Three years after launching Windows Vista, Microsoft returned with a new version of its operating system, version presented as major and named Windows 7. And while the war machine, Microsoft is preparing to deliver a new marketing battle, this version of Windows seems to be born under good auspices. Relatively well received by audiences and critics as a whole, the latest version of Microsoft's flagship OS innovates not on fundamentals but on the appearance and finish of the existing improvements. With Windows Vista, Microsoft established a new basis, with Windows 7 they are simply improved.
Obviously inspired by the methods sometimes criticism of Apple, Microsoft has long remained silent about Windows 7 before proposing autumn 2008, to general surprise, a pre-beta version stable and complete its new system of operation. In January 2009, connecting with the Microsoft beta Windows 7 version complete already-side API. Full of promise, that ushered in a beta GUI fully reviewed and revised and already had most of the new Windows 7. A few months later, and after only a Release Candidate, Microsoft Windows 7 finalized in the summer of 2009. The test phase will therefore be shorter than a year!
While development teams seem to have fulfilled their task with panache, it can not be said of marketing! During the summer, Microsoft announced that it will market in Europe a version of Windows 7 without Internet Explorer, then a few weeks later, the software giant was abruptly reversed. The case of preorders of Windows 7 at preferential prices and with too many virtual stores will also have limited minds sharp while charging breath away. From one country to another, strange changes are felt on the price system.
Finally found that it does in new Windows? What can we expect? What differentiates Does Windows Vista? Is it really better? These questions should be answered in this dossier on the final version of Windows 7.
Windows 7: the basic kernel of Vista
Before detailing the installation of Windows 7 and discover new both functional and ergonomic system, we must mention what makes its base. It will be a surprise to some, but Windows 7 is based largely on the architecture implemented in Windows Vista. In this scenario Microsoft reiterated earlier, since Windows XP was based largely on Windows 2000.
Let us remember that with Windows Vista, Microsoft has changed a significant set of technologies for the future and somehow make a clean sweep of part of the inheritance from Windows XP and Windows 2000. Among the changes introduced at the core of Windows Vista, of course we think the redesigned audio engine, the new stack managing network connections, the new graphics architecture or security technologies to protect the core of any modification allowed. All these technologies, very welcome for the most part, are now mature with successive changes in Windows Vista (patches and service pack). They found consistently at the heart of Windows 7, with here and there adjustments. The number of kernel version of Windows 7 illustrates this fact since your version 6.0 for Windows Vista to version 6.1 for Windows 7. Those who expected the implementation of a completely new kernel in Windows 7 will be for expenses.
But do not imply that nothing changes under the hood. Microsoft brings into effect various changes more or less significant. Start with the graphics layer that takes advantage of several changes. With Windows Vista, Microsoft has completely overhauled its graphics pipeline, while introducing a new driver model: the WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model) 1.0. With Windows 7, the specifications are evolving WDDM version 1.1 with the key to a better management of video memory or a new arbitration of the tasks for better use of the graphics chip. In practice, this results including reduced memory footprint of Windows window manager, when many windows are open simultaneously. The model also induces WDDM 1.1 support 2D acceleration (GDI) by the graphics chip. As the system itself, it remains compatible with the WDDM drivers 1.0.
And since we're on the graphic side, and stay there by addressing the DirectX API. It is now in version 11 with the native integration of Direct3D 11. Fully compatible with hardware DirectX 10, DirectX 11 offers for the first time, with a capable graphics chip, the support of the tessellation. Without making a statement here on the 3D rendering technologies, just know that the technique called tessellation to generate advantage of geometric detail for a scene richer in detail. DirectX 11 is also the advent of DirectCompute, Microsoft's answer to the OpenCL or to CUDA. Thus, programmers can now use a standard API through the resources of the graphics chip for generic calculations. And it is interesting to note that Microsoft offers three levels of DirectCompute, accessible from the graphics card is DirectX 10 class. Moreover, and this is a small revolution, finally opens to DirectX multi-core processors by allowing you to run multiple threads simultaneously. Quite interesting on paper, the DirectX 11 API is much less disruptive than DirectX 10: the evidence in his great goodness Microsoft has even decided to make DirectX 11 available for operating systems Windows Vista (not Windows XP but it Needless to say).
Beyond this brief overview of the graphics, the core of Windows 7 takes advantage of improvements in the management of multi-core processors. If the scheduler of Windows 7 has been completely rewritten, it has various optimizations and functionality introduced the so-called "Core Parking. Here, the operating system may decide to completely shut down one or more execution cores in a multicore processor based course of the workload.
The performance aspect of the system has been the subject of attention or almost, and the phases of startup and shutdown of Windows have been revised to be faster, at least in theory. In fact if we note any difference in startup times, it is especially the extinction of a Windows machine 7, which is significantly faster than the same operation on Windows Vista. Even set to return to standby which promises to be faster, we could check on our test machine. Note, however, if the return is more rapid time to reset all USB devices is long and can sometimes lead to surprising results: keyboard or mouse have no say except to reconnect, but this behavior is unfortunately not new since it already happened with Windows Vista on some configurations.
Microsoft is also using Windows 7 to review the management of certain technologies, and Windows 7 it is now compatible with Bluetooth 2.1. Microsoft now offers Bluetooth Audio management but unfortunately not the Bluetooth Stereo profile yet proposed by Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Note also, the native support images of virtual hard drives that can get hot directly from the application disk management.
Windows 7: Still too many editions
The time of Windows XP, Microsoft has proposed a simple and coherent system operating with a choice between only two editions of Windows for the general public. The user could then select either Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional Edition. Over time, additional and specific editions of Windows have emerged to meet specific needs. We think Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and Windows XP Media Center Edition including versions aimed primarily at new computers.
With Windows Vista, the Redmond company segmenting its offer of a new way: not less than six different editions of Windows functionality ... very different! Although this choice has been widely criticized her time, Microsoft persists and signs since Windows 7 is offered in as many editions as its predecessor. However, all will not appear on the shelves since only three of them will be sold boxed. In addition, Microsoft has revised the segmentation in terms of functionality so that it is more logical (we give them that state law): Each edition incorporates the functions of its predecessor and enhances them. Example: Games and Media Center formerly absent from the Professional edition of Vista are now included.
In radius, so you can find Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional Edition, and Windows 7 Ultimate. Your choice likely stop on the Home Edition or Professional Edition, which adds to its share of business-oriented networking features, but sometimes necessary in a domestic environment (or to stay connected to his office from home). The Ultimate Edition for its part, the most curious position: It certainly adds some little extras such as encryption keys or USB access to language packs. There are also features and BranchCache DirectAccess and the ability to boot from a VHD disk image. However, unlike Windows Vista Ultimate, Microsoft promises by any hypothetical program to download in the future: the end of extra. The price of the Ultimate edition, the most expensive of the catalog, it is simply astounding.
Windows 7 material requirements
Good news, as Microsoft had promised, the hardware requirements to install and take advantage of Windows 7 have not evolved an inch from Windows Vista. It was certainly a minimum, but it is worth remembering. Any machine capable of running Windows Vista can receive an update to Windows 7 without any problems.
Microsoft recommends a 1 GHz processor or faster with 1 GB of memory for 32 bits and 2 GB for 64 bit. In terms of disk space, Microsoft says that 16 GB of free space should be sufficient for 32-bit cons 20GB milling bit 64. Finally, Microsoft recommends a graphics card with DirectX 9.0 driver WDDM 1.0.
Windows 7 A facility in Vista
The user experience for the installation of Windows 7 has, overall, not really advanced compared to what Microsoft proposed with Windows Vista. It should be noted that with the latter, Microsoft revised its full installation module to make it more autonomous and more flexible. Until Windows XP, Windows setup will simply copy files from CD-ROM drive, one after another ... With Windows Vista, the installation program displays an image format *. WIM. The idea is to change the image upon request for businesses, IT departments can then inject files into the proper image. To the user it is supposed to facilitate the process of migrating an operating system to another. By updating your Windows setup does not overwrite certain files as before: he copied documents and program files in a secure location, delete your partition, deploys and retrieves the image backups made previously. Indeed even updating, we start from a completely clean system and it avoids version conflicts well known in the days of Windows 9x.
As the installer, it is not really faster than Windows Vista from an optical disc. It is good to know that the price of some hacks can indeed put it on a USB key that will accelerate the time of installation. For a complete installation from a DVD, it will take 35 minutes on average. For an update of Windows Vista to Windows 7, we found a setup time exceeds 60 minutes is still long.
Setup of Windows 7, the latter by a new logo as well as through configuration screens slightly revised. At the level of support materials via the drivers, Microsoft has certainly increased the list of devices recognized by default, but some are still missing the call! Thus our AHA1430SA Adaptec RAID controller is not natively recognized by the setup of Windows 7, any more than the storage controllers Marvell Serial ATA-equipping our Asus motherboard, or some Intel Gigabit network chip recent as 82578DC.
Overall, the installation of Windows 7 takes place in the same way that Windows Vista except that it is not proposed to choose the edition of Windows to install. The user accepts the license agreement, select the type of installation (upgrade or custom installation), select the destination disk, with its various tools and formatting can always load drivers from a disc key USB for example.
Once the destination volume selected and provided to opt for the creation of a new volume, the program creates a hidden partition with a size of 100 MB with various recovery tools. From there, the installation proceeds without user intervention for thirty minutes with a reboot (depending on type of machine, the time needed may vary). With the end of installation, the user is prompted to enter their name and then appoint his machine before entering the serial number and set some parameters (date, time, type of network, development of residential groups if some Windows 7 is detected on the network).
The formalities completed, the Windows desktop is available and you can start using his computer. In passing, we may have seen when rebooting the system during the installation phase, while the new boot screen: exit the gloomy green caterpillar of Vista and up to a Windows logo, which comes alive for us to wait for the system startup.
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