Plug a device into your Windows Vista computer and--poof! Nothing happens. Plug a device into a Windows 7 machine, on the other hand, and a photo realistic image of it appears in your taskbar, where it lives permanently, offering you easy access to some common tasks, services, and information. Microsoft calls it Device Stage; let's walk through what it does for cell phones like the Nokia N95.

Getting the N95 working properly took some legwork, because different drivers install based on which mode you connect the phone in. First, install Nokia's Ovi Suite--the Music app isn't compatible with Windows 7, but everything else is. Restart, launch Ovi, and plug in the phone. Then Select PC Suite as the connection method from the N95's screen, and wait for device to finish setting up in Ovi. You'll see the N95 icon in Ovi when it's through. Then unplug the phone and reconnect it, this time selecting Media Transfer as the connection method from the device screen. Next bask in the glory.

But what does Device Stage do for the phone? After the jump, a full run-down on features.

Compatible products place their icons in your taskbar automatically; not so with the Nokia N95, though I suspect Device Stage conventions (such as precisely when and how this happens) still need to be codified. It's not Nokia's fault, in other words. Anyway, connect the phone and the window above appears, also reachable via a left-click on the new picture of the N95 in your taskbar. Right-click the taskbar icon instead (or left-click and slide your mouse upwards) for a handy jump list of common functions, the same ones listed in the window above. These make it easy to manage the music and pictures on the phone, access the manual, download software, import photos and videos, and so on.

Some quirks need to be worked out still. For example, click the N95's taskbar icon to open the Device Stage window and you'll get a second taskbar item. You might not notice it in the default taskbar view, where buttons are set to "Always combine, hide labels." Navigate to the taskbar's Properties menu, and change the option to "Combine when taskbar is full" and you'll see the problem more clearly, as in the following screen shot.

Also, some devices work much better with Device Stage than others. The Canon MP980 I tested worked off the bat, and a Sony Walkman I just tried out enabled still more neat features--I'll cover those shortly. Microsoft has published a list of currently compatible devices, and the company is working with hardware manufacturers to ensure that new products will use the interface. Worried about your old stuff? Yeah, you should be: If it's not on the list, don't count on support. Sigh. Off to the store with you! New gear beckons!