Notable Features of Windows 7 Taskbar
The most talked about breakthrough in Windows 7’s user interface is no other than the “Superbar” or its Taskbar. From here, users can access all programs displayed on their desktops. Some had claimed it’s a clone of Mac’s Dock because of the similarity in the use of large icons for application launching and switching but apparently this is far from the truth. Windows 7 taskbar’s very essence is the ability to switch between windows which are equivalent to its applications unlike that of Mac’s Dock, wherein each window represents a document. There are other obvious differences which can be mentioned in detail perhaps sometime in another blog post. What this article wants to put emphasis now is how Windows 7 had brought a different kind of user interaction through the enhancement of its Taskbar feature.
Let us explore in detail and see why the “Superbar” deserves both the Pros and Novice Users’ attention.
A Pleasing Visual Effect – Most will agree that Windows deserve a round of applause for the makeover look that the Taskbar now has. Although it has bigger icons and takes much space, still a lot of applications can be squeezed in. The presence of large icons is because of Windows 7’s support to multi-touch technology. It supports the Aero Glass look without text and once a window is maximized, gone is the dark and dreary opaque color of the taskbar and the window’s title bar.
Bye Quick Launch, Hello Smart Launch – The Quick Launch buttons and separate taskbar had been dropped in favor of a faster way of maneuvering. Right-clicking on an icon brings up a list of recent items, open each one with a single click. Windows 7’s Color Hot-Track in which a light source tracks the mouse and consequently, the specific program icon lights up with its own color. Any icon that has a border frame and has that glowing effect then is the active application.
Slick and Snappy Thumbnails – Hovering over an icon on the dock will display small thumbnails of every active window of that application. These Thumbnails allow fast switching to the programs they represent. Moreover, if these are video thumbnails then they are shown in real-time. The Thumbnails are also highly customizable in any photo-editing application, automatically grouped together, and can likewise be displayed separately even the icon represents multiple windows. This paved the way for a clutter less process of managing and switching between windows.
Useful Progress Bars – Programs can now give feedback and information about progress by having their taskbar button turn into a progress bar.
A More Restrained Notification Area – Control of the Notification Area is back to the user’s hand. By default, only selected system icons will be displayed while the rest will appear in a menu. Control is achieved through dragging icons on or off the taskbar. Furthermore, any annoying alert can be configured or totally disabled.
Windows 7 had adopted several changes indeed with its Taskbar but definitely it’s for the better. Now, still in its initial phase, Windows 7’s “Superbar” rave is still far from over. The best judge of this is time itself because the more the Taskbar is put into practice and in constant use; the more we will appreciate the changes that had taken place.
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Filed under: windows 7 features