Microsoft Windows 7 detailed

28 October 2008 21:56 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Microsoft has outlined the key features users can expect in the company's new OS; Windows 7 at its Professional Developers Conference in the US.

Demoing the product for the first time, the new OS will, say Microsoft, do its best to let you get on with working the way you want to.

Gone are the notifications and warnings, gone is the tutorial when you turn your new computer on and gone are the update and bug fixing issues that that plagued the Vista OS.

Microsoft has also said that the new OS has been built on the same architecture as Vista. If it works with Vista it will work here.

Taking inspiration from Apple, but not wholesaling copying it, upgrades to the interface will include a new taskbar that loses the names of the application instead replacing them with an icon of the application running while hovering over said application gives you a thumbnail gallery of the windows within that app.

Taking it a step further clicking on the icon gives you another new feature; Jump Lists.

The contextual based menus will offer quick links to actions relating to the application, so Windows Media Player will give you ones relating to music.

Elsewhere file organising is promised to be improved with libraries that work like smart folders grouping files of a set format together and Microsoft has ditched the sidebar of gadgets as found in Vista in favour of letting them sprawl across the desktop instead.

Other features include "Search Federation" which from the sound of things will let you search your computer and other computers connected to it in a similar way to Google's Desktop Search application.

Microsoft has also said that the new OS will include Touch capabilities from the outset, although there are currently only two computers with touch screen monitors the software giant is clearly trying to plan ahead.

No date has been given as to when the new operating system will be launched to the public, however Microsoft has hinted at early 2010 before the general public will be able to use the new operating system in their home.