Windows 7 Review

(Sorry for the delay in blogging! Won't happen again.)

I've recently installed Windows 7 onto my main computer, replacing the frustrating Vista that was there before. Since then, I've been quite the happy camper.

Windows 7 combines the energy efficiency of Windows XP and the gorgeous graphics of Vista into one clean, smooth operating system.

Cool features I've discovered:
- Holding the Windows key + up/down arrow will maximize/minimize/hide/restore the active window.
- Holding the Windows key + left/right arrow will fit the active window to the left/right side of the screen so that it takes up exactly 1/2 of the screen. No more manual stretching of windows!
- Clicking at the top of a window (as though you were going to drag it) then shaking the window with your mouse will minimize all other windows, leaving you with the one you selected.
- There is a button in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Click it, and all Windows will be minimized. This is basically a "Show Desktop" button.
- Windows combines the wonderful idea of a quick launch tray and windows tab grouping. What does this mean? Well, on the task bar at the bottom of the screen, you can pin icons to it as though it were the quick launch tray from Vista, XP, etc. But, when you click the icon and the application opens up, the icon is simply outlined and highlighted a bit to show that it's active. There is no longer an entire new tab that pops up at the task bar. Instead, you use those quick launch icons to sort through all open windows of that application.
- System Repair Disc: Unfortunately, Windows is notorious for eventually crashing on the user. There are even problems that prevent Windows from booting into Safe Mode, which is designed to help the user or a technician repair the system. Microsoft saw this and now has a great backup plan. In Windows 7, you can make a "System Repair Disc" for when your computer doesn't start successfully. You can boot off the disc and potentially fix the majority of any problems that might come up without the need for a technician or paid assistance.

There are 100's if not 1000's of new features that I could go over, but these seemed to appeal to me the most as far as usefulness goes.

My overall ratings for Windows 7:

Energy Efficiency:-----------------------****
New Features:----------------------------*****
Task-Management Capabilities:------------*****
Graphics and UI Appeal:------------------*****
Stability:-------------------------------*****
Integration with 3rd Pary Applications:--**** (1)
Speed:-----------------------------------*****
Security:--------------------------------*** (2)
User-Friendliness:-----------------------*****
Simplicity:------------------------------*****
Overall:---------------------------------*****

(1. I can't get Google Chrome to work on W7 yet.)
(2. Windows needs to come with an Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware in m opinion.)

Overall, I'd say this is the best thing since Windows XP. Vista was clearly an unfortunate mistake on Microsoft's part, but I'd say they're actively on their way to making up for it. If you're planning on buying a computer, I'd suggest trying your best to wait until Windows 7 is on all computers. Unfortunately, I don't know how long that will be. It could be a few months or a year or more.

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Thanks for reading,
-Nick