Chapter 2
Understanding Windows 7 and 8 Client OS Key Technologies
IN THIS CHAPTER
- The evolution of Windows and its design goals
- Major interface changes from Windows 1 through Windows 8
- File system and registry virtualization
- User Access Control
- Booting from VHD
- Navigating Windows 8
- Windows To Go
Many of the features of Windows 7 and Windows 8 haveevolved from features that can be traced back to the very first versions of Windows; so in order to understand the capabilities of a system, it can be helpful to look at how that system has evolved and why. This chapter takes a backward look at the first versions of Windows and how it has evolved to where we are today, including shifts in hardware and usage scenarios. I do not cover every feature and interim release of Windows, which would constitute a book in itself, but rather the key aspects that have shaped Windows and affect how we interact with it and virtualization-related features. Windows 8 reflects a major change in working with Windows, as you will see in this chapter. Reading this entire chapter is not essential to understanding virtualization, but, given that almost all the types of virtualization involve the Windows desktop and with Windows Server 2012 the management is done from a Windows 8 client, a good understanding of Windows interaction will definitely help in your day-to-day activities.
