Windows 7: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
→‎Upgrades: another fact tag
→‎Other Criticisms: a couple of more fact tags, microsoft does not say it is expensive, who says it is expensive? and who says it requires a large amount of disk space and criticizes 7 for these things
Line 194: Line 194:


====Other Criticisms====
====Other Criticisms====
#'''DRM: '''[[Digital Rights Management]] restricts a user's ability to use their system for copying restricted material, and has been built into portions of Windows 7<<ref>Free Software Foundation, Europe, [http://www.drm.info/], Retrieved 2010-07-31</ref>.
#'''DRM: '''[[Digital Rights Management]] restricts a user's ability to use their system for copying restricted material, and has been built into portions of Windows 7<ref>Free Software Foundation, Europe, [http://www.drm.info/], Retrieved 2010-07-31</ref>.
#'''Physical Disk Space: '''Requires large amount of disk space for installation. Please see hardware requirements for more information.
#'''Physical Disk Space: '''Requires large amount of disk space for installation.{{fact|date=July 2010}} Please see hardware requirements for more information.
#'''Price: '''Windows 7 can be expensive($219.99 from Microsoft.com<ref>Microsoft, [http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/default.aspx], Retrieved 2010-07-31</ref>).
#'''Price: '''Windows 7 can be expensive.{{fact|date=July 2010}} ($219.99 from Microsoft.com<ref>Microsoft, [http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/default.aspx], Retrieved 2010-07-31</ref>).
#'''Graphical User Interface Changes: '''Microsoft has changed many buttons and locations of frequently accessed items, requiring users to learn to use their operating system without much benefit from their prior learned knowledge.{{fact|date=July 2020}}
#'''Graphical User Interface Changes: '''Microsoft has changed many buttons and locations of frequently accessed items, requiring users to learn to use their operating system without much benefit from their prior learned knowledge.{{fact|date=July 2020}}
#'''Made in India:''' Much of Windows 7 was made in India(or H1-B workers in the US) by workers paid less than their counterparts in other countries<ref>DNA India, Linked to from Microsoft's press release page, [http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_microsoft-hyderabad-key-contributor-to-windows-7_1301470], Retrieved 2010-07-31</ref>. Critics{{who|date=July 2010}} argue that this [[Race to the bottom]] undermines democratic accountability and the ability of governments to enforce labor standards; therefore the developers may have been overworked, underpaid, and possibly made mistakes or took short-cuts to meet deadlines.{{fact|date=July 2010}}
#'''Made in India:''' Much of Windows 7 was made in India(or H1-B workers in the US) by workers paid less than their counterparts in other countries<ref>DNA India, Linked to from Microsoft's press release page, [http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_microsoft-hyderabad-key-contributor-to-windows-7_1301470], Retrieved 2010-07-31</ref>. Critics{{who|date=July 2010}} argue that this [[Race to the bottom]] undermines democratic accountability and the ability of governments to enforce labor standards; therefore the developers may have been overworked, underpaid, and possibly made mistakes or took short-cuts to meet deadlines.{{fact|date=July 2010}}

Revision as of 07:45, 31 July 2010

Template:ActiveDiscuss

Windows 7
File:Windows 7.png
Screenshot of Windows 7 Ultimate
DeveloperMicrosoft
OS familyMicrosoft Windows
Source modelClosed source / Shared source
Released to
manufacturing
RTM: 22 July 2009
Retail: 22 October 2009
Latest release6.1[1] (build 7600.16385.090713-1255[2])
/ 22 October 2009; 14 years ago (2009-10-22)[3]
Update methodWindows Update
PlatformsIA-32, x86-64
Kernel typeHybrid
LicenseMS-EULA
Official websiteOfficial Website
Support status
Mainstream support until 13 January 2015.[4]
Articles in the series

Windows 7 is a version of Microsoft Windows, a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, netbooks, tablet PCs, and media center PCs.[5] Windows 7 was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009,[6] and reached general retail availability on October 22, 2009,[7] less than three years after the release of its predecessor, Windows Vista. Windows 7's server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 R2, was released at the same time. Windows 7 will be succeeded by Windows 8, which has no release date as of yet.

Unlike its predecessor, Windows Vista, which introduced a large number of new features, Windows 7 was intended to be a more focused, incremental upgrade to the Windows line, with the goal of being compatible with applications and hardware with which Windows Vista is already compatible.[8] Presentations given by Microsoft in 2008 focused on multi-touch support, a redesigned Windows Shell with a new taskbar, referred to as the Superbar, a home networking system called HomeGroup,[9] and performance improvements. Some standard applications that have been included with prior releases of Microsoft Windows, including Windows Calendar, Windows Mail, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Photo Gallery, are not included in Windows 7;[10][11] most are instead offered separately at no charge as part of the Windows Live Essentials suite.[12]

Development

Originally, a version of Windows codenamed Blackcomb was planned as the successor to Windows XP (codename Whistler) and Windows Server 2003. Major features were planned for Blackcomb, including an emphasis on searching and querying data and an advanced storage system named WinFS to enable such scenarios. However, an interim, minor release, codenamed "Longhorn," was announced for 2003, delaying the development of Blackcomb.[13] By the middle of 2003, however, Longhorn had acquired some of the features originally intended for Blackcomb. After three major viruses exploited flaws in Windows operating systems within a short time period in 2003, Microsoft changed its development priorities, putting some of Longhorn's major development work on hold while developing new service packs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Development of Longhorn (Windows Vista) was also restarted, and thus delayed, in August 2004. A number of features were cut from Longhorn.[14]

Blackcomb was renamed Vienna in early 2006[15] and again Windows 7 in 2007.[16] In 2008, it was announced that Windows 7 would also be the official name of the operating system.[17][18] There has been some confusion over naming the product Windows 7,[19] while versioning it as 6.1 to indicate its similar build to Vista and increase compatibility with applications that only check major version numbers,[20] similar to Windows 2000 and Windows XP both having 5.x version numbers.[21]

The first external release to select Microsoft partners came in January 2008 with Milestone 1, build 6519.[22] At PDC 2008, Microsoft demonstrated Windows 7 with its reworked taskbar. Copies of Windows 7 build 6801 were distributed at the end of the conference; however, the demonstrated taskbar was disabled in this build.

On December 27, 2008, Windows 7 Beta was leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[23] According to a performance test by ZDNet,[24] Windows 7 Beta beat both Windows XP and Vista in several key areas; including boot and shutdown time and working with files, such as loading documents. Other areas did not beat XP; including PC Pro benchmarks for typical office activities and video editing, which remain identical to Vista and slower than XP.[25] On January 7, 2009, the 64-bit version of the Windows 7 Beta (build 7000) was leaked onto the web, with some torrents being infected with a trojan.[26][27] At CES 2009, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the Windows 7 Beta, build 7000, had been made available for download to MSDN and TechNet subscribers in the format of an ISO image.[28] The Beta was to be publicly released January 9, 2009, and Microsoft initially planned for the download to be made available to 2.5 million people on this date. However, access to the downloads was delayed because of high traffic.[29] The download limit was also extended, initially until January 24, then again to February 10. People who did not complete downloading the beta had two extra days to complete the download. After February 12, unfinished downloads became unable to complete. Users could still obtain product keys from Microsoft to activate their copies of Windows 7 Beta, which expired on August 1, 2009.

The release candidate, build 7100, became available for MSDN and TechNet subscribers and Connect Program participants on April 30, 2009. On May 5, 2009 it became available to the general public, although it had also been leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[30] The release candidate was available in five languages and expired on June 1, 2010, with shutdowns every two hours starting March 1, 2010.[31] Microsoft stated that Windows 7 would be released to the general public on October 22, 2009. Microsoft released Windows 7 to MSDN and Technet subscribers on August 6, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. PDT.[32] Microsoft announced that Windows 7, along with Windows Server 2008 R2, was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009. Windows 7 RTM is build 7600.16385, which was compiled on July 13, 2009, and was declared the final RTM build after passing all Microsoft's tests internally.[6]

Windows 7 is written in C, C++, and assembly.[33]

Goals

Bill Gates, in an interview with Newsweek, suggested that this version of Windows would be more "user-centric".[34] Gates later said that Windows 7 would also focus on performance improvements.[35] Steven Sinofsky later expanded on this point, explaining in the Engineering Windows 7 blog that the company was using a variety of new tracing tools to measure the performance of many areas of the operating system on an ongoing basis, to help locate inefficient code paths and to help prevent performance regressions.[36]

Senior Vice President Bill Veghte stated that Windows Vista users migrating to Windows 7 would not find the kind of device compatibility issues they encountered migrating from Windows XP.[37] Speaking about Windows 7 on October 16, 2008, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed compatibility between Vista and Windows 7, indicating that Windows 7 would be a refined version of Windows Vista.[38]

Features

New and changed features

The new Action Center, which replaces Windows Security Center
When the action center detects a security threat, it displays a thumbnail with problems listed.

Windows 7 includes a number of new features, such as advances in touch and handwriting recognition, support for virtual hard disks, improved performance on multi-core processors,[39][40][41][42] improved boot performance, DirectAccess, and kernel improvements. Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors (Heterogeneous Multi-adapter), a new version of Windows Media Center,[43] a Gadget for Windows Media Center, improved media features, the XPS Essentials Pack and Windows PowerShell being included, and a redesigned Calculator with multiline capabilities including Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion. Many new items have been added to the Control Panel, including ClearType Text Tuner, Display Color Calibration Wizard, Gadgets, Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other Sensors, Credential Manager, Biometric Devices, System Icons, and Display.[44] Windows Security Center has been renamed to Windows Action Center (Windows Health Center and Windows Solution Center in earlier builds), which encompasses both security and maintenance of the computer. The default setting for User Account Control in Windows 7 has been criticized for allowing untrusted software to be launched with elevated privileges without a prompt by exploiting a trusted application.[45] Microsoft's Windows kernel engineer Mark Russinovich acknowledged the problem, but noted that malware can also compromise a system when users agree to a prompt.[46] Windows 7 also supports Mac-like RAW image viewing through the addition of WIC-enabled image decoders, which enables raw image thumbnails, previewing and metadata display in Windows Explorer, plus full-size viewing and slideshows in Windows Photo Viewer and Window Media Center.[47]

The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the Quick Launch toolbar has been replaced with pinning applications to the taskbar. Buttons for pinned applications are integrated with the task buttons. These buttons also enable the Jump Lists feature to allow easy access to common tasks.[48] The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons. To the far right of the system clock is a small rectangular button that serves as the Show desktop icon. This button is part of the new feature in Windows 7 called Aero Peek. Hovering over this button makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop.[49] In touch-enabled displays such as touch screens, tablet PCs, etc., this button is slightly wider to accommodate being pressed with a finger.[50] Clicking this button minimizes all windows, and clicking it a second time restores them. Additionally, there is a feature named Aero Snap, that automatically maximizes a window when it is dragged to the top of the screen.[51] Dragging windows to the left/right edges of the screen allows users to snap documents or files on either side of the screen for comparison between windows. When a user moves windows that were maximized using Aero Snap, the system restores their previous state automatically. This functionality is also accomplished with keyboard shortcuts. Unlike in Windows Vista, window borders and the taskbar do not turn opaque when a window is maximized with Windows Aero applied. Instead, they remain translucent.

The Windows 7 taskbar.

For developers, Windows 7 includes a new networking API with support for building SOAP-based web services in native code (as opposed to .NET-based WCF web services),[52] new features to shorten application install times, reduced UAC prompts, simplified development of installation packages,[53] and improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API.[54] At WinHEC 2008 Microsoft announced that color depths of 30-bit and 48-bit would be supported in Windows 7 along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which for HDMI 1.3 can be converted and output as xvYCC). The video modes supported in Windows 7 are 16-bit sRGB, 24-bit sRGB, 30-bit sRGB, 30-bit with extended color gamut sRGB, and 48-bit scRGB.[55][56] Microsoft has also implemented better support for solid-state drives,[57] including the new TRIM command, and Windows 7 is able to identify a solid-state drive uniquely. Microsoft is planning to support USB 3.0 in a subsequent patch, support not being included in the initial release due to delays in the finalization of the standard.[58]

Internet Spades, Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers, which were removed from Windows Vista, were restored in Windows 7. Windows 7 includes Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Media Player 12.

Users are also able to disable many more Windows components than was possible in Windows Vista. New additions to this list of components include Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Windows Search, and the Windows Gadget Platform.[59] Windows 7 includes 13 additional sound schemes, titled Afternoon, Calligraphy, Characters, Cityscape, Delta, Festival, Garden, Heritage, Landscape, Quirky, Raga, Savanna, and Sonata.[60] A new version of Microsoft Virtual PC, newly renamed as Windows Virtual PC was made available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.[61] It allows multiple Windows environments, including Windows XP Mode, to run on the same machine. Windows XP Mode runs Windows XP in a virtual machine and redirects displayed applications running in Windows XP to the Windows 7 desktop.[62] Furthermore, Windows 7 supports the mounting of a virtual hard disk (VHD) as a normal data storage, and the bootloader delivered with Windows 7 can boot the Windows system from a VHD, however, this is only available in the Professional and Ultimate editions.[63] The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) of Windows 7 is also enhanced to support real-time multimedia application including video playback and 3D games, thus allowing use of DirectX 10 in remote desktop environments.[64] The three application limit, previously present in the Windows Vista Starter Edition, has been removed from Windows 7.[65]

Removed features

A number of capabilities and certain programs that were a part of Windows Vista are no longer present or have been changed, resulting in the removal of certain functionalities. These include the classic Start Menu user interface, some taskbar features, Windows Explorer features, Windows Media Player features, Windows Ultimate Extras and InkBall. Four applications bundled with Windows Vista — Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Calendar[66] and Windows Mail — are not included with Windows 7, but applications with mostly similar functionality are instead available for free in a separate package called Windows Live Essentials which can be found on the Microsoft website.

Antitrust regulatory attention

As with other Microsoft operating systems, Windows 7 is being studied by United States federal regulators who oversee the company's operations following the 2001 United States v. Microsoft settlement. According to status reports filed, the three-member panel began assessing prototypes of the new operating system in February 2008. Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research said that, "[Microsoft's] challenge for Windows 7 will be how can they continue to add features that consumers will want that also don't run afoul of regulators."[67]

Editions

In order to comply with European antitrust regulations, Microsoft has proposed the use of a "ballot" screen, allowing users to download a competing browser, thus removing the need for a version of Windows completely without Internet Explorer, as previously planned.[68] In response to criticism involving Windows 7 E and concerns from manufacturers about possible consumer confusion if a version of Windows 7 with Internet Explorer were shipped later after one without Internet Explorer, Microsoft announced that it would scrap the separate version for Europe and ship the standard upgrade and full packages worldwide.[69]

As with previous versions of Windows, an N version, which does not come with Windows Media Player, has been released in Europe, but only for sale directly from Microsoft sales websites and select others.[70]

Reception

In July 2009, in only eight hours, pre-orders of Windows 7 at Amazon.co.uk surpassed the demand Windows Vista had in its first 17 weeks.[71] It became the highest-grossing pre-order in Amazon's history, surpassing sales of the previous record holder, the seventh Harry Potter book.[72] After 36 hours, 64-bit versions of Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate editions sold out in Japan.[73] Two weeks after its release, it was announced that its market share had surpassed that of Snow Leopard, released two months previously as the most recent update to Apple's Mac OS X operating system.[74][75] According to Net Applications, Windows 7 reached a 4% market share in less than three weeks. In comparison, it took Windows Vista seven months to reach the same mark.[76] As of March 4, 2010, Microsoft announced that they had sold more than 90 million Windows 7 licenses.[77] On April 23, 2010, Windows 7 has sold more than 100 million copies in six months which made it Microsoft's fastest selling operating system.[78][79] As of June 23, 2010, Windows 7 has sold 150 million copies which made it the fastest selling operating system in history with seven copies sold every second.[79][80] As of July 22, 2010, Windows 7 has sold 175 million copies.[81]

Reviews of Windows 7 were extremely positive, praising its usability when compared to its predecessor, Windows Vista. CNET gave Windows 7 Home Premium a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars,[82] stating that it "is more than what Vista should have been, [and] it's where Microsoft needed to go". PC Magazine rated it a 4 out of 5 saying that Windows 7 is a "big improvement" over Windows Vista, with fewer compatibility problems, a retooled taskbar, simpler home networking and faster start-up.[83] Maximum PC gave Windows 7 a rating of 9 out of 10 and called Windows 7 a "massive leap forward" in usability and security, and praised the new Taskbar as "worth the price of admission alone".[84] PC World called Windows 7 a "worthy successor" to Windows XP and said that speed benchmarks showed Windows 7 to be slightly faster than Windows Vista.[85] PC World also named Windows 7 one of the best products of the year.[86] In its review of Windows 7, Engadget said that Microsoft has taken a "strong step forward" with Windows 7 and reported that speed is one of Windows 7's major selling points particularly for the netbook sets.[87] LAPTOP Magazine gave Windows 7 a rating of 4 out of 5 stars and said that Windows 7 makes computing more intuitive, offered better overall performance including a "modest to dramatic" increase in battery life on laptop computers.[88] Techradar gave it a 5 star rating calling it the best version of Windows yet.[89] The New York Times,[90] USA Today,[91] The Wall Street Journal,[92] and The Telegraph[93] also gave Windows 7 favorable reviews.

Some Vista Ultimate users have expressed concerns over Windows 7 pricing and upgrade options.[94][95] Windows Vista Ultimate users wanting to upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7 must either pay $219.99[96] to upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate or perform a clean install, which requires them to reinstall all of their programs.[97]

Criticisms of Windows 7

This article is about criticisms of Windows 7, for criticisms of Windows see:

The following issues have been pointed out by critics of Windows 7:

Upgrades

  1. Software: Upgrading from prior versions of Microsoft operating systems to newer ones often requires buying new software or going without it if there is no compatible version available. XP programs can run in XP mode but may require the purchase of an XP license and will run in a virtual environment which may cause performance degradation[98][99][100][101][102][103][104].
  2. Windows XP: Upgrading from XP requires data back up and wiping the hard disk drive and upgrading software[105][106][107]. Windows Easy Transfer is recommended by Microsoft in order to do this.
  3. Windows Vista: Users upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 have reported license issues, endless reboots, and "unspecified errors"[108][109].
  4. Compatibility With Older Hardware: Some older hardware does not have drivers for Windows 7 so users should check that their printers and other hardware is compatible before upgrading[110].
  5. Hardware Requirements: Requires new hardware for most users. Please see hardware requirements below.
  6. Editions: The large number of editions with differing features and upgradability can be confusing for users.[citation needed] Please see Editions sections for more information.

Other Criticisms

  1. DRM: Digital Rights Management restricts a user's ability to use their system for copying restricted material, and has been built into portions of Windows 7[111].
  2. Physical Disk Space: Requires large amount of disk space for installation.[citation needed] Please see hardware requirements for more information.
  3. Price: Windows 7 can be expensive.[citation needed] ($219.99 from Microsoft.com[112]).
  4. Graphical User Interface Changes: Microsoft has changed many buttons and locations of frequently accessed items, requiring users to learn to use their operating system without much benefit from their prior learned knowledge.[citation needed]
  5. Made in India: Much of Windows 7 was made in India(or H1-B workers in the US) by workers paid less than their counterparts in other countries[113]. Critics[who?] argue that this Race to the bottom undermines democratic accountability and the ability of governments to enforce labor standards; therefore the developers may have been overworked, underpaid, and possibly made mistakes or took short-cuts to meet deadlines.[citation needed]

Editions

Windows 7 is available in six different editions, but only the Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions are available for retail sale to consumers in most countries.[114] The other editions are aimed at other markets, such as the developing world or enterprise use.[114] Each edition of Windows 7 includes all of the capabilities and features of the edition below it.[114][115][116][117][118] All editions support the 32-bit (IA-32) processor architecture and all editions except Starter support the 64-bit (x86-64) processor architecture. The installation media is the same for all the consumer editions of Windows 7 that have the same processor architecture, with the license determining the features that are activated, and license upgrades permitting the subsequent unlocking of features without re-installation of the operating system.[119] This is the first time Microsoft has distributed 2 DVDs (1 DVD for IA-32 processor architecture, the other DVD for x86-64 processor architecture) for each edition of Windows 7 (Except for Starter and Home Basic. However, installation DVD of Windows 7 Home Basic 64-bit edition is not included but can be obtained from Microsoft.). Users who wish to upgrade to an edition of Windows 7 with more features can then use Windows Anytime Upgrade to purchase the upgrade, and unlock the features of those editions.[115][119][120] Some copies of Windows 7 have restrictions, in which it must be distributed, sold, or bought and activated in the geographical region (One of the geographical regions can be either: Southeast Asia; India; or Latin America and the Caribbean) specified in its front cover box.

Microsoft is offering a family pack of Windows 7 Home Premium (in select markets) that allows installation on up to three PCs.[121] The "Family Pack" costs US$259.99 in the United States;[122] it was available at a cost of US$149.99 for some weeks when it was first introduced.[121]

On September 18, 2009, Microsoft said they were to offer temporary student discounts for Windows 7. The offer ran in the US and the United Kingdom, with similar schemes available in Canada, Australia, Korea, Mexico, France and India. Students with a valid .edu or .ac.uk email address could apply for either Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional, priced at $30 or £30.[123][124]

Windows 7 is also currently available as an embedded version to developers (previously Windows Embedded 2011).[125]

Marketing

Microsoft has marketed the whole of Windows 7 as "making your PC simpler." However, the different editions of Windows 7 have been designed and marketed toward different types of people. Out of all the different editions (Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate), the Starter edition has been designed for netbooks, Home Basic for developing countries, Home Premium designed and marketed for normal home users, Professional for businesses, Enterprise for larger businesses and corporations, and Ultimate for enthusiasts.

Hardware requirements

File:WINDOWS 7 PC STICKER.svg
Recent PCs meeting the minimum hardware requirements or that run Windows 7 feature this sticker

Microsoft has published the minimum specifications for a system to run Windows 7.[126] Requirements for the 32-bit version are similar to that of premium editions of Vista, but are higher for 64-bit versions. Microsoft has released an upgrade advisor that determines if a computer is compatible with Windows 7.

Minimum hardware requirements for Windows 7[126]
Architecture 32-bit 64-bit
Processor 1 GHz 32-bit processor 1 GHz 64-bit processor
Memory (RAM) 1GB 2GB
Graphics Card DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM driver model 1.0 (For Aero)
HDD free space 16 GB of free disk space 20 GB of free disk space
Optical drive DVD drive (only to install from DVD/CD Media)

Additional requirements to use certain features:[126]

  • Windows XP Mode (Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise): Requires an additional 1GB of RAM and additional 15GBs of available hard disk space. The requirement for a processor capable of hardware virtualization has been lifted.[127]
  • Windows Media Center (included in Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise), requires a TV tuner to receive and record TV.

Physical memory limits

Maximum limits on physical memory (RAM) that Windows 7 can address vary depending on the both the Windows version and between 32-bit and 64-bit versions.[128] The following table specifies the maximum physical memory limits supported:

Physical memory limits for Windows 7 versions[128]
Version Limit in 32-bit Windows Limit in 64-bit Windows
Windows 7 Ultimate 4GB 192GB
Windows 7 Enterprise 4GB 192GB
Windows 7 Professional 4GB 192GB
Windows 7 Home Premium 4GB 16GB
Windows 7 Home Basic 4GB 8GB
Windows 7 Starter 2GB 2GB

Service packs

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) was announced on March 18, 2010 and is currently in development. A beta was released on July 12, 2010.[129][130][131] Microsoft confirmed that the service pack is to be on a much smaller scale than those released for previous versions of Windows, particularly Windows Vista.[132] SP1 is expected to contain minor updates, including all patches and hotfixes already delivered through Windows Update, and will add improvements to Bluetooth performance, and an updated Remote Desktop client implementing upcoming RemoteFX technology. USB 3.0 support will be added in a later patch, rather than in SP1.

On April 7, 2010, a build of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 dated from March 27, 2010 was leaked onto torrent sites.[133][134] The leaked service pack has a build number of 6.1.7601.16537.amd64fre.win7.100327-0053 and installation has been reported to be much quicker than service packs for previous versions of Windows.[135]

The latest beta version of Service Pack 1 that was officially released by Microsoft has a version number of "6.1.7601.16562"

See also

References

  1. ^ Nash, Mike (October 14, 2008). "Why 7?". The Windows Blog. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
  2. ^ "Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Officially RTM At Build Version 6.1.7600.16385". July 23, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  3. ^ http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2009/07/22/windows-7-has-been-released-to-manufacturing.aspx
  4. ^ Microsoft. "Windows 7 Lifecycle Policy". Microsoft. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  5. ^ Ricciuti, Mike (July 20, 2007). "Next version of Windows: Call it 7". CNET News.
  6. ^ a b Brandon LeBlanc. "Windows 7 Has Been Released to Manufacturing".
  7. ^ "Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Timelines Shared at Computex". Microsoft. June 3, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
  8. ^ Nash, Mike (October 28, 2008). "Windows 7 Unveiled Today at PDC 2008". Windows Team Blog. Microsoft. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
  9. ^ LeBlanc, Brandon (October 28, 2008). "How Libraries & HomeGroup Work Together in Windows 7". Windows Team Blog. Microsoft. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
  10. ^ "Windows 7 to Skip Photo, Mail, Calendar and Movie Editing tools".
  11. ^ "E-mail, photos, movie making will not be included in Windows 7".
  12. ^ LeBlance, Brandon (October 28, 2008). "The Complete Windows Experience – Windows 7 + Windows Live". Windows Team Blog. Microsoft. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
  13. ^ Lettice, John (October 24, 2001). "Gates confirms Windows Longhorn for 2003". The Register. Retrieved March 5, 2008.
  14. ^ "Microsoft cuts key Longhorn feature". Todd Bishop. Hearst Seattle Media, LLC. August 28, 2004. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
  15. ^ Thurrott, Paul (February 14, 2007). "Windows "7" FAQ". Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
  16. ^ Foley, Mary J (July 20, 2007). "Windows Seven: Think 2010". ZDNet. Retrieved September 19, 2007.
  17. ^ Fried, Ina (October 13, 2008). "Microsoft makes Windows 7 name final". CNET. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
  18. ^ Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (2008). "For Microsoft's Windows, 7th time's a charm". Retrieved October 27, 2008. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  19. ^ Alex Castle (October 15, 2008). "Microsoft Justifies Its Windows 7 Naming Decision". Maximum PC. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
  20. ^ "Version numbers of Windows". technologizer.com.
  21. ^ Andrew. "Why Call it Windows 7?". www.worldstart.com. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
  22. ^ Ian Cunningham (December 3, 2008). "Windows 7 Build Numbers".
  23. ^ "OSNews.com". OSNews.com. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  24. ^ "Windows 7 beta 1 performance - How does the OS compare to Vista and XP? | Hardware 2.0 | ZDNet.com". Blogs.zdnet.com. January 1, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  25. ^ Graham-Smith, Darien (2009). "Follow-up: Benchmarking Windows 7". Retrieved January 29, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  26. ^ "Leaked Windows 7 RC torrents infected with trojan". SlashGear
  27. ^ Pennington, Kenneth (2009). "Windows 7 64-Bit Beta Hits the Web". Retrieved January 7, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  28. ^ Johnson, Bobbie (January 8, 2009). "CES: Steve Ballmer unveils Microsoft's Windows 7 | Technology | guardian.co.uk". London: Guardian. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  29. ^ "Microsoft delays first Windows 7 public beta". Gavin Clarke. The Register. January 10, 2009. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
  30. ^ Miller, Paul (April 24, 2009). "Windows 7 RC 7100 making its way to OEMs, a torrent tracker near you". Engadget.com. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  31. ^ "Windows 7 Release Candidate Customer Preview Program". Microsoft. Retrieved May 5, 2009.
  32. ^ "The Windows Blog".
  33. ^ Microsoft Windows System Overview
  34. ^ Steven Levy (February 3, 2007). "Bill Gates on Vista and Apple's 'Lying' Ads".
  35. ^ Bill Gates (May 12, 2007). "Bill Gates: Japan—Windows Digital Lifestyle Consortium".
  36. ^ Sinofsky, Steven (December 15, 2008). "Continuing our discussion on performance". Engineering Windows 7. Microsoft. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  37. ^ Oiaga, Marius (June 24, 2008). "Windows 7 Will Not Inherit the Incompatibility Issues of Vista".
  38. ^ Dignan, Larry (2008). "Ballmer: It's ok to wait until Windows 7; Yahoo still 'makes sense'; Google Apps 'primitive'". Retrieved October 17, 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  39. ^ "Windows 7 Takes More Advantage of Multi-Core CPUs - Windows 7". Windowsvienna.com. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  40. ^ "Windows 7 to get parallel-processing tweaks | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com". Blogs.zdnet.com. September 30, 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  41. ^ "Windows 7 to get parallel-processing tweaks | PC Tips". Pctipsbox.com. October 5, 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  42. ^ "Windows 7 enters parallel universe". Vista.Blorge. September 30, 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  43. ^ Gruener, Wolfgang (January 16, 2008). "TG Daily — Windows Vista successor scheduled for a H2 2009 release?". TG Daily. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
  44. ^ "ThinkNext.net: Screenshots from a blogger with Windows 7 M1".
  45. ^ Zack Whittaker (June 12, 2009). "Windows 7 UAC flaw: "Pandora's box of all vulnerabilities"". Retrieved June 14, 2009.
  46. ^ Russinovich, Mark. "User Account Control Inside Windows 7 User Account Control". Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
  47. ^ "How to add Mac-like RAW image support to Windows 7, Vista, XP".
  48. ^ Softpedia (2008). "Windows 7 User Interface – The Superbar (Enhanced Taskbar)". Retrieved November 12, 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  49. ^ "Windows 7: Some Minor Improvements, No Game Changer".
  50. ^ "Touching Windows 7 (Engineering Windows 7 Blog)".
  51. ^ "Engineering Windows 7 : Designing Aero Snap". Steven Sinofsky/Microsoft. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  52. ^ "Windows 7: Web Services in Native Code". PDC 2008. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
  53. ^ "Windows 7: Deploying Your Application with Windows Installer (MSI) and ClickOnce". PDC 2008. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
  54. ^ "Windows 7: Writing World-Ready Applications". PDC 2008. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
  55. ^ "WinHEC 2008 GRA-583: Display Technologies". Microsoft. November 6, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  56. ^ "Windows 7 High Color Support". Softpedia. November 26, 2008. Retrieved December 5, 2008.
  57. ^ "Support and Q&A for Solid-State Drives". Engineering Windows 7. Microsoft. May 5, 2009. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  58. ^ Crothers, Brooke (November 6, 2008). "Microsoft describes USB 3.0 delays". CNet. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
  59. ^ "Beta to RC Changes — Turning Windows Features On or Off".
  60. ^ Thurrott, Paul (March 8, 2009). "Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Windows 7 Build 7048 Notes". Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  61. ^ "Windows Virtual PC". Microsoft. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
  62. ^ "Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 brochure" (PDF). Microsoft. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
  63. ^ "Demonstration: Windows 7 VHD Boot". Microsoft. Retrieved April 29, 2009.
  64. ^ "Windows 7 Presentation Virtualization: Graphics Remoting (RDP) Today and Tomorrow". Microsoft. Retrieved 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  65. ^ "Let's talk about Windows 7 Starter". Windows 7 Team. Retrieved May 29, 2009.
  66. ^ Windows Live team (October 22, 2009). "Finding your applications in Windows 7". Microsoft. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
  67. ^ Keizer, Gregg F. (2008). "Windows 7 eyed by antitrust regulators". Retrieved March 19, 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  68. ^ "Microsoft proposes "Browser Ballot Screen" to the EU". Neowin. July 24, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2009. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  69. ^ Warren, Tom (August 1, 2009). "Microsoft scraps Windows 7 'E' version for Europe". Neowin. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  70. ^ "Microsoft online Windows 7 store page". Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  71. ^ "Windows 7 flies off virtual shelf". BBC News. July 15, 2009. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  72. ^ Johnson, Bobbie (October 21, 2009). "Windows 7 set to break retail records". London: The Guardian. Retrieved October 21, 2009.
  73. ^ "64bit版Windows 7は人気でやや品薄、週明けには回復?". October 24, 2009.
  74. ^ "October 2009 OS stats: Windows 7 passes Snow Leopard, Linux". ars technica. November 6, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  75. ^ "Windows 7 surpasses Snow Leopard in under two weeks". Neowin. November 7, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  76. ^ Ina Fried (November 10, 2009). "Windows 7 use continues to climb". CNET. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  77. ^ http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20100304/windows-7-90-million-licenses-sold-in-4-months/
  78. ^ "Windows 7 now fastest-selling Windows OS". ZDNet. April 27, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  79. ^ a b "Windows 7: 150 Million Copies Sold". Windows IT Pro. June 23, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  80. ^ "150 Million Licenses of Windows 7 Sold, Windows Live Betas Announced". Microsoft. June 23, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  81. ^ "Windows 7 Momentum Continues: 175 Million Licenses Sold". Microsoft. July 22, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  82. ^ "Microsoft Windows 7 (Home Premium) Review - CNet". CNet. July 31, 2009.
  83. ^ Michael Muchmore (October 22, 2009). "Microsoft Windows 7". PC Magazine. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  84. ^ Will Smith (October 19, 2009). "Windows 7 Review: XP vs Vista vs 7 in 80+ Benchmarks". Maximum PC. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  85. ^ Harry McCracken (October 19, 2009). "Windows 7 Review". PC World. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  86. ^ The PC World Editorial Team (October 19, 2009). "The PC World 100: Best Products of 2009". PC World. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  87. ^ Paul Miller (August 12, 2009). "Windows 7 review". Engadget. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  88. ^ Dana Wollman (August 21, 2009). "Windows 7". LAPTOP Magazine. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  89. ^ Mary Branscombe (August 7, 2009). "Windows 7 review". TechRadar. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  90. ^ David Pogue (October 21, 2009). "Windows 7 Keeps the Good, Tries to Fix Flaws". New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  91. ^ Edward C. Baig (October 21, 2009). "After Vista, Windows 7 is a giant leap for Microsoft". USA Today. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  92. ^ Walter S. Mossberg (October 8, 2009). "A Windows to Help You Forget". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  93. ^ Matt Warman (October 20, 2009). "Microsoft Windows 7 review". The Telegraph. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  94. ^ "Some Vista users say they're getting the Ultimate shaft". July 2, 2009.
  95. ^ "Vista Ultimate users fume, rant over Windows 7 deals". July 2, 2009.
  96. ^ "Shop: Windows 7". October 22, 2009.
  97. ^ "Windows 7 Upgrade Considerations". October 22, 2009.
  98. ^ Microsoft, [1], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  99. ^ Microsoft, [2], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  100. ^ PCPro, [3], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  101. ^ The Register, [4], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  102. ^ Computerworld, [5], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  103. ^ ZDNET, [6], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  104. ^ PC Magazine, [7], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  105. ^ ZDNet, [8], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  106. ^ Microsoft, [9], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  107. ^ Tom's Hardware Guide, [10], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  108. ^ Microsoft, [11], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  109. ^ PCWorld, [12], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  110. ^ Microsoft, [13], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  111. ^ Free Software Foundation, Europe, [14], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  112. ^ Microsoft, [15], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  113. ^ DNA India, Linked to from Microsoft's press release page, [16], Retrieved 2010-07-31
  114. ^ a b c "All Windows 7 Versions—What You Need to Know". ExtremeTech. February 5, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
  115. ^ a b Thurrott, Paul (February 3, 2009). "Windows 7 Product Editions". Retrieved February 3, 2009.
  116. ^ "Windows 7 will come in many flavors". CNET News. February 3, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
  117. ^ "Windows 7 Editions - Features on Parade". Softpedia. February 5, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
  118. ^ "Windows 7: Which Edition is Right For You?". PCWorld. February 3, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
  119. ^ a b LeBlanc, Brandon (February 9, 2009). "A closer look at the Windows 7 SKUs". Windows Team Blog. Microsoft. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
  120. ^ "All Windows 7 Versions—What You Need to Know - Release Date, Cost, and Upgrades". ExtremeTech. February 5, 2009. Retrieved February 16, 2009.
  121. ^ a b "Microsoft Announces "Family Pack" For Windows 7". Microsoft. July 21, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2009. Cite error: The named reference "WindowsTeamBlogFamilyPack" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  122. ^ "Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Family Pack (3-User)". Amazon. December 20, 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
  123. ^ Microsoft. "Windows: Student Offer". Retrieved September 18, 2009.
  124. ^ Warren, Tom. "Microsoft: Students to get Windows 7 for £30/$30". Retrieved September 18, 2009.
  125. ^ "Windows Embedded Standard 7". Microsoft. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
  126. ^ a b c "Windows 7 system requirements". Microsoft.
  127. ^ "Windows Virtual PC – no hardware virtualization update now available for download".
  128. ^ a b "Memory Limits for Windows Releases". Microsoft. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  129. ^ "Virtualization Updates at TechEd". Windows Team Blog. Microsoft. June 7, 2010.
  130. ^ "Microsoft Announces Windows 7 Service Pack 1". Computer World.
  131. ^ "Microsoft Releases SP1 Beta for Windows Server 2008 R2". Redmondmag.com.
  132. ^ "Microsoft: Few issues to address with Windows 7 Service Pack 1". TechRadar UK.
  133. ^ "Windows 7 SP1 Hits The Torrents". Lifehacker.
  134. ^ "Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Leaks Out". TechRadar UK.
  135. ^ "Windows 7 SP1 Beta Leaks". GeekSmack.

External links