Main article: Development of Windows 7
Originally, a version of Windows codenamed Blackcomb was planned as the successor to Windows XP (codename Whistler) and Windows Server 2003.
Major features were planned for Blackcomb, including an emphasis on
searching and querying data and an advanced storage system named WinFS to enable such scenarios. However, an interim, minor release, codenamed "Longhorn," was announced for 2003, delaying the development of Blackcomb.[11]
By the middle of 2003, however, Longhorn had acquired some of the
features originally intended for Blackcomb. After three major viruses
exploited flaws in Windows operating systems within a short time period
in 2003, Microsoft changed its development priorities, putting some of
Longhorn's major development work on hold while developing new service packs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Development of Longhorn (Windows Vista) was also restarted, and thus delayed, in August 2004. A number of features were cut from Longhorn.[12]
Blackcomb was renamed Vienna in early 2006[13] and again Windows 7 in 2007.[14] In 2008, it was announced that Windows 7 would also be the official name of the operating system.[15][16] There has been some confusion over naming the product Windows 7,[17]
while versioning it as 6.1 to indicate its similar build to Vista and
increase compatibility with applications that only check major version
numbers,[18] similar to Windows 2000 and Windows XP both having 5.x version numbers.[19]
The first external release to select Microsoft partners came in January 2008 with Milestone 1, build 6519.[20] At PDC 2008, Microsoft demonstrated Windows 7 with its reworked taskbar. Copies of Windows 7 build 6801 were distributed at the end of the conference; however, the demonstrated taskbar was disabled in this build.
On December 27, 2008, Windows 7 Beta was leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[21] According to a performance test by ZDNet,[22]
Windows 7 Beta beat both Windows XP and Vista in several key areas;
including boot and shutdown time and working with files, such as
loading documents. Other areas did not beat XP; including PC Pro
benchmarks for typical office activities and video editing, which
remain identical to Vista and slower than XP.[23] On January 7, 2009, the 64-bit version of the Windows 7 Beta (build 7000) was leaked onto the web, with some torrents being infected with a trojan.[24][25] At CES 2009, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
announced the Windows 7 Beta, build 7000, had been made available for
download to MSDN and TechNet subscribers in the format of an ISO image.[26]
The Beta was to be publicly released January 9, 2009, and Microsoft
initially planned for the download to be made available to 2.5 million
people on this date. However, access to the downloads was delayed
because of high traffic.[27]
The download limit was also extended, initially until January 24, then
again to February 10. People who did not complete downloading the beta
had two extra days to complete the download. After February 12,
unfinished downloads became unable to complete. Users could still
obtain product keys from Microsoft to activate their copies of Windows
7 Beta, which expired on August 1, 2009. The release candidate, build
7100, has been available for MSDN and TechNet subscribers and Connect
Program participants since April 30 and became available to the general
public on May 5, 2009. It has also been leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[28]
The release candidate is available in five languages and will expire on
June 1, 2010, with shutdowns every two hours starting March 1, 2010.[29]
Microsoft stated that Windows 7 would be released to the general public
on October 22, 2009. Microsoft released Windows 7 to MSDN and Technet
subscribers on August 6, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. PDT.[30] Microsoft announced that Windows 7, along with Windows Server 2008 R2, was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009. Windows 7 RTM
is build 7600.16385, which was compiled on July 13, 2009, and was
declared the final RTM build after passing all Microsoft's tests
internally.[4] "The launch of Windows 7 has superseded everyone’s expectations, storming ahead of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
as the biggest-grossing pre-order product of all-time, and demand is
still going strong," claimed managing director Brian McBride, Amazon UK
on October 22."[4]
Goals
Bill Gates, in an interview with Newsweek, suggested that this version of Windows would be more "user-centric".[31] Gates later said that Windows 7 would also focus on performance improvements.[32] Steven Sinofsky later expanded on this point, explaining in the Engineering Windows 7
blog that the company was using a variety of new tracing tools to
measure the performance of many areas of the operating system on an
ongoing basis, to help locate inefficient code paths and to help
prevent performance regressions.[33]
Senior Vice President Bill Veghte stated that Windows Vista users migrating to Windows 7 would not find the kind of device compatibility issues they encountered migrating from Windows XP.[34] Speaking about Windows 7 on October 16, 2008, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed compatibility between Vista and Windows 7,[35] indicating that Windows 7 would be a refined version of Windows Vista.[35]
Features
New and changed features
Main article: Features new to Windows 7
The new Action Center, which replaces Windows Security Center
When the action center detects a security threat, it displays a thumbnail with problems listed.
Windows 7 includes a number of new features, such as advances in touch and handwriting recognition, support for virtual hard disks, improved performance on multi-core processors,[36][37][38][39] improved boot performance, DirectAccess, and kernel
improvements. Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple
heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors (Heterogeneous
Multi-adapter), a new version of Windows Media Center,[40] a Gadget for Windows Media Center, improved media features, the XPS Essentials Pack and Windows PowerShell being included, and a redesigned Calculator with multiline capabilities including Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion. Many new items have been added to the Control Panel, including ClearType Text Tuner, Display Color Calibration Wizard, Gadgets,
Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other
Sensors, Credential Manager, Biometric Devices, System Icons, and
Display.[41] Windows Security Center
has been renamed to Windows Action Center (Windows Health Center and
Windows Solution Center in earlier builds), which encompasses both security and maintenance of the computer. The default setting for User Account Control
in Windows 7 has been criticized for allowing untrusted software to be
launched with elevated privileges by exploiting a trusted application.[42] Microsoft's Windows kernel engineer Mark Russinovich acknowledged the problem, but noted that there are other vulnerabilities that do not rely on the new setting.[43]
Windows 7 also supports Mac-like RAW image viewing through the addition
of WIC-enabled image decoders, which enables raw image thumbnails,
previewing and metadata display in Windows Explorer, plus full-size
viewing and slideshows in Windows Photo Viewer and Window Media Center.[44]
The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the Quick
Launch toolbar has been replaced with pinning applications to the
taskbar. Buttons for pinned applications are integrated with the task
buttons. These buttons also enable the Jump Lists feature to allow easy access to common tasks.[45]
The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons. To
the far right of the system clock is a small rectangular button that
serves as the Show desktop icon. This button is part of the new feature in Windows 7 called Aero Peek. Hovering over this button makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop.[46]
In touch-enabled displays such as touch screens, tablet PCs, etc., this
button is slightly wider to accommodate being pressed with a finger.[47]
Clicking this button minimizes all windows, and clicking it a second
time restores them. Additionally, there is a feature named Aero Snap, that automatically maximizes a window when it is dragged to either the top or left/right edges of the screen.[48]
This also allows users to snap documents or files on either side of the
screen to compare them. When a user moves windows that are maximized,
the system restores their previous state automatically. This
functionality is also accomplished with keyboard shortcuts. Unlike in Windows Vista, window borders and the taskbar do not turn opaque when a window is maximized with Windows Aero applied. Instead, they remain translucent.
The Windows 7 taskbar.
For developers, Windows 7 includes a new networking API with support for building SOAP-based web services in native code (as opposed to .NET-based WCF web services),[49] new features to shorten application install times, reduced UAC prompts, simplified development of installation packages,[50] and improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API.[51] At WinHEC
2008 Microsoft announced that color depths of 30-bit and 48-bit would
be supported in Windows 7 along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which for HDMI 1.3 can be converted and output as xvYCC).
The video modes supported in Windows 7 are 16-bit sRGB, 24-bit sRGB,
30-bit sRGB, 30-bit with extended color gamut sRGB, and 48-bit scRGB.[52][53] Microsoft has also implemented better support for solid-state drives,[54] including the new TRIM command, and Windows 7 is able to identify a solid-state drive uniquely. Microsoft is planning to support USB 3.0 in a subsequent patch, support not being included in the initial release due to delays in the finalization of the standard.[55]
Internet Spades, Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers, which were removed from Windows Vista, were restored in Windows 7. Windows 7 includes Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Media Player 12.
Users are also able to disable many more Windows components than was
possible in Windows Vista. New additions to this list of components
include Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Windows Search, and the Windows Gadget Platform.[56]
Windows 7 includes 13 additional sound schemes, titled Afternoon,
Calligraphy, Characters, Cityscape, Delta, Festival, Garden, Heritage,
Landscape, Quirky, Raga, Savanna, and Sonata.[57] A new version of Microsoft Virtual PC, newly renamed as Windows Virtual PC was made available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.[58] It allows multiple Windows environments, including Windows XP Mode, to run on the same machine, requiring the use of Intel VT-x or AMD-V. Windows XP Mode runs Windows XP in a virtual machine and redirects displayed applications running in Windows XP to the Windows 7 desktop.[59]
Furthermore Windows 7 supports the mounting of a virtual hard disk
(VHD) as a normal data storage, and the bootloader delivered with
Windows 7 can boot the Windows system from a VHD.[60] The Remote Desktop Protocol
(RDP) of Windows 7 is also enhanced to support real-time multimedia
application including video playback and 3D games, thus allowing use of
DirectX 10 in remote desktop environments.[61] The three application limit, previously present in the Windows Vista Starter Edition, has been removed from Windows 7.[62]
Removed features
Main article: Features removed from Windows 7
A number of capabilities and certain programs that were a part of Windows Vista
are no longer present or have been changed, resulting in the removal of
certain functionality. Some notable Windows Vista features and
components have been replaced or removed in Windows 7, including the
classic Start Menu user interface, Windows Ultimate Extras and InkBall. Four applications bundled with Windows Vista — Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Calendar[63] and Windows Mail — are not included with Windows 7, but are instead available for free in a separate package called Windows Live Essentials.
Antitrust regulatory attention
As with other Microsoft operating systems, Windows 7 is being
studied by United States federal regulators who oversee the company's
operations following the 2001 United States v. Microsoft
settlement. According to status reports filed, the three-member panel
began assessing prototypes of the new operating system in February
2008. Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research said that, "Microsoft's
challenge for Windows 7 will be how can they continue to add features
that consumers will want that also do not run afoul of regulators."[64]
Editions
In order to comply with European antitrust regulations, Microsoft
has proposed the use of a "ballot" screen, allowing users to download a
competing browser, thus removing the need for a version of Windows
completely without Internet Explorer, as previously planned.[65]
In response to criticism involving Windows 7 E and concerns from
manufacturers about possible consumer confusion if a version of Windows
7 with Internet Explorer were shipped later after one without Internet
Explorer, Microsoft announced that it would scrap the separate version
for Europe and ship the standard upgrade and full packages worldwide.[66]
As with previous versions of Windows, an N version, which does not come with Windows Media Player, has been released in Europe, but only for sale directly from Microsoft sales websites and select others.[67]
Reception
In July 2009, in only eight hours, pre-orders of Windows 7 at
Amazon.co.uk surpassed the demand Windows Vista had in its first 17
weeks.[68] It became the highest-grossing pre-order in Amazon's history, surpassing sales of the previous record holder, the seventh Harry Potter book.[69] After 36 hours, 64-bit versions of Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate editions sold out in Japan.[70] Two weeks after its release, it was announced that its market share had surpassed that of Snow Leopard, released two months previously as the most recent update to Apple's Mac OS X operating system.[71][72]
According to Net Applications, Windows 7 reached a 4% market share in
less than three weeks. In comparison, it took Windows Vista seven
months to reach the same mark.[73]
Reviews of Windows 7 were mostly positive, praising its usability when compared to its predecessor, Windows Vista. CNET gave Windows 7 Home Premium a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars,[74] stating that it "is more than what Vista should have been, [and] it's where Microsoft needed to go". PC Magazine
rated it a 4 out of 5 saying that Windows 7 is a "big improvement" over
Windows Vista, with fewer compatibility problems, a retooled taskbar,
simpler home networking and faster start-up.[75] Maximum PC
gave Windows 7 a rating of 9 out of 10 and called Windows 7 a "massive
leap forward" in usability and security, and praised the new Taskbar as
"worth the price of admission alone".[76] PC World
called Windows 7 a "worthy successor" to Windows XP and said that speed
benchmarks showed Windows 7 to be slightly faster than Windows Vista.[77] PC World also named Windows 7 one of the best products of the year.[78] In its review of Windows 7, Engadget
said that Microsoft has taken a "strong step forward" with Windows 7
and reported that speed is one of Windows 7's major selling points
particularly for the netbook sets.[79]
LAPTOP Magazine gave Windows 7 a rating of 4 out of 5 stars and said
that Windows 7 makes computing more intuitive, offered better overall
performance including a "modest to dramatic" increase in battery life
on laptop computers.[80] Techradar gave it a 5 star rating calling it the best version of Windows yet.[81] The New York Times,[82] USA Today,[83] The Wall Street Journal,[84] and The Telegraph[85] also gave Windows 7 favorable reviews.
Some Vista Ultimate users have expressed concerns over Windows 7 pricing and upgrade options.[86][87] Windows Vista Ultimate users wanting to upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7 must either pay $219.99[88] to upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate or perform a clean install, which requires them to reinstall all of their programs.[89]
Editions
Main article: Windows 7 editions
Windows 7 is available in six different editions, but only the Home
Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions are available for retail
sale to consumers in most countries.[90] The other editions are aimed at other markets, such as the developing world or enterprise use.[90] Each edition of Windows 7 includes all of the capabilities and features of the edition below it.[90][91][92][93][94] All editions support the 32-bit (IA-32) processor architecture and all editions except Starter and Home Basic support the 64-bit (x86-64)
processor architecture. The installation media is the same for all the
consumer editions of Windows 7 that have the same processor
architecture, with the license determing the features that are
activated, and license upgrades permitting the subsequent unlocking of
features without re-installation of the operating system.[95]
This is the first time Microsoft has distributed 2 DVDs (1 DVD for
IA-32 processor architecture, the other DVD for x86-64 processor
architecture) for each edition of Windows 7 (Except for Starter and
Home Basic). Users who wish to upgrade to an edition of Windows 7 with
more features can then use Windows Anytime Upgrade to purchase the upgrade, and unlock the features of those editions.[91][95][96]
Some copies of Windows 7 have restrictions, in which it must be
distributed (If not, sold or bought) and activated in the geographical
region (One of the geographical regions can be either: Southeast Asia;
India; or Latin America and the Caribbean) specified in its front cover
box.
Microsoft is offering a family pack of Windows 7 Home Premium (in select markets) that allows installation on up to three PCs.[97] The "Family Pack" costs US$259.99 in the United States[98]; it was available at a cost of US$149.99 for some weeks when it was first introduced.[97]
On September 18, 2009, Microsoft said they were to offer temporary
student discounts for Windows 7. The offer will be running in the US and the United Kingdom,
with similar schemes available in Canada, Australia, Korea, Mexico,
France and Germany. Students with a valid .edu or .ac.uk email address
can apply for either Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional, priced at
$30 or £30.[99][100]
Marketing
Microsoft
has marketed the whole of Windows 7 as "making your PC simpler."
However, the different editions of Windows 7 have been designed and
marketed toward different types of people. Out of all the different
editions (Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise,
and Ultimate), the Starter edition has been designed for netbooks, Home
Basic for the developing world, Home Premium designed and marketed for
normal home users, Professional for businesses, Enterprise for larger
businesses and Ultimate for corporations and enthusiasts. TV
commercials advertise Home Premium's use in the home.
Hardware requirements
Microsoft has published their minimum specifications for a system running Windows 7.[101]
Requirements for the 32-bit version are much the same as
recommendations for premium editions of Vista, but the 64-bit versions
are higher. Microsoft has released an upgrade advisor that scans a
computer to see if it is compatible with Windows 7.
Minimum hardware requirements for Windows 7[101]ArchitectureProcessorMemory (RAM)Graphics CardHDD free spaceOptical drive
Originally, a version of Windows codenamed Blackcomb was planned as the successor to Windows XP (codename Whistler) and Windows Server 2003.
Major features were planned for Blackcomb, including an emphasis on
searching and querying data and an advanced storage system named WinFS to enable such scenarios. However, an interim, minor release, codenamed "Longhorn," was announced for 2003, delaying the development of Blackcomb.[11]
By the middle of 2003, however, Longhorn had acquired some of the
features originally intended for Blackcomb. After three major viruses
exploited flaws in Windows operating systems within a short time period
in 2003, Microsoft changed its development priorities, putting some of
Longhorn's major development work on hold while developing new service packs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Development of Longhorn (Windows Vista) was also restarted, and thus delayed, in August 2004. A number of features were cut from Longhorn.[12]
Blackcomb was renamed Vienna in early 2006[13] and again Windows 7 in 2007.[14] In 2008, it was announced that Windows 7 would also be the official name of the operating system.[15][16] There has been some confusion over naming the product Windows 7,[17]
while versioning it as 6.1 to indicate its similar build to Vista and
increase compatibility with applications that only check major version
numbers,[18] similar to Windows 2000 and Windows XP both having 5.x version numbers.[19]
The first external release to select Microsoft partners came in January 2008 with Milestone 1, build 6519.[20] At PDC 2008, Microsoft demonstrated Windows 7 with its reworked taskbar. Copies of Windows 7 build 6801 were distributed at the end of the conference; however, the demonstrated taskbar was disabled in this build.
On December 27, 2008, Windows 7 Beta was leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[21] According to a performance test by ZDNet,[22]
Windows 7 Beta beat both Windows XP and Vista in several key areas;
including boot and shutdown time and working with files, such as
loading documents. Other areas did not beat XP; including PC Pro
benchmarks for typical office activities and video editing, which
remain identical to Vista and slower than XP.[23] On January 7, 2009, the 64-bit version of the Windows 7 Beta (build 7000) was leaked onto the web, with some torrents being infected with a trojan.[24][25] At CES 2009, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
announced the Windows 7 Beta, build 7000, had been made available for
download to MSDN and TechNet subscribers in the format of an ISO image.[26]
The Beta was to be publicly released January 9, 2009, and Microsoft
initially planned for the download to be made available to 2.5 million
people on this date. However, access to the downloads was delayed
because of high traffic.[27]
The download limit was also extended, initially until January 24, then
again to February 10. People who did not complete downloading the beta
had two extra days to complete the download. After February 12,
unfinished downloads became unable to complete. Users could still
obtain product keys from Microsoft to activate their copies of Windows
7 Beta, which expired on August 1, 2009. The release candidate, build
7100, has been available for MSDN and TechNet subscribers and Connect
Program participants since April 30 and became available to the general
public on May 5, 2009. It has also been leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[28]
The release candidate is available in five languages and will expire on
June 1, 2010, with shutdowns every two hours starting March 1, 2010.[29]
Microsoft stated that Windows 7 would be released to the general public
on October 22, 2009. Microsoft released Windows 7 to MSDN and Technet
subscribers on August 6, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. PDT.[30] Microsoft announced that Windows 7, along with Windows Server 2008 R2, was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009. Windows 7 RTM
is build 7600.16385, which was compiled on July 13, 2009, and was
declared the final RTM build after passing all Microsoft's tests
internally.[4] "The launch of Windows 7 has superseded everyone’s expectations, storming ahead of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
as the biggest-grossing pre-order product of all-time, and demand is
still going strong," claimed managing director Brian McBride, Amazon UK
on October 22."[4]
Goals
Bill Gates, in an interview with Newsweek, suggested that this version of Windows would be more "user-centric".[31] Gates later said that Windows 7 would also focus on performance improvements.[32] Steven Sinofsky later expanded on this point, explaining in the Engineering Windows 7
blog that the company was using a variety of new tracing tools to
measure the performance of many areas of the operating system on an
ongoing basis, to help locate inefficient code paths and to help
prevent performance regressions.[33]
Senior Vice President Bill Veghte stated that Windows Vista users migrating to Windows 7 would not find the kind of device compatibility issues they encountered migrating from Windows XP.[34] Speaking about Windows 7 on October 16, 2008, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed compatibility between Vista and Windows 7,[35] indicating that Windows 7 would be a refined version of Windows Vista.[35]
Features
New and changed features
Main article: Features new to Windows 7
The new Action Center, which replaces Windows Security Center
When the action center detects a security threat, it displays a thumbnail with problems listed.
Windows 7 includes a number of new features, such as advances in touch and handwriting recognition, support for virtual hard disks, improved performance on multi-core processors,[36][37][38][39] improved boot performance, DirectAccess, and kernel
improvements. Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple
heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors (Heterogeneous
Multi-adapter), a new version of Windows Media Center,[40] a Gadget for Windows Media Center, improved media features, the XPS Essentials Pack and Windows PowerShell being included, and a redesigned Calculator with multiline capabilities including Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion. Many new items have been added to the Control Panel, including ClearType Text Tuner, Display Color Calibration Wizard, Gadgets,
Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other
Sensors, Credential Manager, Biometric Devices, System Icons, and
Display.[41] Windows Security Center
has been renamed to Windows Action Center (Windows Health Center and
Windows Solution Center in earlier builds), which encompasses both security and maintenance of the computer. The default setting for User Account Control
in Windows 7 has been criticized for allowing untrusted software to be
launched with elevated privileges by exploiting a trusted application.[42] Microsoft's Windows kernel engineer Mark Russinovich acknowledged the problem, but noted that there are other vulnerabilities that do not rely on the new setting.[43]
Windows 7 also supports Mac-like RAW image viewing through the addition
of WIC-enabled image decoders, which enables raw image thumbnails,
previewing and metadata display in Windows Explorer, plus full-size
viewing and slideshows in Windows Photo Viewer and Window Media Center.[44]
The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the Quick
Launch toolbar has been replaced with pinning applications to the
taskbar. Buttons for pinned applications are integrated with the task
buttons. These buttons also enable the Jump Lists feature to allow easy access to common tasks.[45]
The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons. To
the far right of the system clock is a small rectangular button that
serves as the Show desktop icon. This button is part of the new feature in Windows 7 called Aero Peek. Hovering over this button makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop.[46]
In touch-enabled displays such as touch screens, tablet PCs, etc., this
button is slightly wider to accommodate being pressed with a finger.[47]
Clicking this button minimizes all windows, and clicking it a second
time restores them. Additionally, there is a feature named Aero Snap, that automatically maximizes a window when it is dragged to either the top or left/right edges of the screen.[48]
This also allows users to snap documents or files on either side of the
screen to compare them. When a user moves windows that are maximized,
the system restores their previous state automatically. This
functionality is also accomplished with keyboard shortcuts. Unlike in Windows Vista, window borders and the taskbar do not turn opaque when a window is maximized with Windows Aero applied. Instead, they remain translucent.
The Windows 7 taskbar.
For developers, Windows 7 includes a new networking API with support for building SOAP-based web services in native code (as opposed to .NET-based WCF web services),[49] new features to shorten application install times, reduced UAC prompts, simplified development of installation packages,[50] and improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API.[51] At WinHEC
2008 Microsoft announced that color depths of 30-bit and 48-bit would
be supported in Windows 7 along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which for HDMI 1.3 can be converted and output as xvYCC).
The video modes supported in Windows 7 are 16-bit sRGB, 24-bit sRGB,
30-bit sRGB, 30-bit with extended color gamut sRGB, and 48-bit scRGB.[52][53] Microsoft has also implemented better support for solid-state drives,[54] including the new TRIM command, and Windows 7 is able to identify a solid-state drive uniquely. Microsoft is planning to support USB 3.0 in a subsequent patch, support not being included in the initial release due to delays in the finalization of the standard.[55]
Internet Spades, Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers, which were removed from Windows Vista, were restored in Windows 7. Windows 7 includes Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Media Player 12.
 | Wikinews has related news: Windows 7 will allow users to disable Internet Explorer |
possible in Windows Vista. New additions to this list of components
include Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Windows Search, and the Windows Gadget Platform.[56]
Windows 7 includes 13 additional sound schemes, titled Afternoon,
Calligraphy, Characters, Cityscape, Delta, Festival, Garden, Heritage,
Landscape, Quirky, Raga, Savanna, and Sonata.[57] A new version of Microsoft Virtual PC, newly renamed as Windows Virtual PC was made available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.[58] It allows multiple Windows environments, including Windows XP Mode, to run on the same machine, requiring the use of Intel VT-x or AMD-V. Windows XP Mode runs Windows XP in a virtual machine and redirects displayed applications running in Windows XP to the Windows 7 desktop.[59]
Furthermore Windows 7 supports the mounting of a virtual hard disk
(VHD) as a normal data storage, and the bootloader delivered with
Windows 7 can boot the Windows system from a VHD.[60] The Remote Desktop Protocol
(RDP) of Windows 7 is also enhanced to support real-time multimedia
application including video playback and 3D games, thus allowing use of
DirectX 10 in remote desktop environments.[61] The three application limit, previously present in the Windows Vista Starter Edition, has been removed from Windows 7.[62]
Removed features
Main article: Features removed from Windows 7
A number of capabilities and certain programs that were a part of Windows Vista
are no longer present or have been changed, resulting in the removal of
certain functionality. Some notable Windows Vista features and
components have been replaced or removed in Windows 7, including the
classic Start Menu user interface, Windows Ultimate Extras and InkBall. Four applications bundled with Windows Vista — Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Calendar[63] and Windows Mail — are not included with Windows 7, but are instead available for free in a separate package called Windows Live Essentials.
Antitrust regulatory attention
As with other Microsoft operating systems, Windows 7 is being
studied by United States federal regulators who oversee the company's
operations following the 2001 United States v. Microsoft
settlement. According to status reports filed, the three-member panel
began assessing prototypes of the new operating system in February
2008. Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research said that, "Microsoft's
challenge for Windows 7 will be how can they continue to add features
that consumers will want that also do not run afoul of regulators."[64]
Editions
In order to comply with European antitrust regulations, Microsoft
has proposed the use of a "ballot" screen, allowing users to download a
competing browser, thus removing the need for a version of Windows
completely without Internet Explorer, as previously planned.[65]
In response to criticism involving Windows 7 E and concerns from
manufacturers about possible consumer confusion if a version of Windows
7 with Internet Explorer were shipped later after one without Internet
Explorer, Microsoft announced that it would scrap the separate version
for Europe and ship the standard upgrade and full packages worldwide.[66]
As with previous versions of Windows, an N version, which does not come with Windows Media Player, has been released in Europe, but only for sale directly from Microsoft sales websites and select others.[67]
Reception
In July 2009, in only eight hours, pre-orders of Windows 7 at
Amazon.co.uk surpassed the demand Windows Vista had in its first 17
weeks.[68] It became the highest-grossing pre-order in Amazon's history, surpassing sales of the previous record holder, the seventh Harry Potter book.[69] After 36 hours, 64-bit versions of Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate editions sold out in Japan.[70] Two weeks after its release, it was announced that its market share had surpassed that of Snow Leopard, released two months previously as the most recent update to Apple's Mac OS X operating system.[71][72]
According to Net Applications, Windows 7 reached a 4% market share in
less than three weeks. In comparison, it took Windows Vista seven
months to reach the same mark.[73]
Reviews of Windows 7 were mostly positive, praising its usability when compared to its predecessor, Windows Vista. CNET gave Windows 7 Home Premium a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars,[74] stating that it "is more than what Vista should have been, [and] it's where Microsoft needed to go". PC Magazine
rated it a 4 out of 5 saying that Windows 7 is a "big improvement" over
Windows Vista, with fewer compatibility problems, a retooled taskbar,
simpler home networking and faster start-up.[75] Maximum PC
gave Windows 7 a rating of 9 out of 10 and called Windows 7 a "massive
leap forward" in usability and security, and praised the new Taskbar as
"worth the price of admission alone".[76] PC World
called Windows 7 a "worthy successor" to Windows XP and said that speed
benchmarks showed Windows 7 to be slightly faster than Windows Vista.[77] PC World also named Windows 7 one of the best products of the year.[78] In its review of Windows 7, Engadget
said that Microsoft has taken a "strong step forward" with Windows 7
and reported that speed is one of Windows 7's major selling points
particularly for the netbook sets.[79]
LAPTOP Magazine gave Windows 7 a rating of 4 out of 5 stars and said
that Windows 7 makes computing more intuitive, offered better overall
performance including a "modest to dramatic" increase in battery life
on laptop computers.[80] Techradar gave it a 5 star rating calling it the best version of Windows yet.[81] The New York Times,[82] USA Today,[83] The Wall Street Journal,[84] and The Telegraph[85] also gave Windows 7 favorable reviews.
Some Vista Ultimate users have expressed concerns over Windows 7 pricing and upgrade options.[86][87] Windows Vista Ultimate users wanting to upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7 must either pay $219.99[88] to upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate or perform a clean install, which requires them to reinstall all of their programs.[89]
Editions
Main article: Windows 7 editions
Windows 7 is available in six different editions, but only the Home
Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions are available for retail
sale to consumers in most countries.[90] The other editions are aimed at other markets, such as the developing world or enterprise use.[90] Each edition of Windows 7 includes all of the capabilities and features of the edition below it.[90][91][92][93][94] All editions support the 32-bit (IA-32) processor architecture and all editions except Starter and Home Basic support the 64-bit (x86-64)
processor architecture. The installation media is the same for all the
consumer editions of Windows 7 that have the same processor
architecture, with the license determing the features that are
activated, and license upgrades permitting the subsequent unlocking of
features without re-installation of the operating system.[95]
This is the first time Microsoft has distributed 2 DVDs (1 DVD for
IA-32 processor architecture, the other DVD for x86-64 processor
architecture) for each edition of Windows 7 (Except for Starter and
Home Basic). Users who wish to upgrade to an edition of Windows 7 with
more features can then use Windows Anytime Upgrade to purchase the upgrade, and unlock the features of those editions.[91][95][96]
Some copies of Windows 7 have restrictions, in which it must be
distributed (If not, sold or bought) and activated in the geographical
region (One of the geographical regions can be either: Southeast Asia;
India; or Latin America and the Caribbean) specified in its front cover
box.
Microsoft is offering a family pack of Windows 7 Home Premium (in select markets) that allows installation on up to three PCs.[97] The "Family Pack" costs US$259.99 in the United States[98]; it was available at a cost of US$149.99 for some weeks when it was first introduced.[97]
On September 18, 2009, Microsoft said they were to offer temporary
student discounts for Windows 7. The offer will be running in the US and the United Kingdom,
with similar schemes available in Canada, Australia, Korea, Mexico,
France and Germany. Students with a valid .edu or .ac.uk email address
can apply for either Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional, priced at
$30 or £30.[99][100]
Marketing
Microsoft
has marketed the whole of Windows 7 as "making your PC simpler."
However, the different editions of Windows 7 have been designed and
marketed toward different types of people. Out of all the different
editions (Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise,
and Ultimate), the Starter edition has been designed for netbooks, Home
Basic for the developing world, Home Premium designed and marketed for
normal home users, Professional for businesses, Enterprise for larger
businesses and Ultimate for corporations and enthusiasts. TV
commercials advertise Home Premium's use in the home.
Hardware requirements
Microsoft has published their minimum specifications for a system running Windows 7.[101]
Requirements for the 32-bit version are much the same as
recommendations for premium editions of Vista, but the 64-bit versions
are higher. Microsoft has released an upgrade advisor that scans a
computer to see if it is compatible with Windows 7.
Minimum hardware requirements for Windows 7[101]ArchitectureProcessorMemory (RAM)Graphics CardHDD free spaceOptical drive
| 32-bit | 64-bit |
| 1 GHz 32-bit processor | 1 GHz 64-bit processor |
| 1 GB of RAM | 2 GB of RAM |
| DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM driver model 1.0 (For Aero) | |
| 16 GB of available disk space | 20 GB of available disk space |
| DVD drive (only to install from DVD/CD Media) | |
