Rocker
Junior Member (25+)
Top Reasons-Why Windows 7 is better than Windows Vista
Windows 7 is coming soon. We take a look at five things that will make Windows 7 better than Vista.
1. Less annoying User Account Control:
Windows Vista was constantly warning you of impending danger. Phrases such as "Are you sure you want to do that?" became a common, everyday annoyance as Windows warned you of every potential pitfall. The security alerts have not completely gone from Windows 7 but it's a lot more restrained. With Windows 7 Microsoft has given back some of the control to users so they can change how and when warnings are displayed. And the warnings tend to be be more informative.
2. Faster boot times:
It might not be an issue for users who leave their machines running all the time, but if you're switching your PC on and off all day (or swapping between OSes) then boot time is important. Microsoft has already said that it is hoping to beat 15 seconds for a full boot of Windows 7. Personal tests suggest that a default install takes just over 20 seconds to boot. Vista regularly topped 30 seconds to get up and going so while 15 seconds is still a little way off, 20 seconds is appealing.
3. Slimmer and trimmer:
Vista tried so hard to be all things to all people that it often completely missed the point. With Windows 7, Microsoft has dispensed with the bloat in two ways. The one decision was to remove unnecessary applications from the default install. So things such as calendaring and contacts programs that clogged up Vista are removed and instead users are given the option to download them from the Internet. The other simplification is the desktop. It's hard to say exactly why it feels lighter and faster but the immediate impression is of speed rather than bloat.
4. Notifications are better:
This is related to the better User Account Control. In previous versions of Windows notifications were either on or off. If you had them on you learned to live with the constant stream of balloons popping up and warning you of some or other potential pitfall. In Windows 7 individual notifications can be switched on or off through the customize option. Which means, for example, that you can still get Media Centre notifications but hide the Windows Explorer ones. It again comes down to giving users finer control over the system and how much interference they can handle. The other change is that security notifications have been consolidated. So instead of getting any number of popup security warnings a single, consolidated, notification warns users of the major threats they are facing.
5. Home networking:
Networking has been simplified in Windows 7. A new feature in Windows 7 called HomeGroup allows all users to on a local network to share devices and files as well as search across the HomeGroup for audio, video and documents. Windows Media Player can also stream video and audio from one point in the home network to another connected PC. And if the PCs are equipped with wireless cards a simple system tray selector makes it easy to choose which network to connect to.
Windows 7 already has a number of impressive features that may win the heart of the users.
