Professional Windows 7 Development Guide

Chapter 1. Windows 7 Improvements

WHAT'S IN THIS CHAPTER?

• Understanding the general perception of Windows 7

• Considering the developer-specific improvements in Windows 7

• Using Windows XP Mode to your advantage

• Working with Windows PowerShell 2

• Developing a process for moving your application to Windows 7

Many people are already hailing Windows 7 as the product Microsoft should have produced instead of Vista. It's true that Vista had more than a few problems, and that those problems remained even after several patches. Windows 7 is easier to use, more stable, and has more interesting features than Vista. In short, it's just a better version of Windows, and many users plan to upgrade. Of course, the user perspective doesn't tell the developer anything. Just because Windows 7 is a better product doesn't mean you should rush out a new version of your program to make use of Windows 7 functionality. In fact, many companies will take a wait-and-see approach — some of them to their detriment.

Windows 7 does include more than just a bit of a face lift and a few patches. As a developer, you'll find many of the changes in Windows 7 both exciting and necessary to robust application development. The new security features really do work, so using them in your application will make it more secure without affecting application performance and without garnering a host of hostile users, as Vista-specific applications have done. Features such as the ability to program the Taskbar are also much needed and ...