10 Things Win 7 Does Better Than Vista

So it’s a top ten list.  So what?  Wanna fight about it?  Actually, it’s not a top 10 list.  This isn’t “The 10 Best Ways Windows 7 Will Change Your Life” or “Top 10 Reasons MS Should Release Windows 7 Now”.  This is the 10 things that I’ve noticed about Windows 7 that I really like.  Just 10 things that I think make it 10x better than Vista.  A lot of these are of course Media Center related but not all.  You may have already experienced these things or read about them somewhere else and I encourage you to share your thoughts by leaving a comment!

1. It’s faster.  A lot faster.  I have several older PCs in my home which simply languished under Vista’s mammoth requirements.  The machines were basically useless forcing me to continue to use XP.  Since installing the Windows 7 Beta, these machines have been cleaned up and are now being used either by my son as a little game machine or as a Media Center extender in my kitchen.
2. Networking:  Connecting to a network has never been easier.  When you install, everything is pretty automatic other than security keys for wireless networks.  Even then, all you do is enter the key and you’re off to the races. 
3. Sharing Content:  With Homegroups, sharing content comes out of the dark ages of sharing folders and setting permissions.  As long as your PCs belong to the same homegroup, you’re able to move media from one to the other and access it over the network with no problem.  There are still some issues I’ve run into with the Release Candidate but if MS can get the bugs worked out, homegroups should make a lot of novice PC users happy.
4. Drivers:  Other than the TV Tuner in my HTPC, I have yet to install a driver.  Windows 7 simply finds your hardware and takes care of it.  This includes my Aspire One Netbook.  After installation of the RC, my webcam, function keys, trackpad and all other hardware worked with no problem.  This is a big change from Vista where I would easily spend 30 to 45 minutes installing drivers once I had a fresh installation.

5. Content Sharing 2:  Yeah, I already mentioned this but this time I’m talking about getting your stuff out of your home.  With XP and Vista if you wanted to watch your shows/video files outside of your home you either had to copy it over and take it with you or install a third party app like Orb.  Microsoft has wised up and realized that this is something people want and has built the ability to stream content from your library over the internet right into Windows Media Player.  I’ve played with it a bit and so far so good.  Expect to see a dedicated write-up soon.

6. Media Center’s Look and Feel:  Media Center in Windows 7 (7MC) just looks better.  Better than XP for sure and while Vista Media Center (VMC) looked good, 7MC makes it even better.  With larger, easier to read text and a larger “Now Playing” window, MS has taken time to tweak the 10ft interface of 7MC and dressed it up quite a bit.

7. Media Center Navigation:  MS has realized that some people (myself included) have large collections of content.  This along with guide data could be slow to navigate in the past.  Not so much anymore.  Simply hold down the arrow key long enough and you’ll see your content fly by but in a way that makes it easy to stop right where you want.  It’s sometimes a little fast for me but I’m sure it’s still to slow for some people.  Overall it seems like they found a good middle point in that regard.

8. Slideshows:  There are a lot of different ways to do slideshows.  With 7MC, viewing your photos while maybe listening to music has really taken off compared to previous versions.  With smooth transitions, and a nice randomization, this is something you’ll enjoy if you haven’t tried it yet.
9. Setup:  Never mind 7MC.  Setting up a PC to run Windows 7 is the easiest it’s ever been.  When using a USB key I’ve been able to install WIn7 in under 20 minutes.  Couple this with not having to go on a driver hunt and you could be up and running is as little as 30 minutes depending on what apps you need installed.  7MC setup is pretty similar to past iterations but that’s not really a bad thing.  It’s still pretty easy to walk through.
10. Just Plain Ole Smooth:  Since installing the Win 7 beta back in January, all I can say for number 10 is it’s better.  I’m sure the hard core geeks and developers will still have their complaints and I’m sure there are some to be had.  But as an end user and HTPC user, Windows 7 does pretty much everything better than Windows Vista.  From speed to setup to Media Center, you’re going to have a great overall experience if you decide to move over to the Release Candidate.

So, are you using Windows 7?  If so, what do you love?  I have it installed on 4 machines in my home and it’ll soon be 6 as soon as I convince my wife to upgrade.  Leave a comment and share what you love about Microsoft’s latest attempt to run the world’s computers.