7 Awesome Features of Windows 7
Now that my finals are over, I decided it was time to use my free upgrade to Windows 7. I have to admit, I didn’t hate Vista as much as the next person, and I had heard bad things about the upgrade process (though not about Windows 7), so I was a little nervous going into it. I thought I would start the install, only to come back to a completely unusable computer, stuck halfway between operating systems, that I would then have to wipe clean and start fresh. Thankfully, this was not the case.
I started the upgrade process by backing up my files. I didn’t use the process on the upgrade manager disc, and the backup was slow. I think it was an external hard drive issue. Whatever the case, it took me 4 hours to back up my files, and I started the actual upgrade much later than I wanted to.
The actual upgrade disc asked me if I wanted to check my compatibility online first. I’m not sure what the point of this would have been, as the first thing it did during the “install” process was give me a compatibility report.
This compatibility report informed me that iTunes and Photoshop Elements would be removed during the install process, and I should quit the process to uninstall these programs first. I ignored this warning, and both programs are still on my computer, and functioning perfectly. Go figure.
At one point, I thought I was going to have to give up, because the install seemed to be stuck 21% of the way through the 3rd of 5 tasks it had to complete, but an hour or two later it moved on. Not sure what the hang-up was there.
Overall the install itself was painless — it took a long time, but it was relatively easy and all my files and programs remained intact. Now, time to explore features!
1. Problem Steps Recorder
This program takes a screen shot every time you click, puts the images in an HTML file and allows you to add comments. I can’t really imagine using this program for the intended function, but I can imagine using it for many other things. This could be useful for developing prototypes, testing user interfaces, or even just creating a how-to document to show the grandparents what to do.
2. Snipping Tool
I know there have been many versions of this tool available for download on the internet, but it’s about time it was included. I probably take 10 screenshots a week, on average, and some of the programs I use don’t make it easy to crop images. This program will save me from needing to paste the image in PowerPoint or Word before saving it or copying it into another program.
3. Newly Improved Calculator
This doesn’t seem like a terribly exciting feature, but it is. In addition to basic and scientific modes, the Windows 7 Calculator includes modes for statistics and programming. I’m not too sure what the programmer mode is used for, but I frequently need to run statistics on small datasets.
4. Switching Between Displays
This is something that no operating system has really gotten right so far. Now, I don’t have my external monitor with me over break, so I haven’t actually had a chance to test this out yet, but just by pressing Win+P, it’s possible to scroll through the different options for using an external monitor. This is great for when I’m using my computer to give a presentation, watch a movie (with or without multitasking), or disconnecting so I can take my computer to class. I just hope this doesn’t take away my plug-and-play capability — I mostly use my external as an extended monitor, and whenever I plug in my monitor, I want it to automatically detect it and enter extended viewing pane mode.
5. Adjustable Icon Sizes in the Task Bar
I like to have a pretty minimalist viewing experience on my computer. I like to use solid-color backgrounds and the only thing you will find on my desktop is the Recycle Bin. So while at first I didn’t think I would like the new style task bar, within an hour I was sold. Instead of a wide rectangle, each program is a small, space-saving square, identifiable by icon — not unlike the way I use my bookmarks bar in Google Chrome. And it’s possible to use a smaller size of icons so the task bar doesn’t need to be as tall, but since I’m using a touch screen, I like that the buttons are the perfect size for my fingers.
6. Customizable Start Menu and Notification Icons
Many things in Windows 7 seem to be customizable that were either difficult or impossible to customize in the past. Notification Icons have always been a problem in the past, where although they appeared customizable, they frequently just showed up or disappeared whenever they wanted. Now, I seem to have complete control. On the Start Menu, I can switch which power option is available (I rarely ever power off, so I’ve changed my default to “Sleep”). And there seems to be pretty good control over which items are displayed and why.
*One caveat: Customizing the task bar notifications may require some trial and error. My computer just ran out of power on me because I had hidden the power icon and wasn’t closely monitoring the battery life remaining.
7. Shortcuts
Windows has not done a good job with shortcuts in the past. Shortcuts are either non-existent or difficult to remember. Now, there are a few useful shortcuts that are easy to access. Perhaps the most famous of these is the “shortcut” to isolate a window (minimize all others) by grabbing it and shaking it, but the keyboard shortcuts are great, too. There are a few simple shortcuts to maximize and minimize windows, and make a window take up exactly half the screen on the left or right side — great for writing a paper from an outline, taking notes, or any form of multitasking. And holding ctrl while clicking on a program icon in the task bar allows you to scroll through instances of that program.
A few less awesome things…
Of course, Windows 7 is far from perfect, and there are a few things I’ve had trouble with so far, despite the fact that I haven’t done anything too complex or resource-consuming. So far, it’s been a little slow. I’ll have to reboot and see if there’s an improvement. I also can’t seem to find a way to search the hidden files and folders. I’ve made the hidden files and folders visible, but still nothing showed up when I searched through Windows Explorer. In Windows Vista, there was an option to do an advanced search, and I had trouble finding this feature in 7. Through this process, I also noticed it didn’t find a non-hidden file in My Documents when I set the entire C drive as the search zone.
Overall, there are many fun features with Windows 7, and it seems to be an improvement over Vista, although I’m not sure how much of an improvement. In a few weeks, after I’ve had more of a chance to test out Windows 7 extensively, I’ll update my thoughts.
