With the Microsoft Professional Developer Conference about to start and the flood of Windows 7 news to begin I wanted to publish a list of Windows 7 features/fixes that I hope that Microsoft implements in Windows 7. So without further delay, here is my Windows 7 wish list:

Make Windows 7 run better on old XP hardware

I understand that this is a tough goal but it is one of the main reasons why Enterprises are holding off on deploying Windows Vista. Windows Vista is a resource hog. Upgrading RAM to at least 2 GB is a core requirement on top of possibly upgrading the entire computer to a model with a faster processor. When an organization has 10,000+ computers this is not cheap. Hardware upgrade costs can be a major roadblock especially when the benefits of Vista are hard to quantify in a solid ROI number. Most of the new features in Windows Vista that are responsible for the higher resource utilization are not really applicable to a business user. The vast majority of enterprise users just run the basic productivity apps. What Enterprises need is a Windows 7 Core version where they can pick and choose what components they want. Aside from the obvious security benefits, this will limit the junk to those that understand the performance tradeoff without affecting everyone. What was done with Server 2008 was a step in the right direction.

Take an axe to the entire OS

Limit the number of background services. Reduce the number of handles in use. Combine Windows apps to lower process overhead. E.g. combine the Windows Sidebar into explorer.exe.

Windows 7 must look different

Thanks to the bashing of Windows Vista by the media, Apple and other competitors Windows Vista has become a symbol for many things that you don't want associated with your next operating system. For most users an operating system is only what they see in the GUI. If Windows 7 looks too much like Windows Vista then the average user is not going to think it really is that different. You can tell the end user that you have done x, y and z but it is kind of like taking an old car and putting a new engine in it. It may run better but the general perception is going to be nothing changed. After all, you don't want users to call Windows 7, Windows Vista R2 or Windows Vista Reloaded. 

Fix User Account Control (UAC)

I think everyone will agree that UAC was a good first step. Not executed in the best way but its a good foundation. With Windows 7 I would like to see UAC continue to evolve into something that you only see when you install a program or enter control panel. That’s it! Prompt once when a program is installed and prompt once when the user enters control Panel. When making system changes there is absolutely no reason to prompt for each change. Control Panel should be treated like an administrative level command prompt.

Improve non-glass interface

I was a one of the few fans of the so called "scrap metal" visual style in the Windows Vista betas. When the new light blue visual style for computers that could not display Vista Glass was released I did not like it at all. Can we please have a more professional looking non-glass interface in Windows 7?

Fix Network Center

The new Network Center in Windows Vista took some time to get used to. I did not always like it but have grown to accept it. My only remaining issue I have with the Network Center is that it is very slow. It takes too long to open and sometimes it is not very responsive when performing networking operations such as when it is having problems establishing a wireless connection. Aside from speeding up Network Center I would also like the ability to quickly disable my network adapters. 

Real compatibility mode

Application compatibility was the other major roadblock for any user wanting to deploy Windows Vista. Changes deep in the OS caused a number of compatibility issues that could have been prevented with virtualization. Microsoft has just started to get into the application virtualization game with their purchase of Softgrid and Kidaro as well as the advancement of Virtual PC. They need to build that technology into Windows to offer a true compatibility mode where applications that run great under Windows XP but not in Vista can be run in a Windows XP virtual machine. Similar to what Apple did when OSX first was released. They maintained backwards compatibility with OS9 applications by emulating classic mode.

OS CONSISTENCY

Can we try to make all of the Windows apps look like they are from the same company? Please!