OK, Windows 7 it is.
A lot has happened since my last blog entry.� Mortgage approval, in-laws 7 week stay, birth of new baby, end of rental lease, moving back in with my parents and storing a houseload of stuff at a friend�s, oh and continuing to run our small business.� So you�ll forgive me for not posting earlier�🙂
I am getting back into the swing of things with my writing committments, amongst which is the customer newsletter distributed globally through our franchise.� With Windows 7 now released, our early Oct edition was a quick glimpse into why you might bother with the new OS � well, as much as a glimpse as you can get in 500 words.
I�m pleased to say that I finally installed it on my own laptop.� The performace is amazing.� I�m getting used to where things have been put (bit lost in control panel and the network properties still).� And my sound doesn�t work � time for a driver hunt.� But so far, so good � I�m impressed.
Here�s a copy of the article that went out to our customers:
From late October 2009, new computers will start to ship with Windows 7, the latest operating system from Microsoft.� This month we look at some of the features that may entice you to upgrade:
At Home:
Share nicely�� With most homes now having multiple computers, the �HomeGroup� feature makes it easier to share printers and files (including music, pictures and videos).� Entering a password connects your Windows 7 computer into the HomeGroup, and settings control which files are shared and which remain private.
Take the music with you�� Windows 7 and Media Player 12 allow you to access and play media files from your home PC remotely via the internet on another computer.
Snap & Shake�� Time to teach your mouse some new tricks!� Aero Snap activates when you drag a window to an edge of your screen.� Left or right edges automatically make the window resize to a full �top-to-bottom but half screen width� size.� Drag to the top of your screen, and your window will retain its width but stretch out vertically to fill your screen from top to bottom.� Aero Shake lets you literally grab and shake a window to minimize all of the other open windows on your screen.
At Work:
Find more�� The speed of the Start menu�s search feature has improved significantly.� You�ll see search results from files and Outlook emails stored locally on your computer, including the text contained within email attachments.� Search also extends beyond just your PC and can be configured to include results from your company�s network drives and public websites, using search connectors.
USB secrets�� USB storage (in either keys or portable hard disks) has become more popular for people working at multiple locations or for storing backups.� With BitLocker To Go (in Windows 7 Ultimate edition), you can now secure files on these devices by encrypting them with a lengthy password.� This password can be remembered on your regular PC, and if it�s forgotten, a 48 character recovery key can be used on any Windows 7 PC to restore access to your files.� Just don�t lose your recovery key too!
On The Go:
Performance�� Windows 7 requires less horsepower to run than Windows Vista.� Independent publications have reported that ageing laptops running Windows XP have become more responsive with Windows 7.
Saving power�� Numerous features have been added to automatically preserve battery life, such as shutting off power to unused network ports and reducing background activities.� There are also more tweaks for creating your own power-saving schemes, including setting the video quality and processor cooling options.
Talk to your local Computer Troubleshooter about your options for upgrading to Windows 7.���www.computertroubleshooters.com
