If Windows 7 lacks anything compared to the popular Linux variant Ubuntu, it is the live weather information displayed in Ubuntu. If you want, then you can display the live weather information in Windows 7 too, using the free software called Weather Center. The Weather Center is a system tray (notification area) application that will display the current temperature and will give you up-to-date weather information. This program will give you the current weather conditions for just about any where in the world. Though the advanced weather features like Weather Alerts is only available for locations within the United States. Here is how you can show live weather information in Windows 7 :
- The Weather Center is designed in the .NET 4 Framework. So if you have not already installed the .NET 4 Framework on your Windows 7, you can download and install .NET 4 from http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=17718.
- Download Weather Center software from http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Weather-Home/Weather-Center.shtml. The downloaded installation file is an MSI package of around 5 MB in size. This MSI package installs easily in Windows. After the installation, it is required for you to restart the computer.
- After the computer starts, the Weather Center software auto-starts and you can see it in the notification area in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Before you can start using it, you will have to set a location. Right-click on its icon in the notification area and choose Change Location as shown.
- You can type the few words of your city or area (if you are in the USA, you can also type your ZIP code) and click on the Search button. Then choose the city/area from the list and click on the Set Location button. You are all set to go and use the Weather Center.
- Once the location is set, you can see the termperature in the Weather Center icon in the notification area. If now you click on this icon, then a small window shall popup showing the current weather information.
- If you right-click on this icon and select Open Weather Center then you would see a larger window with complete detailed weather information including the weather forecast for the next few days.
The program interface will change with your local sunrise and sunset times. Usually in the day time, this window will have the white background and at the night time, the window will have a black whiteground.
The Weather Center is a good attempt at providing the same ‘Weather Conditions’ features in Windows 7, which are available to Ubuntu Linux users. The Weather Center takes its data every few minutes from the Weather Channel web site and also speaks out the weather conditions every now and then. If you live in the USA, then it can also alert you for weather conditions and also for missing persons in your area. This is an excellant software to keep on your computer. Now if you are planning to go out, you do not have to check any web site for weather forecast – just right-click on the Weather Center icon and you will have all the weather information.