What Is New in Windows 7 - Essay Example

What is new in Windows 7? 1. Introduction Windows 7 is technically an evolution of Windows Vista and considered the best version of Windows because its faster, more powerful, non-intrusive, stable, secured, and retains just enough animation and attractiveness of Windows Vista . However, these are just broad descriptions of Windows 7 and do not exactly tell what is actually new about it. For this reason, this study explores the evolution of Windows in order to detail the differences and changes in their characteristics through the years. This in particular include the transition from DOS-based Windows to Windows XP architecture emphasis on reliability and performance, Windows Vista’s appealing design and expansion of XP’s functionality, the similarity between Windows Vista and Windows 7, and features that made Windows 7 unique. 2. Evolution of Microsoft Windows The history of Microsoft Windows can be traced back to MS-DOS, an operating system originally created for IBM personal computers introduced in 1981. MS-DOS, compared to UNIX at that time is a very limited as it does not support multitasking and various features of x86 processor. For this reason, Microsoft over the years improved MS-DOS and introduced Windows, a GUI or Graphical User Interface for MS-DOS . The first three Windows version such Windows 1.x, Windows 286 (2.x) and Windows 386 were nothing but graphic-based operating environment with active application displayed in movable resizable window and ran on top of MS-DOS platform. Windows 1.0 was Microsoft first attempt at a GUI and released in 1983. This version of Windows is not an operating system but an extension of DOS using bitmap displays, support VGA or Video Graphics Array, 16 colours at 640x480 resolution, mouse for easy navigation, switch between programs, and eliminate the need to type commands at the DOS command prompt. Released in 1987, Windows 2.0 allowed users to control screen layout, overlap windows, icons to represent programs, and support the 286 processor. Windows 3.0 was released in 1990 with improved graphics, new icons, can use memory beyond 640K, comes with SDK or Windows Software Development Kit for writing Windows-based applications, and VxDs or virtual device drivers to minimise hardware dependencies . A new version of Windows (Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.1) that is faster compared to previous versions, support multimedia and 16 bit applications, true type fonts, drag and drop, and so on, and the last version to work on top of DOS platform was introduced in 1992 . Windows 3.1 added multimedia functionality such as connecting external musical instruments and MIDI devices. It also support True Type font, terminate hung application, OLE or Object Linking and Embedding support, and the ability to close applications by pressing key combinations Ctrl+Alt+Del. Windows for Workgroup on the other hand was the first Microsoft OS to support peer-to-peer network, file and printer sharing, email client, and workgroup scheduler. Windows 3.11 was released a year later in 1993 but no new feature was added. This version is only correcting problems with previous version, which were mostly network problems . In same year, Microsoft launched Microsoft Windows NT 3.1, a full 32-buit operating system with GUI similar to Windows 3.1 but it was only sold to businesses . In August 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95, a new consumer-oriented version of Windows with redesigned GUI, independent of DOS, multitasking, support up to 4GB of linear address memory, can run 32-bit applications and able exploit almost all features of the Intel 80386 processor . It also introduced Plug-and-Play to make hardware installation easier, dial-up networking for internet and other network connection, support long filenames, pre-emptive multitasking. Windows 95b or OSR2 was an improved version of Windows 95 with USB support and FAT32 file system but was only made available to OEM or Original Equipment Manufacturers . In 1996, Windows NT 4.0 was released with GUI similar to Windows 95 that was followed by another version in 2000 called Windows NT 5.0. Windows 95 evolved and after 3 years, Microsoft released Windows 98 and Windows ME. Windows ME is the last of Windows 3.x based operating system . Windows 98 was released on June 25, 1998 as a retail upgrade to Windows 95 supporting DVD reading and use of USB devices. Windows 98 made applications open and close faster and it include FAT32 converter for overcoming the 2GB limitations imposed by DOS. It also support SCSI devices and added features such as Disk Cleanup, Internet Explorer 4.0, and Active Desktop. The second edition of Windows 98 or Windows SE was also released in the same year as an incremental update. This version includes enhanced multimedia, home networking, and Internet browsing. It also introduced Internet Connection Sharing where a particular computer running Windows 98 SE can function as NAT or Network Address Translation server for other computers in the home network. Moreover, it include other useful networking features such as NetMeeting conferencing program and enhanced Internet Explorer 5 . Finally, Microsoft released Windows ME or Windows Millennium Edition in September 14, 2000.This version of Windows is the operating system built around the MS-DOS kernel. It include support for digital media through built-in programs such as Image Acquisition (downloading images from digital cameras), Movie Maker (recording and editing digital video medial files), and Windows Media Player to play music and video files. Other new features include System Restore for restoring deleted files, System File Protection to prevent applications from changing important OS files, and Home Networking Wizard to make adding network computers and peripherals easier . Windows 2000 or Windows NT 5.0 was released in year 2000 but in 2001 Microsoft decided to discontinue its MS-DOS-based versions of Windows and introduced Windows XP or Windows NT 5.1. Windows XP has two main editions, the Home and Professional Edition . The Home Edition as the name implies is the first home-oriented version of Windows that does not contain any traces of MS-DOS. Window XP Home Edition combines improved version multimedia and crash recovery features of Windows 98 and Windows ME. It has the reliability of Windows 2000 particularly in accommodating combination of old and new hardware and software . Windows Home and Windows Professional is almost identical in terms of GUI and other features but the latter comes with Internet Information Services or IIS that let user host web sites and FTP sites. It is allow XP machines to run Simple Mail Transfer Protocol or SMTP service for sending email . Windows XP Professional supports up to two processors and ability to join a domain unlike Windows Home Edition . Windows XP is designed for multiple users and has five different versions. The main versions as mentioned earlier are Home and Professional Edition. The editions include Table PC Edition, Media Centre Edition, and 64-bit Edition. All versions of Windows XP support FAT, FAT32, and NTFS. It has an intelligent GUI, provides ability to customise the desktop environment, and comes with additional utilities such as Remote Assistance, Remote Desktop, Windows Media Player 8, Windows Messenger, and Windows Movie Maker. It is also work with a variety of hardware components or those include in HCL or Hardware Compatibility List . Windows XP remains the dominant Windows operating system for many years until Windows Vista was introduced in 2007 followed by Windows 7 in 2008. 3. Windows XP As mentioned earlier Windows XP is the first attempt of Microsoft to eliminate Windows dependence in MS-DOS. Therefore, unlike other versions of Windows including Windows 95 and 98, Windows XP does not include DOS . In fact, Windows XP is in itself an operating system with primary components – environment subsystem and executive services as shown below. Figure 1- Components of Windows XP architecture The environment subsystems according to provide runtime support for application under the control of one operating system. Unlike common belief that operating systems exist to run programs or applications, Windows XP operating system works through processes and threads. For instance, a process in Windows XP defines the operating environment in which a particular application or major operating component runs. Each process has its own private memory space, security descriptors, execution priority level, processor-affinity data, and a number of threads for the process. Similarly, a thread is recognised as the basic executable unit that contains information placeholder associated with a program capable of handling multiple simultaneous activities. For instance, an application such as Microsoft World performing spelling and grammar checks while user writes. The unique features of Windows XP in terms of reliability and performance are summarised below: Table 1 - New Features of Windows XP ( New Features Availability Provides access to all documents and settings regardless of computer user use to log on. Professional Edition only Allows access to files and folders on network share Professional Edition only Support running of multiple application simultaneously Home and Professional Automatic System Recovery or ASR Professional Edition only Support automatic 802.1x wireless network configuration Home and Professional Automatic installation, configuration, repair or removal of software applications CD-Burning and file dragging through Windows Explorer Home and Professional File encryption through EFS or Encrypting File System Fast booting and resume times Home and Professional File-level access control through administrative privileges Access to Microsoft Knowledge Base through Help and Support Centre Home and Professional Home Networking Home and Professional Internet Connection Firewall Home and Professional Internet Information Service/ Personal Web Server Professional Edition only Multilingual User Interface Professional Edition only Multiprocessor support (up to two microprocessors) Professional Edition only My Pictures and My Music folders for organising pictures and music Home and Professional Network Setup Wizard Home and Professional New and more appealing user interface Home and Professional Taskbar button Home and Professional Computer management and security tools Professional Edition only Remote Desktop and Remote Installation Service Professional Edition only Scanner and Camera Wizard Home and Professional Search Companion Home and Professional Start Menu and System Restore Home and Professional Recycle Bin Home and Professional Welcome Screen and Task Panes Home and Professional Windows Media Player and Windows Messenger Home and Professional Service Packs for Enhancement and Security Home and Professional Moreover, it is important to note that unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows XP include free update or service packs that contains fixes and enhancements such as advanced security features to protect computers from harmful viruses, works, and hackers . 4. Comparison between Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 Released in 2007, Windows Vista is designed to expand Windows XP’s functionality, increased security, reliability, further enhance digital media, introduce impressive Aero 3D interface. Similar to other Windows version, Windows Vista comes in various editions such Home, Business, and Enterprise Editions . Windows 7 according to on the other hand combines the best of Windows XP and Windows Vista. It has six different versions such as Windows Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate. Compared to XP the following table shows the unique features of Windows Vista. Figure 2- Windows Vista features compared to XP Windows Vista New Features Availability in XP .NET Framework 3.-0 None Support for 64-bit processor None Ad-hoc backup and recovery of user files and folders None Anti-phishing tools None Automatic hard disk defragmentation Basic Complete Backup and Restore facility Basic Better control of device drivers installation Basic Desktop deployment tools for managing networks None Ease of Access Centre None Encrypting File System Basic File Tagging and file-based image format None Games explorer None I/O Prioritization Basic Improved file and folder sharing Basic Improved peer networking Basic Improved power management Basic Improved VPN support Basic Improved Wireless Networking Basic Instant Search None Internet Explorer 7 Older version IPv6 and IPv4 support None Support 32 bit and 64 bit system 16 and 32 bit only Multiple user interface language Basic Native DVD playback None Network Access Protection Basic Network and Sharing Centre Basic Network Diagnostic and Troubleshooting None New Games Basic Improved TCP/IP stack Basic Support for offline folders None Parental Controls None Performance and Hardware Tools None Pluggable logon authentication architecture None Policy-based QOS for networking None Scheduled, networked, incremental, and automatic backup. Basic Service hardening Basic Shadow copy None Simultaneous SMB peer network connections Basic Small Business Resources None Speech Recognition Basic Stacking and Group by View None Subsystem for UNIX-based applications None Sync Centre None System image-based backup and recovery Basic Themed slide shows None Two processor support Professional edition only Universal game controller support None Updated games Basic User Account Control Basic Welcome Centre None Windows Aero Experience None Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption None Windows Calendar None Windows CardSpace None Windows Defender None Windows Display Driver Model or WDDM None Windows Experience Index None Windows Fax and Scan None Windows Firewall None Windows HotStart None Windows Mail Basic Windows Media Centre None Windows Media Player 11 Old version Windows Meeting Space None Windows Mobility Centre None Windows Movie Maker Old version Windows Photo Gallery None Windows Ready Boost None Windows ReadyDrive None Windows Rights Management Services None Windows Security Centre None Windows Sidebar None Windows SlideShow None Windows Supefetch None Windows Vista Basic Experience None Wireless network provisioning None XPS document support None Free update or Service Packs Similar In consideration of the above unique features of Windows Vista, Windows 7 is somewhat different in terms of system requirements. Windows Vista did not take off the way Microsoft expected as it requires high-end machines to run properly. For instance, Windows Vista typically needs a dual core processor, high-end graphics card, and at least 2GB of system memory . Similarly, Windows 7 is significantly different from Windows XP and earlier Windows’ versions. Windows 7 is somewhat similar to Vista in terms of interface and architecture . As indicated in the table below, Windows 7 has almost similar features with Windows Vista. Figure 3- Windows Vista compared to Windows 7 Windows Vista Windows 7 Ultimate .NET Framework 3.-0 Yes but latest Support for 64-bit processor Yes Ad-hoc backup and recovery of user files and folders Yes Anti-phishing tools Yes Automatic hard disk defragmentation Yes Complete Backup and Restore facility Yes Better control of device drivers installation Yes Desktop deployment tools for managing networks Yes Ease of Access Centre Yes Encrypting File System Yes File Tagging and file-based image format Yes Games explorer Yes I/O Prioritization Yes Improved file and folder sharing Yes Improved peer networking Yes Improved power management Yes Improved VPN support Yes Improved Wireless Networking Yes Instant Search Yes Internet Explorer 7 Yes but updated IPv6 and IPv4 support Yes Support 32 bit and 64 bit system Yes Multiple user interface language Yes Native DVD playback Yes Network Access Protection Yes Network and Sharing Centre Yes Network Diagnostic and Troubleshooting Yes New Games None Improved TCP/IP stack Yes Support for offline folders Yes Parental Controls Yes Performance and Hardware Tools Yes Pluggable logon authentication architecture Yes Policy-based QOS for networking Yes Scheduled, networked, incremental, and automatic backup. Yes Service hardening Yes Shadow copy Yes Simultaneous SMB peer network connections Yes Small Business Resources Yes Speech Recognition Yes Stacking and Group by View Yes Subsystem for UNIX-based applications Yes Sync Centre Yes System image-based backup and recovery Yes Themed slide shows Yes Two processor support Yes and can support up to 32 processor cores Universal game controller support Yes Updated games None User Account Control Yes Welcome Centre Yes (Getting Started) Windows Aero Experience Yes Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption Yes Windows Calendar Yes Windows CardSpace Yes by default Windows Defender Yes Windows Display Driver Model or WDDM Yes Windows Experience Index Yes Windows Fax and Scan Yes Windows Firewall Yes Windows HotStart Yes Windows Mail Yes Windows Media Centre Yes Windows Media Player 11 Yes but updated Windows Meeting Space None but can use Live Meeting Windows Mobility Centre Yes Windows Movie Maker Yes but updated Windows Photo Gallery Yes Windows Ready Boost Yes Windows ReadyDrive Yes Windows Rights Management Services Yes Windows Security Centre Yes Windows Sidebar Yes Windows SlideShow Yes Windows Supefetch Yes Windows Vista Basic Experience Yes (Window 7 experience) Wireless network provisioning Yes XPS document support Yes Free update or Service Packs Yes These similarities and slight differences does not necessarily makes Windows 7 and upgrade of Windows Vista as there a lot more in Windows 7 than mere enhancement. For instance, Windows 7 Taskbar is more efficient in managing programs on desktop. It provides useful thumbnail previews of open windows, and numerous customisation options. It has an improved notification for problems associated with software, devices, and security. It has additional settings in User Account Control that can provide greater level of security. It adds HomeGroups to simplify networking and it contains numerous enhancement under the hood to so it can run better, faster, and safer . The difference in features according to may not be clear if upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 as the layout, techniques, and functions are the same. However, users upgrading from Windows XP may find the major departures from XP astounding particularly Aero scheme with translucent window edges, menus, and windows that fade away when closed. Similarly, the security enhancement in Windows 7 such as the “User Account Control”, “Windows Defender”, and others can make Windows 7 experience exciting. The differences in features between Windows 7 and Vista are few but it generally work faster and uses fewer system resources compared to Vista . To table below summarise the new features and improvements in Windows 7. Table 2 - Windows 7 new features and major improvements over Windows Vista New features and improvements Application Taskbar changes Aero Peek – the ability to display large full-screen preview when mouse is over an open program icon as shown in figure below. Windows Touch Allow use of touch screen in Windows 7 without additional software. Snap and shake windows Aero Snap and Aero Shake- improvements that automatically maximises a window when dragged to the desktop and minimise windows multiple windows when user click in the title bar and shake a particular window. Libraries A feature that allows files and folders in different location to be access in on central location. The default libraries are Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos. Figure 4 - Aero Peek Figure 5 - Windows 7 default libraries 5. Conclusion In conclusion, Windows 7 user interface, utilities, start up process, and recovery tools are similar to Vista but it is generally faster and use fewer resources. It is simpler and easier to use and has some useful new features and improvements. Evidently, Windows 7 is enhanced Windows Vista in terms of speed and system resources. Although sharing common features, Windows 7 is dramatically superior and technically excellent as evidence by performance and compatibility with existing hardware and software. Moreover, Windows 7 compared to other version of Windows such as Windows 95, 98, and XP is far more advanced. 6. References Andrews, J. (2010). Supporting Windows 7: Course Technology. Cowart, R., & Knittel, B. (2004). Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP Home: Que. Gralla, P. (2003). Windows XP Hacks: O'Reilly. Hart-Davis, G. (2006). Mastering Windows XP Home Edition: Wiley. Jaeger, T. (2008). Operating System Security: Morgan & Claypool Publishers. Lindley, E., & Miller, M. How Microsoft Windows Vista Works: Pearson Education. Maidasani, D. (2006). Straight to the Point : MS Office 2000: Laxmi Publications Pvt Limited. Majestus, L. (2010). A Compilation of 8 Historical Essays: Jonathan Marius-Sheridan. Moran, J., & Otnes, K. (2009). Getting StartED with Windows 7: Apress. Panek, W. (2010). MCTS Windows 7 Configuration Study Guide: Exam 70-680: Wiley. Pogue, D. (2010). Windows 7: The Missing Manual: O'Reilly Media. Ryan, D. (2011). History of Computer Graphics: DLR Associates Series: AuthorHouse. Shelly, G. B., Cashman, T. J., & Forsythe, S. G. (2005). Microsoft Windows XP: Complete Concepts and Techniques, Service Pack 2: Complete Concepts And Techniques, Service Pack 2: Course Technology. 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