New Windows 7 Screenshots

[giga Veteran]

Just looking through that list, 6 of these "new" features are screensavers! If Microsoft used the same sort of setup desricing it's new features there could many many times more.

His point was just to illustrate that 10.x releases aren't just security fixes.

[thealexweb]

His point was just to illustrate that 10.x releases aren't just security fixes.

I know that, sorry I should have made that clear, I was just pointing out that the "300" new features consists of some good useful features and some less important things like screensavers.

[giga Veteran]

I know that, sorry I should have made that clear, I was just pointing out that the "300" new features consists of some good useful features and some less important things like screensavers.

Fair enough, I agree. :)

[carmatic]

for once they started posting videos instead of just screenshots! its good to see how well it works , not just what it looks like...

i wonder if one day we will get to see more revealing things about an unreleased OS... like the source code, and stuff...

[Denis W. Veteran]

Take a look here :

http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/300.html

300+ New Features. And that's what you call only security fix?

If Microsoft wanted to advertise like Apple, Vista would've had a tagline like "Over 2000 new features."*

*not an actual number

[TruckWEB]

If Microsoft wanted to advertise like Apple, Vista would've had a tagline like "Over 2000 new features."*

*not an actual number

Well, they could have, since it took them forever to come out with Vista.... One would hope for more than 2000 new features in 6 years.

[MMaster23]

Also .. let's not forget that Microsoft doesn't integrate chat solutions any more (thank you EU) so mark that right off. Some of those 300+ features are double (such as the dictionary .. it now has japanese language support .. arguable a new feature. but now it also has english <> japanese translation support... that doesn't count as 2 .. that barely counts as one to be honest). So Apple way of counting is just wrong.

But let's all stop bashing OSX, start commenting win7. Some people said Vista got really slow when they included their final UI... when was that? The moment the put in Aero? The moment they put in Flip3D. That stuff has been in the OS since the early alphas. Vista didn't just get slower all of the sudden. If it has slowed down at all (not for me .. RTM as fast / faster then the public RCs), it's due to underlying architecture changes.

Liking these new screenshots. Good changes in my opinion. However I'm refraining from making a call as no details have been announced yet. Waiting for PDC / WinHEC...

[Hombre]

looks nice

[gigapixels Veteran]

Wow, I'm loving the little differences they've made. Looking good (Y)

[NeoXY]

A more refined version of Vista? I'd pay money for that. I pay 125 every year for a more refined version of OSX...

[Electric Jolt]

Wow looks fugly... I was expecting something totally different than Vista. The media player does look good though.

:angry:

I think we can confirm that there custom themes with this screenshot.

:rolleyes:

I think Windows users are a lot more picky than Mac users because Mac OS X has kept the same look for a long time except it is touched up. I think Aero Glass is the best thing that happened to Windows and Microsoft should continue to improve it, and looking at this build of Windows 7, they did just that. It looks incredible, it is less black, and it is taking it's shape! If you do not like it, then your fugly to begin with. When I saw the alphas of Windows Codenamed Longhorn, I liked the revamp of Windows XP, just like Windows 7 M1, but this is different. It is a new look for Aero Glass and customization is great, I notice the long scroll bar. When I look at Windows Vista then at the alphas of Longhorn compared to Windows XP, I like the finished touch in the screenshots, but it could never stand up to what Aero Glass is like in Windows Vista. The Aero Glass in Windows 7 looks like it could stay there because it is so new and compatible now, it looks so modern, it doesn't look like an updated version of Windows Vista, it looks like the next version of Windows right now with Aero Glass. Just like Leopard and Tiger, Windows 7 has a new look even though it is still using Aero Glass because the new start menu, WMP, IE8, updated images in Control Panel and related, and it is being touched up with themes. This looks like the best version of Windows in a long time, it finally has a foundation and platform, usually all Windows releases lately are different and have compatibility issues. I bet this will be a lot less buggy because it is based off Windows Vista and doesn't use any upgraded technology, but in place has updated technology. The Ribbon-UI looks incredible, it looks like Windows is finally cleaning up Windows legacy traits such as the old icons and apps lost in the world of the system32 folder. :woot:

Bottom Line - Windows users should shutup and give this a chance, I haven't seen so much bitching before in my life until Windows Vista happened... I have been a Windows Vista supporter for a long time, and I have an iMac and I love it, I have seen the best of both worlds, and what I have realized is Windows users expect every version of Windows to be completely different in a good way and something from their dreams while Mac users enjoy the thousands of small features that make up a release of Mac OS X and they don't expect every version of Mac OS X to be completely different nor do they want that. ;)

[afusion]

Windows 7 is considered to me as "The Big One"

Sure I like Vista but this might be where it's at.

[Denis W. Veteran]

A comment about the Windows Explorer header:

I'd like to see the reasoning behind that. People recognize icons faster than they do for text labels, plus they take up a stupidly large amount of space. Why can't they just adopt the toolbar style used in Windows Live Messenger 9's conversation window? But instead the other Live apps use the same nice background, but ugly toolbar button design.

[kaiwai]

A more refined version of Vista? I'd pay money for that. I pay 125 every year for a more refined version of OSX...

Small problem there champ; Windows costs more than MacOS X - well, in New Zealand; OEM's are generally difficult to get off vendors given how some are really anal about making sure you buy a 'significant computer component'.

[Iced_Eagle]

for once they started posting videos instead of just screenshots! its good to see how well it works , not just what it looks like...

i wonder if one day we will get to see more revealing things about an unreleased OS... like the source code, and stuff...

If source code would ever leak again (Win2k), ther would definitely be hell to pay.

I don't think anyone at MS would do that though, especially since they feel pressure from Apple, so most people tend to have an emotional feeling towards their projects, and don't want to see them get leaked.

[MMaster23]

Small problem there champ; Windows costs more than MacOS X - well, in New Zealand; OEM's are generally difficult to get off vendors given how some are really anal about making sure you buy a 'significant computer component'.

I've worked in the OEM business for the last 3 years and your New Zealand ®etailers are wrong. They shouldn't deny you access to OEM licenses.

In short: anyone can pick up a OEM license by stating they themselves are a system builder who intend to install the software on a new assembled PC. The ®etailer has no right what so ever to deny the OEM sale.

However .. the retailer should sell you the software with the OEM seal intact. As long as the seal is intact, you are allowed to pass on the software (and it's license). Of course in order to use the software, you need to break the seal. By breaking the seal you confirm with the retailer / Microsoft that YOU are the System Builder and YOU are responsible for installation of the software on a new set of hardware and that YOU are responsible for supporting the software and the system.

If you have any doubts, please contact your local Microsoft Center: http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide/

They will explain everything in great detail if you state you are in fact a system builder (or starting system builder).

Again: Retailers and resellers have no right to deny the sale. Some retailers don't understand the (quite simple) OEM rules of Microsoft and play it safe by only promoting the retail editions of Microsoft software.

(ps. Don't get me started on Microsoft 2007 Office System and it's OEM flavors .. completely different story)

[ViperAFK]

:angry:

:rolleyes:

I think Windows users are a lot more picky than Mac users because Mac OS X has kept the same look for a long time except it is touched up. I think Aero Glass is the best thing that happened to Windows and Microsoft should continue to improve it, and looking at this build of Windows 7, they did just that. It looks incredible, it is less black, and it is taking it's shape! If you do not like it, then your fugly to begin with. When I saw the alphas of Windows Codenamed Longhorn, I liked the revamp of Windows XP, just like Windows 7 M1, but this is different. It is a new look for Aero Glass and customization is great, I notice the long scroll bar. When I look at Windows Vista then at the alphas of Longhorn compared to Windows XP, I like the finished touch in the screenshots, but it could never stand up to what Aero Glass is like in Windows Vista. The Aero Glass in Windows 7 looks like it could stay there because it is so new and compatible now, it looks so modern, it doesn't look like an updated version of Windows Vista, it looks like the next version of Windows right now with Aero Glass. Just like Leopard and Tiger, Windows 7 has a new look even though it is still using Aero Glass because the new start menu, WMP, IE8, updated images in Control Panel and related, and it is being touched up with themes. This looks like the best version of Windows in a long time, it finally has a foundation and platform, usually all Windows releases lately are different and have compatibility issues. I bet this will be a lot less buggy because it is based off Windows Vista and doesn't use any upgraded technology, but in place has updated technology. The Ribbon-UI looks incredible, it looks like Windows is finally cleaning up Windows legacy traits such as the old icons and apps lost in the world of the system32 folder. :woot:

Bottom Line - Windows users should shutup and give this a chance, I haven't seen so much bitching before in my life until Windows Vista happened... I have been a Windows Vista supporter for a long time, and I have an iMac and I love it, I have seen the best of both worlds, and what I have realized is Windows users expect every version of Windows to be completely different in a good way and something from their dreams while Mac users enjoy the thousands of small features that make up a release of Mac OS X and they don't expect every version of Mac OS X to be completely different nor do they want that. ;)

I wholeheartedly agree. I think aero looks great.

[Ayepecks]

A comment about the Windows Explorer header:

I'd like to see the reasoning behind that. People recognize icons faster than they do for text labels, plus they take up a stupidly large amount of space. Why can't they just adopt the toolbar style used in Windows Live Messenger 9's conversation window? But instead the other Live apps use the same nice background, but ugly toolbar button design.

I agree completely. They need to add icons at least, as I said a few pages back.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

Windows 7 is considered to me as "The Big One"

Sure I like Vista but this might be where it's at.

As long as it does not cost twice as much.

[Electric Jolt]

I'm still holding out for the more finalized UI, but I'm actually surprised at what I'm seeing so far, and in a good way. If there's one thing I haven;t liked about Windows it's the recycled look. You've got elements dating back from the Windows 95 days still there in some form within Vista. It looks like they're finally overhauling every last detail to bring it in line with modern aesthetics and functionality. I just hope they remember to keep things organized in a logical manner.

Well this is what Windows Vista was supposed to accomplish. Build a new foundation for Windows by cleaning up the kernel and related and call the kernel MinWin.

Windows 7 is supposed to also include MinWin but instead, a different MinWin, this MinWin is generally just cleaning up Windows and all those old files and everything to make Windows fresh again.

That is what I heard, and I believe that a 100% since Windows Vista is the foundation for Windows 7, Windows Vista is already a great release of Windows and includes many new features that are not used as much as were expected when they were on the drawing board such as Avalon which turned into WPF and is just a cool feature used sometimes in Windows Vista. In Windows 7 I heard that WPF is going to be unmanaged or something, I don't know for sure but I heard it is good news. But anyway, Windows 7 should be able to be a great release of Windows because Windows Vista has everything Longhorn really needed but Windows XP couldn't supply it and it resulted in a code-reset. :)

I really wish they wouldn't leak screenshots, since that does hurt the development cycle. (http://www.aeroxp.org/2008/06/windows-7-65191-the-leak/)

However, I absolutely love the (very small) change to the aero glass. I love that they made the glass appear shinier and smoother. The glass in Vista looks more smokey.

To the haters, it's not at beta 1 yet. When it hits RC, then you can hate on the primary looks and UI.

I would prefer the term thin glass compared to the thick glass in Windows Vista. I love it too! :D

... I .. Want... It.. !!!!!!!!

Screw Longhorn.. >_>

It's these little fixes that will sell Windows 7 for me, I already want it with all the nice little addons they made to the OS.. It looks incredible, Good job Microsoft! :D

They said it is well ahead of when Windows Longhorn was in this stage, meaning it is a lot less buggy and is actually usable compared to Longhorn. So I am going to try using this and seeing if I can use this mainstream for a while.... When it comes out lol. :p

Microsoft and the Windows 7 team should focus on consistency. It just looks pleasing to the eye when the application UI matches the operating system's UI. A good example is the applications in Mac OS X Leopard which blend in well with the operating system. Of course, security improvements are to be expected but consistency is one thing that's been overlooked in pretty much every release of Windows.

Yes it is nice having it being consistent, but I love how Windows Live Wave 3 looks, and if everything was consistent on Windows Vista, then it would get boring after awhile. I get bored looking at Leopard all day, it is streamlined, consistent, and nice, but it just gets disappointing when you see Windows Live Wave 3 come out and it looks so different and neat and you like how it looks different from the OS for once.

Am I the only person who thinks WMP looks really really really ugly?

It isn't all that great, but it doesn't look really really really ugly... :p

When are you guys going to figure out the GUI isnt the main focus right now?

Well I hope Aero Glass stays... :/

no way the are going to do that , the have said it before a SP is not for adding feature

xp sp2 being exception , just because without sp2 features xp sucks ***

I hate it when they port stuff to Windows XP! Windows Vista is nice and all, but no big features coming in except extras which don't ever happen. Windows 7 needs to be good and not port stuff. :yes:

It's both modern-looking and retro at the same time. They need to start over; it's too busy. :x

Wow...... No comment. :|

looks too much like Vista. so buy old vista or the "new" vista. maybe someone needs to go steal some more ideas from apple.

Shut your mouth, you shouldn't be talking, it-is-alpha! :crazy:

There are some great changes that I myself feel is missing in the Vista interface. Great progress so far.

Still you people complain about this. Jeez...

Yeah they aren't going to stop anytime soon, I read the entire thread, they say it over and over again. ;)

[Electric Jolt]

It's nowhere near as busy as XP used to be. Honestly, I'm having a hard time understanding most of the complaints

about the "user friendliness" and "prettyness", because I think Vista/7 is doing both of those pretty well.

In what way is Vista a failure? I'm curious as to what that would make Mac OS X by comparison. A catastrophe?

+1

Windows Vista is so sleek and streamlined designed, it isn't busy at all.

this is not the right place to compare osx to windows ... and the two shouldn't be compared :)

Vista was a failure from start because people were not ready ,the systems were not ready. Compatibility problems ,

inconsistent UI ,and today,after some time from the lunch ,80% of my clients go for XP PRO and server 2003. I use

vista,and MAC ,and linux ,so i'm not fan of any os :) perfection is impossible when talking about software

What are you talking about? Windows Vista was more than ready, they were selling computers for Windows Vista before

Windows Vista came out, and Windows Vista was solid when it was released. I do not even know where you got

perfection from because humans strive to be perfect but it is impossible to be perfect. :blink: :wacko:

personally i hope they give you the option of having the old style start menu

and i really hated that light blue colour they used everywhere in vista

i hope they change that to the silver like in some of the screenshots or at least let you change it to something

you like and it effects the whole UI not just parts of it like in vista :rolleyes:

the UI was one of the biggest criticisms of vista i hope for their sake they get it right this time...

Never, shall there be an old-style start menu. That is so 8 years ago lol! :woot: :cool:

sod this, i wanna keep xp!! i'm too old to re-learn how to do things! lol

Your sig says you don't spend enough money for your computers, if you don't have Windows Vista and will not upgrade

and will stay with Windows XP for good, then why are you here? :huh: :wacko:

I am still not impress. Oh yeah, nice new calc, ribbons galore! But is that it? Is Win7 a cosmetic change to

Vista with ribbons?

What ever happened to innovation?

It's called MinWin, the idea of cleaning up Windows, they can't keep these ghetto applications in Windows, they

need to update them, that is part of MinWin, and this is not in beta yet, it is still alpha. When I say MinWin, I

mean the second one thats supposed to be the idea of cleaning up, not the first one which is the new kernel.

:alien:

A comment about the Windows Explorer header:

I'd like to see the reasoning behind that. People recognize icons faster than they do for text labels, plus they

take up a stupidly large amount of space. Why can't they just adopt the toolbar style used in Windows Live

Messenger 9's conversation window? But instead the other Live apps use the same nice background, but ugly toolbar

button design.

You know what? Why don't they make most of Windows' icons so they won't have to make language updates so huge and

they can cut down on space of the screen and more universal. Oh yeah, they don't want to redesign the majority of

icons everytime they make a new release of Windows, less money to spend. :p

[afusion]

What I'm dying to know is:

Live Wave 3 is porting all of Windows current features online(mail, movie maker, etc). What will they do feature wise for 7?

[.tony]

Icons, I personally think should be left alone for Seven, just fix up the icons that haven't been changed in Vista that are still from the 3.1, 9x, etc era.

Maybe a flip too, read somewhere, makes more sense for the icon to face you, whereas Vista faces away from you. Doesn't matter too much, for icons, it's replacing the extremely old icons that's the main concern, apart from that, it's fine.

Also, I agree about the toolbar style from Live Messenger 9 BETA's conversation window, I quite dislike the one used in Mail, etc, and now in Windows Seven. Could change, it's still very early in the development cycle.

[BajiRav]

Small problem there champ; Windows costs more than MacOS X - well, in New Zealand; OEM's are generally difficult to get off vendors given how some are really anal about making sure you buy a 'significant computer component'.

No, it doesn't.

Windows Vista upgrade for Home prem - $119.99

OSX leopard upgrade - $129

OSX is not sold as retail package by apple so other price points are moot.

[afusion]

If people can't afford to upgrade(software & hardware wise) they don't have the right to complain.

Be happy with what you got or use Open Source.