You can buy Windows 7 for its snazzy interface or its improvements in performance and compatibility — in other words, for its headline features.
But what’s really exciting about the new operating system from Microsoft is discovering the under-reported features that can make your life on the computer both more productive and more fun. Windows 7 is full of these hidden gems. Here are a few.
AeroSnap
You might be having an awkward day at the keyboard and discover AeroSnap by mistake, so let’s take away the mystery up front.
AeroSnap is a new Windows 7 features that allows you to “snap” a foreground application to half the size of your screen and simultaneously move the application to the left or right-hand side of the monitor.
Use AeroSnap to resize a second application in the opposite direction, and, in an instant, you’ll have two applications side-by- side, occupying all of the real estate currently available on your screen.
Here’s how AeroSnap works. Open an application such as Microsoft Word — although any application will do — hold down the Windows key and tap the left or right arrow key on your numeric keypad.
Your application will “snap” to the appropriate edge of your screen. Keep holding down that Windows key and tapping the left, right, up, and down arrow keys to see what else AeroSnap has up its sleeve.
Pressing Windows Key-Left Arrow repeatedly, for instance, will snap the application to the left, then to the right right, and finally back to the original location. Pressing Windows Key-Up Arrow will maximize the application, while pressing Windows Key-Down Arrow will minimize it.
People who use widescreen desktop or notebook monitors typically love AeroSnap for the ability it gives them to perfectly align two running applications on the entire screen — great for comparing two documents, for example, or for copying…