Well, I must say…
It’s been two weeks, now, since reporting about my geek-fest weekend with the installation of Microsoft’s new beta operating system Windows 7, the replacement for Windows Vista.
Those that know me well will be surprised when I say “I’m impressed”, as I have a tendency not to express myself in those terms very often – but I’m impressed.
I’ve not managed to find an application that I use that doesn’t run on Microsoft’s new baby and my PC has been running for days on end without a hitch (I’m touching a very large piece of wood, whilst writing this, by the way). Even older pre-Windows XP applications run without issue – it’s very refreshing not to have to wrestle with my computer just to get an old but familiar application to run.
One of my favourite changes in Windows 7 is the way the Taskbar now operates, which allows space for your most used applications combined with the ability to jump directly to an open document.
In some ways, the new Taskbar arrangement is reminiscent of the Mac OS X Dock, but it doesn’t quite operate in the same way and lacks some of the flexibility, but nonetheless I think it works well and reduces the amount of screen clutter.
The Windows 7 beta release also contains the new Internet Explorer 8 – a new version of which has just been released (see http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/beta/default.aspx) – this new release candidate is available to download now, although those running the Windows 7 beta are going to have to wait a little longer for it to be incorporated into a Windows Update.
So, I’ll plough on with my test; let’s just hope that when Microsoft finally lets the new creation onto the streets, it retains all the great features and robustness that I’m enjoying currently.
Written by Nigel Smith - Visit Website