Microsoft lifts the shade on Windows 7 improvements

Microsoft has unveiled its new operating system – Windows 7 – which the group says is smarter, faster and more user-friendly than its predecessor, Windows Vista.

In a preview at the Microsoft Professional Developers conference in Los Angeles, the software group showed off Window 7’s new features. They include touch screen facilities, a taskbar that previews all open windows and “jump lists”, which provide updated lists of recently modified files.

Microsoft also announced its new version of Office will allow documents to be edited via web browsers and mobile phones.

While testing will begin next year, Windows says a full release may not occur until 2010.