What's new in Windows 7

Posted on 14 Oct 2008 at 11:03

The release was billed as a technical preview of technology Microsoft plans to release in the future - possibly in Windows 7. However, despite all the promises, experts remain sceptical. "Due to the complexity of the commands performed within an OS, it would be difficult to get this feature to work well," said Kellet.

Tools such as the InkAnalysis API - available to developers in Vista - could lead to better handwriting recognition given the touch capabilities in Windows 7, but Microsoft isn't prepared to reveal any details at this stage.

Verdict: Windows dressing.

Building blocks for balance

Componentisation will aim to make Windows 7 more secure, scalable for various devices, and will enable Microsoft to work on updates to the OS without the rest of the platform suffering.

The componentised functionality has been available in embedded Windows for some time, and is ideal for minimal single-task computation. A Microsoft spokesperson said the company's plans to expand the componentisation in Vista into Windows 7 will help it "make future changes to specific components more quickly, because the effects of those changes will be better isolated and won't impact the user experience or reduce application compatibility".

However, such chop-and-change focus may not work for all end users, experts say, and could see the plans scaled back before the OS is released. "It could be confusing to inexperienced users," said Kellett. "So I don't see Windows being componentised to this level, except in server offerings, as these will be installed by engineers who understand what components they are installing and leaving out."

Verdict: More likely to be baby steps towards componentisation rather than a radical carve-up.

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Author: Stewart Mitchell