What's new in Windows 7

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Microsoft’s Windows 7 is finally here! With the new operating system, which comes after the disappointing performance of the company’s earlier release Vista, Microsoft hopes to strengthen its position in the PC market

How much will Windows 7 cost you


The world's largest software maker Microsoft has launched the much-awaited 'Windows 7' operating system (OS) with a host of tools for mu
ltimedia applications for business and retail customers.

Smarting under the failure of its earlier operating system 'Vista', Windows 7 promises significant improvement in productivity levels, enhanced security, reduced risk and manageability costs.

"We have launched Windows 7 in six editions, targeted at specific user groups and would be available on desktops, laptops and netbooks across the varied price range," Microsoft India Chairman Ravi Venkatesan said.

The six editions launched are: Windows 7 Home Premium (for home consumers), Windows 7 Professional (for small and medium businesses), Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic (for emerging markets), Windows 7 Enterprise and Windows 7 Ultimate.

While the Home Basic package (off-the-shelf) could cost about Rs 5,800, Windows 7 Ultimate could cost Rs 11,000. A user can save about Rs 500-Rs 800 per desktop in terms of security features and power usage, believes Venkatesan.

PC makers HCL Infosystems, Acer and Hewlett Packard have started shipping Windows pre-loaded PCs and notebook computers.

HP India will retail Windows 7-preloaded PCs between Rs 27,990 and Rs 90,000, company Country Category Manager Consumer Desktops, Personal Computers, Ketan Patel said.

While, the preloaded Windows 7 notebooks will be priced at Rs 39,990 onwards, HP India Consumer Notebooks Category Manager Diptesh Ghosh said.

At the same time, Acer PCs with Windows 7 OS will be priced between Rs 15,000 and Rs 35,000, while the notebooks will be priced at Rs 21,000-Rs 70,000, confirmed Acer Chief Sales Officer Harish Kohli.

HCL Infosystems' Executive Vice President George Paul informed that HCL will price it between Rs 16,000 and Rs 55,000, whereas the notebooks would cost Rs 22,000-Rs 80,000.

Windows 7 that is available pre-loaded with PCs now, can be bought off-the-shelf once the company receives customs nod.


The customs clearance is imminent, the software would be available off-the-shelf as well, Venkatesan said.

Sixteen Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) will launch about 100 more models by the end of this month with Windows 7 OS installed, he added.

With a host of new features in Windows 7 like HomeGroup, Play To, Windows Live Movie the new version aims to do away with flaws that hampered Vista sales.

"These new features along with shorter booting (starting) time, makes Windows 7 exciting for the consumers," Venkatesan said.

The new version is also equipped to handle multimedia functions better than its predecessor Vista. Industry analysts have already given a thumbs up to the new operating system. However, some analysts believe the economic climate, which has hit sales of PCs globally, could in turn, impact sales of Windows 7.

User's guide to Windows 7

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Microsoft Corp recently released a near-final version of its next operating system Windows 7. The company also confirmed that the new operating system will be released by Christmas (the software giant had previously announced that the new software would not be ready until 2010).

Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) adds a few new features that didn't exist in the January beta, including something called Windows XP Mode. The RC also adds a way for people to access music and other media files stored on their home PC over the Internet from other Windows 7 machines. Windows 7 RC is available for free download for next 13 months (starting May 5).

Here's answering all key questions that you as a user need to know about the Windows 7 RC: where to download it from, any risks involved, key features, system requirements and more.

What is Windows 7 Release Candidate?

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The Release Candidate RC is a pre-release version of Windows 7, Microsoft's next operating system. It is a full-featured edition of Windows 7, similar to Windows Vista Ultimate.

RC version will let Microsoft engineers check fixes and changes they made based on Beta tests and perfect the final product. The 32-and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 RC are available in five languages including English, German, Japanese, French and Spanish.

How to download?

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Windows 7 RC is free and can be downloaded from Microsoft's official website. As Microsoft isn't providing technical support for the RC, the company recommends only experienced computer users to sign up.

The company states that users who are comfortable backing up a computer, formatting a hard drive, burning an ISO file to DVD, and installing an operating system from scratch should test the version.

In case the RC download doesn't finish or gets interrupted, users will have to restart the download on clicking an icon on the desktop. It'll pick up from where it left. Once the download is complete, users will get a product key, a long sequence of letters and numbers that is used to activate the RC.

Are there any risks in installing the RC?


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Yes, says Microsoft. As RC is not a finished product, users may suffer from computer crashes and are at risk of losing important files. Microsoft advices users to take back up of their data and avoid testing it on primary home or business PC.

Some other issues that users may face include:

* Software that doesn't install or work correctly, including anti-virus or security programmes.

* Printers, video cards, or other hardware may not work.

* Problems accessing corporate or home networks.

* Files may get corrupted

How long can users test Windows 7 RC?


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Both Windows 7 Beta and Windows 7 RC come with expiry dates. Windows will notify that the expiration process is beginning and two weeks later users PC will begin shutting down every two hours.

The Beta expires on August 1, 2009, and bi-hourly shutdowns will begin from July 1, 2009. The RC will expire on June 1, 2010, and the bi-hourly shutdowns will begin on March 1, 2010. In both cases, users will need to rebuild their test PC to replace the OS and reinstall all their programmes and data.

Upgrading directly from Windows XP

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Users running Windows XP will need to back up their data (preferably on an external device) and then install Windows 7 Release Candidate. After installing Windows 7, users will need to reinstall applications and restore their files. Microsoft Installation Instructions may provide some help

What are the system requirements?


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For running Windows 7 RC, system requirements include, 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor, 1 GB RAM (32-bit)/2 GB RAM (64-bit), 16 GB available disk space (32-bit)/20 GB (64-bit) and DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver.

Also, some other features of Windows 7, such as the ability to watch and record live TV or navigation through the use of touch, requires advanced or additional hardware requirements.

What to look for in Windows 7?

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Windows 7 boasts of an improved taskbar at the bottom of the screen to launch programmes and switch between them when they are open. Another new feature is called Jump Lists which provides updated lists of recently worked-on documents or frequently visited websites without first having to open Microsoft Word or an Internet browser.

Windows 7 has a Libraries feature which automatically collects similar files scattered across PCs on a home network and displays them together in a single folder. In Windows 7, desktop Themes selector highlights the ability to change window borders' Glass edge. Users have a choice of 18 tints for their glass, with accessibility themes also available, as well as more themes downloadable online.

The release candidate also adds a way for people to access music and other media files stored on their home PC over the Internet from other Windows 7 machines

XP mode on Windows 7

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The feature allows users to run an XP application on Windows 7. Microsoft says that the feature will give small-to medium-sized businesses a way to get benefits of Windows 7 and still use many older Windows XP productivity programmes.

It uses virtualization technology, such as Windows Virtual PC, to create a Virtual Windows XP environment. Hence, users can run their older programmes as if they were using a Windows XP-based PC.

Microsoft says small businesses using, say, Tally accounting solutions on XP will be able to continue using it on Windows 7.
 
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