RSSTop 10 Windows 7 Features #2: Device Stage
By Scott M. Fulton, III | Published May 29, 2009, 5:06 PM
(continued from previous page)
Rendering the Control Panel obsolete One offshoot of the Device Stage that will make a positive impact on Windows 7 is the new "congregation area," if you will, for stuff that's plugged into the PC. It's the new Devices and Printers window, and it provides an alternate view of what Bluetooth and other device engineers are calling the "personal area network."
This window is effectively a list of everything that's attached to the operating system -- if Windows can see it, it's here. Everything appears once and once only, so a multi-function printer doesn't show up as a fax machine and as a telephone separately; and a personal media player doesn't show up as an MP3, a video player, a game machine, and a camera.
Here also, in blatant contrast to how Windows has always worked, the PC itself is a device. Right-clicking on it brings up a popup menu of the typical functions associated with changing how it's functioning -- sound, mouse sensitivity, current language, keyboard options, ejecting an attached device. This doesn't replace the Control Panel, but a newcomer to Windows may very well find this way of setting preferences easier to comprehend.
Using the metadata file, Microsoft was able to retrieve a picture of…well, a Microsoft-brand device from the Internet, and register that as the keyboard attached to our Windows 7 test system. But with very few exceptions from partners such as Canon, there are no other working examples of "staged" devices for Win7 RC users to test. For the meantime, Win7 is capable of providing alternative renderings; but in the screenshot above, that thing that looks like an external hard drive bears no resemblance at all to my BlackBerry 8830.
So you can see the problem on the horizon. Device Stage could very well become an influential element for Windows 7 for either of two reasons: 1) It could dramatically improve the way users make sense of the things they can do with their devices once they're plugged in; or 2) it could drive home even further the reluctance of certain other manufacturers to cooperate, to even try to do their part to make their devices interoperable with the operating system that three out of five of their customers are likely to be using in 2011. How Windows 7 is perceived by the general public -- even by folks who use something else, like Mac OS -- may be determined by how well Device Stage attains its principal goal.
Download Windows 7 Release Candidate 64-bit from Fileforum now.
FOLLOW THE WINDOWS 7 TOP 10 COUNTDOWN:
- #10: Homegroup networking
- #9: Native PowerShell 2.0
- #8: Automated third-party troubleshooting
- #7: 'Play To' streaming media, courtesy of DLNA
- #6: DirectX 11
- #5: Multitouch
- #4: A worthwhile Windows Explorer
- #3: XP Mode
It'll take a year or two for new devices to intelligently+effectively take advantage of this cool feature. This idea of consistent UI and having a nice icon + quick links for device management in DEVICE MANAGER and TASKBAR will surely be enough reasons for CUSTOMERS to like the feature which will make MANUFACTURERS embrace it.
And the nice thing about it is that most likely individuals (corp admins, geeks etc) will be able to hack sexy installs for their common (unsupported by manuf) devices. I know for sure I'd make nice device manager icons and taskbar device management for my devices if it only takes 30mins or so each and it'll make life easier for MY USERS.... XML sounds simple enough... Probably people will start sharing those unsupported sexy-device-installs on the web...for older equipment. It makes perfect sense hence it WILL happen.
WinXP is still my fav OS though. ;) No gimmicks - 100% hardware and software compatibility. Likewise, Win7 will probably be my fav OS only 3-5yrs after its release... ;)
Score: 1
|Meh...
Not something I think I would ever use. Could work...but it depends on how much "extra" device manufacturers want to provide, and they have not had a good score on that front in a *long* time...
As an aside:
I *really* wish I could set the "Windows Defender" updates to be automatic. I don't want to disable it, but I also do not want to set them *all* to install without my input. MSFT needs to allow us to select the "common" updates that should automatically install even if we have the general setting to "download, but notify". I also can't seem to use the same regedit hack to make the drive letters appear first in Win7 that I was able to use in XP. ...and of course, the toolbar thing. Grrr...
Anyone know of a free app that'll let you dock shortcuts to the side of the screen (small icons with text)? I need to be able to fit about 30 different icons in it.
Score: 0
|Device Stage is a great idea. Basically, it's a consistent UI to do all possible tasks with a device. Most newbies have no idea what to do when their device is plugged in, especially portable devices. I think MS got the "idea" from their Media Transfer Protocol device UI (PlaysForSure) which used the shell namespace to achieve a similar experience.
Score: 0
|not sure it will be a viable feature.
it will likely be useful only for those third party devices that are highly popular and are friendly with microsoft corporation.
otherwise, hardware makers will be unlikely to provide microsoft with the ability to install their proprietary drivers.
does anyone remember the time when microsoft wanted the manufacturers of drivers to send have microsoft test and certify them "and" for a cost?
didn't do too well.
Score: -2
|Yea Ben...why would manufacturers want to utilize something that will make their devices more attractive to at leas 80% of the market.
Give it a rest, you're sounding more pathetic with every post.
"otherwise, hardware makers will be unlikely to provide microsoft with the ability to install their proprietary drivers."
You either just stopped making sense, or you just do not have the capacity to understand how this works...
Score: 2
|your arguments are just "whine".
manufacturers will "continue" to provide "thier" drivers for "thier" products via "thier" website.
because you are mentally under priviledge, i will provide you with "one" of the reasons why.
manufacturers "want" people, especially their customers to visit their websites and not microsofts.
in conclusion, the market place won't allow microsoft to hold all the cards. microsoft only needs to worry about microsoft products as far as the rest of the world is concerned.
Score: -2
|"manufacturers "want" people, especially their customers to visit their websites and not microsofts."
Yet again you utterly fail to understand the capabilities of the feature you are discussing. We'd all be shocked, but it's a habit of yours we've become accustomed to...
FYI: The information displayed in the "Device Stage" can come 100% from the manufacturer and can (and most likely would) include LINKS to THEIR sites and functionality through THEIR software using THEIR drivers.
Funny how you're the one whining about something you know nothing about and the moment someone tries to correct your BS, suddenly THEY are the "whine"ers. Oh, wait....that's not funny, that's your SOP. You troll and then call everyone else the trolls. (How utterly typical...)
Awaiting the typical response ... (personal attacks, off-topic BS, "clever for a 3rd-grader" tirades...anything but an actual defense of your arguments (Can't defend BS, right?)
Score: 2
|@pitifulctroll
quite simply your an utter moron.
"The information displayed in the "Device Stage" can come 100% from the manufacturer and can (and most likely would) include LINKS to THEIR sites and functionality through THEIR software using THEIR drivers."
obviously you have no understanding of the history between microsoft and hardware manufacturers.
your grunt quoted above "will" never happen.
Score: -1
|*LAUGHING MY a** OFF*
Did I call it, or what?
It's cute, really. How incapable you are of having in intelligent discussion...
All drivers used in Windows are direct from the Manufacturer. MSFT writes none of their own...not even the one's for "MSFT" branded hardware.
Score: 0
|of course you are "laughing your face off"
"All drivers used in Windows are direct from the Manufacturer"
frankly, people know that microsoft doesn't make hard ware drivers, unless it is for their own microsoft brand products.
therefore, you are wrong that "all" drivers are made by everyone except microsoft.
unfortunately, you simply can't comprehend the issue at hand and just trolling.
"we" would ask you to "just shut up". but you don't comprehend as to how or why as well. if you did, then you would really have no purpose.
Score: -2
|"frankly, people know that microsoft doesn't make hard ware drivers, unless it is for their own microsoft brand products.
therefore, you are wrong that "all" drivers are made by everyone except microsoft."
So because Microsoft doesn't make drivers, it is incorrect that the manufacturers make the drivers?
Wow...you *are* dumber than I thought...aside from you utter inability to do anything but restate your initial argument with apparently no intention of providing and reason behind it (you and reason...right) you aren't even making sense anymore.
Congratulations. You have exceeded my expectations! I honestly didn't think your comments could get less intelligent than they already were.
Score: 0
|I have Windows 7RC loaded, why have I not seen this?
Score: 0
|It's there...if you go to devices and printers you'll see it. Not many (if any at all) manufacturers have this enabled on their devices yet since Windows 7 is still just in RC though...
Score: 0
|I like this feature.
Score: 0
|Good analysis!
Score: 0
|