Seven Tips to Microsoft's Windows 7

New York, NY November 13, 2009 -- Good riddance Vista! Microsoft’s Windows 7 is finally here. With tons of new features and improvements, the highly acclaimed update from Microsoft is set to become the largest Microsoft desktop operating system ever. Getting StartED with Windows 7 is one of the very first books published by friends of ED, dedicated to teaching users everything you need to know about getting the most out of Windows 7.
            
Straight from the chapters of friends of ED’s latest release Getting StartED with Windows 7, here are the top seven tips every new Windows 7 user should employ to get the most out of this latest Windows version:

1. Pinning Programs to the Start Menu
One way to ensure that your favorite programs are easily accessible is to make them immediately visible when the “Start” menu appears by pinning them to the “Start” menu. To pin a program to the “Start” menu, pick up the program you want—it can be in the recently used list, it can be in the “All Programs” menu, or you can find it with the search box. Then right-click the program and choose “Pin to the Start Menu.”

2. Using Jump Lists to Open Files and Run Programs
Sometimes a program listed in your “Start” menu will include a small right arrow. This arrow means the program has a “Jump List”—a special menu that offers convenient access to recently used files (and, in some cases, common tasks that are related to the program). To view a Jump List, just leave the mouse pointer over the program listing for a moment.

3. Previewing Program Windows with the Taskbar
The taskbar allows you to easily switch between open programs or windows and, like the “Start” menu, can provide convenient access to frequently used programs. You don’t necessarily need to click a program’s taskbar button to see what the window contains. If you simply place the mouse pointer over the taskbar button, a preview window will pop up displaying the program’s name and a thumbnail image of the window.

4. Choosing a Theme
The themes listed in the “Personalization” window display a preview of the desktop background pictures and the window color for each theme. Each Aero theme contains multiple pictures. When you select an Aero theme, the default is to show all the pictures in the theme as a slide show so that the background changes to another picture within the theme every 30 minutes. This means you’ll have a new desktop background every 30 minutes.

5. Using Sticky Notes
If you’re the type of person who jots down info or reminders onto scraps of paper, Sticky Notes may be for you. To run this program, type “Sticky” in the “Start” menu’s search box. Then you can type directly onto a note on the Windows desktop and right-click a note to change its color. Your notes are saved when you close the Sticky Notes program.

6. Using Gadgets
Gadgets are miniature programs that run directly on the Windows 7 desktop and that allow you to obtain information and perform tasks without having to take the time to visit a website or run a conventional piece of software. For example, you might use a gadget to monitor the local weather, sports scores, or news headlines. To use gadgets, right-click any open area on the desktop, and then choose Gadgets.

7. Finding Games to Play
For those times you’d rather play than be productive, Windows 7 includes a group of ten games including checkers, chess, backgammon, and various card games (including several you can play against people from around the world via the Internet). To access the Windows 7 games, click the “Start” button, and then choose “Games” from the right side of the “Start” menu to open Games Explorer.

Getting StartED with Windows 7 highlights the features that will make your time in Windows more productive and more pleasurable. Authors Joseph Moran and Kevin Otnes examine the improved Windows interface, beginning with the new taskbar and Start menu for launching and organizing your applications, and the new ways you can organize and arrange your open application windows to help you work more efficiently. For more information about this book, please visit www.friendsofed.com/book.html?isbn=1430225033.

About the Authors
Joseph Moran is a veteran technology writer who spent more than six years as an editor and analyst with Ziff-Davis Publishing and several more as a corporate IT manager and in technology Public Relations. He co-authored How to Use Windows NT 4 Workstation, Macmillan/ZD Press, 1996.
        
Kevin Otnes was a long-term writer at Microsoft for numerous Windows releases, from Windows 95 to Windows XP. He served on the front lines of the Internet Explorer/Netscape Navigator browser wars from version 4.0 to 5.5 as an award-winning writer for Internet Explorer Help. During his tenure on the Windows documentation teams, he also worked on many other Windows and MSN features, including Outlook Express, MSN Mail, NetMeeting, instant messaging, chat, Windows XP Embedded, and Windows Mobile Embedded. Today, he writes documentation peacefully outside of Microsoft for a market leader in Enterprise-level backup and recovery software and hardware products.

About friends of ED
friends of ED books offer a combination of inspiration and techniques to help both experienced and novice designers and developers who are searching for fresh ideas or guidance. friends of ED is an Apress company. Based in New York, USA, Apress strives to promote innovation in publishing, boasting a global network of authors, editors, technical reviewers, and sales and promotion teams who work together to provide our readers books and electronic products of the highest quality. For more information please visit www.friendsofed.com and www.apress.com. To request press copies or arrange an interview with a friends of ED or Apress author, please contact Lisa Lau at lisalau(at)apress(dot)com or 212-460-0209.

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