This post is one of a series of Windows 7 Taskbar posts and webcasts. You can watch Jump into the Windows 7 Taskbar Jump Lists webcast on Channel 9 for further technical information, or the entire Windows 7 Taskbar webcasts series. You can also download the code sample.
One of the first Windows 7 changes that developers should pay attention to is the new Windows Taskbar. This new feature introduces a functionality that developers need to understand so they can take full advantage of it in their own applications to better enhance their end users’ experiences.
The new Taskbar is the most noticeable change to Windows 7 when you first log on. The Windows 7 Taskbar is an application-launching and window-switching mechanism that consolidates the functionalities from previous Windows Desktop mechanisms such as Quick Launch, Recent Documents, Notification area icons, desktop shortcuts, and running application windows.