Hidden Windows 7 Features Uncovered

[Terry Olaes]

A programmer created a utility he calls “Blue Badge” that disables the protection on areas in the Windows 7 alpha that was released at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) last month. MS blocked those areas off presumably because they’re still in progress and didn’t want users playing with them.

Rivera's tool lets users access Windows 7's new taskbar -- a feature that Microsoft heavily promoted at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in late October -- as well as other unfinished bits of the operating system, including multi-touch gestures and a dynamic desktop slideshow that pulls images from Web-based feeds.

 

[krupted]

its nice. im sure one of my machines will be windows 7 eventually... but for the most part i dont see a dramatic reason to go from vista to 7.

 

[einhan]

the tool works great

 

[Driving Vertigo]

As I understand it, all versions of Windows on the new modular kernel system (Vista and Server 2008 and above) only have stable code added to the system. Does this make Windows 7 very stable as an alpha build? Subsequently, does Blue Badge patching decrease this stability?

 

[Joe Average]

People jump on this thinking it's unlocking all the stuff shown at PDC and the stuff shown at PDC was from builds 6933 and 6935 - the PDC build actually distributed to people at PDC was build 6801, months old. So don't be totally disappointed when everything doesn't look or act or work precisely like what you see in the PDC event videos if you watch 'em.

Yes, the tool does work (I used his original concept and not the newer repackaged one) and yes it does unlock some aspects of the "Superbar" or whatever people are calling it nowadays, but not everything as quite a bit of schtuffz was added between that 6801 build and the ones shown off at PDC directly to the participants.

I still say Microsoft focuses entirely too much on fluff and happenstance instead of stuff and circumstance. I don't need more flash in the pan, or on the screen, or pretty graphics, I need an OS that does what I need it to do the way I'd like, and if that's not the case out of the box, then allow me to alter aspects to my liking. I don't need Linux-like root level control and access to the source code, but really...

How many freakin' thumbnails of shit in the OS do we need?

 

[krupted]

well thats what ms did with vista, joe. they now have their stable platform which they will add fluff to for the next couple big releases. back in the day i understand what youre saying, but their whole goal was to get things like you say first, then focus on the appeal to the masses.

 

[Exavior]

As I understand it, all versions of Windows on the new modular kernel system (Vista and Server 2008 and above) only have stable code added to the system. Does this make Windows 7 very stable as an alpha build? Subsequently, does Blue Badge patching decrease this stability?

Considering it is unlocking stuff that microsoft locked due to it not being as stable as they would like it to be I think it is a safe bet that it will decrease stablity.

 

[Uncle]

Anyone find this win7 slow on vmware desktop 6.0.4 I sure as heck do, to the point of not wanting to try it out. My settings are 1.5 gigs for memory, 15 gigs dedicated hard drive.

 

[Uncle]

I stand corrected,forgot to install vm tools.

 

[stainremover]

im impressed those will install in an alpha os. aren't production macbooks having issues with their own windows drivers?

 

[Exavior]

im impressed those will install in an alpha os. aren't production macbooks having issues with their own windows drivers?

Windows 7 is suppose to be using pretty much the same drivers as windows Vista. So you really shouldn't have driver issues with windows 7. That is one of the signed vista drivers requirements' the drivers have to work with Vista and with Windows 7.

 

[krupted]

not only that, microsoft is going to leave windows 7 "hacked" by not changing the os version number, even though it is an update. as far as programs will be concerned, all windows 7 boxes have windows vista installed. they figured since the drivers will be interchangeable theres no reason to stop older programs from installing just because the version number is newer.

 

[n3rdcore]

I've been playing BF2 on my Windows 7 install, ATI catalyst installed beautifully and runs like a charm. Same with all drivers for the P5Q Pro.

 

[Serpico]

its nice. im sure one of my machines will be windows 7 eventually... but for the most part i dont see a dramatic reason to go from vista to 7.

Dramatically streamlining the UI and menus compared to XP and Vista is a +1 in my book.

 

[n3rdcore]

Ya I forgot to mention, I can't remember if the unlock tool did this or if it was part of the default install, but the OS recognized "gestures" now. You can "throw" a window to the top of the screen to maximize it or to the sides of the screen to maximize it to half of your screen. You can also pull windows out of maximization by just clicking and dragging the title bar. Also you can "wash" the windows with another window which minimizes everything except the active window.

The P5Q drivers installed great as mentioned before but I forgot to say I had to run the installers one at a time from the disk as the main wrapper installer said "not compatible with this version of windows" but the individual installers went without a hitch.

 

[Exavior]

not only that, microsoft is going to leave windows 7 "hacked" by not changing the os version number, even though it is an update. as far as programs will be concerned, all windows 7 boxes have windows vista installed. they figured since the drivers will be interchangeable theres no reason to stop older programs from installing just because the version number is newer.

Where did you read that? I'm pretty sure Windows 7 still being listed as Windows version 6 would confuse some people. Not only that but that would be a stupid thing to do if true.

A program does not have to care about the OS version. that is a limit that the software developers put into their installers. I've installed Office 97 up to 2007 under vista. I've install lots of older programs under Vista. Most did not care. Only 1 program told me it couldn't install. Although I think that was windows telling me it wasn't compatable and not the installer.

If the people make their installers correctly then it won't care if it is version 6 or 7, just as long as it is higher than version 5 or something like that.