36 new features for Windows 7

Robert Hallock 27 Feb, 2009 at 11:15am ET Article published in Tech

Comments

1. 
   27 Feb 2009 ~ 11:21am Snarkasm

   Customers informed us that sometimes their audio streams did not properly move from the default speakers to their headphones. The fix required an update to the algorithm we use to detect new devices. In RC the transition works more reliably.

   
   YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY.
   
   Using the laptop, if I wanted to switch from using laptop speakers with WMP to headphones, it required me to close WMP and reopen it, sometimes even requiring me to disable the default speakers and/or unplug/replug the headphones.
2. 
   27 Feb 2009 ~ 11:27am Linc WMP supports .mov? Next thing you know Quicktime "Pro" will be free or WMP will let me watch DVDs. Cats and birds living together. Mass hysteria!
3. 
   27 Feb 2009 ~ 11:29am Thrax WMP lets you watch DVDs in both Vista and 7.
4. 
   27 Feb 2009 ~ 11:36am Snarkasm Keebs is blown away.
5. 
   27 Feb 2009 ~ 11:43am RWB It has the ability but doesn't it require an additional codec?
6. 
   27 Feb 2009 ~ 11:49am Thrax No.
7. 
   27 Feb 2009 ~ 5:44pm mas0n

   Snarkasm wrote:

   YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY.
   
   Using the laptop, if I wanted to switch from using laptop speakers with WMP to headphones, it required me to close WMP and reopen it, sometimes even requiring me to disable the default speakers and/or unplug/replug the headphones.

   
   Weird. I've had the exact opposite experience and have actually been impressed with how well 7 handles me plugging in or removing my USB headset while using WMP, MPC, while gaming, or streaming from Netflix or Hulu. It has switched to the new device without issue. I often had to close and restart applications under Vista if I plugged in or removed the USB headset.
8. 
   27 Feb 2009 ~ 5:47pm Snarkasm USB devices could be handled differently. It could also just be a driver issue with my particular laptop. Time will tell.
9. 
   27 Feb 2009 ~ 6:39pm mas0n Awesome, this drove me nuts.
   

   33. Reviving familiar entry points
   Mando writes, “In Win7 the Win+E shortcut opens an explorer window but the path is “Libraries” instead (which isn’t where I want to go most of the time). Is there a way to configure the target folder of “Win+E” or is there an alternate shortcut that will get me to the “Computer” path like it did in Vista?” RC reverts the behavior and now the shortcut will launch the “Computer” Explorer. Also, we changed the link in Start Menu -> Username to match the Vista behavior.