In Part 1 of the Post M3 Build review, I focused on the desktop experience and what is changing there. I also focused on pre-M3 builds and more theoretical discussions on Windows 7 here if you would like to refer back to that blog entry. For this entry, I will focus on other features outside of the desktop.
In looking at Windows Vista, Microsoft found the search capability worked well, but most people didn’t learn the keywords to use when performing a search to make it bring back the right data. So, Windows 7 has a number of changes in searching to make it better for users:
While not shown in the screenshot above, when you click on the search box, it will display some quick hints on the search, much like Internet Explorer 8. In the screenshot above, though, you can see some of the contextual changes in the search data as more content is shown and it provides a richer experience than what Windows Vista provides.
Part of using documents is being able to find them. This is an area where Apple and Microsoft have taken very different approaches. Apple has taken the approach of put all music together, put all pictures together, and so forth to make it easier. Microsoft has decided people won’t put their stuff together and their “stuff” may even span machines – especially in a corporate environment with file shares. So, Windows 7 presents a “new” concept called Libraries. I say “new” as this was actually something that was present in early Windows Vista builds, but got changed some before release dumbing it down. A Library is a collection of content that can be on multiple machines. So, a Music Library is all of the music on that machine as well as music on other machines in the library. Here is what this looks like for documents:
In this library, the user doesn’t need to worry about specific folder structures. They have specified what should be included in the “Documents” library and all of that content is being pulled and aggregated together. The searching capabilities can then go against this library making it easier for the user to find the specific content they are looking for.
The Stacks feature of Windows Vista has also been improved so a Stack can be applied against a Library. So, here is an example of a Stack being applied against a Picture Library:
In the screenshot above, you can see there are two locations being used for the library and then the stack is being applied against the metadata of the pictures. Libraries is all about making it easier for the user to find and work with their content and data.
While this concept has generally worked fine in the enterprise with a common authentication system, this has not worked at home. Most home users really have struggled to get a home network working and sharing documents, photos, music, printers, and so forth. Unless they had someone in the family that knew computers well, they just stuck to having some issues. Windows 7 introduces the concept of a Home Group. A Home Group is somewhat akin to a domain within the home. Home Groups are secured by a password and each machine can specify what resources will be exposed.
Once a machine connects into the Home Group, all of the resources on the network are then exposed and available. In the screenshot above, the Pictures, Music, Videos, and Printers from this computer are being shared, but the Documents are not. More granular controls are available to prevent access to specific documents if desired. As soon as the computer joins the Home Group, all of the Home Group resources appear on the computer. So, libraries are updated with the music, pictures, video, and documents. Also, any printers in the Home Group are automatically added to the machine without the user worrying about drivers or manually adding the printer.
From a user perspective, it means something like a Music Library is the one-stop place to access any music – even if it is on another machine. In Windows 7, Windows Media Player 12 and Windows Media Center will share this same library so no additional discovery is needed in most cases.
When dealing with media and content, a major focus in Windows 7 is making it easier to get this content on mobile devices and other devices in the home. Microsoft has added a new feature in Windows 7 called Device Stage. Device Stage is a one-stop location to get information on any connected devices, synchronize content, access data, and so forth. Ultimately devices will need to be Device Stage certified to provide full functionality, but the foundational pieces for this are already in Windows Vista. Here is the Device Stage for a sample mobile phone:
In the screenshot above, you can see data on new photos and other content on the device that can be synchronized back to the PC. The user can also change synchronization options, device settings, and more from this view. Device vendors can also integrate into this view to provide links to manuals, support information, and more.
The idea with Device Stage is to better help devices integrate together and to more easily share data. This allows devices like DVRs, photo frames, Media Center Extenders, and so forth to all connect and more easily share and consume data. Microsoft has made sure Windows 7 will be DLNA 1.5 (Digital Living Network Alliance) certified allowing other devices to more easily consume and use the services. For example, Windows Media Player 12 will allow a user at the PC to control the music playing on a device in the home. This could be a Sonos music player and in one-click, the PC can modify what is being played on the Sonos:
Windows 7 is about taking the experiences in Windows Vista and providing improvements to make it easier for the consumer and to enhance the user experience. In Part 3, I will continue to dig into the features and changes in Windows 7.
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