Thread: Devices and Hardware

Windows 7 won't require new drivers for peripherals: If something works with Vista, it should work with Windows 7. Nevertheless, Microsoft has instituted some changes to help people use connected devices, such as cameras, cell phones, media players, and printers, with their PCs.

Instead of the Auto-play window that appears in Vista and XP when you hook up one of these peripherals, you'll now get-if vendors play along-the more useful Device Stage page, which shows not only a photorealistic rendering of the device but also a list of associated services, information, and tasks. For example, with a multifunction printer you might see an icon for launching the scanning software and you'll almost certainly see a link to the vendor's Web site for toner or ink supplies.

Other options might include a link to a PDF ofthe manual or, in the case of a cell phone, software for syncing Outlook contacts (even with a non-Windows Mobile handset). However, the Device Stage for a peripheral will exist only if the vendor creates an XML document based on a Microsoft template, and gets Microsoft to sign off on it (Microsoft says that this prerequi site is necessary to ensure quality control).



The overhead involved may discourage peripheral vendors from participating, but Microsoft says that the as will download.document updates whenever they're available (using the same Windows Metadata Services technology that transparently downloads cover art for albums in Windows Media Player). Another innovation is the new Magnifier feature, which you can use to enlarge a portion of the display-for example, if you need to read a small block of tiny type.

In addition, look for Windows 7 t6 pack some easy-to-use tools for adjusting external displays-specifically, visual aids that will help people connect a laptop to a projector.