Where Vista felt like a sprawling mess, Windows 7 has patched up the holes and feels like a tight, unified mechanism. It's hardly full of surprises, but that's usually a good thing when it comes to operating systems.

The bottom line: Windows 7 is more than what Vista should have been, it's where Microsoft needed to go. How much damage Vista did and whether Windows 7 is enough for people to finally abandon Windows XP are questions that nobody has the answers to right now.

Microsoft took far too long to come up with a satisfactory replacement for Windows XP. But whether you choose to install Windows 7 on your current systems or get it on the next new PC you buy, you'll find that it's the unassuming, thoroughly practical upgrade you've been waiting for--flaws and all.

Windows XP was a great OS in its day. Windows Vista, once it found its feet several months in, was a good OS. With Windows 7, the OS is great again. It's what people said they wanted out of Windows: Solid, more nimble and the easiest, prettiest Windows yet. There's always a chance this won't be a...

So, firstly then - is it any good? Unequivocably yes. Windows 7 is the best OS Microsoft have ever made, and they've learnt all they necessary lessons from Vista. While it doesn't have some of the slickness of OS X, or the speed of Linux, it offers a fantastic compromise between the two...

"You hear some people describe Windows 7 as: “The stability of Windows XP combined with the Interface of Windows Vista”, but honestly Microsoft has takes Windows 7 even some steps further. A lot of attention is spend on productivity- and efficiency improvements. Therefore I’m really curious to...