Blog:: Craig Pringle

For those of you who may be running the M3 build of Windows 7 and using either hosted Exchange or accessing a corporate Exchange environment via Outlook Anywhere (nee RPC over HTTPS) there is an issue you may run into. 

When you try to open Outlook you are prompted for credentials.  With most hosted Exchange providers you use your email address as the username.  If you do this on Windows 7 (M3) I have found that you are repeatedly prompted for your credentials but no matter how carefully and correctly you type your password it just keeps prompting you. 

If you run into this issue try entering you username in the DOMAIN\Username format instead of your email address.  I don't know why this works, but I know it does for at least two Hosted Exchange providers.  Contact your hosted provider if you are not sure what the domain name is.

I stumbled across quite a cool feature in Windows 7 today.  I was copying a large amount - about 11 GB - off my video camera to my tablet.  The video camera I have connects via USB and just shows up as an external drive. 

While the data copied I switched across to another window to carry on working.  Then I noticed that the button in the taskbar for Explorer was partially shaded.  I flicked through the open explorer windows and realised that one of them was the progress bar for the file copy.  The shading in the taskbar button was the same percentage as the copy progress window as the screen shot below shows.

This is a handy way to keep an eye on progress of a file copy.  Unfortunately it does not seem to shade the IE taskbar icon for Internet downloads.

One of the great features of Windows Vista is BitLocker.  This allows you to encrypt the system volume and store the keys either on a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) or on a USB fob.  This provides a degree of protection for the data on your mobile PC should it be lost or stolen.  Personally I've never lost a laptop or a tablet but for enterprises this actually happens with alarming regularity.

In Windows 7 in addition to being able to encrypt the system volume you can encrypt other volumes as well.  This will appeal to lots of organisations who continue to persist in having standard operating environments for laptops that have a OS partition and a Data partition. 

However, Windows 7 takes the BitLocker concept a bit further and addresses another major source of potential data leakage - USB thumb drives.  I selected one of my spares to experiment with.

Encrypting a USB drive with BitLocker is fairly easy.  You get the option of securing the drive with a smart card or with a pass phrase.  I selected the latter.  You can encrypt a drive with data already on it, without losing anything. 

Now that my USB drive is encrypted  when I plug it into a Windows 7 machine I get a dialogue that prompts me for a pass phrase.  Once the pass phrase is entered then you can just use the drive as you would normally.

To see what would happen I tried plugging the USB drive into Windows Vista machines, Windows XP machines and even a Linux machine.  With the default settings on the Windows machines the drive appears to have no files on it, but if you check the properties of the drive it is also full.  This seems a bit weird until you turn on the setting in Explorer that shows hidden files.  This reveals that he whole drive is filled.  There is one  really big file, a couple of smaller files and a whole bunch of 0 byte files.  Working with one of our security gurus at work we cracked open a couple of these files with various editor but the were just gibberish as you would expect. 

All of that is really great - but often the people who should be encrypting their thumb drives would never bother.  The good news is that according to Mark Minasi Windows 7 is going to have a number of Group Policies for the enhanced group policy.  Organisations will even be able to prevent writing to a drive unless it is encrypted.  Check out Mark's slides from TechEd Barcelona for more great Windows 7 tips.

I got a sneak peek at a team doing some interesting development with touch technologies in Sydney on Thursday.

My friend Nick Randolph is the Chief Development Officer at nsquared solutions. He his heading up a team of developers working on development projects with a range of cutting edge technologies including Windows 7, multitouch, multipoint and Microsoft Surface.  

They are working on some really cool projects that are really going to show how multitouch can really change the paradigms we work with in user interfaces now.

It is exciting stuff and I am sure we will be hearing more form nsquared in the near future.  In the meantime you might want to check out Nick's teaser post about what they are working on and subscribe to the nsquared blog feed.

I've been using Windows 7 for a few weeks now and I it is time I posted about my general impressions of the OS.  Bear in mind that this is a very early release and that anything I write about here is subject to change before we see the release.

I have already blogged about:

• The changes to the TIP
• The improvements in the Display Settings
• Easier Networking

All of these things are great examples of the changes coming in Windows 7.  It is an evolution, not a revolution.

Windows 7 does not have a great deal of architectural changes under the hood.  The move from Vista to Windows 7 is not going to be as disruptive as the move to Vista was.  However, there has been much refinement of the foundation laid down by Vista. 

Usability

There has been a lot little refinements - like those listed above - that have made it easier to perform many common tasks.  Remember that this is a pre-beta release.  I suspect there is more to come.

Performance

Windows 7 is fast.  I had low expectations for performance in a pre-beta release and I was absolutely blown away with how fast it is.  Resume time from sleep is significantly faster than Vista on the same hardware.  Everything is snappy.

Device Support

Again much better than I would of thought for a pre-beta.  Everything works on most of the devices I have put Windows 7 on so far.  The exception is the Toshiba Bluetooth stack, which installs but it has some stability issues. 

Overall Impression

A very nice evolution of Vista.  I expect Windows 7 to be easier to use, faster and rock solid.

Yesterday I blogged about the revamped Display Settings in Windows 7 and how getting to this frequently accessed settings page was a bit easier in Windows 7 than it was in Vista.  Today that theme continues with something that is near and dear to mobile PC users' hearts - connecting to a network.

Like Vista, Windows 7 shows network connectivity status with a single icon in the system tray.  The star on the tray icon shows that connections are available.

Left clicking on the icon gives you a pop-up list of your dial-up and VPN connections, any manually configured wireless networks (regardless of availability) and any currently available wi-fi networks.  The list appears just above the system tray, rather than in a full window in the middle of the screen.  Next to each wireless network is an indicator of the current signal strength. Clicking on a network item in the list causes that item to expand slightly and display a Connect button (or a disconnect button if you are already connected to that network).

When you click on this connect button you get a progress dialogue until it connects. 

Once connected to a wireless network the system tray icon displays the green bars indicating signal strength. 

The connection process is just that little bit cleaner and more efficient than it was in Vista.  The process in Vista was to right click the network icon in the system tray and select "connect to a network".  This launches a new window with a list of networks.  You then select the network you want and click connect.  Not only is this more steps than in Windows 7 but it is less efficient well.  As I said in Windows 7 the list of networks appears just above the system tray.  In Vista the list of networks opens in a new window in the centre of the screen it also takes more movement of the mouse or pen to connect to a network.

Overall the process of connecting to a network is much simpler in Windows 7, making a better mobile experience.

One of the little annoyances I had with Vista was that it was a little harder to get into the Display Settings than it had been in Windows XP.  In XP, you simply right clicked the desktop and then clicked Properties and you were into a dialogue that included a settings tab.  In Vista you need to right click the desktop and select personalize.  From the resulting dialogue includes a link that will launch the display settings dialogue. 

The problem with the Vista approach is that I found that the Display Settings is the bit I want to get to far more frequently than the other items in the Personalize dialogue, but it is a layer deeper than it was in XP. 

In the Milestone 3 build of Windows 7 I was pleased to see that the display settings had been promoted.  Right clicking on the desktop launches a context menu that includes a Display Settings item as well as the Vista style Personalize option.

The next pleasant surprise came when I clicked that link and found that the Display Settings dialogue has had a bit of an overhaul.

Each monitor (when there are multiple monitors attached) has a meaningful label so that it is pretty easy to figure out which is which. 

For each monitor it also detects the native resolution of the and shows (recommended) next to that resolution.  There is also a handy tip shown to tell you about the keyboard shortcut that helps you connect a projector, which I found by accident and blogged about previously. 

There seem to be a few handy little tips like this scattered through Windows 7 and I am betting that there will be a few more in the final version.  These hints are going to make some of the "power user" features more discoverable and therefore more widely used. This can only be a good thing.

The TIP in Windows 7 has had a lot of work to make it more usable.  I'm finding it to be a really good user experience so far.

This video explores some of the new features that are in the Milestone 3 build (6801) that was released at PDC. 

Windows 7 is much more pen and touch aware than Vista.  And it draws a distinction, too.  When you are using a tablet that supports both pen and touch - such as the Toshiba M750 that I am using - you sometimes get a different depending on how you are interacting with the computer.

The features I demonstrate in this video include:

• The TIP vanishing when you move you pen away from it
• The revamped text correction UI and gestures
• The changes in the On Screen Keyboard when launched with a finger rather than a pen

There may be more that I have not found yet, or that may be added into a future build - who knows!

Click the video below for a glimpse of some of what's new in Windows 7 for Tablet users.

One of the things I was very pleased to see in the Windows 7 pre-beta is that .ISO files have a file association.  Right clicking an ISO file shows you that the default action is to burn the ISO to a disc.

I burned off an Office 2007 CD using this - just to see if it works - and it did work a treat.

It is certainly good that support for ISO files has finally made it into the OS and I have to say it is about time.  Especially when you consider that Microsoft distributes a massive amount of software as .ISO files through the MSDN and TechNet subscriptions.

Unfortunately the support simply does not go far enough.  It is simply not safe to assume that everyone has a blank CD or DVD lying around.  It is not even safe to assume that they have a burner.  Many mobile devices don't have an optical drive.  What really needs to be added in to Windows is the ability to mount and ISO image.  Until Microsoft sorts this out you will need to continue to use 3rd party software like Slysoft's Virtual CloneDrive (which is great freeware) to mount ISOs. 

The fabulous folks over at Toshiba have loaned me a brand new M750 to help with my early testing of the Windows 7 pre-beta.  While certainly not the lightest tablet I have used this is a seriously fast workhorse of a tablet.  It really is the whole package.

The unit I got came with:

• Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P8600 (2.4GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 3MB L2 Cache)
• 12.1" WXGA 200NIT CSV Display(1280x800)
• 2GB DDR2 (800MHz)
• 200GB HDD (7200rpm) SATA
• DVD SuperMulti Double/Dual Layer Drive
• 1Gbit LAN + AMT 4.0
• WLAN (802.11a/g/n)

The screen is a Wacom dual mode digitizer, supporting both the active stylus and resistive touch.

Lets have a look at the outside of the device.  As we go through click the images for a larger view.

Down the left hand side we have

A - Venting.  This blows out a little air but not much and not very warm.

B - Lock port

C - A combination eSATA or powered USB port.  This particular USB port is suppose to be able to charge your USB devices while the tablet is asleep, but I've not put that to the test yet.

D - A normal USB port

E - PCMCIA slot

The front bezel has...

A - a plathora of indicator lights - including ones for optional components such as a second battery or a 3G WWAN radio.

B - Hardware switch for the radios.  This is a nice touch.  I never remember to turn my wireless off before I get on a plane :)

C - IEEE1394 port.

D,E - Headphone and mic jacks

F - hard to see in the picture but a volume control wheel.

Down the right side and we have

A - The stylus dock.

B - A multi card reader

C - A slimline DVD dual layer recorder

D - A modem port (I can't remember the last time I used a modem - seems like a waste of space to me!)

The back side is fairly sparten.

A - Another USB port.

B - VGA Output

C - Power input

D - Gigabit Ethernet port

The top of the screen sports an inbuilt web cam and microphone.

There are also a host of buttons at the bottom of the screen - or on the front bezel when in slate mode.

And a fingerprint reader on the other end of the same edge, which is also well placed for ease of access in both laptop mode and slate mode.

Speaking of slate mode the M750 has the same locking hinge that we first saw on the R400 and have since seen on the M700 as well.  This eliminates the floppy head that some other convertibles suffer from.  Basically you can only rotate the screen when it is roughly 90 degrees to the base.  The rest of the time the bottom corners lock into these latches on the corner of the base.

Another nice feature - no doubt aimed at eliminating a common cause of breakages - are the indicator arrows by the hinge that tell you which way to twist the screen.  These are located front and back of the hinge.  The former is visible when in laptop mode and the latter when in slate mode.

Another great feature the M750 shares with many of its predecessors is the emergency stylus.  I used it a couple of time when I had a M400 and wished for it many times with some of my other tablets.  Basically if you flip the unit over there is a panel by the docking station connector.

To open this you push a pen in the hole on the right end (ironically - if you have lost your main stylus) and pull the other end to slide the cover to the left.  You can then flip the cover over and - hey presto - a little mini stylus clipped into the lid!  Very cool.  Note there is even a little button on it - this is a real active digitizer stylus.

Over all I am pretty impressed so far.  The M750 is a really nice device to work with.  I have put Windows 7 on it and it runs very fast and so far pretty stable.  I'll have more to say on that as I get into it.

I've been playing with Windows 7 as time permits (which has not been a lot) over the last couple of days.  While I am not yet in a position to do a full review, but as I scratch the surface I am starting to uncover some cool features.

Here is a of a feature I found by accident.  As you drag a window to the edge of the screen it will turn into a transparent window and "snap" to a certain pre-defined position.   If you drag it up to the top it will snap to full screen view.  If you drag it the the left or right edge it will snap to that edge and take up half of the screen area. 

Very nice.

Once I had Windows 7 (the Milestone 3 build) up and running one of the things I decided to try was to hold down the Windows key and press all the letter keys to see if there were any new keyboard shortcuts exposing new features.  And guess what - there was!

Pressing Windows+P shows the dialogue below...

...which lets you quickly choose an alternate display output method.

Running left to right the options are:

• Laptop only
• Clone display to projector
• Extend desktop to projector
• Projector only

I love the Mobility Centre in Vista, but this takes the cake!  What a great feature.

I was lucky enough to be one of those invited to preview the Windows 7 Milestone 3 build that was released at PDC this week.  I downloaded it last night and installed it on an Acer Ferrari 1000 notebook I had lying around. 

The install experience was remarkable - for such an early build the install was really smooth.  I did not sit and watch it build but it had finished the bulk of the install and was waiting for me to enter my name inside of an hour.

Another interesting event during the install was being given the opportunity to enter my wireless settings during the initial setup routine. 

After the install completed I logged in.  Again it was remarkable.  For such an early build the it looks pretty good.  At this stage very Vista-like, but it actually looked fairly nice and seemed at least as responsive on Vista on the same hardware.

Next up I checked Device Manager to see what hardware had not been installed.  This was my next surprise.  A generic display driver was being used.  The inbuilt webcam and the multicard reader did not have drivers.  Everything else was detected. 

Contrasting this with my first experience with an early Vista build - that was very different.  It looked unfinished.  Driver support was awful and it ran like a dog.

There are fewer "under the hood" architecture changes in Windows 7 and as such application and driver support is pretty good even at this early stage. 

Overall I am happy and intrigued by this early build.  I've found some nice features already and there are some noticeable absentees.  That is a another story.  I've not even had a chance to check out the tablet bits yet.  I'm looking for some more hardware to test out this build on.  Stay tuned!