Windows 7 Improvements Emerge, More to Come

Microsoft has revealed that Windows 7 will include better mobile broadband connection, more and clearer fonts, and improved handwriting recognition. But most analysts are more interested in several updates which will contain absolutely nothing new.

Starting on Tuesday, Microsoft is releasing up to five updates to the current beta edition of the system. The updates do not contain any new features or fix any problems: that won't come until the next test edition.

These updates simply replace files with near-identical copies and are designed to ensure that the Windows Update delivery system is still working as designed in Windows 7. These particular updates are being set so they don't install automatically and so that users get the choice. If you are using the Windows 7 beta, installing the updates won't do any harm, but isn't necessary. (Source: technet.com)

Windows 7 'April Fools' Edition

Some reports appear on first glance to say Windows 7's release date will be in April. That's the month Microsoft is expected to unveil the 'release candidate' (RC1) edition of the system, effectively a 'finished' version which will only be changed if major bugs are found in late testing. The true final edition that goes out to the public still isn't expected until later this year.

Most of the major details of Windows 7 are already known, but a few extra features are now emerging in more detail.

This week, as part of a major international mobile technology conference in Barcelona, Microsoft announced that several leading hardware and cellphone network firms will support its mobile broadband technology. That's an improved feature in Windows which should make it easier to connect to high-speed wireless networks without needing separate software for each provider. (Source: windowsteamblog.com)

Writing On The Wall

Windows 7 will also feature around 235 standard fonts, up from 191 in Vista and 133 in XP. The system will also feature tweaks to the way type appears on-screen, making it a better reproduction of the printed word and providing better quality when zooming in and out of documents.

Microsoft has also built a new handwriting recognition tool for the system, using millions of characters of handwritten text to built an effective database capable of recognizing just about any scribble. (Source: msdn.com