I recently installed Windows 7 64 bits. I was using Windows Vista 32 bits, so it was a great upgrade. I can't say if the OS is really faster than Vista during my work process, but I am sure that the boot time is really faster. I also really like the new taskbar, very useful and easy to use.
But, there is one thing that is really missing from Windows 7, that was included in Vista, and was a really great idea in vista. This is the Sidebar. I always work with 2 1600X1050 screens, and on the right side of my second screen, I started using the sidebar. And after some months, I can say that I can't live without it. Where I work, we planned to create some gadgets for this bar to integrate our tools with it.
Surprise, in Windows 7, Microsoft decided to change the gadgets behavior. The Windows Gadgets can now go out of the bar, on the desktop. But, the bar disappear ! We can't put the gadgets on the bar, there is no longer any sidebar! What ? If I put a gadget on the desktop, I will never see it. If I put it "always on top", it will go over my application. The sidebar was using a reserved place on the right of the screen, and no windows was going over or under it. That was great.
You know what? Because of this, I decided to look at some alternatives, and I realised that Google Desktop application provide a sidebar. They have similar gadgets. And, guess what, you can choose (listen to this Microsoft) to the place where you want your gadget, on the bar OR on the desktop. You have the choice. Why MS decided that the gadgets now go only on the desktop, and make the sidebar disappear? That was a great mistake.
Now our company is planning to create a Google Sidebar Gadget, and we are not sure if we will work on the MS gadget. I can't believe that MS did that. They open the door to Google for their sidebar. I plan that Google will really increase their sidebar during the following weeks.
Suggestion to Google: Create a "stand alone" version of the gadget sidebar, without the indexer (google desktop engine). I only want to use the sidebar, not the desktop search engine. I disabled everything related to the indexing in the desktop options, keeping only the sidebar functionalities.