You can view music or recorded TV shows from remote libraries and play them by streaming the material across the network. Or, if you want to watch a recorded TV show during, say, a flight, you can easily transfer it to your laptop so that you have a local copy for viewing.

With the PlayTo feature you can select songs--or even whole playlists--and direct them to stream to and play on connected devices. For example, you can choose a playlist on your Windows 7 PC and have it play on your streaming-compatible stereo system in your living room. A PlayTo icon is at the top of the playlist pane, on the right side of the Windows Media Player console. You can also right-click on Music and video files and choose PlayTo from the menu to select the devices to which you want to stream the media.

From Windows 2000 to XP to Vista, Microsoft has made steady improvements in the operating system's networking features and functionality. Years from now, though, Windows 7 will be remembered as the version that finally got it right, making networking simple enough that the average user can manage it without having to invite the family tech guru over for dinner.