Microsoft is pointing to Windows 7 as one of the innovative technologies that it is offering for organizations involved in the educational process. The Redmond company indicated at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) 2009 that Windows 7-specific features and capabilities managed to make the operating system education-friendly. With its next iteration of the Windows client, the software giant promises that teachers, students and staff will be able to boost productivity, effectiveness and efficiency. Contributing to this are improved levels of reliability and responsiveness compared to older Windows releases.

Performance is one of the factors that Microsoft has deemed decisive in making Windows 7 an education sweetheart. The Redmond company has been applauding the boot and shutdown times for Windows 7 as the operating system was still in development. But it's not just performance, Microsoft emphasized, it's also stability, reliability and compatibility.

Boosting student engagement is not an easy task, but the Redmond company points to the new graphical user interface enhancements as well as the touch capabilities of the platform to get the job done. The new GUI works hand in hand with the Natural User Interface sported by Windows 7 in combination with touch-capable hardware. Fact is that, on the right machines, Windows 7's Superbar with Jump Lists and Previews and the new interaction model deliver a new user experience unlike any other Windows release.

Microsoft is also confident that the ability of Windows 7 to fit on hardware resource restrained netbooks and to consume less battery will also be attractive to students. The company further indicates that features such as BitLocker, DirectAccess, AppLocker, Home Group and Windows XP Mode will win over students and teachers alike.

“I am really impressed with the performance — the decreased memory and processing usage. I’m able to get more out of the PCs we already own,” revealed Bill Mierisch, director of technology, Catherine Cook School. “Because Windows 7 is a smaller footprint, I won’t have to invest in extra RAM, and I will be able to deliver more services to students and teachers such as multimedia programs, audio and graphics manipulation because the operating system isn’t using all the juice.”


32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7 (Release Candidate) RC Build 7100.0.090421-1700 is available for download here.