Microsoft to drop features in Windows 7

It seems as though Microsoft is taking complaints about bloating in Windows Vista seriously and has decided to leave a few features off the plate for Windows 7.

Features such as Windows Mail, Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Movie Maker will be left out of Windows 7. Instead, Microsoft plans to offer Windows Live equivalents of these products for free as optional downloads.

These applications, including earlier versions of them under different names (Outlook Express) have been included since Windows XP. The problem is that consumers largely complained that Microsoft confuses the consumer by offering two different applications with similar functionality. According to Brian Hall – Windows Live General Manager – the move stems from “a desire to issue operating system release more quickly than it has in the past.”

These changes could also explain why recent screenshots of Windows 7 in action portray some of the basic applications such as WordPad, Paint and Calculator having a more polished look to them. According to blogs, forums and other tech sites, some people feel that the move to remove these applications is smart one.

For the record – a lot of Internet Service Provider packages bundled with service offerings typically include things such as antivirus, firewall software and means to easily setup and access your newly created email accounts using either their customized software or other third-party vendor software. Also to mention the inclusion of Windows Mail could possibly be taking away from purchases of Outlook along with other office suite software.

Maybe it is that Microsoft feels including mail client software with its operating system is a waste of time since the introduction of Windows Live Mail – which is more portable for the consumer anyways. Portability for mail is becoming more and more common. People access their mail from home, school, work or while on vacation.

There has not been any indications of other features being dropped at this time.