We've covered some of the more important features of Windows 7 before -- including the improvements in security and speed -- but there are a host of other, lesser-mentioned features that make using Windows 7 much more pleasurable than Vista. Lifehacker, a must read here at the Switched offices, has compiled a list of its favorite less-hyped features in Microsoft's upcoming operating system.

One of these features is 'libraries,' which lets you break out of the standard file/folder paradigm with pictures by putting all your photos into a photo library -- even if they're in different folders. Also under-hyped are 'jump lists,' which gives quick access to commonly used files and features and limit how much menu digging we have to do.

You can check out the rest of Lifehacker's list of underhyped Windows 7 features at the read link. [From: Lifehacker]

If you're a Windows user, it pretty much goes without saying that you've encountered a frozen program before. Often these jammed apps get labeled with the dreaded "Not Responding" message and simply refuse to do anything, even close. Usually, the only solution is to open the task manager, find the appropriate process, and choose to close it. Fortunately, a quicker and easier way exists.

Microsoft has faced concern and criticism for its Windows Vista operating system from day one. Despite the company's best advertising efforts, many customers plan to wait for Windows 7 before upgrading their machines, says a recent survey.

Systems management firm KACE commissioned a survey of 1,142 IT professionals to gauge opinion about switching to the forthcoming Windows 7. Of those, 84-percent said they plan to wait at least a year before upgrading to Windows 7, despite the software's favorable reviews from early beta-testers. Some disturbing news for Vista: 83-percent said they plan to skip Vista in order to wait for the new operating system, and more than 50-percent are considering leaving Windows altogether. This is more than twice the number from a similar poll two years ago, with a majority of potential ship jumpers leaning towards Apple's Mac OSX as a replacement.

Still, we're seeing signs that Microsoft may be bouncing back in the public eye, a change spurred in no small part by their new series of 'Laptop Hunters' ads, which highlight the value of Microsoft-equipped computers in these tough economic times. We reported last month that PC sales jumped 22-percent in February when compared to the same month last year, while Apple sales dropped 16-percent. [From: CNN Money]

Sure, you've all heard of Windows and Apple's OS X, and at least some of you are familiar with Linux, but those aren't the only operating systems out there.

Many of you have probably never heard of NeXTStep, the operating system developed by Steve Jobs's company NeXT after he left Apple. NeXTStep eventually became the basis for OS X when Jobs was asked to rejoin the home of the Mac. NeXTStep was just another competitor, though, when Apple began looking to replace its aging Mac OS. Another front runner was a little known system called BeOS, which briefly enjoyed some popularity as an alternative to Mac OS, but eventually faded into obscurity.

Another gone, and pretty much forgotten, system (unless you've spent a lot of time at your community TV station) is AmigaOS. Amiga allowed users to run several programs at once long before Microsoft and Apple offered the same functionality, and was powerful enough to generate backgrounds on TV shows like 'Babylon 5' and 'Max Headroom' at a time when many PC users were still fumbling around with DOS.

Check out the rest of Computer World's article of "Gone but Not Forgotten" operating systems for a healthy dose of computing nostalgia. [From: Computer World]

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Apple may want to consider dropping their prices a teency weency bit.

According to the industry research firm NPD Group, Mac sales dropped 16-percent in February compared to sales the same month in 2008. Many people have wondered if Apple would make concessions considering the state of the economy, but they seem content at the moment, so keep dreaming about a new $1500 MacBook Pro. Apple's seeming complacency has resulted in a boom for Windows PCs, which saw sales jump 22-percent compared to the same month last year.

Sure, Apple produces beautiful, quality products, but this economy may force them to flinch just a bit when it comes to pricing. PC manufacturers, of course, are hoping that Apple stays the course. [From: pcworld]

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Surely you've seen the annoying ads on television or flashing banner graphics on your favorite sites advertising applications guaranteed to take your slow-as-molasses computer and make it run like new again? Hopefully you've never taken the plunge and clicked or installed, but Slate's Farhad Manjoo did. Out of curiosity, he installed My Faster PC just to see what it would do to his computer. As it turns out, it didn't really do a thing -- other than milk him for $30.

That program, and the dozens of others like it, pledge to clean up supposed detritus left behind by months or years of computing. Sadly, My Faster PC relies largely on tools that are already on your computer, like Microsoft's disk defragmenter, which re-arranges things on your computer's hard drive to speed it up. It's automatically enabled in Vista (here's how to adjust it) and you can get to it in XP by going to "My Computer," right-clicking on your hard drive (C: or D:), clicking "Properties," clicking "Tools," and then clicking "Defragment Now."

You might not even realize it, but when you first log onto your PC, dozens of programs and services are starting that you most likely don't need. Some rear their ugly heads in the system tray (that little collection of icons next to the clock in Windows), but others run quietly in the background with you none the wiser.

Now, don't get scared, these instructions will take you to corners of your operating system (OS) you may not have seen before, but follow our instructions below and you should notice slightly quicker performance and potentially much faster boot times.

Windows:

• In XP select Run from the Start menu, under Vista you can hit the Windows key and "r" at the same time to bring up the Run dialog.
  

• Run msconfig.

• Select the Services tab.

• You can safely uncheck the following services: Fast User Switching (if you only have one account on the PC), Indexing Service, Remote Registry, Smart Card, Telephony, Computer Browser (unless you have a home network), Messenger, Net Logon, Telnet, Terminal Services, NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing, Remote Desktop Help Session Manager, Uninterpretable Power Supply.

• Now navigate to the Startup tab.

• Uncheck any applications that don't need to be running the minute you startup your computer -- like AIM, iTunes Helper, and QT Task. But leave the antivirus.

Sure, we're still anticipating -- but not necessarily merrily -- the release of Windows Mobile 6.5, but for those who wish to look even farther into the future, Microsoft head honcho Steve Ballmer said in a conference call this week that WinMo 7 will be out sometime next year. That jibes pretty well with what we've heard from Motorola and ZDNet before, although there's probably a dozen or so known unknowns that could push it well into 2011 or beyond. For now, however, we're willing to take Steve at his word. Hey, at least they're not gearing up for a Windows Mobile 6.75 in the interim... right?

One of the first things you should do if you think you have a virus is to quarantine your PC and disconnect from your home network to prevent the infection from spreading to other computers in your home. You don't want to disconnect from the Internet entirely however or you won't be able to download updates for your anti-virus software. Doing this on a Mac (in Preferences: Sharing) or in Vista (go to the Network and Sharing Center) is (relatively) straightforward, but under XP it takes a little maneuvering. Here's how to do it:

Disable File and Print Sharing:

• Right click on the network icon in the system tray and choose "Open Network Connections"
• Right click on "Local Area Connection" and select "Properties"
• Under the "General" tab uncheck "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks"

Disable Network Discovery and Simple Sharing:

• Open "MyComputer"
• Click on the "Tools" menu and open "Folder Options"
• Under the "View" tab uncheck "Automatically search for network folders and printers" as well as "Use simple file sharing"

This isn't a perfect solution, but it will put up an additional road block between your computers and the nasty virus you've picked up.

A new strain of malware has been attacking users of Internet Explorer 7 (IE7), according to TrendMicro.com.

Apparently, the virus takes its first steps by exploiting a bug in IE7 that occurs when the program tries to "access deleted objects." Entering the system as a .doc file, and after performing a series of hidden downloads and installations, the malware turns the infected computer into a zombie, taking screen shots of the computer and sending them to the bad guys' server.

Apparently, up-to-date Smart Protection Network users are safe from the threat, but IE7 users should probably go ahead and patch their systems. In the meantime, Trend Micro promises to update the story as more comes to light. [From: TrendMicro]

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Just how powerful is the Conficker Windows virus? Well, according to French publication Libération, the notorious worm is powerful enough to ground French fighter planes.

The systems of the French Navy were infected by Confiicker on January 12 and taken offline to isolate the infection and clear the systems. Two weeks later, the systems are still offline and many weapons systems along with them.

This, of course, raises serious questions about the security of French government systems. Their inability to defend against a computer virus -- one that Microsoft sent advanced warning of and has already patched the vulnerability to -- goes a long way towards explaining the French reputation, at least on 'The Simpsons,' as cheese-eating surrender monkeys. [From: CNET]

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Okay, even we have to admit this is getting a bit insane here. Are you people never happy?

Everyone complained that Windows XP left much to be desired in the security department. So Microsoft made some changes, took some notes from the Mac OS X and Linux playbook, and required users to elevate privileges via the User Account Control (UAC) anytime changes were made to the system (resulting in constant pop-ups asking you for password and permission and the like). Now, to be fair, Microsoft got a little heavy-handed with the UAC in Vista. It often seemed to be stuck in a loop, asking, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Since the overbearing UAC seemed to have a minimal effect on the actual security of the OS (often because users simply ignored the precautionary questions/approvals), Microsoft decided to scale back how often it asked the user to elevate privileges to make changes in Windows 7. Now security experts are crying foul and saying the less obtrusive warnings could pave the way for malware infections.

Prices are not known yet, but let's hope the folks in Redmond are planning to at least keep the costs lower than the wallet-incinerating prices of Vista. Here's a breakdown of the upcoming Windows 7 versions and their likely uses and markets:

• Windows 7 Starter - for netbooks and other low power PCs
  
• Windows 7 Home Basic - aimed at emerging markets and bargain PCs
  
• Windows 7 Home Premium - the standard bearer
  
• Windows 7 Professional - adds business friendly networking features
  
• Windows 7 Enterprise - for big businesses, licenses sold in bulk only
  
• Windows 7 Ultimate - probably has all of the features of the other versions crammed into one absurdly priced package

[From: Download Squad and Engadget]

Geeks around the world are having a field day playing with the beta version of the new Windows 7 that Microsoft has decided to share with the public. At one school, however, the tinkerers and tech nerds are being left out in the cold.

Students and faculty at Georgetown University have been barred by the school's IT staff from downloading and using the Windows 7 beta. The official warning states, "Installing any beta version of software is extremely risky," and could disable anti-virus software or cause peripherals (such as printers) to function improperly.

Of course, this ban is only for school-owned PCs, and the school will support Windows 7 when it is officially released. If students want to risk their personal laptops, that's their own business. Our friends at Engadget have not had too many major issues with the Windows 7 Beta, so we think you're pretty safe. [From: InformationWeek]

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Remember this nasty worm with multiple-personality disorder we reported on last week? Well, apparently, it is still spreading, and is now responsible for an estimated nine million infected computers! So far it hasn't done anything especially nasty, beyond finding its way onto machines, but that doesn't mean you want it lurking on yours!

Security experts at F-Secure believe the piece of malware may not be acting as the hackers who designed it intended. The firm believes that the worm was meant to give false alerts saying that malicious software had been discovered on a user's PC and then encourage that user to buy fake anti-virus software. So far, this behavior hasn't been seen, but that doesn't mean that Conficker, Downadup, Kido -- whatever it wants to call itself -- isn't leaving open a back door for hackers to steal passwords and other personal information.

Microsoft has already released a patch to battle the worm, however one of its effects is to disable automatic updates on infected machines. So head to WindowsUpdate.com, if you haven't already, to make sure you get this latest patch! [From: FOXNews.com]