【IT168 Software Review】As the latest generation operating system from Microsoft, Windows 7 has always seemed quite mysterious to many friends. However, just a couple of days ago, we finally got the chance to closely interact with the Windows 7 M1 and unveil its mysteries. So, compared to Vista, what new experiences does this Windows 7 M1 bring us? Let's take a look at the differences between these two operating systems.
**Change One: The Change in Boot Screen**
The boot screen of Windows 7 is undoubtedly much more "beautiful" compared to the dark one of Vista. Besides using an aurora as the background, it also reintroduces the scrollbar from the Win9X era. Moreover, when these scrollbars "touch" the aurora, they create a stunning starburst effect.
**Change Two: The Change in Window Maximization**
To prevent the beautiful semi-transparent effects from distracting users, Vista always changes the border of maximized windows to black. However, this design leads to inconsistency with the overall system style. In the new Windows 7 M1, the maximized window still retains the beautiful semi-transparent effect, but the transparency is greatly reduced. This not only makes the entire system more consistent in style but also helps users focus on their work.
**Change Three: The Change in Search Bar**
In Vista, the length of the search bar is fixed. If the search term is too long, it cannot be fully displayed in the search bar. In the new Windows 7 M1, you can use the mouse to directly adjust the size of the search bar. Moreover, when you click on the separator between the search bar and the address bar, the search box will automatically enlarge, making daily search operations much more convenient.
**Change Four: The Change in Sidebar**
Similar to Vista, Windows 7 M1 also comes with a practical sidebar (Sidebar) feature. For aesthetic reasons, the new version of the sidebar eliminates the side frame line from the old version, making it more coordinated with the system. Additionally, adding widgets is no longer limited to the Sidebar area. Now, you can right-click the mouse anywhere on the desktop and find the widget addition option directly through the menu.
**Change Five: The Change in WMP11**
Although Windows 7 M1 does not include any new media player software like WMP 12, the new version of WMP 11 still shows significant improvements over the old version. Besides the newly added "Player" mode, the interface also includes two shortcut buttons for "View Selection" and "Playback Mode Selection," greatly facilitating daily playback operations.
**Change Six: The Change in Calculator**
After going through numerous versions, the classic calculator tool has finally been updated. Besides the newly added intermediate result display area, the new version of the calculator also provides two new features: "History" (history preservation area) and "Unit Conversion" (unit conversion module), greatly facilitating daily calculation operations.
**Change Seven: The Change in System Restore Area**
In Vista, system restore has always been a very practical function, but due to the lack of detailed settings options, many users end up disabling it altogether. In the latest Windows 7 M1, we finally see the long-awaited system restore settings options. After clicking, you can modify the default protection range of system restore and freely adjust the disk space used by the restore, greatly enhancing the actual usability of this feature.
**Change Eight: The Change in Start Menu**
The start menu is one of the components that has undergone significant changes in Windows 7 M1. First, when you hover your mouse over a menu item, a "pin" button will immediately appear on the right side of the menu. Clicking it will place the program at the top of the menu. Additionally, the search interface of the menu has been greatly improved. When using the new menu for quick searches, the results will automatically cover the entire menu panel, significantly increasing the display space for results.
**Change Nine: The Change in Resource Monitor**
Like the start menu, the resource monitor is another component that has undergone significant changes in Windows 7 M1. Although the new version of the monitor hasn't enhanced functionality, the redesigned interface layout remains highly practical. More importantly, since the most commonly used indicators, "CPU" and "Memory," are now listed separately as tabs, the operating system can display these parameters in greater detail with more screen space.
**Change Ten: The Change in Control Panel**
To save valuable screen space, the new Windows 7 M1 has improved all system windows. The "Common Tasks" area, which was previously always present on the left side of the window, has been set to auto-hide mode. Windows without common tasks will automatically hide this area to free up more screen space. Only when the current window contains related tasks will the "Common Tasks" area automatically pop out and provide relevant options to the user.
**Change Eleven: The Change in View Options**
Besides the aforementioned major changes, the new Windows 7 M1 has added a view option called "Smart Details" (intelligent details). However, perhaps due to a bug in the new version or an incomplete feature, I did not notice any difference between it and traditional view modes during my trial. Therefore, this update currently remains a mystery.
**Final Thoughts**
By now, you should have a general understanding of the new Windows 7 M1. In addition to the major improvements mentioned above, the new Windows 7 M1 also adds some useful functions such as PowerShell (command prompt for server operating systems) and XPSView (XPS file viewer). However, nothing beats personal experience. If you're truly interested in this Windows 7 M1, try it out yourself.
Source: http://publish.it168.com/2008/0630/20080630002501.shtml