Well, It’s been almost a year since I first dated Windows 7. From Beta1 to RCs and RTM, I have seen windows 7 evolving. And unlike Vista, I’ve seen it improving day-by-day to the point where I had it declared on my walls, “I’m in love”.
The Love was first expressed by deep down Review of Windows 7 vs. XP, Vista
Being fascinated by the OS, I’ve decided to write a series blogs on Why Windows 7, and this one is Part 1. So in this one, I`ll discuss why Enterprise and business should consider Upgrading XP, Vista to Windows 7.
Before we start, I would anticipate I’ve been using Snow Leopard as well. Though it’s a neatly polished OS, it still isn’t as Enterprise friendly as Windows.
Today, most of the business PCs and Laptops are Multicore (at least Dual core). Windows XP came into being when dual core was not even commercialized, as a result, the OS natively had poor support for multicore CPU. The Result: Poor performance. Though Kernel Patches tried to fix the loss, but it never fixed the problem from the ground. Vista tried to leverage multicore but became “Platform Independent”- No Matter what hardware you give it, it runs like crap.
The power of Multicore processors have been taken in almost all the possible places. Even during Startup, shutdown, Hibernate/resume.
I`ll discuss more about the kind of Optimizations in upcoming posts.
RAM Optimizations:
This is the first improvement one would notice over Vista. On a cold boot, Windows Vista could eat up more than GB of RAM just to satisfy it’s own greedy needs. Windows 7 remarkably reduced the usage and provided actual user to fill up the RAM with their applications. Of course, Win 7 uses almost 40% more RAM than XP, But, I believe that’s acceptable. XP came more than 6 years ago. during this time frame, the RAM has gone-up by 300% on a typical PC.
The RAM optimizations play important role during Multi-tasking. Windows 7 tries it’s best to re-use memory. e.g. when there are multiple windows opened (with Aero enabled) it uses the same memory to store info about multiple windows having identical characteristics. In Windows Vista, this was poorly implemented and in XP the need was never felt.
Improvements for Remote Access:
Most Enterprise and business employees do a frequent remote access to company’s resources. This often needs slow and expensive VPN concentrators. Windows 7 has few new features that can change the trend.
DirectAccess: Windows 7 provides this network technology that enables the user to seamlessly access corporate network resources when on the Internet, without having to create a VPN connection.
BranchCache: Windows 7 offers an alternative to alleviate the problems of slow connectivity, delivering increased network responsiveness of applications and giving users in remote offices an experience more like working in the head office. When BranchCache is enabled, a copy of data accessed from an intranet web site or a file server is cached locally within a branch office.
(Both of the above features need windows 2008 Server)
Security:
Windows 7 is much more secure than Windows XP. The basic proof is: connect it to internet, download software software and use it for a week. Count the no. of viruses vs. XP and Vista. Windows 7 is much lesser prone to vulnerabilities found naked in XP, Vista. Thanks to Better Windows Firewall, defender, the need of 3rd party aniti-virus, firewalls is less-felt.
Other Security features for enterprise include:
* BitLocker: protect data on PCs and removable drives, with manageability to enforce encryption and backup of recovery keys.
* AppLocker: Flexible, easy-to-use mechanism that enables IT professionals to specify exactly what is allowed to run on user desktops. It restricts unauthorized software while allowing applications, installation programs, and scripts that users need.
Virtualization: Virtualization is becoming the core part of almost every Enterprise. Thought he solutions like VirtualIron, VMware, VSphere, VirtualBox,etc are fair enough, still a native Virtualization is needed.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) optimizations delivers desktop functionality in Windows 7 using virtual machines hosted on servers—a solution known as Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). VDI enables users to access their desktops remotely as well as the ability to reuse virtual machine (VHD) images to boot a physical PC. Windows 7 provides for better user experience in VDI scenarios, with better graphics, audio and local device support.
Compatibility
Unlike its predecessor, Windows 7′s robust compatibility with the majority of corporate applications makes it a sure winner in the enterprise.
Vista’s weakness in this critical area killed its prospects in the enterprise. “Vista was pretty much off the table [because of compatibility issues]. Windows 7 doesn’t have that buzz,”
Convergent conducted a series of tests with the Microsoft Application Compatibility Framework and the five applications passed with a 100 percent hit rate. The systems integrator also did a test with another client, a law firm, which often experience compatibility issues because of the number of plug-ins and add-ons used in legal circles. They were pleasantly surprised with the results.
“It just works better out of the box for application compatibility. We tested 147 applications and the return was 100 percent compatibility. Vista had a 20 to 30 percent incompatibility rate for the line of business stuff.”
Upgrading: with SCCM – System center Configuration Manager
So if you made your mind to upgrade, how to do it seamlessly? SCCM is the solution. It will enable seamless OS Upgrades during night.
The Technology is based on Intel’s vPro which lets software understand the power state of the device. On a remote request, it can wake up a PC (including Laptops) to have OS Upgrades. Wake-up on LAN is an old technology but it was not-routable. The new vPro enables it over TCP/IP, making it possible to do a enterprise wide (with multiple subnets) upgrades with a click of a button during night times. and when it’s done, PC can be shutdown again.
There’s a lot more that SCCM is capable of doing.
We would like to hear from you. Do let us know of your experiences with Windows 7. Follow us on Twitter , or Subscribe to RSS for further articles on Why Windows 7.
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Showing posts with label trator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trator. Show all posts
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Android Cloud Music Sync Mac Windows
If you were waiting for a way to sync your music to an Online Cloud service, you have come to the right place. With mSpot, its possible to sync your music across all the computers and phones you use.
Simply stated, mSpot is a cloud-based music tool that makes managing your music collection effortless and automatic.
Online/Cloud Music Sync
Music uploaded to mSpot can be synced across various devices: your primary computer, your web-based mSpot account, your Android phone, and any other secondary Macs or PCs.
With signup, you get a a free account with upper limit of 2GB of music and premium accounts go way hihger starting from $2.99 a month for 10GB, upto 100GB for $13.99.
Apart from music sync, mSpot also features a live wallpaper and live lyrics functionality on Android phones. These gadgets, wallpapers show covers and song lyrics while you play them in the background. The songs can also be used as ringtones, just like your local music, infact, better as mSpot features an inbuilt Ringtone maker.
Get a sneak Peek with this video:
Signup: mSpot
Simply stated, mSpot is a cloud-based music tool that makes managing your music collection effortless and automatic.
Online/Cloud Music Sync
Music uploaded to mSpot can be synced across various devices: your primary computer, your web-based mSpot account, your Android phone, and any other secondary Macs or PCs.
With signup, you get a a free account with upper limit of 2GB of music and premium accounts go way hihger starting from $2.99 a month for 10GB, upto 100GB for $13.99.
Apart from music sync, mSpot also features a live wallpaper and live lyrics functionality on Android phones. These gadgets, wallpapers show covers and song lyrics while you play them in the background. The songs can also be used as ringtones, just like your local music, infact, better as mSpot features an inbuilt Ringtone maker.
Get a sneak Peek with this video:
Signup: mSpot
Saturday, March 12, 2011
How To Create SymLink in Windows
Symlinks let you define soft/hard links to files/directories placed in different locations. Essentially, they are like windows shortcuts (a.k.a. soft symlinks) and the other type is something in-between the two: shortcuts and Original Files/directories. You can use HardLinks as an original file/folder, transparently.
Linux/Unix has inbuilt feature of creating symlinks using “ln” command. On older Windows versions, there is no inbuilt utility that does that. However, on Windows Vista, Windows 7 you can use a command line utility called “mklink”. But not everyone likes the command line that’s why there is a GUI-based tool for this: Symlinker.
There are several Use cases for employing Hard symlinks. e.g. when you are running out of diskspace on your c:\ drive and certain programs still force you to install new software in c:\ drive (most microsoft, Google products do that) you can create a directory symlink and point it to another drive, save the buck. Another reason would be to move the caches, libraries (media player, iTunes songs lib), indexes (picasa photocache, search indexes, google desktop indexes) which take a large amount of disk space on your C:\drive.
There could be n number of other reasons, and this tool always comes handy.
Download Symlinker
To use this properly, here is some background on types of SymLinks:
Soft Link
A soft link is essentially a shortcut to a file or folder –it won’t pretend its part of the filesystem. You can still directly reference or open a file with the symlinked path, and it mostly works.
Hard Link
A hard link directly points to the file, and acts to the operating system as if it is the file itself. You’ll want to use this option the majority of the time if you are trying to fake an application’s directory just like the case described earlier.
Linux/Unix has inbuilt feature of creating symlinks using “ln” command. On older Windows versions, there is no inbuilt utility that does that. However, on Windows Vista, Windows 7 you can use a command line utility called “mklink”. But not everyone likes the command line that’s why there is a GUI-based tool for this: Symlinker.
There are several Use cases for employing Hard symlinks. e.g. when you are running out of diskspace on your c:\ drive and certain programs still force you to install new software in c:\ drive (most microsoft, Google products do that) you can create a directory symlink and point it to another drive, save the buck. Another reason would be to move the caches, libraries (media player, iTunes songs lib), indexes (picasa photocache, search indexes, google desktop indexes) which take a large amount of disk space on your C:\drive.
There could be n number of other reasons, and this tool always comes handy.
Download Symlinker
To use this properly, here is some background on types of SymLinks:
Soft Link
A soft link is essentially a shortcut to a file or folder –it won’t pretend its part of the filesystem. You can still directly reference or open a file with the symlinked path, and it mostly works.
Hard Link
A hard link directly points to the file, and acts to the operating system as if it is the file itself. You’ll want to use this option the majority of the time if you are trying to fake an application’s directory just like the case described earlier.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Get Windows 7 Look and Feel on XP Vista
Why Windows 7 is a success in the market? Is it the speed alone? Or is it the Eye-candy? Windows 7 takes interface improvements seriously, with such innovations as Aero Snap, shake response, and a pinnable taskbar. Here’s how to upgrade your Vista or XP system with those slick new features.
Much of the excitement about Windows 7 relates to an assortment of user-interface improvements: a little eye candy here, a few window-management tweaks there. Here are some of the highlights, along with the tools you’ll need to get them for your current OS.
Aero Snap
When you drag a window to the left or right edge of your computer screen, Windows 7′s Aero Snap feature automatically resizes the window to fill that half of the screen. To “undock” a window, simply click and drag it away from the edge. This feature is especially convenient for PC users who have widescreen monitors, because it enables them to put a pair of windows side by side in just two quick mouse clicks.
The free AeroSnap download makes automatic window anchoring and resizing available to Vista and XP systems. And it emulates Windows 7 in another way: If you drag a window to the top edge of the screen, the window maximizes.
Invisible Windows
Need to peek at your desktop? Clicking Vista’s Show Desktop button will minimize all of your open windows, but Win 7 can make them temporarily become transparent–great for glancing at, say, one of Windows’ new floating Gadgets. All you have to do is mouse over the Show Desktop button in the bottom-right corner of the screen, and presto: Your windows turn invisible, with only the borders remaining. Slide your mouse away, and immediately the windows become opaque once more.
The freebie AeroPeek (the link goes to a downloadable zip file) for XP and Vista works a bit differently–you have to click to activate it and then click again to deactivate it–but the end result is much the same: Your open windows turn see-through, allowing you to view the desktop behind them. Of course, you can always press Windows-D to minimize all open windows (and afterward press Windows-D again to restore them), but what fun is that?
Window Shake
Want to minimize all but one of a group of windows on your desktop? In Windows 7, you can accomplish that feat by clicking and holding the title bar of any open window, and then shaking your mouse back and forth a few times. All of the other open windows will funnel down to the taskbar. Shake the lone window again, and its counterparts will reappear.
The free Aero Shake utility from Lifehacker brings Windows 7-style shake-and-bake windowing to Vista and XP. Though the feature isn’t quite as smooth as the version built in to Windows 7, it’s still a useful little amenity–and you certainly can’t beat the price.
The Pinnable Taskbar (replacement for quickLaunch)
Arguably the most visually noticeable change in Windows 7 is its overhauled taskbar, which sports oversize program icons and lets you “pin” favorite applications and documents (when you pin a document, it joins the corresponding application’s Jump List, a context-sensitive pop-up menu of shortcuts to commonly used documents and/or tasks.) If you like the idea, you can set up an almost identical taskbar in Vista (but not in XP, sorry), simply by introducing a few minor modifications.
If your system doesn’t already have a batch of program icons located just to the right of Vista’s Start button, right-click the taskbar and click Toolbars, Quick Launch. Next, unlock the taskbar by right-clicking again and clearing the check mark next to Lock the Taskbar. This operation adds a handle (which looks like three columns of tiny dots) to the right side of the Quick Launch toolbar. Drag the handle to the right to make more room for icons. Finally, to make the icons larger and closer in form to the ones in Windows 7, right-click the taskbar a third time and choose View, Large Icons. (Make sure that you click in an open area of the taskbar, and not directly on an icon.) Besides adding new icons for programs, you can attach icons for folders and even for documents to your newly improved taskbar. Just drag an icon down and drop it in. If you need extra space, you can always drag the toolbar handle farther to the right.
The Icons-Only Taskbar
The Windows 7 taskbar consists exclusively of icons, even for programs that are currently running. That’s a significant change from old-style text-enhanced program icons, but it frees up lots of extra space on the ol’ taskbar.
Instructing XP’s or Vista’s taskbar to show only icons entails taking a trip into the Registry. Here are the steps to take once you’re ready to boldly go forward:
1. Click Start, type , and press .
2. Find and click the value listed at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics.
3. In the right pane, right-click in an open space and select New, String Value.
4. Name the new string value , and set its value to .
5. Exit the Registry Editor, and restart your system.
Henceforth, only icons will appear in your taskbar. If you decide later that you don’t like the new look, you can return to the Registry and delete the entry that you created above. If you don’t care to monkey around with your Registry, try the next tip, which accomplishes very nearly the same thing without requiring any Registry intervention.
Thumbnail Previews
When you mouse over a taskbar icon in Windows 7, a thumbnail preview of the corresponding program will pop up (if the feature is activated). If you happen to be running multiple instances of a program (such as Internet Explorer), you’ll see multiple thumbnails.
To achieve the same effect in Vista (but once again, not in XP), install EnhanceMyVista Free; true to its name, the download is free. The procedure could hardly be simpler: Start the program, click Customization, Taskbar, and enable Iconize your Taskbar. You’re all set.
The Windows 7 User Interface
The Windows 7 interface emphasizes efficiency rather than sizzle. The chief improvements consist of a remodeled Windows Taskbar with large icons, one-click access to tasks associated with a specific app, and various other practical enhancements.
Because Windows Vista more or less forms the core of Windows 7, making Vista look like 7 is fairly easy (as evidenced by the aforementioned taskbar and thumbnail-preview tips). Windows XP users, however, have fewer options at their disposal. In response, third-party developer Windows X Live created the Seven Transformation Pack, a collection of interface tweaks–menus, icons, fonts, buttons, and so on–that are designed to make XP look and feel like Windows 7. And the software works as advertised. In fact, the before-and-after difference is pretty amazing, right down to the interface’s search-enhanced Start menu and Windows 7-style floating gadgets.
Before downloading this fabulous freebie, make sure that your system already has XP Service Pack 3 installed. I also recommend that you create a restore point in XP’s System Restore tool before running the installer, as the Seven Transformation Pack makes some fairly high-level changes to your system. When the installation is complete, reboot, and prepare to witness the minor miracle of Windows XP transformed into Windows 7.
Much of the excitement about Windows 7 relates to an assortment of user-interface improvements: a little eye candy here, a few window-management tweaks there. Here are some of the highlights, along with the tools you’ll need to get them for your current OS.
Aero Snap
When you drag a window to the left or right edge of your computer screen, Windows 7′s Aero Snap feature automatically resizes the window to fill that half of the screen. To “undock” a window, simply click and drag it away from the edge. This feature is especially convenient for PC users who have widescreen monitors, because it enables them to put a pair of windows side by side in just two quick mouse clicks.
The free AeroSnap download makes automatic window anchoring and resizing available to Vista and XP systems. And it emulates Windows 7 in another way: If you drag a window to the top edge of the screen, the window maximizes.
Invisible Windows
Need to peek at your desktop? Clicking Vista’s Show Desktop button will minimize all of your open windows, but Win 7 can make them temporarily become transparent–great for glancing at, say, one of Windows’ new floating Gadgets. All you have to do is mouse over the Show Desktop button in the bottom-right corner of the screen, and presto: Your windows turn invisible, with only the borders remaining. Slide your mouse away, and immediately the windows become opaque once more.
The freebie AeroPeek (the link goes to a downloadable zip file) for XP and Vista works a bit differently–you have to click to activate it and then click again to deactivate it–but the end result is much the same: Your open windows turn see-through, allowing you to view the desktop behind them. Of course, you can always press Windows-D to minimize all open windows (and afterward press Windows-D again to restore them), but what fun is that?
Window Shake
Want to minimize all but one of a group of windows on your desktop? In Windows 7, you can accomplish that feat by clicking and holding the title bar of any open window, and then shaking your mouse back and forth a few times. All of the other open windows will funnel down to the taskbar. Shake the lone window again, and its counterparts will reappear.
The free Aero Shake utility from Lifehacker brings Windows 7-style shake-and-bake windowing to Vista and XP. Though the feature isn’t quite as smooth as the version built in to Windows 7, it’s still a useful little amenity–and you certainly can’t beat the price.
The Pinnable Taskbar (replacement for quickLaunch)
Arguably the most visually noticeable change in Windows 7 is its overhauled taskbar, which sports oversize program icons and lets you “pin” favorite applications and documents (when you pin a document, it joins the corresponding application’s Jump List, a context-sensitive pop-up menu of shortcuts to commonly used documents and/or tasks.) If you like the idea, you can set up an almost identical taskbar in Vista (but not in XP, sorry), simply by introducing a few minor modifications.
If your system doesn’t already have a batch of program icons located just to the right of Vista’s Start button, right-click the taskbar and click Toolbars, Quick Launch. Next, unlock the taskbar by right-clicking again and clearing the check mark next to Lock the Taskbar. This operation adds a handle (which looks like three columns of tiny dots) to the right side of the Quick Launch toolbar. Drag the handle to the right to make more room for icons. Finally, to make the icons larger and closer in form to the ones in Windows 7, right-click the taskbar a third time and choose View, Large Icons. (Make sure that you click in an open area of the taskbar, and not directly on an icon.) Besides adding new icons for programs, you can attach icons for folders and even for documents to your newly improved taskbar. Just drag an icon down and drop it in. If you need extra space, you can always drag the toolbar handle farther to the right.
The Icons-Only Taskbar
The Windows 7 taskbar consists exclusively of icons, even for programs that are currently running. That’s a significant change from old-style text-enhanced program icons, but it frees up lots of extra space on the ol’ taskbar.
Instructing XP’s or Vista’s taskbar to show only icons entails taking a trip into the Registry. Here are the steps to take once you’re ready to boldly go forward:
1. Click Start, type , and press .
2. Find and click the value listed at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics.
3. In the right pane, right-click in an open space and select New, String Value.
4. Name the new string value , and set its value to .
5. Exit the Registry Editor, and restart your system.
Henceforth, only icons will appear in your taskbar. If you decide later that you don’t like the new look, you can return to the Registry and delete the entry that you created above. If you don’t care to monkey around with your Registry, try the next tip, which accomplishes very nearly the same thing without requiring any Registry intervention.
Thumbnail Previews
When you mouse over a taskbar icon in Windows 7, a thumbnail preview of the corresponding program will pop up (if the feature is activated). If you happen to be running multiple instances of a program (such as Internet Explorer), you’ll see multiple thumbnails.
To achieve the same effect in Vista (but once again, not in XP), install EnhanceMyVista Free; true to its name, the download is free. The procedure could hardly be simpler: Start the program, click Customization, Taskbar, and enable Iconize your Taskbar. You’re all set.
The Windows 7 User Interface
The Windows 7 interface emphasizes efficiency rather than sizzle. The chief improvements consist of a remodeled Windows Taskbar with large icons, one-click access to tasks associated with a specific app, and various other practical enhancements.
Because Windows Vista more or less forms the core of Windows 7, making Vista look like 7 is fairly easy (as evidenced by the aforementioned taskbar and thumbnail-preview tips). Windows XP users, however, have fewer options at their disposal. In response, third-party developer Windows X Live created the Seven Transformation Pack, a collection of interface tweaks–menus, icons, fonts, buttons, and so on–that are designed to make XP look and feel like Windows 7. And the software works as advertised. In fact, the before-and-after difference is pretty amazing, right down to the interface’s search-enhanced Start menu and Windows 7-style floating gadgets.
Before downloading this fabulous freebie, make sure that your system already has XP Service Pack 3 installed. I also recommend that you create a restore point in XP’s System Restore tool before running the installer, as the Seven Transformation Pack makes some fairly high-level changes to your system. When the installation is complete, reboot, and prepare to witness the minor miracle of Windows XP transformed into Windows 7.
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