Published in the October 22, 2009 issue of The Nugget.
Linda’s Tech Talk
7 reasons to buy Windows 7
by Linda Hoang
Microsoft’s much anticipated new operating system Windows 7, hits stores today (Oct. 22), and I was lucky enough to spend some time testing out the sexy new software myself.
Popular technology blog Gizmodo.com, writes that Windows 7 is “solid, more nimble and the easiest, prettiest Windows yet.”
And boy, is it pretty.
In fact, that’s one of the seven reasons why PC users should buy or upgrade to Windows 7.
Here are the other, less superficial, six:
Windows 7 comes with a brand new task bar that is comparable to Mac OS X’s Dock. The taskbar contains large, aesthetically pleasing icons, allowing users to open applications with ease. You can right click on an application for a “jump list,” giving quick access to standard commands.
Got too much going on on your screen? With Windows 7’s “Aero Shake” feature, you can simply use your mouse to shake the window of the application you want to focus on and all other windows open will disappear. Make them re-appear by shaking the window again.
Resizing windows has never been easier with Windows 7’s “Snap” feature. Have a window fill your entire screen by dragging it to the top of the monitor, or make comparing two windows side-by-side a breeze by snapping them to the left and right sides of the monitor.
Windows 7 also comes with new shortcut hotkeys. Hold the Windows button and the space bar and all windows open will become transparent so your desktop will be visible. Hitting Win+Up or Down arrow keys will maximize and shrink an active window.
Windows 7 is just more advanced than any of its OS predecessors, which, well, isn’t saying much given its most recent predecessor was the oh-so-flawed Vista. The OS includes a 64-bit version that can use 4 GB and up of RAM, which means it’s able to work faster and handle more information at a time.
If you have a compatible touch-screen monitor, you can use Windows 7’s new touch interface. With more touch screen cell phones, video game consoles, and computer monitors coming out, Microsoft is smart to keep up with this tech touch revolution.
And did I mention that it’s really pretty? Yes, that is a superficial reason but the fact is, attractiveness is a sell point and Windows 7 is very sleek and sexy.
To sum up, as a slightly snobby Mac user who wrinkles my nose at most things PC-related, I thoroughly enjoyed my hour and seven minutes tinkering with Windows 7. I think it’s a great new OS.
Of course, it won’t make me switch back to PC, but I can see it keeping current PC users from switching to Apple.
Mission accomplished, Microsoft.