Windows 7, Microsoft’s newest desktop operating system, will be available to the public in less than two months. Starting October 22, you will be able to purchase a copy of Windows 7 or a PC pre-installed with Windows 7 from PC manufacturers and retailers. Windows 7 was designed to be simpler and easier to use than previous operating systems. Preliminary tests have shown that Windows 7 is about 20% faster than both Windows XP and Windows Vista.
Windows 7 has some great new features:
- Improved Taskbar: In today’s working environment, you may have multiple documents open at once. Instead of having to cycle through them, Windows 7 has a nice feature where you can click on the taskbar and receive a miniature preview of all the associated windows. If you have similar documents and would like a larger preview, you simply mouse over the miniature window and you will be presented with a full screen preview of the current document.
- Aero Shake: Aero Shake is a cool new feature that takes a windowed application and minimizes all of the other windows. Simply click and hold on the selectable area of any floating (non-maximized) window and shake your hand side to side vigorously. All of the windows behind it will minimize. Just repeat the action to restore those applications.
- Jump lists: Jump lists are built into the taskbar and give you access to recently used items such as documents in Microsoft Word, music playlists, or recently browsed websites. Just right-click the application icon in your taskbar and that application’s jump list will appear.
- Windows XP Mode: This is a new optional, free feature that Microsoft has added to bridge the gap between legacy applications and Windows 7. It allows previously-installed applications to run under Windows XP mode directly from your Windows 7 desktop.
For purchases made between June 29, 2009 and January 31, 2010, Microsoft is offering a free upgrade to Windows 7 to customers who purchase a copy of Windows Vista, or a PC with Windows Vista pre-installed.
With the increased simplicity and functionality of Windows 7, this fall is a great time to replace older and slower PCs, or to upgrade your operating system.
Contact KTS today for more details and to learn how to increase your users’ productivity with Windows 7.
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