Windows 7 will be open to the public in just over a month (October 22). Many of the techies have heard a lot about it, and know whether or not they’re interested. However, some people may still be unsure.
Personally, I think that Windows 7 is worth upgrading too myself. Here are seven reasons Windows 7 will be a success (and is worth the purchase).
1. Taskbar Improvements: The taskbar has improved so dramatically that developers call it the Superbar. This is probably because of the way Microsoft combined applications that are open with ones that aren’t (as if they took the quick launch and merged it with the taskbar). And in order to tell if an application is running, there is a small glare/glow on the corner of open applications, which will then turn orange (without an annoying flash like before) if the application requires attention.
Also, the “Aero Peek”, which allows users to hover the mouse over a Superbar Application and see a small thumbnail of that app, goes a step further. It will now also temporarily hide all other apps and show the selected app as it is on the desktop, full sized.
Lastly, there is now an easy way to open files through applications on the Superbar. You simply drag and drop an icon onto the app that you want to open the file with, while holding shift. This is nice because it speeds up the process of opening a file with a non-default app.
2. Cheap: Microsoft must be doing some price testing, because they have some great deals going on. If you preorder Windows 7 in US, Canada, Japan, UK, France, or Germany, you can get up to 75% off! It is only $49.99 for the Home Premium version and $99.99 for the Professional version in the US.
In addition, anybody that bought a new computer running Vista after June 26th can upgrade for free to the similar Windows 7 version.
3. Lightweight – Competition in Net book Market: With netbooks now outselling desktops, Microsoft knew windows 7 had to be strong in that particular market. In order for that to happen, it needed to be lightweight.
Lightweight means that it uses low amounts processing, memory, and energy. First, Windows 7 doesn’t add as much memory usage when you open new windows as before. Second, background processes, such as multi-touch, only run when necessary. These and more lets Windows 7 run on low end machines, such as netbooks.
In addition, Windows 7 increases security, and makes networking much easier for when you are on the go and constantly changing your wireless access point.
4. Performance Improvements: As mentioned above, Windows 7 is a lot more lightweight, and runs on netbooks very well. This also means that the performance for high end machines is even better.
Windows 7 is even better than XP in terms of performance, which is a big accomplishment on Microsoft’s end. Usually, newer OS’s require more memory/power than the one’s before it. zdnet.com did a performance test and recorded the data on a nice chart. As you can see, Windows 7’s score is much lower than all the other OS’s, including XP and vista, making it much faster.
5. Aero not just for looks anymore: As previously mentioned in point #1 (Superbar), Aero is no longer just for looks; there is actually a reason for it. The Aero Peek lets you easily find an app by hiding all other windows and bringing the one you’re interested in to the top, and the Superbar allows for files to be dragged onto app icons to be opened.
Another neat Aero feature new to windows 7 is Shake. Do you ever find that there are too many windows open and it is causing eye clutter? Or you only want the window you are using to be displayed? By clicking the title bar of a window and shaking it, all other windows will be minimized. To get all those windows showing again, just shake one more time.
There is also Aero Snap. Aero snap helps neatly organize your windows. When you drag a window to the edge, it will snap and reshape the window to take up that edge of the screen. Do it on the otherside to take the other half, all neatly and easily.
I would suggest watching this playlist for a complete array of videos on windows 7 aero.
6. Multi-touch support: The future of computers is touch screens, and although it’s hard to believe, they are already here. That’s why it is important that Windows 7 has touch abilities.
Many of the applications in Windows 7 already have touch support built in. For example, the icons on a Windows 7 desktop are purposely bigger so that they can be dragged. There is also a touch supported keyboard that glows when you touch a key for better UI feedback.
The multi-touch aspect will get developers thrilled and will spark the interest of customers.
7. Unsure consumers have XP option: This is the most important reason by far. Lots of consumers, especially small businesses, are still running windows XP. To them, it’s not worth the risk of upgrading and not having programs work, plus it is a lot of money for something not a necessity.
By Windows 7 having XP mode, consumers will be more willing to upgrade, having the blanket of security that their programs will work, and decide that with all the other reasons, it is time to upgrade.
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