Windows 7: A Closer Look at: The Windows 7 Taskbar -Part 1

As we get closer to the Windows 7 launch (22nd of October), it’s worth considering the fact that users new to Windows 7 might to face some “learning curves”. Mike Halsey had discussed this earlier in an article that focused mainly on the new taskbar and how it can be confusing for new users. Fortunately, I believe that Windows 7 is easy to learn and have seen people getting used to it quickly. After searching on the internet for a guide about how to use the new taskbar, all what I came across were explanations of the changes made to it and a description of the features. However, I didn’t find any tutorials that actually teach users how to use it. And that’s why this guide is here: to show you how to get the most out of the new Windows 7 taskbar.

When first looking at Windows 7, the most noticeable change we can see is the taskbar. It takes up more space on the screen and has bigger icons, yet it can fit more applications as windows’ titles aren’t displayed. One of the reasons for these changes is that Windows 7 supports multi-touch technology. Windows Touch allows users using a touchscreen monitor to work with their fingers instead of a mouse and keyboard. Hence, to make the taskbar touch-friendly, it now has bigger icons.