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The other major new Explorer feature is Libraries. Libraries are simply data buckets (for lack of a better term) that can store content that’s similar in nature, but located in different places on the same computer, across a network, or in the cloud. Libraries are handy for organizing and collecting files in one place, because they appear to be normal folders to most applications.
For example, suppose your music is stored in the Music folder on your profile, but your wife’s music is stored in the Music folder in her profile. If you want to stream both collections of music using some sort of streaming software, you can either point it to both folder, or you could create a Library that includes both folders and then point your streaming application to that Library. Libraries become especially useful when you integrate them with your commonly used folders, network shares, and cloud services.
The latest version of DirectX is more iterative than revolutionary, at least as far as gaming is concerned. However, it does bring some exciting new technology to Windows in the form of the general-purpose GPU computing API known as DirectX Compute.
There are three important things to know about DirectX 11 if you’re a gamer. First, DirectX 11 is coming to Vista and Windows 7, but not XP. Second, DirectX 11 is backwards-compatible with DirectX 10-capable videocards, so games that require the new API will still run on older GPUs, although those older GPUs aren’t necessarily going to perform well. Third and finally, the feature likely to have the largest impact the soonest in DirectX 11 is hardware tessellation. Tessellation lets the GPU automatically fill in detail on certain types of meshes by procedurally generating more complex (and better looking) triangles to fill in the gaps in the source art. The upshot is simple: Objects that are curved will look better when you render them on a PC equipped with a DirectX 11-capable GPU. There are other DirectX 11 improvements that will enhance performance on DirectX 11 GPUs, but we don’t anticipate a visual leap on par with the jump from DirectX 9 to DirectX 10.
General-purpose GPU computing (GP-GPU) allows developers—specifically, those outside of the gaming arena--to take advantage of the performance potential of today’s modern, massively parallel GPUs. Tasks like rendering frames of animated movies, converting RAW photos to TIFFs, encoding H.264 video, and scrubbing video can all be accelerated using GP-GPU technology.
Until recently, in order to take advantage of the computing power of your videocard, you needed to use apps that were specifically coded for the brand of GPU you owned. DirectX Compute (along with the competing OpenCL) aims to change that by providing a common interface for harnessing the power of whatever processors are in your system, be they from AMD, Intel, or Nvidia.
It remains to be seen which GP-GPU API developers will embrace, but the future for the technology is bright.
Since home networks first became commonplace, we’ve heard promises about Microsoft making the home networking experience better, easier, faster and safer. These are admirable goals, but connecting to a network share has been essentially unchanged since the days of Windows NT 4. Enter Windows 7. Now, instead of haplessly navigating a maze of permissions, share settings, and firewall boondoggles, if you want to share your files or printer with other networked PCs, you simply join a HomeGroup. And it’s as easy as typing in a password. Once you’ve created your HomeGroup, sharing files is as easy as right-clicking on a folder or file, clicking Share With, and selecting the option you want. You can exclude individual files or folders the same way.
The only complaint we have with HomeGroups concerns compatibility: Neither earlier versions of Windows nor Windows Home Server machines can join HomeGroups today.
While Tablet PCs have been around for the better part of a decade now, Windows 7 is the first edition of the mainstream Windows OS to actively support touch. We haven’t had the opportunity to test it, because the hardware support is limited right now, but the OS will work with common touch and multi-touch gestures on machines equipped with the appropriate hardware and software.
For the first time that we can remember, Microsoft has removed functionality from Windows. In Windows 7, previously core applets like Windows Movie Maker, Windows Photo Gallery, and Windows Mail are no longer part of the core OS. Instead, they’re part of a separate, optional download called Windows Live Essentials. We weren’t huge fans of these apps when they were part of the OS, and we don’t miss them now that they’re gone.
Comments are closed on this article
NeoMatrix724
August 17, 2009 at 12:33pm
I've actually had almost no compatibility problems with the RTM release of Windows 7 (via technet). Pretty much anything that runs in Vista will run on Windows 7. In nearly all cases, using a Vista driver will work since the driver architecture hasn't really changed between Win7 and Vista.
(For some reason this didn't apply to the correct post in the comments...bah)
bear
August 17, 2009 at 10:42am
Windows is "the" computer gaming platform. I would venture an argument that the majority of MaxPC readers are gamers. Ultimately, until a more open API platform becomes widely accepted by the game development community Windows will always reign supreme. This is not to say that Wine, Cedega, and OSX have come a long way for gaming support; however, comparing Win7 to previous versions of Windows is the only way to do a fair comparison. Kludged API support and "second thought" porting, e.g., WoW in OSX vs. Win on the same hardware--typically, Win...wins (no pun intended), will never compare to running a game natively. Along these same lines, this is why some console games are "just better" compared to a Windows gaming rig running the same game despite the additional computing power.
===============================================
then (adverb) \'then\: denotes time
than (conjunction) \'than\: denotes comparison
ex., 1 is first, THEN 2; but, 2 is more THAN 1.
dag1992
August 17, 2009 at 10:58am
Games on consoles are better than on a gaming rig? You're one of the few people to hold that skewed opinion. Compare the RSX which is basically a GeForce 7800 in a PS3 to a 4870x2 or 295, big difference.
bear
August 18, 2009 at 6:06am
Sorry about the confusion, I was trying to say that "some" games are ported to PC half-assedly, e.g., Halo (the first one), where it was a direct port from the console, no extra hardware support, no recoding for the additional computing power, etc. Very much like when Metroid was ported over from the original NES to the GameCube you still get that wonderful slowdown 'cause too many sprites are on the screen at once, despite the GC being better than the NES.
I wasn't talking about a generalization that all games are better on consoles. I believe whole-heartedly that the majority of games that are ported well to the PC make their console counterparts pale in comparison. All of the computer processing power in the world is not going to make the original Halo look any different than that on the XBox, and that has nothing to do with the hardware, just how it's ported. Take a look at the upcoming Borderlands game, the PC version >> the console version, plus, it costs less!
===============================================
then (adverb) \'then\: denotes time
than (conjunction) \'than\: denotes comparison
ex., 1 is first, THEN 2; but, 2 is more THAN 1.
Havok
August 17, 2009 at 6:10am
I don't use my XP Pro laptop anymore, now that I'm running Win7. My only problem will be acquiring funds to get 2 copies of win 7 in march when my RC starts to go belly-up.
OMGWTFBBQ
nekollx
August 17, 2009 at 10:31am
isn't the 3 liscence family pack like 140?
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
TippyTyler
October 08, 2009 at 8:43pm
look all i know is i have loved xp for many years...i have my xp copy, i have my vista copy..i have stayed with xp because it runs alot faster and cleaner than vista.. i dont care about all the flashy objects...but now w7 is releases and everyone says it runs faster than xp and has alot of the flashy stuff like vista..
so why not upgrade...hell most you people talk like you would be the types that have OS disks..so dont dog something you have maybe tried out for a week and played around with when all you have to do is make a image of your computer.. do a clean install and trully try it out ...if it doesnt work oh well reload the image and you have not lost anything... as for the updates.... shutup....thats like saying nothing in this world is good unless its perfect upon release and no one has screwed it up in the future...and yea alot of old schoolers say the famous phrase of "if its not broke dont fux it" well you are the people who dont like to try something new until your old thing is obsolete and your s.o.l.
yr
August 23, 2009 at 8:47pm
Only the "Home Premium" is available in 3-user home pack. I prefer Professional because I want XP mode (I have the beta and it works great!!!) and to sometimes connect to a domain. Home Premium can do neither. Micro$oft will not come out with a "home users" pack for Professional edition to prevent businesses from not paying "professional" prices.
JohnP
August 16, 2009 at 3:15pm
My son insists on running Win XP. I had to reload it the other day and I realized that I really, really hate it now. Win 7 has just spoiled me too much.
XP is dumb to pretty much anything attached to or plugged into the computer. Printers, USB devices, graphics cards, sound cards ALL have to be installed, one by one. Win 7 just runs right out of the box for most everything that is plugged in.
XP is S L O W to run an app while booting up. ALL the damn apps have to finish loading before XP will PERMIT you to run Firefox or Outlook. Not so with Win 7, click away and run just about as soon as the mouse cursor shows up.
Home Networking? Don't get me started. Homegroup kicks ass.
Multitasking in XP is PAINFUL. Win 7 just seems to multitask so much better. Apps respond to clicking on their windows, the load seems to be more evenly distributed, and the experience is elegant.
Sorry folks, XP is seriously outdated.
SuperiorBeing
August 18, 2009 at 10:00pm
I'm really dreading going back to school because of this-- the computers, even the "new" ones, are running XP, and they don't even have cleartype turned on.
*shudders*
shawn Harris
August 16, 2009 at 2:17pm
I really like the this review , so far it sounds like a great os. My question is , what about all the pre windows 7 hardware ( routers printers, keyboards, mice etc.) and software?. Will they be compatibile with windows7 or will you have wait for upgrades and patchs?.
BaggerX
September 14, 2009 at 9:27am
Win7 setup seemed to find and install drivers for all my hardware. My HP LaserJet 1020 works fine with it. No issues with any peripherals here. Only problem I have had has been related to my onboard sound. I got a lot of stuttering. It's a crappy RealTek chip, but even that seems to have cleared up somehow. Not sure if it was one of the updates or what. I was considering getting a dedicated card, and I still may if I can ever decide what to get. :)
zerokool
August 18, 2009 at 7:41am
If the old hardware has Vista drivers it should work, otherwise old hardware without Vista driver support will not run...
Hope this helps
Spider-Mom
August 16, 2009 at 2:55am
A lot of stupid people on here making stupid comments about stupid things. Anyone who says thier XP machine can do anything a 7 machine can are just fking retarded beyond belief. Its the kind of stupid that makes me wonder why they are even connected to the internet because if they were they should know better.
Vista and 7 have much better memory management than XP. XP is just going to get slower and slower as time goes on as its basically limited to 32bit apps in most cases. 3.25 gigs of ram is already to low for a lot of things. Then the obvious lack of DX10-11. Considering those things its almost laughable to say that XP is going to have a very productive future.
whitespiral
August 15, 2009 at 10:21pm
I'm so glad I no longer buy the magazine.
There's absolutely no mention, whatsoever, of other complains you've had about Windows before. Remember when you complained about how OSX got a better way of installing software? Or how much you wanted many different desktops, like Linux? Is there a mention of the vulnerabilities that have been found in Win 7 that are years old? You don't compare Win 7 to Linux or OSX, when I bet you would definitely do that if reviewing Linux or OSX! You just follow the MS PR advice of just comparing the new OS to previous versions of Windows, only!
Moreover, Windows will never, ever be safe! If OSes are really all equal, where are the infestations that are supposed to ruin all other OSes? Can you mention any that have been on the wild, in the last 5 years? Anyone? Cmon, just mention one! Have you heard of ANY botnet that controls Non-Windows machines?
Did you forget to factor in the features you get against the dollars paid?
Where's the Windows explorer with tabs? Where are the Windows LiveCDs? Where are the Windows runnable from a USB key? Where the comparison between quality and number, of the web browser and other apps you get with Windows by default, and the ones offered by other OSes?
For a magazine that once, many years ago introduced me to Linux, BeOS and MacOS, this review is a disgrace.
You have so much MS semen on your mouth.
Havok
September 26, 2009 at 6:42pm
I understand "7-DAY BAN", but what is 'ad hominem attacks'
OMGWTFBBQ
DrX69
August 17, 2009 at 9:06am
i was trying to teach a lesson... i guess i went to far. i apologize.
scholarwarrior
August 15, 2009 at 8:48pm
Supposedly, Win7 intorudes TRIM functionality in SSDs. Any chance of a look at a performance compare with/without TRIM? Not sure how much of a difference it makes, with OCZ, etc. including utilities that offer some of that functionality...
lbensky
August 15, 2009 at 8:50am
We've been using Win7 for about 5 months with an old laptop and a new one. Win7 is performaning flawlessly and is a breeze to use in our domain and outside our domain. This is the best OS yet-bar none. I have used everything from a 4301 mainframe to the latest mainframes and everything in between including Linux, UNIX and Multics. This is THE best. Full dislosure: I do not work for Microsoft.
mkarias1
August 15, 2009 at 8:19am
Its disappointing to see the Benchmark (applications) results which shows XP beating Windows 7 on several tests. I know DX10 is the future but for DX9, XP is better than 7.
zerokool
August 18, 2009 at 7:44am
a 10% loss or gain in performance in real world gaming isn't that big of a deal. I'd gladly take a slight performance hit if it means gaining a lot of useful features found in windows Vista and 7...
nekollx
August 18, 2009 at 11:25am
see my post below, it's not even 10%, hell in most causes its less then 2 FPS
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
dracx619
August 15, 2009 at 9:57am
one thing to remember is that drivers are still young for 7 and it will take a little time for these companies to unlock the full potential. kind of like any new game console, you compare (technically and graphically) launch games with games near the end of the consoles lifespan, and they are waay better.
also, xp beat it by mere percentage, hardly enough to tell the difference
nekollx
August 15, 2009 at 10:21am
yeah and in a lot of cases XP beet 7 by LESS then 1 percent.
Are you really going to notice a 0.24 drop in frame rates?
"Oh no Crysis only get 59.76 Frames per second in 7, DOOOOOOOOOOOM!"
here let me make it easy for the haters XP vs 7
Nvidea card
Far Cry 2 HQ (fps) WNR
62.8
Far Cry 2 LQ (fps) WNR 68.6
Crysis - Very High - no AA (fps) WNR 30.1
Crysis - Very High - 4xAA (fps) WNR 25.7
DX 9 Benchmarks Far Cry 2 HQ (fps) 47.5 46 Far Cry 2 LQ (fps) 52
51.4
Crysis - High - no AA (fps) 50.7
49.5
Crysis - High - 4xAA (fps) 39.7
40
Call of Duty 4 (fps) 121.4
116.9
WNR = would not run so a quick looks show halfthe games dont even run on XP
now going in order here is the dofferent by FPS
Far Cry 2 HQ: Seven is 1.5 FPS slower
Far Cry 2 LQ: Seven is Zero Point 6 FPS slower
Crysis - High - no AA (fps): Seven is 1.3 FPS slower
Crysis - High - 4xAA (fps) : Seven is Zeo Point 3 FPS faster
Call of Duty 4 (fps) : Seven is 4.3 FPS slower
are you really going to notice a fraction of a frame per second (Crysis/Far Cry 2 LQ)? Or less then 2 FPS (Far Cry 2 HQ/Crysis no AA)? Id even wanger to say you wound notice the 4 frames per second Call Of Duty suffers
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
publicimage
August 15, 2009 at 1:51am
I just loved the A-Team! I mean it was a TV show that had everything! The wacky guy, the handsome guy, the burly black guy, and the witty old guy who loved it when it all came together. It was the epitome of what a TV show should be; the perfect blend of action, comedy, drama, suspense and, yes, even romance! And it was for the whole family! No fancy-pants CGI, no over-paid actors, just the best TV entertainment one could ever ask for! If that wasn't good enough television for ya, a few years later they even added that sassy girl who would join them for a few episodes! And Michael Ironside sometimes too! And soooo many people still tell me this, so I knooow I'm not alone here.
I mean I just don't see how anyone would grow tired of the same greatness year after year. Especially when you simply do not need anything else. I mean, why mess with perfection?!
Now where'd I put that nasty letter to NBC? Anyone have a stamp? You remember stamps, right? They're simply the best darn way to send a letter... ever! But I digress. A-Team forever, baby!
publicimage
August 15, 2009 at 4:43pm
Lol. Sorry, it was rather late when I wrote that. Just trying to lighten the mood. ;) The "my OS is better than your OS" talk was getting a little nasty so I figured I'd try to make a wacky analogy for why I'd want to hang on to something that's outmoded and static. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I eagerly await Win 7!
PhoneyVirus
August 14, 2009 at 7:07pm
The only complaint we have with HomeGroups concerns compatibility:
Neither earlier versions of Windows nor Windows Home Server machines
can join HomeGroups today.So can you still access your SharedDocs on any earlier versions of Windows 2k/XP with out being in HomeGroups ? Maximum PC staff Anyone!
A Yes or B No would be fine and Yes, I'm going to Read "Windows 7 Networking How to use Homegroup."
The Versions I'm Getting:
Windows 7 Family Pack, Windows 7 Professional
willsmith
August 15, 2009 at 8:40pm
Homegroups are optional. You can still share a folder the old fashioned way and connect to it.
dracx619
August 14, 2009 at 10:30pm
when i still had a machine with vista nad another with xp, i was able to share using the old method with joining a workgroup and setting permissions so i guess yes
Baer
August 14, 2009 at 9:44am
Wow, all these improvements, better performance and for free? What kind of nut case thinks he can get a new car or have his old clunker fixed and upgraded for free? Are you a socialist? Any company that did that would go broke and then you would have nothing or another bail out using our money, at least the money of those of us who pay taxes!
We really like WIn 7 here, we are starting to use the RTM and will fully convert all units to Win 7 this year. We did use Vista on some units but did not like the performance although it was not as bas as the MS bashers and apple fanbois would have you believe. There is a pent up demand for Win 7, just wait, it will be a big success and it will make money for MS like it or not.
MikeYbarra
August 14, 2009 at 8:00am
I think it comes down to:
XP users: Do you want to really be running a ~10 year old OS? If so, great more power to you. It's a good product.
Vista users: Get an easier to use, feature rich version of Windows with Windows 7. If you're happy with Vista, great keep going. DX11 will be supported and for gaming you're set - same with DirectCompute so you can use your GPU on things like transcoding, etc. If you're into media you really should take a look at Windows 7.
The ecosystem will rally behind Windows 7 which means great new hardware, software, drivers, etc are all already or shortly will be supported. And that means a lot of options for all of us.
The core concept here is choice. It's up to you to decide. Try it, if you like it get it. If you don't, don't. No one is forcing or rushing you. But technology does improve and move on, so supporting ~10 year old OS (or car, or washing machine, or monitor, printer...you get the idea) is something that we all need to let go of. Otherwise, 20 years from now we'll all be sitting here with little innovation and the same games, applications, technology and interface. That would be a sad day.
Mike
periodhyphenund...
August 14, 2009 at 10:56am
and YES, More power to me!
Its so sad to see you kids waiting for the newest product because its newer, shinier and easier to use.
This is why its so easy for the Govt. to spy on Americans using nothing more than Microsofts newest Operating System.
I get the same problem from kids who cannot let go of the coolest FREE game from the Internet, even though the game is full of spyware or other malware.
But Kid, I say, I can't get rid of that Nasty Virus untill you delete that Cool Game!
No Way they say, the Virus probably isnt that bad anyway!
I've Got To Have That GAME, they say.
and still they wonder why they have a virus!?^$#
Clueless untill the end...
nekollx
August 14, 2009 at 11:32am
dude i'malmost 30, i'm probably older then you. Please don't insult us but calling us all kids, we're power users and we don't like our OS holding us back.
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
periodhyphenund...
August 14, 2009 at 7:16pm
Power Users don't use XP-SP3, Vista or Windows 7 due to the Spyware Inside!
When you finally realize the Threat to our National Security that is called Windows 7, I'll stop calling you kids!
OK Kids?
Now get a Life!
(But not Mine)
wiley69
August 23, 2009 at 10:10pm
close the door on ur boom shelter and let prople have what thay want... there is nothing wrong with xp,vista or win7... i run all 3 and red hat... thay all have there good and bad points... ;}
tony487
August 20, 2009 at 5:48am
You OS choice is now irrelevant Period. Do you really think we don't watch these comment and forum boards??
They are a hotbed of intrigue and espianoge. Power users, well, we can put them to use for national security you know. And, we are always trolling for folks who are catching on to us... like you. Thank you for popping up on the grid here. The silent helicopters will be there soon (maybe as you read this)
The MiB.
a cross, ah, of Bluegrass, Kentucky
Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. The
amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 36 holes on it in the
afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejesus belt that night
Caz
August 17, 2009 at 4:52am
Well, I think the gov has a little tabbing on us, but idk about THAT much, like on google the gov is definately keeping tabs on you, and mostlikely on bing. But I'm not sure about Win7.
BTW the one thing I don't agree with you (periodhyphenund) is that if all those versions of Windows OS are bahd, then whats good? Nothing at all, just sitting on the couch watching TV? Na, there you are insane.
I'm not good with computers at all, but I'm trying to learn. TELL ME AND I WILL LISTEN.
GreenTurtle
August 16, 2009 at 8:00pm
O.K period, who are you, that your so important, that "The Government" would want to keep tabs on you. LOL!!! come on, don't be paranoid, grow up, and stop believing and spreading every bull "theory" you read on the net.
wiley69
August 23, 2009 at 10:19pm
i have friends all over the world and one thing i know is we r all being watched by computers... try saying the name of a millatary ship and its location and lison for the clicks on the phone.... if ur call doesn't get droped... lol
