Introduction:
The most anticipated Microsoft Windows has arrived! Windows 7 will allow current machines perform better and faster than its predecessor – Vista ugh!!


Sure enough, like XP or Vista before it, people feared having to adapt to a new work environment, but really, the Windows family has been pretty much the same until now. Before you say “No!” to the new interface, the learning curve is pretty linear, in another words, easy to use.

Not just the user interface is easier than ever, Windows 7 also gives users more battery minutes than Vista or XP would. Here we have a screenshot of the task manager showing the number of tasks and the memory used on my lovely Aspire One


This is running on an A110 with a 2.5 inch HDD mod and 1.5GB RAM. The Aspire One performs surprisingly well with 7, so Microsoft’s claims that they designed 7 to run on netbooks too were true after all…
the Windows 7 index has moved from maximum of 5.9 to 7.9, of course, the Aspire One still can’t get to 5.9 anyways.


Features:
Windows 7 may have a smaller install weight, but the reasons are obvious. Features such as Windows Movie Maker have been left out (and no, webcam recording just like in Vista is also missing). To get these features, you have to install them through internet connection with “Windows Live” connection.


Performance:
Microsoft realized just how much Vista was such a resource hog (memory consuming) and finally took the effort to trim down memory usage by reducing the number of processes as can be seen in the task manager screenshot I have shown above (note, different machines may have a different number of processes depending on the driver or driver software required on the machine).

Windows 7 doesn’t just improve the real performance; by trimming down the number of processes running simultaneously, there is now a greater portion of the available speed for your applications and for laptop users that means better battery hours!

Usability:



Windows 7 included what is called “peek”. Back in Vista, when you have multiple pages of word documents opened, it shrinks them all into a small list on the task bar, in 7, we are now able to quickly peek at the selection when we mouse over the thumbnail with a touch of fading transition effect. This feature allows you to select the window you need more precisely.

Compatibility:
It has been advertised that Windows 7 will run any Windows Vista software. On selected CPU’s with Intel Virtualization Technology (VT) or AMD Virtualization (V) you can run applications in native “XP mode”. This is possible by sharing the hardware to a separate virtual machine but powered by original power with real XP drivers, this ensures full XP compatibility for any users that fear incompatibility for any older software that they still keep.

Remarks:
Windows 7 is definitely ready for consumer use, pricing is also slightly better than when Vista first hit the market.

Be sure to share your experiences!