Guest
[Entry]
"The wikipedia link is nice, but here's my ""cursory"" version from what I've experienced since downloading the RC a while back:
Less bloat: They took out a lot of the Outlook Express type stuff to help slim down the install footprint. This has also increased the performance a bit, which is nice. I originally installed Windows 7 on a laptop that was ""handling"" Vista, but the system really took off performance-wise after Win7 went on.
Enhanced existing features: UAC has been improved significantly so you're not getting prompted for every other action. Calculator and Paint have a fresh look and feel, plus a few new features. I think Jeff was so pleased that they treated these apps as first class citizens that he blogged about it.
I believe there are even more enhancements to the Start Menu, especially the search built into the start menu so that you can hit your window key, type in the first few letters of an application or file you're looking for, and hit enter to get working on it. This came out in Vista and I love it.
Upgraded TaskBar: The quick launch and task bar have effectively merged. Instead of a full title of the app, you see an icon, multiple instances of the app are ""stacked"" by default, though you can change that in the settings to show a number. The quick preview is even better now because you can mouse over the icon, see the multiple instances, and even close one of the instances right from there.
They've also created a ""recent documents"" type feature for each application, so you can right click the icon and have a list of recent files you've worked with (try this out with Paint.NET). Granted the application authors have to leverage the library, but it is really slick.
It reminds me a lot of RocketDock, but with some advanced contextual issues merged into it.
Contextual Help: In addition to applications that show up in the search bar when you press the start button, you also get contextual type help. For instance, hit the window key and type in ""Power"" and you'll see options for managing your power settings or what the power button does. Again I believe this is a refinement of what Vista had started to do.
There's plenty more items, but I think these four stick out the most in my mind."
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