Datasheet

We will look closer at each of these versions later in this chapter. The
Windows 7 hardware requirements are discussed in this chapter, as well
as in greater detail in Chapter 2.
Windows 7 has been improved in many of the weak areas plaguing Windows Vista.
Windows 7 has a much faster boot time and shutdown compared to Windows Vista. It is
also easier to install and confi gure.
The Windows 7 operating system functions are also faster than its previous counterparts.
Opening, moving, extracting, compressing, and installing fi les and folders are more effi cient
than they were in previous versions of Microsoft’s client operating systems.
Let’s take a look at some of the improvements and features of Windows 7 (this is just an
overview of some of the benefi ts to using Windows 7):
We will look closer at these features throughout this book.
Windows Taskbar In the previous versions of Windows, there was a Quick Launch bar
on the left-hand side, and on the right-hand side you could see which programs were loaded
and running. The Quick Launch bar is now gone and has been replaced by the Windows
Taskbar and Jump Lists, which we discuss next.
The Windows Taskbar allows a user to quickly access the programs they use the most.
One advantage to having the applications on the Windows Taskbar is fewer icons on the
Desktop, thus allowing for a more manageable Desktop environment.
Jump Lists Jump Lists are a new feature to the Windows 7 lineup, and they allow you
to quickly access fi les that you have been working on. For example, if you have the Word
icon in the Taskbar, you can right-click it to see all the fi les that you have been working
with recently. In the case of Internet Explorer, you could view all the websites that you
have visited recently. Another advantage to using Jump Lists is that you can preset certain
applications, such as Windows Media Player.
New Preview Pane Windows XP and Windows Vista have a preview pane, but Windows 7
has improved on the preview pane by allowing you to view text fi les, music fi les, picture
fi les, HTML fi les, and videos. Another new advantage is if you have installed Microsoft
Offi ce and Adobe Acrobat Reader, you now have the ability to also view Offi ce fi les and
PDF fi les, respectively.
Windows Touch This is one of the coolest features included with Windows 7. Windows
Touch allows you to control the operating system and its applications by using a touch
screen. For example, you can open a picture and then move it around, make it larger or
Introducing Windows 7 3
C01.indd 3C01.indd 3 9/5/11 7:55:51 AM9/5/11 7:55:51 AM