In praise of jumplists (and how to use them)

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

I’ve already written heady words of praise about Windows 7’s taskbar, but as “Paul” commented to that original blog I didn’t touch upon jumplists. And they are yet another reason why this OS will make your life easier when it eventually gets the full release.

The simplest way to access jumplists is by right-clicking on the relevant program icon on the taskbar. You’ll be offered a few options, such as unpinning the icon from the taskbar, but the real power comes in the list of recently accessed documents which also appear. (more…)

10 tips for Windows 7 beta testers

Friday, January 9th, 2009

Microsoft is releasing Windows 7 to 2.5 million beta testers today. Here are ten tips for those who are preparing to take the plunge:

1. Back-up your system

Whilst we’ve been mightily impressed with the stability of Windows 7 ever since the pre-beta launch, this remains a work in progress. If you’re even considering installing Windows 7 on a mission-critical system, make sure you take a full back-up first, so that you’ve got a fall back if it all goes horribly wonky.

2. Take note of your settings and software keys               

If you’re making a fresh install of Windows 7, rather than upgrading a previous OS, make a note of all your crucial settings  - such as your wireless network key and Outlook configuration –  so that you can get online immediately. Also make sure you can lay your hands on keys for any essential software that you’ll need to re-install in Windows 7.

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