Windows 7 - What to expect from a developer's standpoint?

Question

What features can I look forward to in Windows 7 that will:

1. Make my job easier as a developer.

or...

1. Make my job "different"(harder) as a developer.

I've been hearing a lot about performance improvements and a few UI effect enhancements, but nothing really about what development on Windows 7 will be like. Thanks.

Answer 1

The new sensors API will make your job easier, provided Microsoft can get enough people on-board with it. It should provide you a standard way to interface with things like GPS and light sensors, if you program with that kind of thing.

Answer 2

Very east to use and seamless Virtual PC is great for debugging and testing.

Touch is another new capability.

Answer 3

Feature list from Wikipedia.

To answer your actual question:
I don't think any of them are aimed at developers explicitly (such a tiny niche really).

For the begged "Features to use in apps" question:
I'd like to see lots of search extenders, jump lists, and those little "preview shortcut" button things (I have no idea what they're called).

Answer 4

Following are areas that are new:

1. multi touch API for developing touch based applications
2. new concept of 'libraries' for storing user specific data (similar to mydocuments)
3. Enhanced support for GPS and other such hardware
4. Office2007 Ribbon like user interface

Refer to http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/developers/default.aspx for details.

Answer 5

Microsoft publishes an official Windows 7 Developer Guide.