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Microsoft to drop features in Windows 7

By - Source: Tom's Hardware

It seems as though Microsoft is taking complaints about bloating in Windows Vista seriously and has decided to leave a few features off the plate for Windows 7.

Features such as Windows Mail, Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Movie Maker will be left out of Windows 7. Instead, Microsoft plans to offer Windows Live equivalents of these products for free as optional downloads.

These applications, including earlier versions of them under different names (Outlook Express) have been included since Windows XP. The problem is that consumers largely complained that Microsoft confuses the consumer by offering two different applications with similar functionality. According to Brian Hall – Windows Live General Manager – the move stems from “a desire to issue operating system release more quickly than it has in the past.

These changes could also explain why recent screenshots of Windows 7 in action portray some of the basic applications such as WordPad, Paint and Calculator having a more polished look to them. According to blogs, forums and other tech sites, some people feel that the move to remove these applications is smart one.

For the record – a lot of Internet Service Provider packages bundled with service offerings typically include things such as antivirus, firewall software and means to easily setup and access your newly created email accounts using either their customized software or other third-party vendor software. Also to mention the inclusion of Windows Mail could possibly be taking away from purchases of Outlook along with other office suite software.

Maybe it is that Microsoft feels including mail client software with its operating system is a waste of time since the introduction of Windows Live Mail – which is more portable for the consumer anyways. Portability for mail is becoming more and more common. People access their mail from home, school, work or while on vacation.

There has not been any indications of other features being dropped at this time.

There are 28 Comments. B
Other Comments
  • 1 Ð
    neodude007 , September 25, 2008 3:12 AM
    Meh, those things are hardly bloatware. Garbage that runs all the time IMO is more of a problem. It is a nice step though to have downloadable features so they don't already come on the OS. Bloatware that doesn't run in the "background", if we can even call it that, is not an issue.
  • -2 Ð
    lamorpa , September 25, 2008 3:28 AM
    'anyways'? Dat ain't good inglish.
  • 0 Ð
    ravenware , September 25, 2008 4:19 AM
    lamorpa'anyways'? Dat ain't good inglish.


    Alls I know is I'm get'n straight A's and that aint not bad.
  • 6 Ð
    ravenware , September 25, 2008 4:28 AM
    Me fail English? That's unpossible!
  • -1 Ð
    dcoaster , September 25, 2008 5:00 AM
    The title of the article is misleading. Someone automatically thinks, "Oh. Typical MS cutting features because they can't make a good OS anymore..." Not the case. The removal (a better word) of the programs was intentional.
  • 0 Ð
    adamk890 , September 25, 2008 5:14 AM
    I think its good that there leaving a few of these things out as optional downloads. For the average user its going to increase hard drive space.
  • 1 Ð
    jhansonxi , September 25, 2008 5:17 AM
    They need to leave features for Windows 8 and this also helps by making more room for third-party OEM crapware.
  • -1 Ð
    chaohsiangchen , September 25, 2008 5:34 AM
    Actually, Microsoft doesn't take Apple Corp as threat. They take Google as their primary competitor. We are just about to experience another bout of IT revolution that will take us from OS-centric thinking to net-centric paradigm. Microsoft is just using its advantage on OS market to lure many people to live.com instead of google.com.
  • 2 Ð
    godmode , September 25, 2008 6:07 AM
    it would be nice if the OS came completely bare. then we can download/ add what ever feasures.

    the problem with vista is that there's so much unneeded background processes that eat away at system reasoures. i couldn't car less about them removing outlook or what ever. its the high amount of "always running" background processes that make vista so bloated. thats my opinion of what "bloated" means when it comes to vista anyway.
  • 0 Ð
    nirvana21 , September 25, 2008 7:47 AM
    It's a start. Operating Systems were never meant to be multimedia or productivity packages. The OS should come with the basics and be as stable as possible. If Microsoft wants to sell other software so be it, just don't include it as part of an OS.
  • 1 Ð
    mikeynavy1976 , September 25, 2008 10:06 AM
    ravenwareMe fail English? That's unpossible!

    Nice one Ralph Wiggum! I read that a Windows 7 Beta is out. Has anyone used it? Thoughts?
  • 2 Ð
    rocky1234 , September 25, 2008 11:13 AM
    Lol to funny you say OS's should come bare ok I think not. There should be everything in the OS to get the noobie up & running with out hassle or having to worry about downloading a lot of crap just to get email or to play a mp3 or even look at a friggin photo get real.

    Vista's problem is not the included Windows Mail or photo program or even Media player. The problem with Vista is all that eye candy & the dam useless sidebar crap it eats up alot of memory.

    I for one would like to see at least some usability out of the box & not have to worry about having to download online crap just to get my email. No I am not a noobie have been in the industry for 16 years & yes I have been there when the first OS's didn't include any perks & let me tell you it sucked a** bad.

    I can see it now when & if MS release this OS without these programs everyone will rag on them because their new shiny OS is lacking features & this will also play into Apples new I'm a Mac & I'm a PC useless ad's because they will most likely show the mac guy all decked out in fancy clothes & the PC guy will most likely be dressed like a bum & unshaven & the mac guy will go whats the matter PC did someone steal your clothes or whatever...lol
  • -4 Ð
    anonymous@guest , September 25, 2008 11:23 AM
    Vista is really good, the best so far, by far. It's not the best OS for every possible use, but no OS is. I think it's the best OS for (decently configured) home desktops. It could be leaner in order to be the best laptop OS, I think Mac OS X is in a lot of ways the best laptop OS (definitely not the best desktop OS, since it doesn't do the basic things a desktop OS should... which is to let you run the hardware you want and the software you need).

    Vista 64-bit... the horrible HORRIBLE Vista 64-bit is what I run. And I truly don't get what people are whining about. I mean it's GOOD. I run Bioshock, Gears of War, Call of Duty 4, Quake 4, Doom 3, Psychonauts, every game I've tried so far... basically, just perfect backwards support. I run Adobe CS3 and Office 2007 (which is really strange at first but grows on you in an odd sort of way). I also play Bluray movies on it (entirely impossible to do on Mac OS, period). It supports the best video cards (and DirectX 10), the best available hardware, it supports overclockable hardware, cheap or expensive hardware, etc. etc. It is a fantastic OS for the year 2008, and will be for 2009. My desktop has more hardware than I know what to do with, and I think that this is quite typical. Vista helps to tame great hardware and make it useful... all that an OS can or should do.
  • 0 Ð
    megamanx00 , September 25, 2008 11:25 AM
    You say features, I say things I never use. If it makes a smaller footprint I don't think that's a bad thing, but then again I'm a guy that installs practically everthing when I install Open SUSE \^_^/
  • 3 Ð
    slyck , September 25, 2008 11:56 AM
    The ONLY reason microsoft is coming out with windows 7 so much sooner than origianally planned, is because vista was such a flop.

    If vista was doing better, windows 7 would not be coming out til later. But ms somehow never has enough time to get things right so expect another OS with massive problems.
  • 1 Ð
    Abaddon , September 25, 2008 12:11 PM
    I personally think this is going to cause me more problems than good. Sure I don't personally use these programs, but many of the noobs I know do. And it's often these noobs who have dialup or NO INTERNET CONNECTION. Some of these people I have taught how to add/remove windows components, and how to install programs. Perhaps Microsoft could be nice enough to keep them as Windows components (not installed by default) or place all of the installers in a single handy location on their installation media.
  • 2 Ð
    martel80 , September 25, 2008 3:59 PM
    Abaddon
    They could as well make several installation profiles to choose from - minimum (would love this!) - baseline - standard - lots of stuff etc. :) 
  • -1 Ð
    jimmysmitty , September 25, 2008 4:03 PM
    godmodeit would be nice if the OS came completely bare. then we can download/ add what ever feasures.the problem with vista is that there's so much unneeded background processes that eat away at system reasoures. i couldn't car less about them removing outlook or what ever. its the high amount of "always running" background processes that make vista so bloated. thats my opinion of what "bloated" means when it comes to vista anyway.


    Actually all of the extras are able to be disabled. On first start Vista uses about 800 megs. Not too bad considering that bulk of it is Aero.

    But the bulk of it becomes your commonly used programs being preloaded so they start faster than in XP. I like it personally as it makes it feel much faster.

    And I for one love having WMC with the OS. Its easy to use and lets me watch movies via my PC on my HDTV at better quality.
  • 0 Ð
    wavebossa , September 25, 2008 8:21 PM
    ravenware


    It should be Alls I knows, either way, nice bart simpson.
  • 0 Ð
    wavebossa , September 25, 2008 8:23 PM
    lol, it seems the ability to quote escapes me at this moment
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