Windows 7 Screenshots and Videos

Microsoft finally debuted its much anticipated operating system, Windows 7, last month at the Microsoft’s PDC conference in Los Angeles.

Originally codenamed Blackcomb, then Windows Vienna, the recent Windows 7 release is only prebeta stage with the full version expected to hit stores in 2009-2010.

The first screenshots of the new OS were revealed at the recent conference, so we thought it time to take a closer look at what’s new in Windows 7.

Best new features in Windows 7

The New Windows Taskbar

The taskbar has been redesigned. Now, it feels and behaves a lot more like Mac OS X’s dock.
Applications now show up as large icons in the taskbar, and finally these icons can be rearranged. Hovering over each icon in the taskbar will bring up a live thumbnail and if you are watching a video or listening to a song, hovering over the thumbnail will also bring up cover art and controls to pause or resume playback.

Aero Peek

This new function lets you “peek” at the desktop. Hover your mouse over the far right side of your Windows Taskbar and your active windows become transparent, exposing the desktop.

Aero Snap

This function lets you expand and maximize windows by dragging the edges to different sides of the screen. Drag the top of the window to meet the top of your screen to maximize, drag it away to restore the original size. Drag the side of the window to meet the side of your screen and it will snap to fill half of the desktop, do the same with another window and you’ll have two equal sized windows on either side of the screen.

Unified Search Box

The search box has been revamped, offering lightning quick suggestions as you type. The search extends into contacts, e-mail subjects, names of documents, playlists, song titles and even the names of individual settings in your Windows Control Panel. It also learns from you, bringing the things you use the most to the top of the results.

Jump Lists

These are sub lists that are displayed when you choose an application from the start menu or the taskbar. For example if you click on Internet Explorer, the jump list will show your recent browsing history and your most visited websites.

User Account Control

This feature really got under many users skin, popping up at every given opportunity asking you to approve system changes. Microsoft has now scaled back the nagging UAC prompts; furthermore, users with admin rights can now set the priority of these pop-ups so only the most important ones get through.

HomeGroups Networking

Setting up a network couldn’t be easier, now when a group of Windows 7 PC’s are connected to a single network, they will automatically find each other forming a HomeGroup. Users can then browse all of the media stored across the PCs as though they were all on the same hard drive. Sharing within any folder can be disabled and re-enabled at any time.

Device Stage

The new device manager gives users a single window form which to control all external gadgets. Plug in your camera, MP3 player or printer and the device will be listed in the Device Stage window. From here you can view status details like the remaining battery life, available storage space, the time and date of your last sync, etc. You can also sync your device; manage your photos, music or anything else you have stored on it.

Windows Gadgets

The Vista sidebar has been removed, Windows gadgets will now be displayed on the desktop and the gadget gallery found in the sidebar will be renamed to Desktop Gadget Gallery.

Extras

Along with these major changes to the new OS, Windows 7 will ship with new versions of Internet Explorer (8), Windows Media Player (12), Windows Media Center, as well as deeply revised versions of Microsoft Paint, Microsoft WordPad, Calculator, Display Settings Controls and a Troubleshooting Control Panel.

Check out the videos below to see how these new fetaures work in Windows 7. The sound is a little bad but they do give a good idea of what to expect.

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