What is new in Windows 7

Microsoft has finally made official the release date of Windows 7 scheduled for Thursday 22 October. This confirms the rumors that circulated for several months with a launch at the end of the year and not 2010 as the Redmond company argued there is little time.

We know how the launch and success hoped for, this new OS is crucial for Microsoft. The Redmond company has to make us forget the disappointment caused by Vista, while turning the page to Windows XP endless play of overtime, including through the market for "low cost".

Migration program free to Windows 7

Precisely, Microsoft has already announced that Windows 7, unlike Vista, will be available for Ultraportables cheaply via a so-called Starter Edition. A strategic choice much at a time when a new major player, Android could come play spoilsport on the market if the carrier netBook and their little brothers, nettops.

Regarding desktops and laptops more conventional, the publisher has confirmed that a program of free migration to Windows 7 was scheduled for customers who purchased a machine with Vista, without giving further details.

Windows 7 features

> System Tray: In Windows 7, you have complete control over your system tray. You can remove, change, and even move around the different applications that reside there.

> DirectX is extended to 2D, animation and “fine-looking” text.

> Remote Desktop supports multiple monitors. Easier access to VPNs

> Windows 7 has a reduced memory footprint and they’ve reduced the disk I/O reads “substantially.” In the demo, a 1 Ghz/1 GB RAM netbook had 500 MB RAM available after boot.

> Overall, the system is faster. The taskbar responds almost instantaneously. The boot time is also faster.

> You can use BitLocker to encrypt a USB memory stick.

> Better power management in Windows 7 means longer battery life for notebooks and netbooks.

> You can both create and boot natively from a Windows 7 VHD.

> Touch support: On touch-enabled devices, you can interact with the OS via touch, gestures, flicks, etc. Windows 7 supports multi-touch. There’s also around 25% more space between items in the context menus to allow easier control when touching.