Hands on with Windows 7: Jump Lists

Geoff Spick
26 March 2009, 1:00 AM

A new feature in Windows 7 lets you make Windows jump to your command.

The Taskbar has long been the hot spot for interacting with programs and documents in Windows.With Windows 7, it has undergone a significant change from previous versions. Now, when you hold the cursor over an icon you will see a preview of the open application, or can click to start it. If there are multiple instances of the app running, then each gets it own preview, ideal if you have many spreadsheets or images open in one program. Jump Lists come into play when you right-click on one of the icons. There are some smart videos on YouTube that show the features in action better than screenshots can.

Jump Lists are not just restricted to programs and documents, if you keep making changes using Control Panel, you will find the most recently accessed functions available from the Jump List, Windows Media Player provides access to recently played tracks and playlists.

Finally, some interesting peeks of features that didn't quite make it in to Windows 7 are starting to appear. This would have been cool, the bat-signal approach to Taskbar highlights - perhaps in Windows 8 on our 3D screens!

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todd_h86 (New user):

I am very impressed with the Windows 7 gui, thank you Microsoft for finally getting someone with some talent and vision to design the front of your OS!!! Going back to Vista on my desktop after using my Windows 7 notebook makes me shudder.... like XP did when I went form using Vista to it...

The new taskbar is very well designed and practical, although it does look blocky at first glance but once you start using it the blocky-ness just fades away! Hopefully it wont change much from RC1...

26 March 2009, 9:35 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Tin (User):

I wouldn't call the new taskbar practical. It more or less hides what's running and makes you go looking for things. And the "hidden" features like middle click for new copies of already running pinned apps are going to frustrate regular non-tech users.

Personally, I'd got mine set up with text captions, small icons (3 rows), and resurrected quicklaunch bar. The pinning made me feel like I was always chasing applications, which felt less like the computer was working for me and more like it was teasing me.

26 March 2009, 11:32 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Jeff (New user):

Quoting todd_h86:
I am very impressed with the Windows 7 gui

The new GUI only has one good feature - grouping windows in a single icon and one feature that MAY be of use (though I haven't found one yet) and that is the jump lists. Other than that it is still a huge disappointment and a huge rip off from the MAC (which has a horrible GUI). The windows GUI still has a very long way to go and a lot of the ways that it could be improved are already right under their noses, they just need to see them (and hopefully come up with something new by themselves, though I won't be holding my breath) and also recognise that not everyone has the same needs and allow the GUI to be adapted to the individual user.

31 March 2009, 11:05 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

The Big Baboo (New user):

I don't know. Call me an old fogey. But I already have all the programs I need on The Taskbar and I hardly use them from there as it is. I usually just click on whatever from The Desktop and all is good.

26 March 2009, 10:29 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

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