Windows 7

Windows 7 is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009, and became generally available on October 22, 2009. It is the successor to Windows Vista, released nearly three years earlier. Windows 7's server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 R2, was released at the same time. It sold over 630 million copies before it was succeeded by Windows 8 in October 2012. Windows 7 was intended to be an incremental upgrade to Windows Vista, addressing the previous OS's issues while maintaining hardware and software compatibility as well as fixing some of Vista's inconsistencies (such as Vista's aggressive User Account Control). Windows 7 continued improvements on the Windows Aero user interface with the addition of a redesigned taskbar that allows pinned applications, and new window management features. Other new features were added to the operating system, including libraries, the new file-sharing system HomeGroup, and support for multitouch input. A new "Action Center" was also added to provide an overview of system security and maintenance information, and tweaks were made to the User Account Control system to make it less intrusive. Windows 7 also shipped with updated versions of several stock applications, including Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player 12, and Windows Media Center. Unlike Windows Vista, which received a mixed reception at launch, Windows 7 received significant positive reviews from reviewers and consumers, with critics considering the operating system to be a major improvement over its predecessor for its improved performance, intuitive interface, fewer User Account Control pop-ups, and other improvements made across the platform. Windows 7 was a major success for Microsoft; even before its official release, pre-order sales for the operating system on the online retailer Amazon.com had surpassed previous records. In just six months, over 100...