Windows 7 beta Video

Windows 7 beta Video Transcript

[ Music ]

>> Seth Rosenblatt: Hi. I'm Seth Rosenblatt for download.com, and today we're taking a first look at Windows 7 beta. There's a lot of new exciting stuff that Microsoft has crammed into their latest operating system. Well, it's true that Windows 7's interface will be familiar to fans of Vista's Arrow, both xp and Vista users have a lot to look forward to. Before we jump in, keep in mind that this is a beta. It hasn't crashed in the week I've been using it, but that may not hold true for everybody. Under no circumstances would I recommend using 7 for mission-critical tasks until the final version is released. I'll be addressing how to install 7 in another video. For now, let's assume you're ready to go. The first thing that should stand out is 7's new task bar. This is one of the best improvements Microsoft has made. Besides incorporating the translucent style of Arrow, the new task bar is a great leap forward. Pin programs use large, easy-to-see icons. Mouse over one, and all windows associated with that program appear in preview. Mouse over one of those preview panes to reveal an "x" to close the window. Hover over the preview to show a full-size preview of the program, or click on the window to bring it to the front. Jump lists are a new feature that makes recently open documents easier to get to. Right click on any program that's pinned to the task bar to see a list of files that you've recently used in that program. In Internet Explorer, this will show recently-visited websites, although it doesn't yet seem to work in Firefox. If you've noticed the missing "Show Desktop" icon, that's because it's been baked into the task bar itself. Mouse over to the right corner hovering over the "Show Desktop" box reveals the desktop and then hides it when you mouse away. Click on the box to minimize all of your programs. Dragging programs is now a simple way to resize them. Drag a program window up to the top of the monitor to make it full screen. If you want to work in two windows simultaneously, drag them to the left or the right edge of your screen. Drag a program away from the top or sides to return it to normal. Theme packages also make it much faster to change the look of Windows 7. From the control panel, you can change the theme under appearance and personalization. Microsoft has created several theme packages to give users a taste for what the future can do. Click on one to download it, and it instantly changes the look of 7. No need to reboot. There are other, less visual changes to 7 which make it far better than anything Microsoft has put out so far. It boots faster and programs launch faster, all from the same hardware that runs Vista. You can probably get away with less fancy hardware for 7 because it utilizes what's available better. It runs fine on my Pentium 4, for example, and it doesn't require 2 gigs of RAM. The new device stage makes managing peripherals significantly easier combining printers, phones, and portable media players into one window. You can also use it to set common tasks. When you try to use a file already in use, 7 goes beyond Vista and xp by telling you where it's being used. The bloated verse will appreciate that 7 doesn't come with a slew of Windows Live programs, at least for now. So far, 7 looks like the operating system we've all been waiting for and shows a lot of promise for the future. For CNET download.com, I'm Seth Rosenblatt with a first look at Windows 7 beta. [ Music ]

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