Windows 7 bug fixes to include multitouch zoom for Explorer
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted March 13th 2009 2:15PM
posted March 13th 2009 2:15PM
After hearing of the thousands (hell, two thousands!) of bug fixes and enhancements that Windows 7 users will be seeing as they make the journey from Beta to Release Candidate, you'd have thought that we'd heard the last of all that for a bit. But not so! It seems that Microsoft's own Engineering Windows 7 blog will be letting the improvements trickle out as they are addressed. So brace yourself for some exciting plot twists, such as improvements to the taskbar thumbnail overflow and various jump lists, the trimming of sound schemes to enhance system performance, and our personal favorite, the addition of multitouch zoom to Windows Explorer. How cool is that? But there's plenty more to this saga -- hit the read link for all the saucy deets.
Let me get this straight. Fixing thousands of user-acknowledged and reported bugs, as well as adding one last feature to the 'feature-complete' Windows 7 RC earns them characteristic engaget snark?
Truly epic guys.
I can't wait to see what kind of publicity Snow Leopard gets.
" So brace yourself for some exciting plot twists, such as improvements to the taskbar thumbnail overflow and various jump lists, the trimming of sound schemes to enhance system performance, and our personal favorite, the addition of multitouch zoom to Windows Explorer. How cool is that?"
That doesn't sound snarky. Get over it.
It's the unicorn that does it for me, but I guess that could be construed in just about every possible manner, across the gamut.
I overreacted, sorry.
Apple doesn't allow blogs so Engadget will have to create the hype for the Snow Kitty Service Pack.
Snow Leopard is going to rock.
..brb, booting Jaunty alpha 6 off my flash drive.
Snow Leopard sucks.
I can't wait to get charged for something I should have had two years ago. A system that doesn't crash, but actually works!
I see no mention of giving us back control over which codec handles what file format or a ability to backup media center settings like the series recordings list.
Tonight I am upgrading to a raptor drive and will be writing down all 20+ of my series recording, to re add them in the new install. :(
the difference between Apple and Microsoft is that Microsoft fixes their bugs prior to release, whilst Apple fixes their bugs prior to the NEXT release 18 months later and then charge users for an "upgrade".
As an Apple customer you ARE a paying beta tester. I admire Apple users. Such dedication.
@kccboy2004 REALLY? Neither company fixes all of the bugs prior to the release date. And if it wasn't for the mass dissatisfaction with Vista you would have never gotten a public beta for 7.
Anyway, as far as bugs go the last version of windows that was released in a usable state was 2000. Both XP and Vista got a servicepack within a year of their release and both were really buggy when they got first released. So your comment seems very uneducated. Actually by the time Vista came out most large IT shops have gotten into the habit of waiting things out because they all know that initial MS releases are buggy and might have problems with 3rd party software ( as was the case with both XP and Vista ).
Going to the Apple side of things they tend to be just as bad although there isn't as much noise around them. You get updates for things that should have been fixed long ago ( network stack ) and sometimes those same fixes don't really fix all the problems all the time ( network stack ). However, overall OS X initial releases tend to have slightly less problems than Windows ones which could very well be due to tighter control over hardware and the ability to test on all recent configuration of the hardware.
All that said what exactly does code stability have to do with a beta release of and OS? Of course it's not stable and it's not intended for production systems.
"Microsoft fixes SOME of their bugs prior to release"
FIX'D.
Windows 7 is awesome right now. To know that there are 2000 more improvements and fixes is simply amazing.
hum dude, a simple change in the size of a font or a misspelled word constitutes a change so 2000 is really not that large a number. And I wouldn't go so far as to say that 7 is awesome as it is. A lot of the features that were promised are still missing so what exactly is so great about Windows 7? Right now it's a faster Vista with a different skin and working Widgets.
BTW the article probably means IE and not Explorer as in the shell.
nm should've read the whole article. Yes they do mean Windows Explorer and that's a good thing. It's not one of the more useful features of multi touch ( OS X already has that ) but I guess a lot of people like it.
@cg0def:
huh? Just a new skin and working widgets? What?
Good to know.
Also good to know that Windows is making a good approach this go around. I have high hopes even though I've never touched the Beta.
@cg0def Hang on, which of those apple touch screen macs is it you're referring to with multi touch? Also, what other features were your promised for 7?
Sorry to reveal the truth, but Windows 7 is a big marketing hype right now. As far as I remember, Vista was said to kill XP in every way possible in it's beta stage, but look what happened in the end.
this cg0def character is a lot of an idiot I think.
Multi touch was pioneered by Fingerworks in 1999. Fingerworks was acquired by Apple in 2005. Apple did not invent multi touch.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-touch
@therealmorris who's talking about touch screen? Multi touch does not mean touchscreen at all. And I was referring to the ability to resize icons in Windows Explorer using multi touch ( 2 finger touchpad gesture ). Also the list of features slated for the final release and not available in the beta is quite easy to find. Google it if you must.
@kccboy2004 learn to read! I never claimed that Apple invented multitouch although to be fair they were the first company to introduce it in a mainstream product ( much like many other things ). But all that is besides the point.
cg0def ...
Windows 7 can be considered a success if it simply is more stable and faster than Vista. Outside of UAC (which is so easy to adjust), stability and speed are the biggest gripes around Vista. Sure there are other issues that can be debated by developers and system engineers. However, for day to day use that's it.
So far Windows 7 has delivered huge in performance and stability. The fact that they have added tons of other features that enhance usability is all a bonus in my eyes. There are tons of reasons to be excited about Windows 7.
@ cg0def
"a simple change in the size of a font or a misspelled word constitutes a change"
Apple is no different if you say it like that. Adding a new button would be one of their '300 New Features' when they introduced Leopard.
Totally off-topic, but does anyone know if Windows 7 will recognize an xBox 360 external usb HD/DVD drive? I don't want to play hd/dvd on it (It's just going to be used for installing software onto my Acer Aspire one from DVD. I don't want to buy one unless it'll work and I see them all over for like 29.0 on Craigslist etc. cheaper solution than a 99.00 external dvd burner that I really won't use as I have an internal one on my other Rig.
Thanks All!!! Muchas Gracias Gadget Freaks!!!
Lane
yes it does. it installs the drivers automatically as you would expect.
External DVD burners can be bought for $60.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151178
I would think that is better than the 360 HD-DVD drive for $30 because it also allows you to burn CDs and is small and portable.
Wait, so if I'm using the beta will I get to download any of these improvements over windows update?
my guess is no. we'll probably have wait for rtm or at least the release candidate.
Unless you hack the special hotfix download site and get the password for each update. :)
The RC, you get these in the RC. April, I heard
Now if only n-trig would get off their asses and release a newer driver version that supports 7's built-in touch stuff AND regular pen support. The current beta driver seemed to work fine on my XT just to test out the neat (and very smooth, I might add) swiping and such, but I absolutely need pen input (which is lacks at this point.)
Whatever, it's not like many people will actually be using IE.
Windows Explorer, not Internet Explorer.
You're right, only like 55-65% of the internet. Not very many.
+1 Chris
peshue,
i personally use firefox. you are an idiot though.
or are you saying that useers of IE are not people.
They need to start making lap monitors for this multitouch feature for normal desktop cause I will feel pretty dumb reaching over my desk to touch the monitor with both my hands. A lap monitor is a monitor that detaches easily from the base of computer stand and can be set on your lap for easy touch usage. I either just made it up or somebody else is already working on it and hasn't announced it. But seriously I think unless they can start making displays like that the touch feature is useless for regular desktops where you have a monitor sitting on your desk and have to stretch over to reach it.
Or a multi-touch touch pad built into the keyboard.
Love the idea, but the display heat and fat unwieldy cables. Must get that high frequency video signal in there (although this will hopefully be serialised in the not too distant future to one thin spindly cable with a connector that cracks itself (and it's socket partner) as it merely thinks about what bending could be like.)
Inevitable blim burns melting permanent microripples into the surface won't matter after it cracks as the Zippo your were holding drops out of your hands as you try and catch the the red hot cinder?
Nah, I'll get used to waving my arms about in front of my screen.Whoever can do it the most super cool and fluid, synced the the vertical refresh Tom Cruise alike, well, they will certainly look cool in the office!
That could be me!
within the next year or so I am sure they will have something like Wireless OLED touch displays with the only cord attaching being a thin cord with an external power supply if it needs it.
Without getting into what the philosophy of what a unicorn represents, Engadget seems to associate that image with TONS of products that haven't been released yet (including the iPhone).
Wow, engadget has really got to deal with those unicorn advertisements.
Windows 7 actually looks half-way decent. I might actually install it on my Mac just to see what's up with these "Games" I keep hearing PC users talk about all the time.... :1
Wait Apple is removing firewire from notebooks and completely fazing fw400 out and MS is adding support for FW camcorders? ARE YOU NUTS? Better late than never does not apply in this case.
It's nice to see that MS is finally fixing bugs that have been around forever ( like the usb resume problems ). However, I really like to know what resolution the devs expect you to run windows 7 at? The new interface is anything but minimalistic but yet they are adding support for netbooks all over the place. Make up your mind MS! Not knowing what you're aiming for was the very reason why Vista turned out so bad.
Even if it's something I probably won't be using, adding support isn't really a bad thing, is it? I don't think it's something that's gonna constantly be running in the background, it might take up a couple hundred kilobytes, idk, seems like a good thing to me.
"I hate MS and will complain about everything they do!!! If Windows 7 pooped gold brinks from my usb ports I'd still whine like a little bitch!!!!!1!!one!!eleven!"
7 must be pretty good if that's the best flaw you can find in it.
Unicorn = fantasy
Sweet sweet fantasy... baby...
ohhhhooowoooooah...
Erm...
You saw nothing.
*flee*
More like a Myth, as in talked about but never been witness.
Image needs more cornify
Please, PLEASE Microsoft, just make it rock-solid stable. Less bling, more reliability. Truly, what people want is for their computers to just work each day, every day reliably.