http://www.winsupersite.com/faq/windows_7.asp
Windows "7" FAQ
With Windows Vista finally behind us, it's time to turn our attention to the next Windows client release, Windows 7. (Microsoft had used other code-names, like "Vienna" and "Windows Seven," to describe this product in the past.)
Clearly, what's needed is a central location for accurate information about Windows 7. This is it.
Q: Is Microsoft working on an operating system after Windows Vista?
A: Yes. The next client version of Windows was originally codenamed "Blackcomb," though the company renamed it to "Windows Vienna" in early 2006 and to "Windows Seven" or "Windows 7" more recently.
Q: Why Windows 7?
A: Microsoft says that Windows 7 is the "seventh" major Windows version, which it isn't, but whatever. Adding to the mystery, the Windows 7 version number will actually be 6.1, the same as Windows Server 2008.
Q: Is Windows 7 the final name?
A: Yes! Like Vienna, Windows 7 was originally just a codename. But Microsoft announced in October 2008 that they would use Windows 7 as the final name of the product. Read the WinInfo article describing this announcement for more information.
Q: I heard that Windows Vista will be the last major OS release from Microsoft. Is that true?
A: No. Windows-based PCs will continue to form the center of our digital lifestyles, and as Microsoft executives have noted in recent days, there are still plenty of areas in which Microsoft can improve Windows. Some obvious examples include voice recognition and storage.
Q: So is Windows 7 going to be a major Windows version?
A: This one is complicated. Windows Vista was a major release, and Microsoft is positioning Windows 7 as a major release as well. However, the language Microsoft uses to describe the technical underpinnings of the Windows 7 suggest that this product will in fact be a minor release, or what the Windows Server team would have called an interim, or R2 ("release 2") release. Microsoft corporate vice president Steven Sinofsky described it this way: "[We are not going to] introduce additional [in]compatibilities, particularly in the driver model. Windows Vista was about improving those things ... Memory management, networking, process management, all of the security hardening, all of those things will carry forth, and maintain the compatibility with applications that people expect. Windows Vista established a very solid foundation, a multiyear foundation, particularly on subsystems like graphics and audio and storage and things like that, and Windows 7--and then Windows Server 2008 built on that foundation, and Windows 7 will continue to build on that foundation as well."
Q: When will Windows 7 ship?
A: Microsoft says it will ship Windows 7 by early 2010, about three years after Vista. My expectation is that is will ship in Q3 2009.
Q: What features will be included in Windows 7?
A: Microsoft is making major functional changes to Windows 7, and it's making a wide number of much smaller changes as well. It's still early, but based on early pre-beta builds of Windows 7 and reports published online, the following changes are coming (in no particular order).
Major changes
Kernel. Windows 7 will feature an evolved kernel and underpinnings when compared to its previous-generation predecessors, Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Server 2008. While it's unclear whether the "MinWin" kernel that Microsoft demonstrated in 2007 will be included with Windows 7, it is quite likely that the OS will include parallel processing capabilities, which will be implemented as .NET Framework 4.0 APIs.
Virtualization. With Windows Server 2008 now shipping with hypervisor-based virtualization capabilities, it's obvious that this technology will be making its way to the Windows client as well. Will it happen in time for Windows 7? Yes, it probably will. But Windows 7 will natively support the VHD virtual hard drive format utilized by Virtual PC and Hyper-V regardless.
Sensors. Windows 7 will include context-aware application support via a new "sensors" facility. One example: A location sensor can tell "where" your PC is and compatible applications can act accordingly. Applications can use sensor information to offer customized and enhanced services, according to Microsoft's documentation. Because of the privacy implications of sensors, this feature is opt-in and highly configurable.
User Account Control improvements. Windows Vista's most reviled feature is being completely overhauled to be more customizable. Four settings will be available:
1. Never notify (least secure). The user is not notified when a program tries to install software or make changes to the computer. The user is not notified when they make changes to Windows settings or when programs try to do so.
2. Only notify me when programs try to make changes to my computer. The user is not notified when a program tries to install software or make changes to the computer. The user is not notified when they make changes to Windows settings. However, the user is notified when programs try to make changes to the computer, including Windows settings.
3. Always notify me. The user is notified when a program tries to install software or make changes to the computer. The user is also notified when they make changes to Windows settings or when programs try to do so.
4. Always notify me and wait for my response (most secure). The user is notified when a program tries to install software or make changes to the computer. The user is also notified when they make changes to Windows settings or when programs try to do so.
Improved "Day One Experience." Microsoft wants Windows 7 to be useable and exciting "out of the box," and it's improving the experiencing of running this new OS for the first time. This will include an even more streamlined Setup routine and a thoroughly overhauled user interface.
Scenic application user interface. Microsoft has created a new application UI, codenamed Scenic, that will give Windows 7 applications a new and consistent, but customizable, look and feel.
Libraries. Special shell folders (Documents, Pictures, Music, and so on) are being renamed to Libraries. Note, however, that WinFS will not be implemented in Windows 7 and these locations will still occur within the normal shell namespace.
Tweaked Explorer. Windows Explorer is being updated again with a number of new features, including a resizable search box, a simpler new toolbar (with none of the color-coding found in Windows Vista), and a new icon view style called Content. This Content view style is most likely a preview mode for images and other rich content.
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Windows 7 in detail
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