Microsoft's latest operating system is simply known as Windows 7. Though it won't be available in stores until October 22, 2009, many people have had the chance to try it out through its open beta stages and Microsoft making the release candidate available to download for free. Windows Vista was very buggy upon release, so while Microsoft did fix it and make it very stable with Service Pack 1, it still got bad reviews from users and made inefficient use of resources. So, to try and remedy such problems, Microsoft is releasing its next operating system only two years after its last.
From Windows '95 up until Window ME, the look of Windows didn't really change. Windows XP saw a major overhaul in the desktop theme however, as did its successor Windows Vista. Windows 7 will also bring with it a new theme, that looks much more smooth and streamlined than even Vista does.
Of course, a new look isn't the only big change in Windows 7. Windows 7 also runs a lot smoother, making better use of your system's resources. In fact, many people have even said that it will run well on netbooks. That's good news for Microsoft because before, Linux operating systems were a popular choice for netbooks and it will allow them to capture more of that market.
Other features of Windows 7 include brand new desktop shortcuts for managing open windows. One of them is if you have multiple windows showing on your desktop at the same time, then if you grab and shake on window, all of the windows in the background will minimize. Also, if you drag a window to the top of the screen, its size will increase to take up the entire screen. Likewise, if you drag a full-sized window from the top of the screen, its size will decrease. Another very helpful shortcut for managing the size of your windows, is that if you drag a window to one side of the screen, it's size will change to take up that half of the screen, which is very helpful if you need to look at two windows at the same time.
Another excellent feature added to Windows 7 is its increased taskbar functionality from Vista. The way windows are grouped in it is vastly improved, and the window preview functionality has also increased, allowing you to close the windows now by clicking the "x" in the preview.
Another complaint that has been becoming more common as user move away from using Internet Explorer to alternatives such as Mozilla Firefox and Opera, is that you cannot uninstall Internet Explorer. Now Windows 7 will allow you to remove Internet Explorer, to the delight of many people.
As you can see, the improvements to Windows 7 from Windows Vista will possibly make it the operating system of choice companies and single users alike. Before now, while Windows Vista is very popular, many people still stuck with Windows XP. If Microsoft can indeed get those users to switch to Windows 7, then they will probably see a very nice increase in their market share.
Source by Garry Knight
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