A Guide to the Next Version of Windows

IDG News Service — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:04:19 -0400

Choose a section The Desktop Features New Desktop Features The Enterprise Features Hands-On Reviews Upgrade Advice What Enterprise IT Thinks Features for IT Admins Availability and Pricing A Video Tutorial Windows 7 and Netbooks Windows 7: The Desktop Features Windows 7: The Five Most Talked-About Features

From less annoying security prompts to an improved taskbar, here's a look at the five features of Windows 7 generating the most discussion and what they'll mean to you.

In anticipation of Windows 7 being released into the wild on Oct. 22, here is an up-to-date slideshow of the most compelling navigation and networking features of the OS.

Microsoft is sharing details about the Windows 7 Taskbar after not including it in pre-beta software. Will this be Microsoft's speediest, most clutter-free taskbar to date? Here's an early look at what you'll get.

Video: New Desktop Features

Windows 7: The Enterprise Features Windows 7: Enterprise Features Explained

With Windows 7 (and in some cases Windows Server 2008 R2), Microsoft foresees a future without VPNs, with encryption on external devices and more expansive desktop search.

Your Windows 7 rollout may seem far in the future, but a research report from Forrester warns against starting your migration from Windows XP too late. Also, learn now about five key enterprise features in Windows 7 that IT managers must understand.

Microsoft has been beating the drum about how Windows 7 was designed to protect a mobile workplace that bears little resemblance to the one during which Windows XP debuted in 2001.

Windows 7: Hands-On Reviews Windows 7 Beta Shows Off Task Bar, UI Goodies

When the public beta of Windows 7 was released in early January, Computerworld reviewer Preston Gralla called it a "solid, fast-performing, stable operating system that appears to be just about fully baked and ready for prime time" and "much further along than Windows Vista was during its initial beta phase."

Yet all the reviews weren't glowing. Infoworld's Randall C. Kennedy had this to say about the Windows 7 pre-beta: "There's little in Windows 7 that IT shops will find compelling. Most of the new features are targeted squarely at consumers, which is the same formula that got Microsoft into trouble with Vista."

Windows 7 Release Candidate 1 is a polished piece of work and arrives with a variety of nifty new changes to the interface and some important refinements under the hood.

Microsoft's Windows 7 and Windows 2008 Server R2 combination offers a big payoff in terms of virtualization and administrative policy controls

Choose a section The Desktop Features New Desktop Features The Enterprise Features Hands-On Reviews Upgrade Advice What Enterprise IT Thinks Features for IT Admins Availability and Pricing A Video Tutorial Windows 7 and Netbooks Windows 7 Upgrade Advice Windows 7 Upgrade: Everything You Need to Know

Here are the details on what, when, where and how much you'll pay for Microsoft's next version of the Windows operating system.

Despite Microsoft's lack of upgrade support, transitioning from Windows XP to Windows 7 will be easier than you think.

Windows XP shops don't need to upgrade tomorrow, but they need to have a game plan. In an interview, Microsoft Windows senior director Gavriella Schuster discusses ways to navigate the XP, Vista and Windows 7 upgrade waters.

Windows 7: What Enterprise IT Thinks Windows 7: Why I'm in No Rush to Adopt

Tight budgets, lingering bad Vista vibes, and fear of a learning curve for users are adding up to IT departments in no hurry to roll out Windows 7. Sound familiar? Microsoft can't seem to shake its past mistakes with enterprise IT.

Video: Windows 7 Features for IT Admins Windows 7: Why I'm Rolling It Out Early

While many IT organizations say they're in no rush to roll out Windows 7, the City of Miami, already a Vista shop, won't wait. Here's a look at the IT plan and reasoning.

Corporate migration to Windows 7 may be less about evaluating the new Microsoft operating system and more about how to properly gauge the correct time to get XP off client desktops.

Will IT go for Windows 7 in the next year? A new survey shows Windows 7 rollouts may proceed much slower than Microsoft would like. Plus, IT managers say they're more open to Mac and Linux alternatives.

Choose a section The Desktop Features New Desktop Features The Enterprise Features Hands-On Reviews Upgrade Advice What Enterprise IT Thinks Features for IT Admins Availability and Pricing A Video Tutorial Windows 7 and Netbooks Windows 7 Availability and Pricing Windows 7 Release: What Happens Between Now and Oct. 22

Here's the breakdown of some key events leading up to the public release of Windows 7 in shipping form in October.

Starting June 26 and ending July 11, Windows users in the United States will be able to preorder Windows 7 Home Premium for $49.99 and Windows 7 Professional for $99.99. Once that promotion ends and starting Oct. 22, existing XP and Vista customers can buy Home Premium for $119.99, Professional for $199.99 and Ultimate for $219.99.

Microsoft's "Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program" provides free or nearly-free upgrades to Windows 7 for those who purchase a Vista PC between today and Jan. 31, 2010. HP is the only major vendor so far to promise a no-charge upgrade, but more are expected.

Microsoft's Windows 7 upgrade deal for Vista and XP users will be limited to 25 machines per company, and those companies without Microsoft's software assurance won't get any upgrade break beyond the first 25 PCs.

Windows 7: A Video Tutorial Video: Hands-On with Microsoft Windows 7

What's new in Windows 7? In this 10-part series of hands-on video lessons, we take you through notable features for IT admins, new networking series, application enhancements, desktop features, and more.

Windows 7 and Netbooks Windows 7 Ultimate on a Netbook: See How it Runs

Microsoft has said that any version of Windows 7 will run on a netbook. Computerworld tried it with Windows 7 Ultimate and got mixed results.

Industry analysts say that Google is not likely to rush its Linux-based Android OS on netbooks, but if prices keep dropping for non-Windows netbooks, buyers may soon resent paying more for Windows. And that's when Google could capitalize.

Microsoft will limit sales of some editions of Windows 7 to systems that use a low-powered single-core processor running no faster than 2GHz and screens no larger than 10.2 inches, reports say.

Microsoft's plan to triple the amount it charges netbook makers for Windows 7 could turn off both OEMs and customers.