Now in its beta phase, Windows 7 can be pre-ordered for its launch date of Oct 22nd. If you enjoy Vista and wish to see how Windows 7 improves on the visual enhancements that separated Vista from XP, you can try out the release candidate RC version here.

I will probably need to revamp this review when the official release arrives, though going by the RC version, I can confirm that some subtle differences are in place mainly to excite Vista lovers. Though, some consideration has been given to Über XP fans still straying away from Vista. It’s not surprising since there have been so many issues with Vista’s performance.

So, as Vista still has not convinced many XP users, which way should those users go? Maybe Vista should be purchased and XP removed to stay up to date. Or, users can take the plunge into Windows 7 in October. The system requirements stipulated by Microsoft are:

• 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

• 1 GB RAM (32-bit) / 2 GB RAM (64-bit)

• 16 GB available disk space (32-bit) / 20 GB (64-bit)

Let’s look at the 2 systems and compare some prominent features that may help you. Vista users whom have grown to love the system will appreciate Windows 7 from the outset.

1. Installation was a standard process, really easy, so if you wish to test on a second unused PC – go for it. This was the 32 bit version, I can’t comment on the 64 bit version at this point.

2. As stated on the Microsoft site, “Windows 7 was designed to make your PC simpler — to be more reliable, more responsive and to make the things you do every day on your PC easier.” Documents opened much faster – so I can confirm this part. Simpler is a bit of stretch as XP users have to get used to a new visual desktop.

3. I found Windows 7 to start up a little faster though just seconds really. I installed several pieces of software that need to sit in the system tray, and on reboot, the system loaded up a little quicker than usual. Less services need to start on boot up, an on-demand routine occurs as opposed to loading all of them.

4. Homegroup helps with internet sharing for sending photos, files, etc. Creating a shared folder using Homegroup was an absolute breeze. Simply create a new Homegroup from the control panel, decide what is being shared and who gets access. You can set a password for internet sharing. This is great for home networkers whom want to link up PCs and set up a shared domain quickly.

5. Windows 7 excludes Windows Movie Maker and some others such as Windows Photo Gallery.

6. Windows 7 has an increased amount of support for different graphic card vendors.

7. The security center or Windows Action Center as it is now named contains all the necessary maintenance options and it is good to see the solutions for various issues housed in one place.

8. There is a nice feature called Aero Peek which basically is a button to the right of the clock. If you hover over it, all the open windows appear transparent. To be honest, I prefer to do this from the task bar or maybe old habits will die hard here. I found this feature most useful when maximizing windows so I could see which window sat behind the current one.

So, in conclusion, the OS:

• Accesses files quicker

• Allows my PC to boot up faster

• Runs applications faster and I can shut down hefty ones like Photoshop much quicker.

The official release is worth the wait.