Killer features in Windows 7

The Microsoft operating system got a shot in the arm with the Windows 7 launch earlier this month. This latest Windows Clients System from Microsoft has brought about several changes in the company's operating system and has also added a lot of features that far surpass the ones from the previous versions.

There was a time when Vista opened with a series of jazz and glitter that reflected the internal technical operations. But with the new Windows 7, there was an Endeavour to mask the mechanics with stirring cinema. Writer Rolf Ebeling led the re-structuring of the 105-frame sequence. It had a lot to do with animations. He used fantastic fireflies that coalesce into the Windows icon to highlight the operating system's use of light. It was needed to make the point quickly, but getting the tone just right and making it something people want to come back again was more important.

It can be recalled that Windows Vista used a sheet-of-glass effect on the task bar but it was not to be the case in Windows 7. It was engineered to make it more realistic. Industrial designer Stephan Hoefnagels studied physical properties of a lot of concepts from Audi taillights to bioluminescent sea creatures to lava lamps, and then created more than 90 prototypes to enable the task bar's light look vivid and vibrant and the refraction realistic. Instead of a cast of monochromatic aura, Windows 7 drags color from the application. The face of Windows 7 is the taskbar but the icons provide the sparks.

The wallpapers on the new Windows 7 discarded placid landscapes for trippy anime turtles and seamless Seattle streetscapes. Selecting the safest options would have been the Microsoft default, but there was an urge to provoke a strong emotional connection. This was quoted by Denise Trabona, a former design director for MSNBC. She also enlarged the range of photographers and illustrators, to reflect Microsoft's global popularity, and added architectural pics into the blend for the first time.

A pop-up menu of application-related shortcuts, Jump Lists is a solid feature hidden right behind a right click. In an instance, the design team indicated the feature with a button and an arrow next to each icon, but a few players evaded it. There was a tremendous amount of functionality hidden behind a kitchen's cabinets and drawers but instead of an immediate cacophony of labels and flashing signs on every drawer, it was more notable for users if the experience unfolds over time.