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The best 30 features of Windows 7

Posted on 13 Jan 2009 at 14:51

28. BranchCache

In a bid to help office workers struggling with limited bandwidth, Microsoft is introducing BranchCache. The idea is that content from remote file and web servers is cached locally in the branch office - either on a server or distributed across Windows 7 client PCs. This means, for example, that if one employee spends two minutes downloading a large PowerPoint presentation off the company's intranet, the next person in the same office will have access to the cached version of the file within seconds. BranchCache will work with any app based on the HTTPS and Server Message Block (SMB) protocols, but requires the company to have rolled out Windows Server 2008 R2.

29. Colourcalibration tool

Although it definitely isn't a replacement for spectrometers, the new Display Colour Calibration wizard should help make colours look more natural and text sharper on LCDs. It tells you how to adjust the parameters available through your monitor's onscreen menus to perfect contrast, brightness and sharpness. It also calibrates the ClearType text for LCD panels.

30. ToggleWindows features

Switching off unwanted Windows features used to involve an uninstall. Now, such features can be simply toggled on and off, with the files remaining on the hard disk should you decide to use them later.

Author: Barry Collins, Tim Danton, David Fearon, Darien Gr