Windows 7
Windows 7 Will Refine UAC
Know what’s the first we do when we install Vista? Disable User Account Control (UAC). It’s Microsoft’s idea of giving you a good-natured warning that what you are about to do affects something important in the system. However, as with many things good-natured, this one gets annoying really fast. Seven steps to delete a shortcut? Tsk, tsk. Which is why we, and many of you, disable the blasted feature.
With Windows 7, though, Microsoft intends to revamp UAC to be less annoying, so you won’t be tempted to disable it, and won’t miss out on the security features it offers. Microsoft found that because you found UAC so annoying, you’ve just been allowing programs to do whatever they want out of sheer frustration.
Windows 7 will reduce the number of prompts, so you won’t feel like you need permission for everything you run. Maybe now we’ll get a Windows that doesn’t treat us like babies.
Source- Techtree
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Will Windows 7 get a new name for its release?
I’m reading more and more about Windows 7 lately as PDC approaches and Microsoft begins revealing more snippets of information about its most secretive product ever. In most of that coverage, I’ve noticed an assumption that Windows 7 is going to be the final name of the product. I’ve been guilty of leaping to that conclusion myself.
But a reader asked the other day why Microsoft is calling it Windows 7, and as I worked on my response to that question, it struck me that it’s entirely possible, even likely, that the next release of Windows will get a new name before it hits the streets. (Keep reading, and I’ll give you a chance to compare your prediction with mine.)
I have to remind myself occasionally that Windows 7 is still a code name at this point. It might turn out to be the final name of the released product as well, but Microsoft has not officially announced details about its name, price, packaging, or availability.
Source- Zdnet.com
Windows 7:Follow-up: Managing Windows windows
There’s a lot of great discussion from the window arranging post. This really shows how important these details are to people. Being able to arrange how apps are shown on screen is key for productivity because it impacts almost every task. It’s also very personal – people want to be in control of their work environment and have it set up the way that feels right.
One thing that should be clear is that it would not be possible for us to provide solutions to all the different ways people would like to work and all of the different tools and affordances people have suggested–I think everyone can see how overloaded we would be with options and UI absorbing all the suggestions! At first this might seem to be a bit of a bummer, but one thing we loved was hearing about all the tools and utilities you use (and you write!) to make a Windows PC your PC. Our goal is not to provide the solution to every conceivable way of potentially managing your desktop, but rather to provide an amazing way to manage your desktop along with customizations and personalizations plus a platform where people can develop tools that further enhance the desktop in unique and innovative ways. And as we have talked about, even that is a huge challenge as we cannot provide infinite customization and hooks—that really isn’t technically possible. But with this approach Windows provides a high degree (but not infinite) flexibility, developers provide additional tools, computer makers can differentiate their PCs, and you can tune the UI to be highly personalized and productive for the way you want to work using a combination of thos elements and your own preferences.
One other thing worth noting is that a lot of the comments referred to oft discussed elements in Windows, such as stealing the focus of windows, the registry, or managing the z-order of windows—a great source of history and witticisms about Windows APIs is from Raymond Chen’s blog. Raymond is a long-time developer on the Windows team and author of Old New Thing, The: Practical Development Throughout the Evolution of Windows. This is also a good source to read where the boundaries are between what Windows does and what developers of applications can choose to be responsible for doing (and what they are capable of customizing).
Source- Engineering Windows 7 Blog
Microsoft talks multimonitor taskbar support in Windows 7
Windows has supported multiple monitors for as long as graphic cards have had two or more display ports. At the same time though, Windows to this day still does not support multiple monitors when it comes to the taskbar. Multiple-monitor setups are becoming more common, and there are always developers, gamers, and enthusiasts who don’t know what to do when they’re given a desktop with just one monitor. These groups of people have resorted to using third-party solutions that give them the functionality they need, but what they really want is support right out of the box. Chaitanya Sareen, a senior program manager on the Windows 7 Core User Experience team, has taken the time to address this request on the E7 blog.
Source: One Microsoft Way
Microsoft announces pre-beta build of Windows 7 for PDC
Microsoft will unveil Windows 7 at PDC and provide developers and attendees with a pre-beta build of the operating system.
Steven Sinofsky, Senior Vice President, Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group, will keynote on Tuesday, October 28. Part of Sinofskys keynote will be a demonstration of the work being done for Windows 7. Advances across the full range of Windows—including the kernel, networking, hardware and devices, and user-interface will be demonstrated at PDC.
Attendees of PDC will also be able to attend 21 different sessions based on Windows 7.
Neowin will be attending PDC and providing coverage of as many of the 21 sessions as is humanly possible 
View: PDC 2008 Blog
Source-neowin
Microsoft cuts apps from Windows 7
Microsoft has decided that Windows 7 won’t include built-in programs for e-mail, photo editing, and movie making, as was done with Windows Vista, CNET News.com has learned.
The software maker included Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Mail, and Windows Movie Maker as part of Vista, but later chose to offer separate downloadable Windows Live programs that essentially replaced those components with versions that could connect to online services from Microsoft and others.
Microsoft told CNET News late Monday that it has decided to remove those features entirely from Windows 7 and instead offer only the service-connected Windows Live versions as optional free downloads. Earlier on Monday, Microsoft had declined to say how it was handling things.
In a follow-up interview on Monday, Windows Vista general manager Brian Hall said Microsoft made the decision to remove the tools from Windows for several reasons, including a desire to issue new operating system releases more quickly than it has in the past. The move also removes the confusion of offering and supporting two different programs that perform essentially similar functions.
Source: news.com
The Early Previews of Windows 7 Continues
This looks like the weekend for Windows 7 and the screenshots are out there to prove it. The first blog to present us with screenshots of Windows 7 M1 build earlier this year, THINKNEXT updates us with new AERO enabled previews showing the improved bundled applications in Windows 7 WordPad and Paint. I personally want to share my thoughts based on the screenshots I have seen so far.
Windows 7 looks a whole lot like Windows Vista, I can understand this looking at the fact that its probably not going to be a major upgrade as Vista or 2000 was. Building on the foundation of Vista it will provide a smooth transition for application/hardware developers and end users who have invested in Vista since its release in January 2007. Windows 7 M3 looks promising, why? Because of a cleaner approach I believe to the present experiences in Vista, AERO looks slicker, the Start menu is cleaner almost with a glossy look and feel that I am sure will please those who want a lighter Windows since most of today’s built in Windows apps will become a part of the Windows Live Wave 3 of services. The interface, is identical in many ways, Explorers feature a lighter more silver/bluish look that is similar to Windows Live Wave 3 set of apps. So, consistency seems to be an ongoing theme that will resonate throughout this release.
Source: adacosta.spaces.live.com
Windows 7 Paint and WordPad: New UI, New Functionality
Yes, both Paint and WordPad have finally received the royal treatment. Via permission given to me to remotely access build 6780 to play around a bit, Paint and WordPad both look great and have much-needed updates. I’ve got to work within the permissions granted to me by my source and unfortunately, screenshots don’t fall within those permissions (yet), so you all will still have to wait to actually see this stuff. (Don’t worry, there is a LOT of chatter about this build going around by people who have it.
I can’t help but think the next week or two will be quite fruitful for the community in terms of information, screenshots, and perhaps the build even leaking if someone is brazen enough. Just beware the wrath of Sinofsky if any of you dare the latter of the aforementioned choices…) Something I have been given the liberty to do is give a very broad teaser explanation of Paint and WordPad in their current 6780 state, so here goes.
Source: UX Evangelist
