On October 22 Windows 7 will publically be launched worldwide, although many reading this may already have it on their computers as Microsoft released the code to volume licence customers earlier in 2009.
Windows 7 is a crucial release for Microsoft in the increasingly heated battle it faces against Apple, Google and open source operating systems such as Linux.
If you are already using Windows 7, you will have noticed that it is lightweight, more visually appealing than its predecessors and has vastly improved usability.
Windows Vista was not the most successful of operating system releases from Microsoft and Windows 7 has been designed to re-establish Microsoft's lead in this market, while also finally ridding the company of Windows XP which has been increasingly used on lower-end PCs and netbooks.
Leaner and cleaner
A positive side-effect of Windows 7's leaner, meaner development is that it is quite lightweight on a system and doesn't come bundled with countless applications that will most likely not be used by most computer owners.
Instead, Microsoft has taken some of the applications that used to be bundled with Windows - such as Microsoft Live Messenger and Microsoft Mail - and made these available as free downloads. In countries like South Africa where bandwidth is limited, Microsoft will send discs containing the software to users who request it, free of charge.
One thing Microsoft has not changed, however, is the confusing practice of providing Windows in a variety of different versions or SKUs, instead of releasing just one reasonably priced version, like Apple does with OS X.
So consumers are burdened with choosing between Windows 7 Home, Business, Ultimate and other versions. In South Africa we also have two extra versions you won't find outside of the developing world in the form of Windows 7 Home Basic and Starter Edition. These scaled-down versions of Windows 7 will be made available at a reduced price, but have limited functionality.
Windows 7 uses the same core operating system kernel originally developed for Vista, albeit a newer version. Windows 7 is really what Vista should have been.
When Vista was launched after a tumultuous development period plagued by delays, Microsoft announced it would bring the next version of Windows to the market within three years - a deadline it has met.
With Windows 7 the user access control technology Microsoft introduced in Vista is still there, prompting users for their approval of various processes in the operating system, but these can now be fine-tuned and aim to be less obtrusive and annoying.
Windows 7 also aims to work better with peripheral devices plugged into your computer, making them easier to identify and use. Because it uses the same driver framework as Vista, users can also rest assured that their existing hardware will work with Windows 7, if it was supported for Vista.
Measuring up in the marketplace
There are other features less obvious to users but welcome nonetheless, such as better support for media formats used for music and movies. The Windows desktop environment, including the taskbar, also has some new features to help you switch between applications and manage Windows on your desktop.
Most importantly, however, is the fact that Windows 7 just works. I have been using it since the early beta testing period and am happy that not much has changed between then and the finished product in terms of speed and stability, which it already gained at a very early stage of development.
Windows 7 also stands up nicely to the competition, which is crucial for Microsoft's survival as leader of the operating system market. Apple continues to make inroads in the computing space with its OS X operating system and flashy accompanying hardware. Linux is also growing gradually in desktop use and things will get interesting when Google launches its Chrome OS, which is really just a Linux environment that forms a foundation for the company's Chrome browser.
Operating systems are also becoming more relevant in terms of mobile platforms, and the continuing convergence of portable computers and other mobile devices will bring increasing competition for Microsoft.
For the time being, however, Windows 7 is a decent competitor and an example of how Microsoft has changed in terms of becoming more open towards the standards and software it allows to integrate with its platforms, and to customer feedback which increasingly shapes the development of its products.
- Fin24.com