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The best 30 features of Windows 7

Posted on 13 Jan 2009 at 14:51

22. DeviceStage

DeviceStage has the potential to become incredibly useful... or Windows 7's UAC. This feature sees Microsoft create specific "homepages" for devices such as digital cameras, smartphones and printers, and hand them over to the device manufacturer. Aside from glossy pictures and logos linking to the manufacturer's website, the pages will (theoretically) contain links to applications and services specifically tailored to that device, such as a link to a website selling ink cartridges for that model of printer or extra software downloads for a mobile phone.

The problem with the DeviceStage concept is that it relies on the integrity of the hardware manufacturers. Will they use it to genuinely add value to their products, or will it be abused as a cheap marketing tool for extra subscription services and crapware? We can only hope it's the former.

23. Bluetooth wizard

A quick peek in the revamped System Tray reveals a new Bluetooth icon. Windows 7 adds support for Bluetooth 2.1, making it easier to discover and pair devices using a simple wizard. Our test Nokia E71 smartphone was paired within seconds, although the drivers failed to install properly on the phone, meaning we could send photos to the phone, but not vice versa. Hopefully, such niggles will be ironed out before launch.

24. ProblemSteps Recorder

IT support staff will need a new form of exercise, as the Problem Steps Recorder might mean fewer trips up and down stairs in big offices. The troubleshooting feature takes screengrabs of the user's PC as they run through a process that's causing them problems - a botched installation or driver failure, say. The screengrabs are then forwarded on to IT support, packaged with a batch of telemetry from the user's PC, hopefully allowing the technician to diagnose and even fix the problem from their desk, using a Remote Desktop session.

25. One-click Wi-Fi

It's one of those features that's so obvious you wonder how it took Microsoft so long to cotton on, especially since it's been a feature of Linux distributions for years, but new Wi-Fi networks are now only a click away. A simple click on the wireless network System Tray icon produces a pop-up of available networks, rather than having to delve into the separate View Available Networks option that was found in XP and Vista. A small but worthwhile change.

26. Internet Explorer 8

Internet Explorer 8 isn't unique to Windows 7, with a beta already available for Vista, but in terms of usability there's no comparison between the two. On Windows 7, it's a revelation: not only does it launch quickly, but the pages render in a flash. Considering that performance was our main criticism of IE8 when we compared all the major browsers recently, this bodes well for its future.

That said, it still falls well behind Google Chrome for JavaScript speed, with Chrome on average five times faster in the SunSpider benchmark. The interface also looks crowded compared with Chrome, and we're yet to be convinced that its Accelerators - where you select text from the current web page and get given the option to paste that text into, say, Google Search or Microsoft Translate - are the revolutionary time-saver Microsoft claims.

27. Wireless USBand Blu-ray write support

New operating system, new technologies to support. Ultra Wideband (UWB) and Wireless USB (WUSB) have rather stalled in the blocks, but should the wireless alternatives to USB cables ever take off, Windows 7 will support both. Also included for the first time is native support for burning Blu-ray discs.