Microsoft unveils Windows 7 features, promises smoother release this time

Previewing multiple Internet Explorer windows from the redesigned Windows 7 taskbar.

LOS ANGELES -- Microsoft detailed Windows 7 publicly for the first time today -- unveiling features including a redesigned taskbar, simplified home networking, performance enhancements and additional touch-screen capabilities.

But even as it touted the changes planned for the next version of its flagship PC operating system, Microsoft made it clear that it's aiming for a less dramatic -- and less problematic -- overhaul this time around.

Speaking on stage at the company's Professional Developers Conference here, Windows Chief Steven Sinofksy said Microsoft has learned from Windows Vista's problems and is attempting, with Windows 7, to build on the progress it has made since Vista's release. He alluded to the Apple advertising campaign that relentlessly pokes fun at the Microsoft operating system.

"We certainly got a lot of feedback about Windows Vista" when it was released, Sinofsky said, to laughter. "We got feedback from reviews, from the press, a few bloggers here and there. Oh, and some commercials."

Sinofsky acknowledged that changes under the hood of Windows Vista initially caused widespread compatibility problems, complicating matters for the ecosystem of Windows hardware and software developers. Many of those changes were necessary in Windows Vista to improve security, he said, but the company doesn't expect to experience those problems this time.

"Because Windows 7 is built on the same kernel as Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, there are no changes that are going to require a reworking of that ecosystem," Sinofsky said. "All of the devices and all of the compatibility work that have gone into the past two years of Windows Vista will pay off in the work that we've done with Windows 7."

Sinofsky cautioned that there are still more features to be shown. None of the new features that has been shown looks like a blockbuster, by itself, said analyst Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates. That could ultimately create a marketing challenge for Microsoft. But collectively, he said, they represent a substantial improvement over Windows Vista.

"It's a lot of improvements that make the entire OS more usable," he said.

Among the new features shown by the company:

Redesigned taskbar: Microsoft is consolidating the various methods of launching programs into a new Windows 7 taskbar, the strip that traditionally appears along the bottom of the computer screen in Windows. The taskbar is larger and offers new ways to quickly interact with programs. For example, a feature calls "Jump Lists" provides a quick glimpse of recent files and features associated with a particular program when a user right-clicks on the program's icon in the taskbar.

Window management: Dragging an open window against the left or right border of the desktop automatically resizes it to fit one half of the screen. That makes it easier to quickly adjust the size of two windows -- for cutting and pasting text between documents, for example. Likewise, dragging a window to the top border of the desktop quickly expands it to the full size of the screen.

Expanded search capabilities: The new Windows 7 search function will provide a unified method of searching USB drives, external hard drives and other computers on a home network, from one centralized location.

HomeGroup: This feature in the new Windows version will let computers that connect to the network automatically access printers, other computers, and other devices on the network. It's possible to limit what's accessible, and users will need a PIN to access the network, but the idea is to simplify the process of home networking, the company says.

Performance: Addressing one of the main technical complaints about Windows Vista, Sinofsky said the company is reducing the amount of memory Windows 7 uses, among other improvements. It's also working to improve battery life, boot speed and responsiveness. For example, Sinofsky said, the company has delved into the kernel of the operating system to make sure it's allowing the Start menu and taskbar to respond "as instantaneously as possible."

Despite some speculation that Microsoft will attempt to release Windows 7 ahead of schedule, Sinofsky reiterated the company's plan to release Windows 7 three years after the general availability of Windows Vista, which would be in early 2010.

More details about Windows 7 are expected at the company's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference here next week.