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Microsoft Hardware Launches Exclusive Features for Windows 7

Jun. 3, 2009 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

From Microsoft:

In conjunction with the general availability announcement for Windows 7, Microsoft Hardware has announced that all of its mice, keyboards, LifeCams, gaming devices and notebook accessories will be fully compatible with Windows 7 once the operating system is launched to retail customers on Oct. 22nd.

Hardware is also launching several exclusive features for Windows 7 to make everyday tasks faster and easier, including:

· Taskbar Favorites: Microsoft keyboard users get a smart new way to access their most frequently used programs and documents with Taskbar Favorites, which will map to the location of applications on the improved Windows taskbar. The applications in the taskbar can be easily rearranged just by clicking and dragging, and Taskbar Favorites will automatically adapt to the applications’ new locations.

· Device Stage: Microsoft Hardware mouse and keyboard products will support Device Stage, a Windows 7 feature that gives customers quick and easy access to common tasks, including product information, registration, settings and more for popular device categories such as cell phones, cameras, printers, portable media players and input devices.

· Windows Flip: Microsoft mouse and keyboard users can easily see a thumbnail preview of all open windows with the press of a button. A full-screen preview of the application will automatically display, enabling the user to better identify and select the desired application.

· Windows Live Movie Maker and Windows Live Photo Gallery: LifeCam users will be able to do more with photos and movies. With Movie Maker they can start a movie project with one click, and then upload video to social networking sites. Photo Gallery access will enable them to easily upload a photo that they can edit, tag and share with friends and family.

Related: Microsoft hardware support for Windows 7 (drivers, etc.)

Discuss this Article 33

planetarian
on Jun 3, 2009
So how about that MS Fingerprint Reader?
lotsamystuff
on Jun 3, 2009
Microsoft announces that its hardware will be compatible with its operating system. Must be a slow news day.
techfan
on Jun 3, 2009
Taskbar Favorites sounds like a nice feature.
subzerohitman721
on Jun 3, 2009
In this rare occassion lotsa, you're absolutely correct. Very slow news day. These are nice options. Hopefully the third parties have from now till October 22, to get their act as well as their Winodws 7 products in order.
lotsamystuff
on Jun 3, 2009
"Hopefully the third parties have from now till October 22, to get their act as well as their Winodws 7 products in order." Gawd knows they've had long enough. Some of them remind me of the old man at the laundromat wondering what this "newfangled" Windows Vista is all about.
jnovak021
on Jun 3, 2009
I never tried my fingerprint reader in Windows 7, but Microsoft is giving $40+tax refunds to anyone who has one and needs 64-bit drivers
shark47
on Jun 3, 2009
If Microsoft really wants Media Center in 7 to take off, they should make a good remote app for the iPhone and the iPod Touch. I know that's never gonna happen, In the absence of that, I guess we have to make do with boring news about Microsoft updating its hardware to work with its software.
gorath
on Jun 3, 2009
shark, you're crazy Why would an i-phone or i-pod touch remote control app drive media center adoption? Sounds lot like more like wishful thinking than rational thought to me.
shark47
on Jun 3, 2009
"Why would an i-phone or i-pod touch remote control app drive media center adoption? Sounds lot like more like wishful thinking than rational thought to me." It might not, but it'll make for a great app. I love Apple's remote app, but it only works with the worst media player I have on my PC.
mikegalos@msn.com
on Jun 3, 2009
fyi: From the actual Microsoft press release... Fingerprint Reader will not be compatible with Windows 7
reddragon72
on Jun 3, 2009
Paul, it seems that you are missing a few things, where is the info on the GPU accelerated transcoding?
tayme
on Jun 3, 2009
@mikegalos - Actually, it says "No beta software is available. Fingerprint Reader products will not run on Windows 7 RC" You must be privy to more information than the rest of us. --tayme
mikegalos@msn.com
on Jun 3, 2009
tayme Nope. The text I posted was a footnote copied and pasted from the press release. I guess you didn't read it all. I don't have any inside info on this (or I wouldn't have discussed it) See footnote 1 at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/jun09/06-02Windows7Hardwar...
mikegalos@msn.com
on Jun 3, 2009
Also from the press release: Final versions of product software, which include Taskbar Favorites, Device Stage, Windows Flip, Windows Live Movie Maker and Windows Live Photo Gallery, will be available June 26 for mice and keyboards and July 31 for LifeCam products.
tayme
on Jun 3, 2009
@mikegalos - I stand partially corrected. This is a case of conflicting information in multiple locations on the same company's website(s). Microsoft(and all companies for that matter) need to do a better job of making sure that all of their documentation on the web is up to date and in sync. If a person were to go the Fingerprint Reader support site - http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/support/fingerprintreader.mspx - they would find the text below, leading them to believe that they might get support for 7. I wonder if the call cwenter people would have a clue what a person were asking for if they were to call looking for support for the reader on 7? I might have to give that a try later. "If you are attempting to use Fingerprint Reader on any Windows operating system not listed above, please contact the Supplemental Parts line (US only) at 1-800-360-7561. " --tayme
tayme
on Jun 3, 2009
Oh, and mikegalos...you didn't provide a link to your source as you have requested from others many times. --tayme
mikegalos@msn.com
on Jun 3, 2009
tayme Actually, I did provide the link. (but not in both postings in a row referring to the same page) See: "See footnote 1 at www.microsoft.com/.../06-02Windows7HardwarePR.mspx" three posts above your complaint.
mikegalos@msn.com
on Jun 3, 2009
reddragon72 Paul doesn't seem to be covering the Computex press releases. But there have been some good articles on the newly announced automatic GPU-enabled transcoding of video in Windows 7. I'd suggest you bing it and you should be able to find coverage.
tayme
on Jun 3, 2009
@mikegalos - I'll be more specific for you...in your original post shown below, you did not provide the source. I do not see any earlier posts from you on this subject...maybe Paul pulled them? I'm not really sure how that addresses the problem of conflicting information from multiple places on the same company's website, though. "mikegalos@msn.com said: fyi: From the actual Microsoft press release... Fingerprint Reader will not be compatible with Windows 7 June 3, 2009 3:05 PM " --tayme
reddragon72
on Jun 3, 2009
@mikegalos yea I've got plenty of info, and I simply cannot wait till the test this one out, cause there is no mention of what build it is in. Also I hope that this stays good and true cause changing movies everyday on my phone cn be quit the task if I have to do it manually everytime...
mikegalos@msn.com
on Jun 3, 2009
tayme Well, since it was the same press release that Paul was quoting and I was only quoting 1 extra line, I figured you'd figure it out. Of course, when I added more, I put in the link. Of course, you won't mind if we hold you to provide the same level of documentation on all your posts. Right?
tayme
on Jun 3, 2009
Paul's link relevant to his post- http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/windows7/support.mspx mikegalos' link, additional and conflicting info - http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/jun09/06-02Windows7Hardwar... My link, even more conflicting information - http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/support/fingerprintreader.mspx Whatever...I still haven't heard any thoughts on companies needing to do a better job of keeping the various places that they document the same things in sync, though. I have to assume that mikegalos thinks that it is fine for a company to confuse it's customers. --tayme
tayme
on Jun 3, 2009
Maybe it was Paul that left out his normal link to the actual document he was quoting, and rather included a link to a different, but related site; which still has conflicting information. --tayme
techdribble
on Jun 3, 2009
@shark47 have a look at Intelliremote/intelliphone from http://melloware.com/ . It does cost $24 but it does work with MCE as well as other media apps (VLC , media monkey etc). Going to give it a try(they have 30 day free trial) this weekend when I put W7 RC on the media centre PC.
robertsjoe
on Jun 3, 2009
Wow! This is an amazing piece of information from Microsoft. They have gotten their mice to work with Windows 7. Congratulations!
robertsjoe
on Jun 3, 2009
@shark47: "You might want to at least read the article before posting a link to it. :-)" I did. Do you need help reading English?
mikegalos@msn.com
on Jun 3, 2009
tayme You might want to read Paul's blog posts more often or more carefully. When he puts a link down as "Related:" it's other relevent sites. In this case, the location of currently available Windows 7 drivers for Microsoft Hardware products. The link I posted was the one he quoted from. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass is worth tracking if you actually care what's going on in this industry.
tayme
on Jun 3, 2009
@mikegalos - Dude...you just don't get it. I admitted my mistake. Something that you have not been able to do on this site, or anywhere. I notice that you are still avoiding my question regarding the publishing of conflicting information as I pointed out above...that's your normal response...don't you find that annoying? Don't you think companies should be more attentive to detail, which is what I wasn't when reading Paul's post...partly because I am used to Paul usually posting a link to the source that he is quoting...but I take full blame... --tayme
tayme
on Jun 3, 2009
@mikegalos - As a matter of fact...I read PressPass regularly...along with BigAdmin - http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/home/index.jsp - and several others to get a FULL picture of what is going on in the industry....not just Microsoft's Press Releases. --tayme
robertsjoe
on Jun 3, 2009
Microsoft is so lame.. here's more (and new) proof http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090602PD221.html
robertsjoe
on Jun 3, 2009
Bing logo shows lack of style, taste and ability to design (tm Microsoft) http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/bing_sets_new_record...
shark47
on Jun 3, 2009
"Microsoft is so lame.. here's more (and new) proof" That's funny. I guess that's the reason I like their products. Just curious, what do you think is the worst company in America today, robertsjoe?
chuckb84
on Jun 4, 2009
"In conjunction with the general availability announcement for Windows 7, Microsoft Hardware has announced that all of its mice, keyboards, LifeCams, gaming devices and notebook accessories will be fully compatible with Windows 7 once the operating system is launched to retail customers on Oct. 22nd." I gotta agree, that's a very funny lead for a press release "Our hardware peripherals work with our software." This needs to be said? If you look at the link, there's another table, not as big as the OS version table, but still impressive. Why not just say, "Plug in the device and it will work?". Can't beat that corporate DNA. I'm glad it all works, but it's strange that they felt the need to make a press release out of it. @tayme, "I have to assume that mikegalos thinks that it is fine for a company to confuse it's customers" That's CHOICE. You still don't get it. Cue the music for Mike....

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