Windows 7
Start using your PC the way you want — with less waiting, less clicking and fewer hassles. Experience it yourself.
Windows 7 is an Operating System of Microsoft Windows, produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, net books, tablet PCs, and media center PCs.
Windows 7 comes with many new tools and features designed to make it the most robust and powerful operating system ever. Unlike its predecessor, who introduced a large number of new features, Windows 7 is intended to be a more focused, incremental upgrade to the Windows line, with the goal of being compatible with applications and hardware with which Windows Vista is already compatible.
Windows 7 is what Vista should have been. Windows 7 is the biggest step forward in usability since Windows 95. It brings back a sense of a tightness and control that was sometimes missing in Vista.
Everyday tasks are simpler.
Scan all your open windows with Live Taskbar Previews. Find a file, connect to a network, or use Snap to arrange a couple windows side by side. All of this can be achieved with two or three clicks.
Your PC will work the way you want.
Make it yours with personalization and be ready to go with fast Sleep and Resume. Use more of your older programs with Windows XP Mode. Protect your data and be more secure with less effort.
Do new things.
Use a touch-screen instead of a mouse. Connect to printers fast with Location Aware Printing. Share music, photos, and videos throughout your home with Play To. Use your PC to record live TV and watch Internet TV.
Features:
Snap
Size and arrange windows by simply dragging their borders to the edges of your screen. Instantly expand to full screen and back, or arrange two windows side by side.
Peek
Look right through open windows to see the icons, gadgets, and anything else on your desktop, all with a simple move of your cursor.
Shake
Want to focus on one window? Shake it, and all the other open windows on your desktop will be hidden. Shake again, and they're all back.
Gadgets
Windows Sidebar isn't included in this version of Windows. Instead, you can display gadgets anywhere on your desktop and use the Aero Peek features to temporarily view your desktop gadgets without minimizing or closing the windows you’re working with.
Desktop background
Your desktop background doesn't have to be a single picture anymore. With Windows 7, you can display a slide show of pictures, instead. Some Windows themes include a slide show, or you can create your own slide show from your personal collection of pictures.
Live Taskbar Previews
Manage lots of open programs, documents, and browser windows easily with thumbnail and full-screen previews of open windows.
Home Group
Easily share the photos, music, and files on each of the PCs running Windows 7 on your home network. It's especially handy when you want to share a printer.
Windows Search
Instantly locate and open any file on your PC, from documents to e-mail messages to songs, right from the Start menu just by typing a word or two.
Pin
Pin programs to the taskbar. Pin files to Jump Lists. Just like tacking notes on a bulletin board, you can use pin to keep the things you need close at hand.
Jump Lists
Got a file, photo, or website you use a lot? Open it in two clicks. Jump Lists keep the most recent things you've used handy for faster access than ever.
Windows Live Essentials
This collection of free programs puts the Internet in your hands. Share photos. Make movies. Send instant messages and mail. Quick and easy.
Windows Media Center
Record TV. Watch Internet TV. Watch DVDs. Enjoy online entertainment. Play your music and watch your videos and slideshows. It's all here.
Internet TV
Watch TV shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV on Windows Media Center.
View Available Networks
On the go? Find and connect to Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, VPN, or dial-up networks with just a couple clicks.
Play to
Play To, new in Windows 7, makes it easy to play music and video on other networked PCs, TVs, or stereos around the house. Just right-click the tracks you want to enjoy, or add them to your Windows Media Player 12 playlist, and select Play To
Remote Media Streaming
Ever wished you could enjoy the music, videos, and pictures on your home PC while you’re away? Now you can. Windows 7 introduces Remote Media Streaming, which provides easy access to your Windows Media Player 12 library over the Internet. Remote Media Streaming is available only in the Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions of Windows 7.
64-bit support
If you’ve gone PC shopping lately, you’ve probably noticed more computers with 64-bit processors, and you may have wondered what advantages they offer.
Put simply, a 64-bit PC can handle larger amounts of information than a 32-bit system. Since it can use more RAM—4 GB and up—a 64-bit computer can be more responsive when you're running lots of programs at once.
Whichever system you choose, Windows 7 is ready. All packaged retail editions of Windows 7 (except for Home Basic) include both 32- and 64-bit software.
Performance improvements
Nobody likes to wait. That's why Windows 7 is designed to be more nimble and always ready when you are. Key performance improvements include:
Sleep
Windows 7 is designed to sleep, resume, and reconnect to your wireless network more quickly.
Search
When hunting for something, you want answers, not delays. In Windows 7, search results pop up faster. Sorting and grouping of search results is also significantly quicker.
USB devices
When you plug in a portable flash drive or other USB device for the first time, Windows 7 can have it ready for you in seconds. If you've used it before, the wait's even shorter.
Leaner and less busy
Unlike its predecessors, Windows 7 is designed to run speed-sapping background services only when you need them. Not using a Bluetooth device? Then the Bluetooth service in Windows 7 stays off. Windows 7 is also less memory hungry than Windows Vista—another under-the-hood tune-up that can boost overall performance.
Top 10 reasons to buy Windows 7
Get quicker access to all of your stuff—use Pin and Jump Lists to keep the programs and files you use the most right at your fingertips.
Manage open windows more easily—resize and arrange windows simply by dragging their borders to the edge of your screen. 14519 people like this
Quickly find what you’re looking for—use Windows Search to find a specific file, program, or e-mail in a few seconds.
Share files and printers among multiple PCs—from one Windows 7-based PC to another, you can share files, music, photos, and even printers across your home network.
Stay entertained effortlessly—with Windows Media Center you get one place to enjoy your photos and music, watch and record live TV, and watch free Internet TV. 3270 people like this
Easily create and share movies—create great looking movies and slideshows and share them on YouTube in minutes.
Connect to networks easily—view and connect to any available wireless network in as few as three clicks.
Do more and wait less—improvements that can accelerate sleep and resume and make your PC more responsive help you get more done.
Don't leave programs behind—run many Windows XP productivity programs in Windows XP Mode.
Offers your PC better protection—help keep your PC, your information, and your family safe.
New and improved Security features:
Windows 7 simplifies computer security, making it easier for you to reduce the risk of damage caused by viruses, spyware and other malware.
Windows 7 also features an improved backup solution to help keep your information safe, and its improved parental controls help you protect your family.
The Action Center: security information at your fingertips
The new Windows 7 Action Center in the Control Panel helps you in making sure that your firewall is on, your antivirus software is up to date, and your computer is set to install updates automatically. That too without any user intervention.
Protect your data from theft, hackers, and accidental loss
BitLocker Drive Encryption encrypts your Windows hard disk to help keep documents, passwords, and other important data safe. Once you turn on BitLocker, any file that you save on that drive is encrypted automatically.
Defend your computer against viruses, spyware, and other malware
Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download for Windows 7 that helps protect your computer from viruses, spyware, worms, Trojans, and other malware.
Reduce risk by enhancing security and control
Windows 7 makes it easier and less intrusive to run your computer as a standard user instead of as an administrator. Windows Vista introduced User Account Control, a feature that warned you when a program wanted to make a change on your computer. Windows 7 improves on this feature, which means you’ll get the same level of protection, but with fewer messages than before.
Help protect your family
Windows Vista included parental controls, but they are new and improved for Windows 7. Now they're more flexible and easier to use. With Windows 7 Parental Controls you can:
Prevent your children from playing games you don't want them to play.
Keep your children from running specific programs.
Set specific time limits on your children's computer use.
With the Parental Controls in Windows Media Center (available in Windows 7 Home Premium and above), you can also block access to objectionable TV shows and movies.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is an operating system?
An operating system (OS) is the software that manages the hardware and software on your computer and helps you use and control your programs. What most people use on their PC is an OS with a Graphical User Interface (GUI). It basically puts images of the desktop on the monitor and allows the user to perform desired tasks.
Why do I need an operating system?
Your GUI allows you to explore, work and play on your computer in an easy-to-use environment. It’s easy to select what you want to do within your operating system — you simply use your mouse to click or touch on icons, folders or programs (a multi-touch display is required for touch functionality).
How is Windows 7 different from Windows Vista?
Windows 7 is designed to be more reliable, more responsive and to make the things you do every day easier. Windows 7 also adds exciting new features like Home Group (in Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate) and Location Aware Printing (found in Professional and Ultimate) to help make network setup and printer identification more seamless. Microsoft is offering editions with multi-touch capabilities, giving users alternate ways to interact with their PC (multi-touch display required for touch functionality). And there are exciting new things you can do with media and entertainment, too.
What is the difference between Windows 7 and Microsoft Office?
Windows 7 is an operating system. The operating system manages the hardware and software resources on the computer. It provides the foundation for other system and application software.
Microsoft Office is a productivity software program. Productivity software is designed to perform a specific function to address a specific customer need — schoolwork, working from home, getting creative and more. Productivity software is loaded onto the operating system.
How does the new Windows 7 OS compare to the Ubuntu Linux OS? Is it better? How?
Windows and Linux target different usage models.
Microsoft operating systems like Windows 7 are best when using Microsoft® applications like Office or when you use protected content like iTunes® .
Linux is the best choice for customers that primarily browse the web, edit or create documents in common formats like Office or are comfortable using a different computing environment. Linux may not be suitable for running applications written specifically for Windows.
As a home user, why would I choose Windows 7 Professional over Windows 7 Home Premium?
Windows 7 Professional combines the great entertainment and multimedia features of Windows 7 Home Premium with the business features needed for someone that uses their system both at home and at work. Windows 7 Professional also includes features like Location Aware Printing and encrypting file system not found in Windows 7 Home Premium.
How do the different editions of Windows 7 compare?
Each successive edition of Windows 7 includes the features of the previous editions so you can expand your capabilities as you move from Windows 7 Starter to Ultimate.
• Starter: (limited to net books and select systems in emerging countries that meet the hardware requirements): Simple and easy to use
• Home Basic: (limited to emerging countries only): Makes the things you do every day fast and easy
• Home Premium: An incredible entertainment experience on your PC
• Professional: Everything you need for work and home
• Ultimate: Designed for people who want it all
Which edition of Windows 7 do I need?
Most Consumer PCs offer Windows 7 Home Premium with up sells to Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate.*
• Starter is designed for basic needs. Windows 7 Starter makes small notebook PCs easy to use
because it puts less between you and what you want to do. This operating system is available
for limited hardware configurations. Thumbnail preview is not included with Starter.
Windows 7 Starter is ideal for users that use their PC for data consumption, web browsing,
social media and basic productivity.
• Home Basic is limited to emerging countries. It adds the thumbnail previews, Windows
Mobility Center and multi-monitor support among others.
• Home Premium is for customers that use their PC primarily as an entertainment PC in
addition to the standard web surfing, gaming and productivity. Enjoy and share your favorite
TV shows, photos, videos and music.
• Professional is for customers that may use their PC at home and at work. Includes all the
multimedia and entertainment features of Windows 7 Home Premium plus business relevant
features like Location Aware Printing and Windows Mobility Center Presentation Mode.
• Ultimate is for the customer that values it all — the multimedia benefits of Home Premium
plus the business features of Professional. Ultimate also includes a MUI language pack for
regions where multiple languages may be required on a single PC.
