Video claims to demo breathtaking Windows 7 features
By Steven Parker, 13 May 2008 - 21:45 72 comments
Update: A Microsoft spokesperson has confirmed the video is fake.
Thanks TechMedik for posting this in our forums, Ars Technica have posted what could be a promo video for Windows 7. Read on ...
Many users are interested in whether or not Windows 7 will be an improvement in terms of performance, but that verdict will only be out once benchmark tests are performed on the RTM build. That will be a while. Other users have their eyes set on what features Windows 7 will offer over Windows Vista. Will Microsoft's next operating system add something that truly makes the user exclaim "wow!" or make customers rush to stores the second it hits the shelves?
The current internal builds look like Windows Vista, and this is completely normal because Microsoft begins work on the user interface last. Nevertheless, there have been minor features added already (none of which are set in stone of course). Out of everything we've seen in these early builds, there really hasn't been anything to write home about yet, until now.
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Comments (72)
GreyWolf - 13 May 2008 - 21:47
Which features are the breathtaking ones?
IamZed - 13 May 2008 - 21:56
They added xplorer2, Daemon Tools, and Expression Lite! Weeeeeeeeee.........
+chrismaddern - 13 May 2008 - 21:56
That's quite a list of features that we've never seen / heard of in Windows.
LaXu - 13 May 2008 - 21:58
If it isn't fake, I welcome those changes with open arms. The Explorer file browser (and OSX Finder for that matter) has always been a huge piece of **** compared to something like Directory Opus. Having dual panes is extremely useful. I also like the idea of editable, even custom keyboard shortcuts. It's one of those "long overdue" things. Personally I wouldn't mind if they really went to town with the Explorer interface.
What Windows really needs though is a new program installation paradigm. The "Next-next-next-next-next-next-next-finish" deal is just annoying and dated. Just steal the OSX "mount image, drag icon to Applications" system already! Have some sort of virtual machine or wrapper for the old (current) stuff that vomits files all over the hard drive and registry as a backwards compatibility method.
BoDEAN - 13 May 2008 - 22:04
Not impressed. With a price tag over 200 bucks, this really isn't too impressive.
+warwagon - 13 May 2008 - 22:05
Nice to know, yes. Breathtaking, uh NO! Breathtaking would be like hearing that they scratched the registry.
eck0 - 13 May 2008 - 22:08
Lol that would be breath taking. Like when compiz fusion was introduced - that was breath taking.
virtorio - 13 May 2008 - 22:19
Removing the registry is more like asphyxiation. If they're going to do that they'll need to start again and have no support for backwards compatibility (outside of virtualization).
And what problems has the registry caused since Windows 2000 anyway? Especially now Microsoft push users into not running admin accounts. It’s just a database used to store settings, if they're not being stored there that means they'll have to be stored in config files, which create a whole lot of new problems.
There is nothing wrong with the registry... it's just a database... XML config files and INI files are not multi-user and have concurrency locking issues which the registry fixes...
kylejn - 13 May 2008 - 23:02
Something they should have done with Vista. Completely rewrite the operating system from the ground up.
virtorio - 13 May 2008 - 23:15
Something they should have done with Vista. Completely rewrite the operating system from the ground up.
If they did that it most likely wouldn't be available now, or in the foreseeable future, nor would it run much (or any) of the software currently available for it, at the same quality it currently does - which is the main reason Windows has the stronghold that it does.
You can’t just re-write an operating system in two years, certainty not properly, and not one that does all the things people expect Windows to. So get real.
z0phi3l - 13 May 2008 - 23:39
And what problems has the registry caused since Windows 2000 anyway? Especially now Microsoft push users into not running admin accounts. It’s just a database used to store settings, if they're not being stored there that means they'll have to be stored in config files, which create a whole lot of new problems.
The registry IS the main problem with Windows, and the whole point originally of the scrapped new file system, by having things in a database structure with tables instead of a registry, it will speed things up while at the same time make installing/uninstalling programs easier. The registry has been considered a mess since it's inception, and needing replaced a long time ago.
Joe USer - 13 May 2008 - 23:44
I think virtualization is the way to go. You can make major OS code changes and still maintain compatibility with XP, simply because you're actually running XP.
+Brandon Live - 14 May 2008 - 02:09
WinFS wasn't a filesystem, and wasn't meant to replace the registry.
It sure as hell didn't speed anything up =P
Hak Foo - 14 May 2008 - 02:15
And what problems has the registry caused since Windows 2000 anyway? Especially now Microsoft push users into not running admin accounts. It’s just a database used to store settings, if they're not being stored there that means they'll have to be stored in config files, which create a whole lot of new problems.
The problem with the registry IMO is that it tends to make configuration very difficult to take with you.
If configuration data is stored in a file, I can easily copy that file and just that file, if I want to set up the program the same way on a new PC/after a clean install/whatever.
There's no uniform way to retrieve the registry units associated with a given program.
BlendedFrog - 13 May 2008 - 22:15
Cool....I get mentioned on the front page. Now if only half these things actually make it into w7. Some of these are actually useful.
scaramonga - 13 May 2008 - 22:17
The WOW ends now!
Tikitiki - 14 May 2008 - 01:17
And the COOL comes Closer
TheNay - 13 May 2008 - 22:19
Can download 3rd party apps to do that, but goos to see it'll be in windows by default, hopefully they won't remove things like they did with Vista...
krustylicious - 13 May 2008 - 22:21
Baring the explorer changes, win 7 looks like a giant wizard driven os.