Windows 7 Beta Hot Keys

General

Win+Up	Maximize
Win+Down	Restore / Minimize
Win+Left	Snap to left
Win+Right	Snap to right
Win+Shift+Left	Jump to left monitor
Win+Shift+Right	Jump to right monitor
Win+Home	Minimize / Restore all other windows
Win+T	Focus the first taskbar entry Pressing again will cycle through them, you can can arrow around. Win+Shift+T cycles backwards.
Win+Space	Peek at the desktop
Win+G	Bring gadgets to the top of the Z-order
Win+P	External display options (mirror, extend desktop, etc)
Win+X	Mobility Center (same as Vista, but still handy!)
Win+# (# = a number key)	Launches a new instance of the application in the Nth slot on the taskbar. Example: Win+1 launches first pinned app, Win+2 launches second, etc.
Win + + Win + - (plus or minus key)	Zoom in or out.

Windows Explorer

Alt+P

Show/hide Preview Pane

Taskbar modifiers

Shift + Click on icon	Open a new instance
Middle click on icon	Open a new instance
Ctrl + Shift + Click on icon	Open a new instance with Admin privileges
Shift + Right-click on icon	Show window menu (Restore / Minimize / Move / etc) Note: Normally you can just right-click on the window thumbnail to get this menu
Shift + Right-click on grouped icon	Menu with Restore All / Minimize All / Close All, etc.
Ctrl + Click on grouped icon	Cycle between the windows (or tabs) in the group

Note that this list focuses on stuff that's specific to Windows 7. For a complete list of Windows Vista hotkeys (which should be largely unchanged except where noted above), visit the following link on microsoft.com or look in the Windows Help file
.Windows Vista Hot Keys

If there's something you think I should add, post a comment!  

Source: Windows 7 Blog

Here are some of the Win 7 changes coming in the next build

In a February 26 post to the Engineering Windows 7 blog, Microsoft itemized some of the changes that it is making to Windows 7 that will be part of the Release Candidate (RC) test build that is widely expected in April. 

From the blog post introduction by Windows chief Steven Sinofsky: 

"We want to start posting on the feedback and the engineering actions we've taken in responding to the feedback. We won't be able to cover all the changes (as we're still busy making them), but for today we wanted to start with a sampling of some of the more visible changes." 

The post goes on to detail some of the Windows 7 changes Microsoft is making in response to tester feedback — in the task bar, Media Player, networking, touch, the Windows Explorer and overall performance. Given that Windows 7 was deemed "feature-complete" as of the public beta that Microsoft released in January, the changes coming between then and the Release Candidate are largely cosmetic. (At least it seems that way to me….) 

A number of Windows 7 testers have complained recently that Microsoft was not sharing enough information about changes it planned to make in response to their feedback. 

Windows SuperSite's Paul Thurrott questioned in a post yesterday whether Microsoft had already locked down Windows 7's feature set before the majority of technical and public beta testers ever got to see a first release of the product. I've wondered the same. 

It's great Microsoft is starting to share feedback with the thousands, if not millions, of testers who take their time to help the company find and fix bugs and usability problems. But Thurrott's question is still a good one. 

Windows 7 testers: Is this feedback that Microsoft is providing enough? Any other specific features/areas you'd like to see addressed in the future? 

Source: zdnet.com

Windows 7 Product Activation Details

Windows 7 continues the tradition of Windows operating system platform from Microsoft that requires user to activate the installed OS in order to curtail piracy rate and illegal usage of the operating system. The process to activate Windows 7, and the consequences of not activating, or been validated as not genuine by WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) process, all of which are pretty similar to soften experience implemented in Windows Vista since SP1, which removes Reduced Functionality Mode kill switch that effectively make the computer unusable. 

According to WGA blog, Windows 7 will include a 30 day grace period for activation, similar to Windows Vista and Windows XP, except copies that are pre-installed by major OEMs and copies distributed through Volume Licensing, which do not require activation to be performed by the end user. User can opt to turn on option that enables Windows to attempt to activate itself automatically after three days of use during the setup process. If automatic activation is not selected, an "Activate Windows Now" notification bubble message will display from system tray to remind user the time remaining the the grace period. Clicking on the "Activate Windows Online Now" option will begin the standard activation process. 

If the activation reminder is ignored and Windows 7 continues to be not activated, the "Activate Now" message will be presented on a daily basis until the 27th day. After 27 days, the message will pop up every four hours. On the 30th day, the frequency of the messages will increase to once every 60 minutes.

If Windows 7 is not activated within the grace period, a persistent notifications, including a bubble message from notification area will pop up every 60 minutes. Desktop will be set to plain black background (with auto reset every hour even to detect any change in background wallpaper) with persistent desktop notification that Windows is non-genuine. Reminder to activate will also be displayed upon logging on.

New to Windows 7 is that a non-genuine message will also appear when the Control Panel is launched, and Windows Update will also do not deliver any optional updates to non-activated Windows. All these Windows 7 product activation experience is what been implemented in Windows 7 Beta, but may be change ahead of final release of Windows 7. 

Source: mydigitallife.info