Dante Posted October 28, 2008 Posted October 28, 2008 Windows 7 infomation Introducing the Windows 7 UI The way it works: -The entire taskbar is basically one large quick-launch area. -You can "pin" applications to it so they always show up there -Running applications get a glow behind them -Multi-window applications (multiple tabs in IE, etc.) are grouped together in one icon -If you hover over a grouped icon, you get something like this: -If you hover over one of those previews, then all other windows smoothly fade out, while the one you're hovering over fades in and gets a full-screen preview -You can rearrange icons in whatever order you want -Notification area (bottom-right) is much better - much easier to hide icons you don't want, new icons are hidden by default, you can rearrange them in any order you wish, etc. Large vs. small icons, text vs. no text are all options too. If you wish, you can make it look identical to Vista but with the fancy live preview stuff. Office Web Applications images
Dante Posted October 28, 2008 Author Posted October 28, 2008 Wow the new desktop is hideous. its the Pre-beta M3 Build version which was shown to journalists. reviewer final comments on it: It’s safe to say I am overwhelmed, overjoyed and most of all excited about Windows 7. This is the release of Windows everybody has been waiting for, it’s what Vista was meant to be and beyond that. Windows 7 puts the user first; it’s about going back to the fundamentals of what an operating system must do. Managing and maintaining your PC is exceptionally seamless in Windows 7 and users will appreciate the tremendous improvements and advancements this update will offer on both existing and new hardware form factors in the future. Windows Vista set the foundation for a lot of what is happening in Windows 7 today. Windows 7 makes security Essential, but not aggressive like Windows Vista. The improved UAC will no doubt give consumers confidence in this feature, just the fact that you can tweak it to a certain degree is a welcome change. Businesses will appreciate the improvements to how the OS is managed and deployed while mobile users can get better experiences between their work and home environments. Home Networking has finally reached a level of ease of use that will make even the novice to make those PCs in the home talk to each other. There is still a lot of work to be done as this early glimpse shows. But Microsoft is on the right path with Windows 7, focusing on ease of use, compatibility, better ways of interacting with the PC and managing the personal data. This is an upgrade I am looking forward to and you should too.
Shino Posted October 28, 2008 Posted October 28, 2008 I like it, but I hate Microsoft for doing this.
Nintendohnut Posted October 28, 2008 Posted October 28, 2008 Everything described about the UI in the first post is basically Mac OS X. Sorry but it seriously is. And I know it's going to be totally different and much more customisable so that's fine... but right now all I did was read it and think they were basically admitting that the Mac OS X dock is good.
DCK Posted October 28, 2008 Posted October 28, 2008 Meh. Must say I'm impressed with this, but I'm only impressed because Microsoft is doing this. It's quite a big overhaul of something that essentially still is the Windows 95 interface (which was good nonetheless). The thing is - everything in that interface isn't their own work. The new taskbar is essentially a Mac OS X dock with added tray and Windows button. In fact, it looks exactly like a KDE4 taskbar. The only difference is KDE puts text next to the icons, and that can be turned off. KDE4 also demonstrates the gadgets on the desktop instead of the sidebar, an idea it took from OS X. All the other effects, like viewing your desktop through your windows, are all available in Linux for many years now with Compiz Fusion. The ideas I can't blame them on stealing are the jump lists, which are a good idea. EDIT: Apparently ripped from OS X too. The new ribbon interfaces everywhere are also quite nice, and the Library idea is pretty good as well, but something that could've (and should've) already been introduced in Windows XP. Oh well, at least they know how to steal the right stuff. All this 'innovation' is sure to upset my neighbours, my grandparents and everybody else who know nothing about computers, have always worked with the Windows 95 interface and expect nothing else. It'll even upset my Dad, who is an experienced computer user. He still uses the classic theme in Vista. If this system really is an evolution of Vista they should be focusing on other aspects of the OS to improve. This may seem like a rant, but in the end I do quite like this move. I'm far from a Windows hater, and I do like my shiny interfaces.
Shino Posted October 28, 2008 Posted October 28, 2008 Everyone steals form everyone, I really don't care about that part. It's the really new things that matter. I really hate they're doing this so early, people are still complaining about the new features in Vista.
DCK Posted October 28, 2008 Posted October 28, 2008 I don't mind them stealing either, it's all good. I just want to point out they did before people go "whoah, so revolutionary", because it really isn't. For Windows though, I love it. And I do really like Vista.
McPhee Posted October 29, 2008 Posted October 29, 2008 This is pretty much what i wanted to see in Windows, so i'm happy
blender Posted October 29, 2008 Posted October 29, 2008 will allow a virtual machine offering x360 games support? or is that a dream
Guest Jordan Posted October 29, 2008 Posted October 29, 2008 will allow a virtual machine offering x360 games support? or is that a dream You must be kidding,...
RoadKill Posted October 29, 2008 Posted October 29, 2008 will allow a virtual machine offering x360 games support? or is that a dream Oh yeah because emulating 3x 3.2GHz processors of an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURE won't be demanding at all, no sir. Graphics shouldn't be a massive problem, because it should be DirectX9, but I'd imagine there are still some custom calls in the API for the 360. Either way, hahaha, no Also, why do fanboys get all uppity when ideas get copied from [iNSERT FAVOURITE OPERATING SYSTEM WITH SUPPOSED STOLEN FEATURE HERE]? Surely the fact now everyone can appreciate the awesome of said feature is a good thing. Does it diminish your own user experience? Does dock like functionality in Windows 7 suddenly somehow make the dock in Mac OS X unusable on Windows 7's release?
Mr_Odwin Posted October 29, 2008 Posted October 29, 2008 Every operating system has elements from stuff that came before it (moving an arrow round the screen with a mouse, who came up with that? And how come everyone uses an arrow? Copycats!) - it's not an uaual practice, and cries of "copy!" should be ignored.
Charlie Posted October 29, 2008 Posted October 29, 2008 Yep, benchmarking is a standard business practice. And you should be pleased that companies do do this. If they didn't all you Mac users would still be using one-button mice.
DCK Posted October 29, 2008 Posted October 29, 2008 Also, why do fanboys get all uppity when ideas get copied from [iNSERT FAVOURITE OPERATING SYSTEM WITH SUPPOSED STOLEN FEATURE HERE]? Surely the fact now everyone can appreciate the awesome of said feature is a good thing. Does it diminish your own user experience? Does dock like functionality in Windows 7 suddenly somehow make the dock in Mac OS X unusable on Windows 7's release?Would you read my posts well please. And stop calling me a fanboy, I love Windows They just can't claim they're so original. Microsoft has always been years behind in this stuff. They have good reasons too.
Jasper Posted October 31, 2008 Posted October 31, 2008 Looks great. Takes a lot of qeues from Apple's dock. Love it.
Dog-amoto Posted October 31, 2008 Posted October 31, 2008 May be a stupid question, but why's it called Windows 7? Is it because it's the seventh version? (3.1, 95, 98, 2000, XP, Vista)
Guest Jordan Posted October 31, 2008 Posted October 31, 2008 May be a stupid question, but why's it called Windows 7? Is it because it's the seventh version? (3.1, 95, 98, 2000, XP, Vista) * Windows 7 * Windows 6 - Windows Vista * Windows 5.1 - Windows XP * Windows 5 - Windows 2000 * Windows 4 - NT 4.0 * Windows 3 * Windows 2 * Windows 1 And the Windows 95/98/ME kernel fits in there some where too. Although in real terms, Windows 7 is actually version 6.1. Windows 7 is what Windows XP was to Windows 2000. All the back end has been built up in Vista, its extremely solid and runs well, 7 is just front end and performance changes.
DCK Posted October 31, 2008 Posted October 31, 2008 Windows 95, 98 and Me aren't included in that line because they're not based on Windows NT. Windows NT and 9x split after Windows 3, so 7 technically isn't a successor to those. Windows 7 will actually be heavily based on Vista though, so maybe it's more fair to say it's Windows 6.5. They basically took Vista (all drivers will still work) and made it better. They've improved UAC, apparently it runs fine on a Eee PC, and the GUI is quite revolutionary for Windows. Basically, it's what should've been Vista
McPhee Posted October 31, 2008 Posted October 31, 2008 It literally is what Vista should have been, they only released Vista due to delays to Windows 7. I think they made the right move there though, they've learnt a lot through Vista and won't be making the same mistakes in 7.
DCK Posted October 31, 2008 Posted October 31, 2008 There's nothing wrong with Vista.Tbh I like it a lot more than XP but it's really inexplicably rescources heavy and UAC was never a good idea. Vista was introduced as a revolution, but it's really not. You get a more stable and far prettier OS than XP, but in essence it presents nothing new for anybody. I hope Windows 7 will also feature WinFS, because that could be something in which MS could innovate. They haven't made a single comment about it though.
Jasper Posted October 31, 2008 Posted October 31, 2008 It literally is what Vista should have been, they only released Vista due to delays to Windows 7. I think they made the right move there though, they've learnt a lot through Vista and won't be making the same mistakes in 7. Actually, Windows they only released Vista due to delays to Windows Blaccomb, wich is Windows 6 (but now named 7). Confusing naming stuff, but seven does work better from a marketing perspective than marketing it as 6.1 or Vista 2.
Shino Posted October 31, 2008 Posted October 31, 2008 Tbh I like it a lot more than XP but it's really inexplicably rescources heavy and UAC was never a good idea. Vista was introduced as a revolution, but it's really not. You get a more stable and far prettier OS than XP, but in essence it presents nothing new for anybody. I hope Windows 7 will also feature WinFS, because that could be something in which MS could innovate. They haven't made a single comment about it though. By resources do you mean RAM? People have to look at their PCs and see "Can this handle Vista?" instead of buying it for obsolete machines. UAC wasn't perfect, but people can turn it off if they don't like it. Granted, the one in Vista 7 is definitely a great step forward, but not a justification for them make a new Windows. And Windows 7 wont be a great revolution for anybody either, and I'm already annoyed at the shit people willl make up against it. Win FS would be interesting but I highly doubt they'll do it.
DCK Posted October 31, 2008 Posted October 31, 2008 By resources do you mean RAM? People have to look at their PCs and see "Can this handle Vista?" instead of buying it for obsolete machines.Doesn't make sense that XP, Mac OS X, every *nix and even Windows Server 2008 are less sluggish and more responsive on the same hardware. You can compensate by buying more expensive hardware, but you shouldn't have to.UAC wasn't perfect, but people can turn it off if they don't like it. Granted, the one in Vista 7 is definitely a great step forward, but not a justification for them make a new Windows. And Windows 7 wont be a great revolution for anybody either, and I'm already annoyed at the shit people willl make up against it.Agreed. Still UAC doesn't make sense for anybody, and doesn't help computer safety at all. But it was hailed as one of Vista's big new features.Win FS would be interesting but I highly doubt they'll do it.It's sure taking them long enough. Features of it were already planned for Windows NT 4.0
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