WINDOWS 7 at 10:46 AM

Windows 7, the next Microsoft OS, is aimed at the normal users of computer. It promises to have much faster boot time (although it took same time right as my XP, Maybe since its in beta phase). My first impression is much better than i had with VISTA.

The Interface. The Aero interface is now much improved than in Vista, and, interestingly it runs on even older Intel GMA chips (which were precluded in Vista)

Windows Explorer now includes a desktop sideshow that changes the desktop background in a designated amount of time. The OS also features new apps like sticky notes, XPS viewer, Snipping tool.

Calculator features two new modes Programmer and Statistics. Paint interface revamed, and many more visual upgrades for several common things.

A variety of new keyboard shortcuts have been introduced.

• Win+P shows an "external display options" selector that gives the user the choice of showing the desktop on only the computer's screen, only the external display, on both at the same time (mirroring), or on both displays with independent desktops (extending).
• Win+Space operates as a keyboard shortcut for Aero Peek.
• Win+Up and Win+Down are new shortcuts for Maximize and Restore/Minimize.
• Win+Left and Win+Right snap the current window to the left or right half of the current display.
• Win+Shift+Left and Win+Shift+Right move the current window to the left or right display.
• Win+T provides keyboard focus to the taskbar, then cycles the keyboard focus through taskbar items. Win+1 through Win+5 provide immediate shortcuts to the first five taskbar items.
• Win+G displays all the Gadgets above other windows.
• Win+ + and Win+ - zoom the desktop in and out.

The Windows Taskbar has seen its most significant revision since its introduction in Windows 95. The taskbar is 10 pixels taller than in Windows Vista to accommodate a new larger default icon
size, though a smaller taskbar size is available. Running applications are denoted by a border frame around the icon, while applications can be pinned to the taskbar, so that shortcuts to them appear when they are not running. Within this border, a color effect (dependent on the predominant RGB value of the icon) that follows the mouse also indicates the opened status of the application. The taskbar is also transparent.

In order to take advantages of the capabilities and unique performance characteristics of solid-state drives, Windows 7 will turn off Windows Disk Defragmentor and will make use of a new SSD TRIM command to more aggressively erase deleted data so that it won't need to be done later when new data is written to the same block. Windows 7 will also format a partition on an SSD differently from a mechanical hard disk drive.

Windows 7 incorporates support for Microsoft Virtual PC's Virtual Hard Disk file format. VHD files can be mounted as drives, created, and booted from.

There are many other features originating in Windows 7, including advancements in touch, speech, and handwriting recognition, support for additional file formats, improved performance on multi-core processors, and kernel improvements.

With performance and features improving so much, you cant expect it to run on low end machines. Here the minimum requirements.