In addition to the exciting hardware that was introduced at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (I featured some of the biggest highlights in my post last week, read it here), software wasn't a no-show to the industry expo either. Windows did make it to the show to announce that the next version of Windows, formally called Windows 7, will be available in open beta to all test volunteers; however, this official release was only the second sight of the operating system since it had been leaked online earlier in this last December. Despite that control issue with Microsoft, many benchmarking tests have been done with the beta version, and it's been shown that this new version will be faster than XP and Vista in doing many different operations, like booting and shut-down time, and many productivity-focused actions.
At face value, this looks like a great step up from where Windows fell with Vista, leaving itself in a horrible marketing and advertising mess when selling the now 2-year old operating system. But is Windows 7 really a product that saves users from Vista, and do users really need to be saved from Vista in the first place? If you keep reading, I'll go into some of the features that have been developed into Windows 7, and we'll see if it's really worth it's salt, or if it's time we give Vista another chance in our computers.

-Windows 7-

Windows 7, which was developed under the code names of Blackcomb and Vienna, is in the middle of a three-year development process with Microsoft and even then won't be released until the user and quality feedback approves it for sale. Many of the performance improvements focus on the use of the more recent and powerful multi-core processors, which are becoming much more common in modern computer systems, as long as you don't buy the budget package when building a new one. Other new features include native virtual drive support, affording you more options in accessing your data in a number of ways, and new “touch”, speech recognition, and tablet use. You can also expect better security and system maintenance features, too.
If we look at the more user-focused features, you'll find that this is where 7 puts some serious distance between it and Vista. With a new version of Windows Media Center, you'll be able to access desktop gadgets without the use of Vista's sidebar, and a feature called “Peek” turns all open windows transparent for a moment so you can get a clear look at those gadgets and any RSS news feeds posted to your desktop. Also, a new taskbar (called the “Superbar”) is utilized after changes have been made to the quick launch menu.
Other features and improvements most likely won't be used by the common user, like multi-GPU performance, for example. So this makes the improvements mostly focused on accessing your media, news, and other information rapidly and efficiently, while improving the overall performance and utilizing the full capabilities of your machine's hardware.

-Windows Vista-

Windows Vista was first released in late 2006 and finally made it to retail stores in Jan. 2007, and it experienced a rough welcoming experience with just about everybody that used it. Plagued with driver, compatibility, and security issues, many Windows users chose to downgrade their Vista-ready systems to the aging Windows XP operating system early on. The aggressive marketing and growing user-base of Apple systems hasn't helped it regain popularity as time went on, either.
But time has passed and most technology and electronics do get better with age, and that is exactly what happened with Vista. When Vista was first released, computer systems had to make a considerable jump in hardware requirements to really take the full strength of the system. Three years later, with the advancements made in integrated graphic processors, the lowered prices in computer memory, and dual-core processors becoming more common and affordable over time, it's easier than ever to find a Vista-ready computer for under $400. While it may be slower than Windows XP and apparently now slower than the Windows 7 beta, it's not unreasonably slow at all. With the release of Service Pack 1, the overall experience with Windows Vista has improved greatly. Driver and security issues have been addressed with automatic updates to the system. Even more important is that one of the impressive features of Windows 7 will be the new Direct X 11, which Vista supposedly will receive with the next Service Pack update, prolonging the operating system's lifetime.

So, when it comes down to it, should you really get excited about Windows 7 right now, is it ultimately the savior to early frustrated Windows Vista users? Honestly, I don't believe it is at this time. Yes, it is faster, that's the sign of an operating system using it's hardware more effectively and software being streamlined for a better user experience. But, as an experienced Windows user, I don't have a frustrating time with Vista in daily use, and I do prefer Vista over XP in a daily use system, especially when it comes to file management, and multi-media use. I don't anticipate that I'll recommend a switch to Windows 7 for the common user when it's released as a finalized product. And if you're the high-end user that wants to experience the latest and greatest that technology has to offer, then take the risk of early-adoption, but make the transition safe and secure through backups and dual-boot if you can afford the space.