Windows 7 and XML Paper Specification

Windows Vista and Windows 7 include built-in support for the new XML Paper Specification (XPS). XPS is a document format that can be created from any printable document and then easily shared with almost any platform. XPS provides similar capabilities to the Adobe PDF format, but XPS has the advantage of being built into the operating system.

Windows 7 includes an improved version of the XPS Viewer, as shown in to enable you to open and read XPS-based documents without the tool that was used to create the document. Users can also use the improved XPS Viewer to sign XPS documents digitally. If an organization deploys Windows Rights Management Services (RMS), users can also limit access to who can open and edit XPS documents using the improved XPS Viewer.
Windows Internet Explorer 8

Windows 7 includes Windows Internet Explorer 8, a high-performance Web browser designed to help protect the user from Internet security threats. Although Internet Explorer 8 can be installed on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, it includes an important security improvement called Protected Mode that works only on Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008.

Protected Mode runs Internet Explorer with minimal privileges, helping to prevent malicious Web sites from making permanent changes to a computer’s configuration.
Performance

Although some features of Windows 7, such as Aero, require high-performance hardware, Windows 7 is designed to perform similarly to earlier versions of Windows when run on the same hardware and can frequently outperform earlier versions of Windows. The following sections describe technologies designed to improve Windows 7 performance.
ReadyBoost

Windows ReadyBoost, originally introduced with Windows Vista, uses a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive or a secure digital (SD) memory card to cache data that would otherwise need to be read from the much slower hard disk. Windows Vista uses SuperFetch technology to determine which data to cache automatically.

After you insert a USB flash drive or SD card greater than 256 megabytes (MB) in size, Windows Vista checks the performance to determine whether the device is fast enough to work with ReadyBoost. (Flash devices designed for ReadyBoost display the phrase "Enhanced

for Windows ReadyBoost" on the package, but other devices can also work.) If the device is fast enough, Windows Vista gives the user the option to enable ReadyBoost. Alternatively, users can enable ReadyBoost manually on compatible devices by viewing the drive’s properties.

Windows 7 improves on ReadyBoost by adding support for using up to eight flash devices simultaneously. For example, you can enable ReadyBoost on both a USB key and an SD card, and Windows 7 will cache to both devices. Although Windows Vista can create a cache of 4 gigabytes (GB) or less, Windows 7 can create larger caches.

If you remove the flash memory, ReadyBoost will be disabled, but the computer’s stability will not be affected because the files stored on the flash memory are only temporary copies. Data on the flash memory is encrypted to protect privacy
BranchCache

BranchCache stores local copies of files on an organization’s intranet and transfers them to other computers in the local branch so they do not have to be transferred across the wide area network (WAN). In this way, BranchCache can reduce WAN utilization and increase the responsiveness of network applications. BranchCache can cache files from shared folders and Web servers, but only if the server is running Windows Server 2008 R2.

BranchCache can work in two different modes: Hosted Cache (which requires a computer running Windows Server 2008 R2 at each branch office) and Distributed Cache (in which clients within a branch office use peer-to-peer networking to exchange cached files). Hosted Cache provides better performance, but branches that do not have a computer running Windows Server 2008 R2 can use Distributed Cache
Solid-State Drives

Windows 7 includes several improvements to performance with solid-state drives (SSDs), such as flash drives: Disk defragmentation is disabled because it is unnecessary in SSDs. Windows 7 uses the SSD TRIM command to erase data that is no longer used, which reduces the time required to reuse the same location. Windows 7 formats the SSD differently.
RemoteApp and Desktop Connections

After connecting to Terminal Servers running Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7 users have a much more integrated experience. Not only is the user interface more full featured, but remote applications can be launched directly from the Start menu.

When they run, they are practically indistinguishable from local applications, and this makes centralized application management and thin client architectures easier to enable and use. Remote Desktop in Windows 7 supports using the Aero user interface and multiple monitors, which provides an experience more like working on the local computer.

Multimediaworks better in Remote Desktop, too, because Windows Media Player can now play video better across remote desktop connections, and Remote Desktop includes support for microphones. Users can print to a local printer without the need to install printer drivers on the server.


New PowerCfg – energy Option

The Powercfg utility has been enhanced in Windows 7 with a new command-line option (–energy) to enable the detection of common energy-efficiency problems. These problems can include excessive processor utilization, increased timer resolution, inefficient power policy settings, ineffective use of suspend by USB devices, and battery capacity degradation.

This new Powercfg option can help IT professionals validate a system prior to deployment, provide support to users who encounter battery life or power consumption issues, and more. In addition, Power users can use this option to diagnose energy-efficiency problems on their own systems.
Process Reflection

When applications failed in Windows Vista (and earlier versions of Windows), users waited while diagnostics collected information about the failure. This delay made the failure even more frustrating to users by reducing their productivity further.

In Windows 7, Process Reflection enables Windows to recover a failed process and continue running while diagnostics collects information about the state of the failed application.
Mobility

More and more new computers are laptops or Tablet PCs, which are used very differently from desktop computers. Mobile PCs must manage their power effectively, and the user should be able to easily monitor power usage and battery levels.

Mobile PCs are also often used in meetings, which requires them to be able to easily connect to wireless networks and then find and use network resources. The following sections provide a high-level overview of Windows 7 mobility improvements.
Improved Battery Life

In Windows Vista and earlier versions of Windows, services could be configured to start automatically, in which case they started at the same time as the operating system or with a delayed start. In Windows 7, these options are still available. In addition, services can be started or stopped via triggers.

In earlier versions of Windows, after services are started, they need to schedule processor time based on the system clock. In other words, a service needs to be activated after a specific number of milliseconds have passed, even if the service doesn’t have any work to do.

In Windows 7, services can be activated by a variety of different trigger events, including an incoming network communication or a user event. This allows a computer’s processor to be in an idle state more often, which increases battery life.

Windows 7 is more efficient when playing standard-definition video DVDs by using less processing power and spinning the disk more efficiently. When travelling, mobile users will be more likely to watch an entire DVD on a single battery charge.
Adaptive Display Brightness

Windows 7 automatically dims the display brightness after a period of inactivity. This enables Windows 7 to reduce battery consumption without the full impact of going into Sleep mode. Adaptive Display Brightness intelligently responds to user activity, too.

For example, if Adaptive Display Brightness dims the display after 30 seconds of inactivity and the user immediately moves the mouse to brighten the display, Adaptive Display Brightness will wait 60 seconds before again dimming the display.
View Available Networks

Mobile users frequently need to connect to WiFi, mobile broadband, virtual private network (VPN), and dial-up networks. In Windows 7, users can connect to wireless networks with two clicks one click on the network icon in the notification area and a second click on the network. shows the View Available Networks (VAN) list.
Smart Network Power

Wired network connections use power when they’re enabled, even if a network cable isn’t connected. Windows 7 offers the ability to turn off power to the network adapter automatically when the cable is disconnected. When the user connects a cable, power is restored.automatically.

This feature offers the power-saving benefits of disabling a wired network connection while still allowing users to connect easily to wired networks.
VPN Reconnect

Internet connectivity for mobile users is often unreliable. For example, wireless broadband users who take a train from Boston to New York can have Internet connectivity for most of the trip. However, they might lose their Internet connection when passing through tunnels or rural areas.

This intermittent connectivity is especially frustrating when the user is connected to a VPN. In Windows Vista and earlier versions of Windows, users had to reconnect to the VPN manually when their Internet connection returned.

With VPN Reconnect, Windows 7 will detect that it is once again connected to the Internet and automatically reconnect a VPN server running Windows Server 2008 R2.

source: http://www.web-articles.info/e/a/title/Windows-7-and-XML-Paper-Specification/