Posted By BOB VAILLANCOURT
Posted 1 hour ago
Last week, I took a look at some of the more cosmetic changes Microsoft has made in its new operating system Windows 7.
This week, I’ll delve a little deeper into the more substantive changes that come with Windows 7.
A word of warning, to take full advantage of some of the new features found in Windows 7, it requires you to have other state-of-the-art technology devices, such as another computer in the household, which is also running Windows 7, a home network, and things like a digital-media receiver.
But for someone with all the toys, that is no problem, right?
Windows 7 has a nifty feature that will let you send music and video files to another computer, so it can play them. However, there is a caveat to that feature, both computers must be running Windows 7 and both must be connected to the same network. In essence, the second computer acts as a digital-media player.
If you don’t have a second computer, or don’t want to shell out the necessary cash for one, you can purchase a stand alone digital-media player from your local retailer.
These are devices connected to your wired or wireless network, which you can control using your computer — even if your computer is in another room. Expect to pay in the range of $300 to $400 for a good one.
Windows 7 also paves the way for much more use of touch-screen technology, which is now entering the marketplace. Several manufacturers are offering touch screens
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with their new product line.
There is also a Windows XP mode in Windows 7, which provides for the running of Windows XP programs that won’t run in Windows 7.
This is similar to provisions in previous Windows operating systems, which allows certain software to run in what is known as legacy mode.
Windows 7 also allows the user to check what other essentials are available, simply by going to the start menu and typing essentials. This is like the old windows update, only you will be taken to the Windows Live website to find whatever updates might be available and for which version of Windows 7 you might be running.
Another interesting feature of Windows 7 is the built-in disc burning software. Now, when you right click on an file, with the ISO extension, a menu selection will pop up allowing you to burn that image directly to disk.
With Vista, Microsoft introduced its version of gadgets. Mac users will be familiar with this (it pops up when you press the F12 key). In Vista, the gadgets had its own sidebar that would pop up on the right side of the screen. There were gadgets for everything from stock quotes to the local weather forecast.
With Windows 7, these gadgets now appear on the desktop. But you won’t find the contacts and notes gadgets. Those have been removed, but a gadget for the Windows Media Centre has been added.
By the way, if you want to install Windows 7 on your system, but are reluctant to do it on your own, there are aids available.
Once such is a program called Zinstall.
Mike Stelmach, the product manager, brought the program to my attention after reading last week’s column.
His e-mail triggered some research on my part. Because I wasn’t aware of it, prior to doing my own Windows 7 install, I did some sleuthing to find out how others felt about the software.
What I found were some positive reviews, including this comment from Cliff Joseph at PC Advisor. Unlike me, Joseph used Zinstall to put Windows 7 on his laptop, which had previously been running Windows XP.
He wrote, "the program does work well — after installing Windows 7 on our laptop, Zinstall XP7 required just a single mouse click to start running, and then took about 20 minutes to set up our original Windows XP installation as a new virtual ‘desktop.’"
The product sells for $90 through the Zinstall ( www.zinstall.com).
Going deeper into Windows 7 – The Sudbury Star – Ontario, CA
