Your questions: what do I like about Windows 7? For starters, I add Windows Live Apps
I saw a tweet about the post today from microsoftsubnet on the Seven things to love, hate about Windows 7 by Tom Henderson and Brendan Allen in Network World (01/15/09, See https://tinyurl.com/9ropqp).
First off, hate is much too strong a word IMO. Perhaps they could've termed it "Seven things to love and a couple to improve upon before the product is released." ;)
Given the positive feedback I've seen on Windows 7 to date, I have lost track of the number of times I have been asked this week...
"You've been using Windows 7 for a while now... what do you like about it?"
I must say that I agree with some of the items in Network World's article, especially the nod on the improved GUI, the improved backup system via the easy to use 'Backup and Restore' and the the improved experience of the Windows Taskbar which Henderson and Allen said...
"... leapfrogs Apple's Dock view by providing a very tidy - but informative - view of all running applications."
But I'm not sure I agree with slide 11, "Things We Hate #3: Having to track down "essential" apps"...
"If they're essential, why put them online? We were simply looking for basic mail and IM programs and were shunted to Windows Live Essentials. While we applaud the overall lightening of the Windows 7 footprint, we're also being trained in a fashion to think it's common practice to get applications online that Microsoft had previously put in the box. Yes, apps are free on Windows Live Essentials, but you just know that other advertising and teaseware elements will be there too. We'd rather not have to wade through the junk to find what we essentially need."
Installing Windows Live apps (the "essentials beta") is an easy process, and frankly thoughtful. This way, you're assured to get the latest versions of all the applications and download only the ones you want to install, rather than taking the entire Live apps suite. And if I use other programs or services from other vendors already, I'm free to select what I want and what I don't want on my computer. This makes it easy to customize the installations on the various computers I manage on a very demanding network: our home.
For instance, at home on one machine in the family room I installed Windows Live Toolbar, Mail and Family Safety (as well as Silverlight), whilst my wife's computer incrementally gets Photo Gallery and Messenger. For my computers, I add Windows Live Writer, the Microsoft Office Outlook Connector and Movie Maker (although I'm still a fan of Adobe Premiere and Pinnacle Studio). Most of all, the Windows Live apps installer makes that an easy process.
Curious about adding additional Windows Live apps and services? Check out the laundry list at Windows Live Wikipedia entry for current and past items: I use Windows Live Frameit and Windows Live for mobile phones.
More likes this week.
Tags: Microsoft, your questions, Windows Live, customer experience, Windows 7.
