Microsoft reveals Windows 7
A day after announcing its new Azure cloud computing platform, Microsoft yesterday revealed details of its Windows 7 operating system which will succeed Windows Vista.
Demonstrating Windows 7 at the Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles, Microsoft highlighted a number of key elements that would make up Windows 7. Among these were mobility, compatibility and multi-touch capabilities.
As mobile devices grow in popularity and wireless network coverage improves, mobile computing is a key objective for all operating system makers, and Microsoft is no different. The company says that Windows 7 will include improvements in energy usage, better network connection control and tighter security to guard against lost or stolen notebooks.
Interestingly, Microsoft also says that Windows 7 will be focused on core functions, while many of the client applications will be migrated to its Windows Live cloud service. Just yesterday Microsoft announced Azure, its cloud computing platform, that it will presumably attempt to tie into Windows 7. Initially Microsoft will probably migrate smaller client applications to the web but it has also announced that it is planning on making its Office suite available over the Web in the near future.
Compatibility
One of the complaints with Vista has been that there were significant incompatibilities between it and devices that users wanted to use. Microsoft is obviously well aware of this and according to InfoWeek, Debby Fry Wilson, senior director of Windows product management at Microsoft said that "one goal is to have any application and device that works on Vista to [be] compatible with Windows 7".
Some critics have said that Windows 7 at this point looks like being little more than a refresh of Windows Vista with just a handful of changes.
There are, however, a number of changes that many users won’t initially see when installing Windows 7 but that might well come into play further down the line. Chief among these is the multi-touch capabilities of Windows 7. Based strongly on a combination of its own Surface technology and the kinds of features included in Apple’s iPhone and iTouch, Windows 7 will allow users to use touch screen devices to manipulate desktop items and applications. The problem, however, is that touch screens on notebook PCs are unlikely to become commonplace for the next few years, so many users wont benefit from this until they upgrade.
Microsoft said that a public beta version of Windows 7 would be available in early 2009. The final release is planned for early 2010.
Microsoft Windows 7 discussion
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