So why do I want Windows 7?

Unless you're living in a cave somewhere (and there are days I wish I was), you've heard that Microsoft is releasing a new version of their Windows operating system.  Called "Windows 7", it is a return to sane software version numbering and, some say, a "mea culpa" by Microsoft for Windows Vista.

I've been tampering with Windows 7 since the first beta, and I'm very pleasantly surpised with how it runs.  I installed it on an Acer Aspire One netbook (read: low-powered notebook), something I would never have dreamed of doing with Vista.

Some things I really like about Windows 7 so far:

• Installation was a breeze.  Very few questions to answer and it found all of my hardware (including my Targus Bluetooth USB module).
• Seems quite happy with just one gigabyte of RAM.  After installing AVG anti-virus, my Windows Home Server connector software and Skype, there's still 55% of the RAM left unused.
• On my netbook, it resumes from Stand By mode in less than five seconds.  Windows XP took around 20 seconds.
• The Vista "Aero" interface has been improved.  I especially like the icon groupings in the system tray and the small tab at the far right of the task bar that will render all your windows transparent if you want to see your desktop.  If you click it, all your windows get minimized.
  
• If you want to have two windows open and have them take up exactly half the screen each, drag one to the left or right edge of the screen and "Snap" it in place.  There are lots of UI features like Snap that you'll just have to go and try.

Things I didn't care for:

• Microsoft still produces both a 32-bit and a 64-bit flavor of Windows.  With RAM being big and cheap these days, I had really hoped they would make the jump and just start producing the 64-bit version.  They've done very well in the past with allowing 32-bit software to run in their 64-bit OS.  About the only reason I see for not going 64-bit only would be to allow a broader range of PCs to upgrade.  I expect that 32-bit OSes are going the way of the Dodo soon though.
• They're releasing it in time for the holidays but not in time for your new college freshman to get it on a brand new laptop in time for school.  Hopefully they'll offer a free-or-reduced upgrade to Windows 7 for folks who bought a PC recently.
• Their ReadyBoost function (introduced in Vista) that uses space on a flash drive or memory card to speed up the boot sequence is really picky.  It didn't like any of the SD cards I had lying around, including a new PNY Class 4 16GB card.  And whatever you do, don't format one of those for NTFS and then try to use it again (don't ask me how I know that).

So there you have it.  Windows 7 has a lot of nifty things in it, and if you're coming from XP (or, heaven forbid, something older), I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.  Confused for a while, but still pleasantly surprised.

By the way, we should mention that you can download the release candidate version (ie, last one before it goes off to be pressed onto discs) for free and use it until June 2010.

A brief history of Windows

(illustration courtesy Wikimedia Commons)