Windows 7 Impressions

Windows 7 is the next revision of Microsoft’s flagship desktop Operating System (OS). It is scheduled to ship on October 22^nd, 2009. Lately, I’ve been dipping my toes into the Windows 7 waters to see what it’s all about.

At first glance, it looks a lot like Windows Vista. However, there are some nice tweaks to the interface. The transparent dock that normally appears on the right side of the screen is no longer there. In Windows 7, they forgo the dock and allow you to put widgets wherever you want on the desktop.

The taskbar has some changes as well. When you place your mouse cursor over a running item, it will show you a preview of it’s windows. This feature is called ‘Aero Peek’ and is very handy. In fact, Apple had the same idea (who knows who thought it up first) and is adding a similar feature to ‘Snow Leopard’, the next version of their Operating System that hit’s the shelves very soon (last rumor has it coming out on August 28^th, 2009).

Besides the obvious visual changes, Microsoft has made a lot of changes under the hood that make the new OS run faster on the same hardware. If you’re Vista computer feels a little sluggish, I would highly recommend this upgrade. If you got in quick enough to get in on the early pre-order program, you would have been able to get the upgrade for as little as $49.95 for Windows 7 Home Premium.