Windows 7: all about the ergonomics of the new Microsoft OS

Billed as faster, lighter and more user friendly than Vista; the new operating system from Microsoft is available since October 22. It's worth a visit...

Barely three years after its release, Vista is bowing out and giving way to its successor Windows 7. It was time! Described as "one of the most calamitous versions of Windows" on the Wikipedia site, Vista marked the minds mainly because of its weight and complexity. Microsoft, however, paid dearly for his mistakes. For proof, this was audited last September conducted by research firm Net Applications. According to him, shunned by Internet users around the world; Vista was used by 18.6% of them while 71.5% preferred its Windows XP.

More worryingly, if one looks at the evolution of the number of users of Windows, all versions combined over a period of eleven months, we see that it continues to fall, slowly but surely! Thus, while in November 2008, 94.41% of Internet users still using Windows, this percentage came down to 92.77% in September 2009. Who benefits from this reduction? Essentially Mac OS X operating system from Apple, just as slowly, he rose from 4.12% to 5.12% of users.

The great challenge for Windows 7

The question thus arises now is whether Windows 7 will arrive or not to halt the decline of Windows. Even reverse the trend. Quite clever that venture to make a prediction!

However you'll see later on that the new operating system from Microsoft has actually beautiful assets. Less resource-intensive, less intrusive, more swift and more turned to the general public than its predecessor, Windows 7 has thus pleasantly surprised.

Must crack for him? If you're one of 18.62% of Internet users using Vista - and you're ready to break your piggy bank; the answer is yes without hesitation! Your computer whatsoever finds a second youth. If you're one of 71.51% of XP users, we will issue some reservations.

If your computer starts to date, perhaps it is wiser to wait to renew and take the plunge. Anyway, you will then have a choice. But did you really already decided to take the plunge? Because you really are tired of Vista or simply because the temptation to upgrade to Windows 7 is too high! We're not trying to dissuade you. But before you insert the Windows 7 DVD in your drive, you'd better know what to expect during the installation phase.

If you intend to clean completely reinstalling your computer, installing Windows 7 after reformatting your hard drive, should not be a problem. And this facility should not monopolize your computer a little time. Beforehand, make sure you save all your files. However, if you want only to update your Windows XP or Vista, it is possible that Windows 7 first refuses to settle.

A good and bad surprises

The reason? Simply because of an incompatibility with some software or some device drivers that is present in your computer. In this case, you should uninstall them before trying to install Windows 7. And do not hurry! Thus, in our tests, updating a computer with Vista, which were installed several dozen software lasted four hours! Fortunately, once the installation started, unlike its predecessors, Windows 7 does not seek further action. It installs itself as a major.

And it is finally the first good surprise that you reserve.

The three editions

You remember the three musketeers who in fact were four? Well, Windows 7 is a little similar.

There are four editions of Windows 7: Basic, Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate. But you find that three commercially, the first being preinstalled on mini-laptops. The Professional and the Ultimate add functionality to Windows 7. Thus, in Professional Edition, Windows 7 is seen with an XP mode to use very old programs. It also offers networking features that make it easy undertaking, and it is able to perform backups from one computer to another via a home network or business. In Ultimate, Windows 7 is enriched by an encryption function of hard drive that ensures, in case of loss or theft of the computer, the inaccessibility of these files. In any case, Windows 7 comes with two DVD versions 32 and 64 bits.

What Windows 7 did not contain ...

To avoid any complaint for abuse of dominant position, Microsoft has decided not to impose the previously delivered software in conjunction with Windows XP and Vista. Thus, the Windows Live Essentials suite consists of software Messenger, Mail, Writer, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker parental control, Toolbar, Outlook Connector, Office Live and Silverlight are not part of Windows 7. You can download it in its entirety or by selecting only the software you want on this page. More question for Microsoft to offer only Internet browser like Internet Explorer! At startup of Windows 7, you can choose between at least Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome or Opera.

A redesigned interface

The Start menu slightly improved

The Start menu does not reroute users of Vista. We found the search function, the All Programs button ... Some are new but their appearance, such as the Stop button now always a mouse click away. Or the possibility that the tasks associated or last used files with software. To access it, simply click on the arrow to the right of the icon of the software.

A taskbar really lean

Not necessarily visible at first glance, the changes to the taskbar are nevertheless essential. This is initially much thicker than that of Vista. And the buttons of the programs or files open continuously shake it. Now they are back in the Quick Launch area, right next to the Windows button, overlaying the program icons. The heightened brightness of these icons indicates that software is presently being carried out. Furthermore, if multiple windows of one program are small, simply passing the mouse over the icon it shows all hidden windows as small thumbnails. Just then click that you want to restore the window on the desktop.

Contextual menus somewhat enriched

We note also the appearance of lists of shortcuts (Microsoft calls them Jumps lists). They are directly accessible by right-clicking the program icon in the Quick Launch area. Through them you can, for example, add or remove a program from the Quick Launch area, direct access to certain software functions or close a window or a program running.

A tray finally ergonomic

Note that the notification area of the taskbar (the bottom right) has undergone a slight facelift. The little arrow to the left, which allowed expanding this area to reveal the hidden icons, has been replaced by a small arrow pointing up. What revolutions are you thinking except this new arrow that now opens a small window giving access to all your TSRs easier? Click on the icon you want to display the software or device you want, or click on the Customize button to choose whether to display the icon and warning messages for each program.

An aftertaste of Office 2007

Microsoft provides the essential software: WordPad and Paint. Moreover, they are being equipped for the occasion, a new interface similar to that occurred with Word 2007. The trend is to simplify the toolbars with the introduction of ribbons - the menu systems by tab - which, once mastered, should, according to Microsoft, facilitate access to common tasks, regardless of software used.

Some windows are easier to arrange

Active since your graphics card has 128 MB of memory, the Aero interface of Vista, of course, been retained in this new version of Windows. Just as the ability to display its windows in cascade, side by side or stacked by right-clicking on the Taskbar. But Microsoft has seen fit to add three new features. If you move a window on one of left or right edges of the screen, it moves up half the screen. If you place your mouse over the upper edge of the screen, then it goes full screen. Finally, Shake function, may be more fun than useful, which allows a window shaking, reducing all those near and in the stirring yet again to expand them.

The state's Office always a mouse click away

If you absolutely need to cast an eye on your office regularly to check what documents are there for example, two possibilities open to you. Either you simply pass your mouse over the Show Desktop button located at the far right of the taskbar. The open windows become temporarily transparent. Or you click the same button that displays the desktop and open windows to let disappear permanently establish the Office. To restore your windows, click again on the Show Desktop button.

Gadgets finally released their component

The gadgets of Vista, which appeared on the right side of the screen does not appear to have been unanimity among users of the old operating system. Microsoft has therefore revised its copy. You can access your gadgets via a right click on the desktop and place now, wherever you want, and even separate from each other if it is more practical.

These functions will simplify your life

The Wi-Fi networks easily accessible

To the delight of mobile users, network management has been greatly simplified. Just click on the Network icon in the Notification Area you can view the Wi-Fi within your reach and connect easily to the one you want. It is no longer necessary to go through the multitude of windows imposed by previous versions of Windows.

Libraries for tidy and any return

This is the file explorer of the new Windows will remedy the many shortcomings of previous versions. Its window has, by default, five sections in the left column. Three of them (Favorites, Computer and Network) are already well known among users of Vista. In contrast, libraries are new. These virtual folders for grouping files scattered, but similar, without having to worry about their actual location on the hard disk. An example: you have thousands of music files in your iTunes library that you purposefully stored on an external hard drive to save space on your primary drive. Furthermore, you have recently extracted the audio tracks from a CD and the resulting files were found in a folder on the Windows desktop, on your main hard drive. In your music library entitled, the two cases are virtually present when in fact they are at physically different locations. Of course, libraries are not confined to the Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos.

You can have as many libraries as you want. Simply create, for example, a library named Wedding photos and to identify all the pictures about the event: your family, but also those of your relatives may be scattered on your hard drive.

A search tool finally mature

Windows Search, the search engine built into Windows 7 is really powerful more than Vista. The search results are delivered almost instantaneously and the speed is reminiscent of that of Spotlight, its counterpart for Mac OS X. All your key files (Email, My Documents, My Music, etc...) are included by default in the search.

If you connect an external hard drive, occasionally, it is possible to integrate in the process of indexing via the Windows Search Indexing Options Control Panel.

A central maintenance and security

It has been heavily criticized for its Security Center, which occurs for a yes or a no because Windows Vista was sending unwanted messages warning, when you perform an operation that could threaten to close or far the system security.

With Windows 7, Microsoft has taken account of feedback from users. Now all that is inherent to security and maintenance of your system is managed from the Maintenance Center in Control Panel. As for alerts, they appear discreetly in the Notification Area and are available with a click on the icon flag.

When you see an alert, the operating system offers the best solutions he proposes to remedy the problem. Via clicking the Open button Maintenance Center, you can also choose the type of alerts that Windows should display.

Sharing files in two shakes Pot

The Residential Group is a major new Windows 7. The function allows you to easily share documents, images, music and videos and printers with other computers on your home network but on condition that they also use the new Windows. All connections between computers in a group are protected by a password. And icing on the cake, it is possible to allow streaming (streaming) audio and video from one PC to another. Moreover, once activated Residential Group, it's easy to share a folder individually by right-clicking on its icon and select Sharing from the shortcut menu.

Management of everything connected to the PC

Now, listed in Peripherals and Printers in Control Panel, not only all the devices connected to the PC such as printers, monitors, keyboard, mouse, etc but also any multimedia equipment (cameras, mobile phones...). Context menus (accessible with a simple right click on the desired icon) allow access to settings more or less pushed to them. It is possible for some cameras, displaying the number of images present on the memory card.

The bar to any multimedia

A media player better organized ...

Windows Media Player 12 comes with its share of novelties, especially in terms of ergonomics. Navigating the library contents is facilitated through a combination of six groups: Music, Videos, Images, Record(s), and other media selections. Each is organized according to specific criteria, such as Artist, Album and Genre in the Music folder. This new version is, of course, able to identify all the media files on your PC with the famous organization for Libraries. But the most interesting function is by far the dissemination of content from a distance ...

Recognizes many more formats

Good news for fans of multimedia entertainment! Windows 7 is seen with multiple and dramatic improvements in this area compared to XP and Vista.

First, include support for Windows Media Player 12 for many audio and video codecs including the latest Mpeg4, now unavoidable in almost all its forms: Avi DivX and XviD, QuickTime, 3GPP (the format for mobile phones ), AAC (the preferred format of iTunes) and AVC-HD (HD camcorder). It is no longer necessarily need to download and install codec packs or third players like VLC, except for read Blu-ray and MKV format. And it's a shame to have forgotten these two formats for Windows 7 would have played the perfects!

Second, include the Windows tool to create DVD, which also supports management of video standards PAL and NTSC as well as display ratios (4 / 3 and 16 / 9) and the creation of interactive menus DVD.

And is also more willing to share!

Now, the devices allowed to connect to your PC (computers, gaming consoles, external hard drives...) can read files stored on your PC without downloading. You can also allow remote control of Windows Media Player from another PC on your home network.

You can even play files stored on your PC from any computer connected to the Internet. One condition though: you need a Windows Live ID, the one you used to chat with your friends on the Internet. Also, if you have multiple video devices connected to your PC - such as a computer monitor and LCD TV - you can, but only by allowing the TV to connect to Windows Media Center, play a movie on TV in your lounge while you work on a document displayed on the screen of your monitor.

A redesigned Explorer games

In Vista, we already missed the Minesweeper and Solitaire which were found competitive from other small game to afford a few minutes of distraction alone or against an opponent online. Games, Windows 7 likes it too! For proof, we see the return of chess, Backgammon and Spades on the Internet. For further proof! We see a redesigned Explorer games. Moreover, many games now that you install on your computer will be stored in it wisely rather than creating a new folder in the Start menu.

More ...

The calculator, which now offers four modes (Standard, Scientific, developer and statistics), but also quite useful utilities (date calculation, unit conversion, mortgage, fuel consumption).

The synchronization utility, accessible via the Windows Mobility Center control panel, which offers the ability to sync, automatically, files between your PC and your mobile phone.

The AutoPlay Wizard used to determine case by case, the action that Windows should do when you insert in your PC DVD, CD, USB stick or a game, software, camera, your player ...

The Wizard of connecting a projector whose use has been greatly simplified compared to that of Vista. Now, one click is enough for the device is operational mode "fill screen" mode or "extended desktop".

A mode for Windows XP to run XP in 7! And let it work only software compatible with the old operating system ... But this feature is only available in the Professional and Ultimate versions of Windows 7.

Compatibility with touch screens optimized. The general interface and some software has been redesigned to be handled in one or more fingers, like an iPhone. This also justifies that the taskbar is thicker and the larger icons.

A little more autonomy! According to Microsoft, the power management of portable computers has been improved with Windows 7. Automatic adjustment of screen brightness and economic interpretation of DVD include the program when the machine is running on battery. We therefore wanted to verify this by comparing the endurance of even a mini-laptop with Windows XP and Windows 7. Racing results: Windows 7, our computer has actually taken the longer route, but a few minutes.

Do your software speak about Windows 7?

Microsoft announces full compatibility of software designed for Vista with Windows 7, the two operating systems based on the same "core". In practice, all is not so simple. So if we could actually install a lot of software such as Skype, VLC, Firefox and other utilities commonly turned with Vista and with XP, we found all the same inconsistencies with security suites. Thus, the Zone Alarm firewall failed to finish the installation process. The firewall of the 2009 version of BitDefender, for its part, flatly refused to start! If you want to check compatibility of your computer with Windows 7, Microsoft has posted a test called the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Beta, available on the Microsoft Download Center. Good idea!