the tindog coffeehouse

It’s a given that when you buy a version of Microsoft Windows, you don’t just get a bare-bones operating system; you get other stuff with it. Is it an app? Is it a feature? Is it an annoying service I can’t seem to get rid of? Yes, yes, and yes.

Last week I ran through a few quick initial impressions I had of Windows 7 Beta 1. This week I’m going to look at a few of the other “enhancements” that come with it.

• Internet Explorer 8 – I won’t say much about it here, mostly because it’s been reviewed pretty extensively elsewhere (see here and here for starters). But the reality is, even with the latest version, IE is a dinosaur. It’s fine for most casual home users, but most techy Windows users have already moved on to Firefox, Chrome, or Opera. It does have a couple of new and notable features, however. InPrivate Browsing (aka “porn mode”) allows for anonymous web surfing. (A similar feature already exists in Chrome and will be included in Firefox 3.1). IE8 also includes a feature called Web Slices, which allows you to subscribe to portions of a web page. (Why anyone would actually use that, I don’t know.)

• Windows Media Player 12 – The Windows 7 version is pretty similar to WMP11 but with more emphasis on media libraries. Also, the Now Playing component is a whole separate window instead of a different tab. Honestly, I haven’t bothered to test this version out, so I can’t really comment too much about it, but I don’t have very high expectations. As with most other built-in apps, there are much better 3rd-party alternatives such as Media Monkey or VLC. Ars Technica has a more detailed review of WMP12 here if you’re interested, though. (Click image to enlarge.)

• Media Center – Another feature I haven’t really tested. But Gizmodo has the details on it here.
• Desktop Gadgets – Microsoft first introduced desktop gadgets in Windows Vista. The difference here is that there is no official sidebar that goes along with them. Also, to activate them, you simply right-click on the Desktop and click on “Gadgets.”
• WordPad and Paint – Microsoft’s quintessential apps WordPad and Paint get a slight makeover with the inclusion of the ribbon UI first introduced in Office 2007. Not sure why you’d care, but there you go.
• Calculator – The built-in calculator also gets an upgrade with modes for unit conversion, date calculation, gas mileage, lease estimation, and mortgage estimation. Hmm. I don’t know that I would trust it to calculate my mortgage, but whatever.
• Snipping Tool – This app is actually pretty useful. Instead of taking a full screen snapshot when you hit the Printscreen button, you can use the snipping tool to outline just the part you want to capture. Not as full-featured as my personal favorite, FastStone Capture, but it’s still handy. As a network admin, this is one feature I can really appreciate.

• Services Tab in Task Manager – This is another feature us computer geeks really get excited about. By including a Services tab in the Task Manager, it allows the user to start and stop various services much easier than going into the Computer Management MMC.
• Sticky Notes – Pretty much what it sounds like. You add a virtual Post-It note to your Desktop, enter your text, and you’re done. I don’t particularly like the fact you can’t change the font, but it’s probably not a big deal. I know people who would put a million of these all over their Desktop. Of course, they’re the same people who already have a million real Post-It notes stuck to their monitors and random piles of paper stacked everywhere. Yay for more clutter!
• Backup and Restore – In Vista the Windows Backup and Restore utility was an all-or-nothing proposition. You could backup your entire computer or certain default selections, but you couldn’t just backup specific files and folders. Thankfully, Windows 7 corrects that mistake.
• AutoPlay and Notification Area options in the Control Panel – Windows 7 makes it easier to tweak your AutoPlay options and select which system icons show up in the notification area of the taskbar. Nice. (Click image to enlarge.)

• Shuffle Desktop Backgrounds – If you like to change your Desktop wallpaper often, you can have Windows automatically change it for you every so many minutes. A nifty feature for all the ADD users out there.

• Mail and Contacts – If you’re looking for these in Windows 7, they’re not there. I’m sure that probably disappoints the 3 users who actually used them.

I know there’s a lot more I’m leaving out, but you get the idea. It’s Windows. The built-in apps are nice to have, but you’re probably not going to use all of them.

I will say this: As a network admin, I’ve deployed a lot of Windows machines over the years, and Windows 7 so far has seemed to be the simplest to start using right away. In XP and Vista, there’s a lot of the default junk that has to be turned off, turned on, or adjusted before you can really use the system; in Windows 7, there’s very little. That might change by RTM, but at least with Beta 1, I’m pretty impressed.

Previously:
Windows 7 Beta 1: Initial thoughts
How to recreate the Quick Launch toolbar in Windows 7