS legally ripped LINUX off?
One of the many definitions of "ripoff" is, "As a related meaning: even though legal, a ripoff is a blatant use or copy of."
So I ask you "gypkap", you don't think MS legally ripped LINUX off?
Must be one who was not educated in the United States. "Irregardless" is not a word in our language.
Cause "legally" it's open source! Do you rip off Linux every time you install it to a PC? That's "using" a "copy" of it, isn't it? There may be untold millions of copies of Linux "out there" are they ALL ripping off Linux? No...by your definition, they are not.
Not quite a new OS, I won't bother to change out for those simple enhancments. Not worth the $ or time/headaches. Call me when it's DONE
nitefly
nitefly
It seems that the vast majority of replies to this blog is based on fear. It is clear from this pre-beta W7 release that MS is finally cleaning house and addressing the problems people had with Vista.
This scares all the anti-MS folks because they really thought Vista was going to be the "End Of MS", but Win 7 just proves that MS is capable of releasing a good OS if they put the effort in.
So sorry, maybe some years after Win 7 will we have The Year Of Linux, or Apple will get more than it's current pathetic amount of marketshare, but it ain't going to happen any time soon. Especially when you consider that the supposed "failed" Vista currently has more marketshare than all other non-MS OSes combined, and rising faster than all other OSes combined (Linux actually has negative marketshare growth).
http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=11&qptimeframe=M&qpsp=107&qpnp=11&qpdt=1&qpct=2
This scares all the anti-MS folks because they really thought Vista was going to be the "End Of MS", but Win 7 just proves that MS is capable of releasing a good OS if they put the effort in.
So sorry, maybe some years after Win 7 will we have The Year Of Linux, or Apple will get more than it's current pathetic amount of marketshare, but it ain't going to happen any time soon. Especially when you consider that the supposed "failed" Vista currently has more marketshare than all other non-MS OSes combined, and rising faster than all other OSes combined (Linux actually has negative marketshare growth).
http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=11&qptimeframe=M&qpsp=107&qpnp=11&qpdt=1&qpct=2
it depends what website you look at. We all know that Windows dominates, so don't make us out to be the fools and post the numbers from a pro-MS website that make Linux and Mac look bad. Add 2% each to Linux and Mac and subtract 2% from Windows. Even though Windows still dominates with those numbers, they are more accurate. Next time go to more than one website to check the accuracy of your numbers.
How did come up with your 2 percent math problem? (By the way, your addition of 4 percent and subtraction of only 2 percent does not add up) What are the "more than one website" that you used to come up with your "more accurate" figures? Who in their right mind would believe such drivel?
Boy talk about "do as I say, not as i do."
Why would a website need to make Linux/MacOS look bad? They do a good enough job of that themselves...
Boy talk about "do as I say, not as i do."
Why would a website need to make Linux/MacOS look bad? They do a good enough job of that themselves...
Most of the posters here are experienced programmers or systems people--they've seen old tech disguised as new tech before. I grant that UI improvements are vital to the success of Win 7, but I don't think that the changes I've seen thus far constitute some kind of quantum leap on the UI front. Behind the scenes, Win 7 is still Vista which is still old Windows Server code with the Vista panic-borne GUI pasted on. (It's panic-borne, remember, because the original Vista project failed: the original project manager Allchin got fired, then Win 2003 Server was hauled off the shelf in the middle of the night as the original code got scrapped.) Vista still has more bugs than a termite mound (I get a 'Not Responding' error every four hours on average...not so on Ubuntu.)
Want proof? Try Leopard or Ubuntu 8.10 out in earnest on a decent machine. Then compare and contrast with Win 7, Vista, and XP.
Want proof? Try Leopard or Ubuntu 8.10 out in earnest on a decent machine. Then compare and contrast with Win 7, Vista, and XP.
Well, go ahead and use Linux, and leave your comments on Windows on some wacko site.
I guess MS is improving it's OS with the flow of time and technological advances. We have to keep paying for the improvements and the failures that go along with them, but we are moving forward, aren't we?
I don't mind the advances and upgrades, I just think that the pricing structure should be lowered to show some compassion for the market. I mean how rich does Bill Gates have to get?
I don't mind the advances and upgrades, I just think that the pricing structure should be lowered to show some compassion for the market. I mean how rich does Bill Gates have to get?
I've been working on PC's for 15 years Thats around Win95 in windows years. Although DOS was cool the internet kind of made Windows a Must and after Win98 we would get occaisional messes like BOB Never saw it but it was there Ziff Davis was probably Hocking it WinME WOWW. XP the great Gamer and finaly another ME called Vista. So I figured 7 is going to be based on server 2003 or some new kernal but noooooo. Unless my customer needs to run Games that Cedega (like wine for games)or custom software, Linux it is. I've been telling people to try Macs and I hate them. It's just like the last election. People were fed up and so am I.
"So I figured 7 is going to be based on server 2003 or some new kernal but noooooo. "
Windows 7 is based on the Server 2008 kernel, which is also the same as the Vista SP1 kernel. And the Windows 7 kernel ill in turn be used for Server 2008 R2.
Oh, and Ziff-Davis is a completely separate company from ZDNet.
Windows 7 is based on the Server 2008 kernel, which is also the same as the Vista SP1 kernel. And the Windows 7 kernel ill in turn be used for Server 2008 R2.
Oh, and Ziff-Davis is a completely separate company from ZDNet.
I don't have many complaints about Vista at all. I am not scared to try OTHER OSes in my computers, because I love NEW things.
Hi Ed, Enjoyed your report into Windows 7 build 6801. There is lots of goodness in there at this early stage and I can't wait for beta 1. I believe that Microsoft will want to get a beta release into as many windows users hands as possible. Windows 7 will be a major release.
I second that!
I pre orderd 5 copies of vista after trying the RC1 beta, Have had way less issues than I ever had with any previous Windows, now have Vista on all 9 of my Familys systems, with next to no headaches.
I pre orderd 5 copies of vista after trying the RC1 beta, Have had way less issues than I ever had with any previous Windows, now have Vista on all 9 of my Familys systems, with next to no headaches.
and looking forward to the OS system or at least I am, but to me and everyone has their own opinions. With each new WIndows OS Sytems I have LOVED each new one that has came out, I too have no Problems with Vista, Thx :-))
So what about gamers? If you go shopping on Newegg for Video cards you read the comments on the latest from Nvidia and ATI. Nobody can get Crysis running over 50fps and it still crashes.
It seems ATI-AMD have to get their motherboards working better. The 750 series were trash. The 770's are NOT fast but acceptable. When I get better scores on a A8N-SLI deluxe with true 16x16 PCIE video then something's wrong. This PCIe 2.0 std is 8x8 in SLI and it stinks. I threw a 750 A2+ board in the trash two days ago.
Sure there's a year or more to go, but quit on the bells and whistles and try to run a stupid game and see what happens. Then you'll find out if anything is different.
Us poor suckers in the sticks have to rely on something like a Alltel UT Starcom 150 USB modem. I have to set my Networking Local area connection to 921600 but that's not fast enough.The card goes faster by a factor of 3.I can tweak settings all day and never get to where I want. Maybe they can boost that problem now that things are on USB2.0. Maybe not.
So, keep on bogging and as the next year goes on I will have to throw out my latest box because it just won't cut it. I knew this 3 years ago, but the hardware today is going to be useless again.
I'm not scared of Vista or 7, I just hate spending more money again.
If a Mac Pro had a decent video card instead of a Geforce 9400 or a Radeon 3300 (if you're lucky) then MAYBE the price would justify the means, and I'd get one. Mac's run Vista in a virtual machine, but maybe Apple has gone to green again.
It seems ATI-AMD have to get their motherboards working better. The 750 series were trash. The 770's are NOT fast but acceptable. When I get better scores on a A8N-SLI deluxe with true 16x16 PCIE video then something's wrong. This PCIe 2.0 std is 8x8 in SLI and it stinks. I threw a 750 A2+ board in the trash two days ago.
Sure there's a year or more to go, but quit on the bells and whistles and try to run a stupid game and see what happens. Then you'll find out if anything is different.
Us poor suckers in the sticks have to rely on something like a Alltel UT Starcom 150 USB modem. I have to set my Networking Local area connection to 921600 but that's not fast enough.The card goes faster by a factor of 3.I can tweak settings all day and never get to where I want. Maybe they can boost that problem now that things are on USB2.0. Maybe not.
So, keep on bogging and as the next year goes on I will have to throw out my latest box because it just won't cut it. I knew this 3 years ago, but the hardware today is going to be useless again.
I'm not scared of Vista or 7, I just hate spending more money again.
If a Mac Pro had a decent video card instead of a Geforce 9400 or a Radeon 3300 (if you're lucky) then MAYBE the price would justify the means, and I'd get one. Mac's run Vista in a virtual machine, but maybe Apple has gone to green again.
Games works great on my Vista I Play DD2PT and LOSV and Battlefield Vietnam and any other game I want to, and it does very well so far so all I have is REPLIES and no complaints.
I had windows 95, 98, XP, and Vista and if I can I will gladly try out ... Windows 7.
I am not IT Professional or even fool with any of that stuff, I just buy my PC's and enjoy
:-)))
So tell them Tiger :-)))
I had windows 95, 98, XP, and Vista and if I can I will gladly try out ... Windows 7.
I am not IT Professional or even fool with any of that stuff, I just buy my PC's and enjoy
:-)))
So tell them Tiger :-)))
wwent from 98 total crap, to XP the best thing ever done by Microsoft, to Vista witch lets say would have made a nice vista over the arctic or some other place in desprate need of vista's to something that's looking like the Sahara could probably use it, as long as it's not some place where they have a watering hole. Lets not have them screw with the naturaly acceptable vistas.
It seems to me that some replies implicitly talk about the user interface as if it were the operating system code itself: never forget that it's all down to the code running behind the scenes. Windows 7 still needs to be responsive and bugfree...it needs to be tool-like in operation, like Apple's superb Leopard. You can get that kind of operating system with thousands of free apps on the cheap: Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.10 are smooth as silk compared to Vista, XP, and recent Ubuntu incarnations.
I do think that the Win 7 tweaks are a step forward, but I suspect that when things go awry, as things are wont to do in the Microsoft realm, power users will find Win 7 harder to tweak back into good working order than Windows XP. Simple UIs tend to have their advanced features scattered about in too many far-flung places. C'mon Microsoft! Bite the bullet and use Suse, Ubuntu or Leopard as your future OS! They're already at the place you need to go!
I do think that the Win 7 tweaks are a step forward, but I suspect that when things go awry, as things are wont to do in the Microsoft realm, power users will find Win 7 harder to tweak back into good working order than Windows XP. Simple UIs tend to have their advanced features scattered about in too many far-flung places. C'mon Microsoft! Bite the bullet and use Suse, Ubuntu or Leopard as your future OS! They're already at the place you need to go!
I am just a USER not a tech or anything of that kind. I have never owned an APPLE Computer thought I about it before, but that is as far as I got.
OS is all I have ever used or known.
OS is all I have ever used or known.
UAC new policies. This only applies to Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Vista. So again I address my desire for just One Version of the Operating System and not multiple.
It's just retarded. I was reviewing the screen shots here and until I read up on it, I didn't know this only applies to Enterprise and Ultimate editions. So will it be the same for 7? If so, then this feature is obsolete.
Grr. I'm so tired of all the hiearchy.
It's just retarded. I was reviewing the screen shots here and until I read up on it, I didn't know this only applies to Enterprise and Ultimate editions. So will it be the same for 7? If so, then this feature is obsolete.
Grr. I'm so tired of all the hiearchy.
microsoft has done some stupid things over the years which includes Vista and know they are launching Windows 7, didnt they learn from Vista.
Microsoft did some new things with 7 but it is a peiace of "crap" excuse my langauge.
Microsoft did some new things with 7 but it is a peiace of "crap" excuse my langauge.
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