Corrie’s Top Ten reasons to deploy Windows 7 in no particular order

10.          Easy deployment

• MAP 4.0 – Easy Planning Tool - MAP is a powerful inventory, assessment, and reporting tool that can securely run in small or large IT environments without requiring the installation of agent software on any computers or devices. The inventory and assessment capabilities provided by this Solution Accelerator can significantly simplify the planning process for migrating your laptops and desktops  computers to Windows 7.
• Windows 7 can be installed from USB, or there is a simple imaging tool available
• Device drivers inbuild – Windows 7 is the operating system with the most device drivers built in since the first release of the Windows operating system
• For larger businesses, there are additional tools :
•  MDT 2010 – Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 provides a common console with the comprehensive tools and guidance needed to efficiently manage deployment of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.
• The Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) helps you to install, customize, and deploy the Microsoft Windows 7 family of operating systems
• USMT 4.  Microsoft Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT) 4.0 is a scriptable command-line tool that provides a highly-customizable user-profile migration experience for IT professionals

9.            Direct Access - Easy Remote Network Access without VPN!

The Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems introduce DirectAccess, which allows remote users to securely access enterprise shares, Web sites, and applications without connecting to a virtual private network (VPN).  DirectAccess establishes bi-directional connectivity with a user’s enterprise network every time a user’s DirectAccess-enabled portable computer connects to the Internet, even before the user logs on.

Users never have to think about connecting to the enterprise network and IT administrators can manage remote computers outside the office, even when the computers are not connected to the VPN

8.            BranchCache - Speeds up remote access to large files

BranchCache in Windows 7 helps increase the network responsiveness of applications, giving users in remote offices an experience more like working in the head office. When accessing content stored on Windows Server 2008 R2, users in a branch office don't need to wait as long to download files from headquarters. When IT enables BranchCache, a copy of data accessed from an intranet website or a file server is cached locally within the branch office. When another user on the same network requests the file, the user gets access to the content almost immediately as it is downloaded from the local cache rather than over a limited bandwidth connection back to headquarters

7.            User Interface - Even easier to use

• Libraries - Organize and find your files quickly with Libraries in Windows 7.  Libraries lets you group your files that reside in different folders or on different systems so that you can see all of your files in one place
• Jump lists - Jump lists provide quick access to application features. Applications that use the system API for their Most Recently Used list will automatically acquire a Jump List containing their most recently used files
• AERO Shake - Ever need to cut through a cluttered desktop and quickly focus on a single window? Just click a pane and give your mouse a shake. Voila! Every open window except that one instantly disappears. Jiggle again—and your windows are back
• Search - Windows Search provides an easy and comprehensive solution for browsing and finding your information—whether that information is stored on your hard disk, connected file shares, document portals, or Web sites
• Keyboard shortcuts - Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of two or more keys that, when pressed, can be used to perform a task that would typically require a mouse or other pointing device.  There is certainly no shortage of keyboard shortcuts in Windows 7.  Here is the Top 20 list

·         Windows Key + Tab = Aero [press Tab to cycle between Windows]

·         Windows Key + E = Windows Explorer is launched.

·         Windows Key + R = Run Command is launched.

·         Windows Key + F = Search (which is there in previous Windows versions too)

·         Windows Key + X = Mobility Center

·         Windows Key + L = Lock Computer (It is there from the earlier versions as well)

·         Windows Key + U = Ease of Access

·         Windows Key + P = Projector

·         Windows Key + T = Cycle Super Taskbar Items

·         Windows Key + S = OneNote Screen Clipping Tool [requires OneNote]

·         Windows Key + M = Minimize All Windows

·         Windows Key + D = Show/Hide Desktop

·         Windows Key + Up = Maximize Current Window

·         Windows Key + Down = Restore Down / Minimize Current Windows

·         Windows Key + Left = Tile Current Window to the Left

·         Windows Key + Right = Tile Current Windows to the Right
[Continue pressing the Left and Right keys to rotate the window as well]

·         Windows Key + # = Quicklaunch

·         Windows Key + = = Magnifier

From Windows Explorer

·         Alt + Up = Go up one level

·         Alt + Left/ Right = Back/ Forward

6.            Management - Easier to manage your PCs

• Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset - Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset, a core component of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance, helps IT teams make PCs safer to use, keeps employees productive, and enables desktops that are easier and less expensive to manage.
• Troubleshooting Packs - The troubleshooting pack is a collection of PowerShell scripts and relevant metadata. The troubleshooting engine launches a PowerShell runtime to execute a troubleshooting pack, and exposes a set of interfaces to control troubleshooting pack execution.  Organisations can also create custom Windows Troubleshooting Packs using Windows PowerShell to help resolve issues commonly encountered in their environment.
• PSR - Problem Steps Recorder (PSR) in Windows 7 is a great little tool to record the steps to reproduce a problem in the computer. The captured data is stored in a MHTML document which is enclosed in a zip file. You can send the zip file to someone else who can help you fix the problem.
• Power Management - Windows 7 helps decrease power consumption across the enterprise.  IT professionals can configure Windows 7 power management by using PowerCfg.exe (a command-line power-management utility), Group Policy, and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). With Windows 7, IT professionals are able to centrally manage more power management settings on a more granular level.
• WMI - WMI allows scripting languages like VBScript or Windows PowerShell to manage Microsoft Windows personal computers and servers, both locally and remotely.
• Windows 7 Windows PowerShell 2.0 -  It includes cmdlets, providers, and tools that you can add to Windows PowerShell so that you can use and manage other Windows technologies such as Active Directory® Domain Services, Windows® BitLocker™ Drive Encryption, the DHCP Server service, Group Policy, Remote Desktop Services, and Windows Server Backup.

·         5.            Networking - Easier and Safer to Connect

      Wireless – Connecting to wireless networks has never been so easy.  Windows 7 detects the wireless encryption settings and connecting to wireless is a couple of mouse clicks away

      Mobility Center - The mobility center is a central location for managing Mobile options for laptops or Notebooks in Windows 7

·         Active Firewall  - With Vista, even though you had profiles for both public and private networks, only one of them was allowed to be active at a given time. If your computer happened to be connected to two different networks, you were out of luck. The most restrictive profile got applied to all connections, which meant you might not be able to do everything you needed to do on your local (private) network because you were operating under the rules for the public network. With Windows 7 (and Server 2008 R2), a different profiles can be active for each network adapter. The connection to the private network is subject to the private network rules while traffic coming to or from the public has those rules applied.

4.            Virtualisation - Includes Virtual XP

·         VDI enhancements – Many of the Windows XP and Vista Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI) mode limitations has been removed.

·         XP Mode - One of the most interesting features of Windows 7 is the XP Compatibility mode, which is basically a Virtual PC that lets you install Windows XP within Windows 7.  This allows the continued use of programs that require XP to run. 

·         Boot VHD - A VHD can be used as the running operating system on designated hardware without a parent operation system, virtual machine, or hypervisor. Furthermore, if you use native boot, you have full access to all devices and file system volumes on the physical computer, including the volumes inside the VHD

·         RDS – Remote desktop services includes Remote Desktop Connection version 7.  Two of the main addition to its features are Media Player redirection and True Multi-Monitor support

3.            Security - Better, Stronger, Safer

AppLocker
Windows 7 addresses the growing desire for application control solutions in the enterprise with the introduction of AppLocker: a simple and flexible mechanism that allows administrators to specify exactly what is allowed to run in their desktop environment. As a result, AppLocker provides not only security protections, but also operational and compliance benefits by:

·         Keeping unlicensed software from running in your desktop environment

·         Preventing vulnerable, unauthorized applications from running in your desktop environment, including malware

·         Stopping users from running applications that needlessly consume network bandwidth or otherwise impact the enterprise computing environment

·         Preventing users from running applications that destabilize their desktop environment and increase helpdesk support costs

·         Easing enterprise software deployments and maintenance through effective desktop configuration management

·         Allow users to install and run approved applications and software updates based upon their business needs

·         Helping ensure your desktop environment is in compliance with corporate policies and industry regulations such as PCI DSS, Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, Basel II, and others

 

BitLocker To Go

One of the most visible and most important additions is BitLocker To Go, which is designed to protect data on removable data drives. It allows you to configure BitLocker Drive Encryption on USB flash drives and external hard drives. Design goals for BitLocker To Go called for the feature to be easy to use, for it to work on existing drives, to allow for the recovery of data if necessary, and to enable the data to be usable on Windows Vista and Windows XP systems

 

2.            Web

Internet Explorer 8

·         Web Slices  - Using Web Slices, you can keep up with frequently updated sites directly from the new Favorites Bar. If a Web Slice is available on a page, a green Web Slices icon will appear in the Command Bar. Click on this icon to easily subscribe and add the Web Slices to the Favorites Bar so you can keep track of that "slice" of the web

·         Accelerators - The new Accelerators in Internet Explorer 8 help you quickly perform your everyday browsing tasks without navigating to other websites to get things done. Simply highlight text from any webpage, and then click on the blue Accelerator icon that appears above your selection to obtain driving directions, translate and define words, email content to others, search with ease, and more. For example, with the "Map with Bing" Accelerator in Internet Explorer 8, you can get an in-place view of a map displayed directly on the page.

·         Internet Explorer 8 helps protect you from today's threats, including malware and phishing, as well as emerging threats that can compromise your computer without your knowledge. Other browsers either don't offer you this level of protection or require you to download and configure third-party add-ons to get it, but with Internet Explorer 8 you get it right out of the box, and turned on by default

 

1.            Performance

·         Startup and operation – Windows 7 boots faster than Vista, and many users have reported that it "feels" faster during everyday operation. 

·         Battery life (Laptops, Notebooks and Netbooks) - Windows 7 'parks' CPU cores that aren't needed, finally implements the 'slumber' feature on SATA drives, powers down USB ports and controllers more aggressively and even puts your Wi-Fi card to sleep if it's turned on but not connected to a network