Even if you haven’t been using it yet, you’ve probably heard a lot about Windows 7. Many people have been using it through the long beta phase and even in it’s released form if they work for a Microsoft partner like Improving. There are a lot of cool new features and basic improvements to the fundamental operations of the system. Recently, my colleagues Allen and Mike invited me to talk about some of the new hotness in the latest of Improving Podcasts on the Windows 7 experience.
BTW, some of the shortcut keys I love the most I forgot to mention and they aren’t listed on the Wikipedia on Windows 7 features. Those keys are the Win + <a number> keys, which correspond to taskbar buttons you have in your task tray. For me, pressing the Windows Key plus the number 1 (aka Win + 1), launches Internet Explorer. Win + 2 launches the Folder Explorer. They work all the way up to Win + 0 for the 10th application in the tray. If your application is already open, the key just brings the window to the front. If you really want a new instance, add in the shift key. For example, Shift + Win + 1 opens a new Internet Explorer window, even if you have one open – just like shift-clicking on the application icon. As far as I know, all of the shortcuts that I mention in the podcast and here are documented on Microsoft’s Windows 7 page on Keyboard Shortcuts.
If you want to see some examples of themes that I mentioned in the podcast, check out this page of Windows 7 additional themes. And if you’ve just installed Windows 7, make sure you also get Windows Live Essentials with Live Messenger and it’s friends, as well as the new Windows Security Essentials for FREE anti-virus and anti-spyware protection.
Happy Windows 7 launch day!
Here's another set of good themes. http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/download-windows-7-themes/
Posted by: Todd Girvin | October 26, 2009 at 10:43 AM