Windows 7 New Desktop Features

By Djenar Siti

windows 7 desktop The first thing you'll notice when you see Windows 7 for the first time is the desktop.

The beta version is really quite sticking. It features a Siamese fighting fish, also known as a betta fish. Pun intended; yes Microsoft made a joke.

With luck, the betta fish will still be available in the final release of Windows 7.

Microsoft has done a beautiful job with the graphics.

There is a wide range of wall paper to choose from, all of it classier than the wallpaper included in previous Microsoft operating systems.

There is more to the new Windows 7 desktop than just new graphics.

The wallpaper can be a slide show. The background can change automatically, on a periodic basis. You can set the wallpaper to cycle through a collection of photos, with the wallpaper changing anywhere from every 10 seconds to once per day, with many choices in between.

A related feature is even more novel, providing endless opportunities for entertainment and practical use.

The wallpaper can be supplied on a continuous basis from an RSS feed. At present, this is more or less a hidden feature. The beta version at least does not make this possible directly from the control panel.

Windows 7 New Desktop Features

Instead, you must edit the .theme file in a text editor. This is well within the grasp of intermediate users. No doubt a whole new class of downloadable themes will take advantage of this feature in new and interesting ways.
Windows 7 Screen Savers

Windows 7 has a limited number of screen savers.

You may be out of luck if your computer has an older graphics card that does not support the Direct3D 9 protocol. Most of the screen savers, even ancient ones like Mystify, use Direct3D, and require a compatible graphics card to operate.

I was disappointed that screen savers do not have a compatibility mode with older hardware.
Windows 7 Gadgets

Gadgets have survived the transition to Windows 7. The desktop no longer had a sidebar however. Gadgets simply float on the desk top.

You can drag gadgets around to appear anywhere on the desktop.