Microsoft GFC02021 Windows Experience Index, Battery Life and Notifications, Idle Processing

Windows Experience Index

The Windows Experience Index measures the capabilities of your PC’s hardware and software, and expresses this measurement as a number called a base score. A higher base score generally means that your computer will perform better and faster than a computer with a lower base score.

In Windows 7, the Windows Experience Index has been updated to refl ect advances in processor, graph- ics, and hard disk technology. Maximum scores should generally be the same or higher for a computer system after upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7.

Battery Life and Notifications

We all know what it’s like to run out of power at a critical moment. That’s why we designed Windows 7 to extend the battery life for your mobile PC. Power-saving enhancements include increased idle time for the processor, automatic dimming of the display, and more power-effi cient playback for DVDs. We’ve also made battery life notifi cations more prominent and accurate, so you know exactly how much power you’ve used and how much battery time you have left.

Idle Processing

When your PC is idle, it uses less power. Windows 7 reduces background activities and supports the trig- ger-starting of system services, so your PC’s processor can be in an idle state for longer periods of time.

Adaptive Display Brightness

The display on a typical mobile PC consumes more battery power than any other part of the PC. Windows 7 automatically reduces display brightness if you are inactive for a period time, much like cell phones do today. Windows 7 also adapts to your activity intelligently. For example, if the screen dims after 30 seconds and you immediately move the mouse to brighten the display, Windows 7 will wait 60 seconds before dimming the display again.

Adaptive display before and after