Windows 7: The Mobile Successor to Vista

How to form an opinion on Windows 7

Having installed Windows 7 Beta on my HP mini 2133 a couple of days ago, I'm back with some thoughts on Microsoft's latest OS. Firstly, let me say that I am compelled to agree with most beta-testers out there; Windows 7 shows remarkable promise as a mini-note, or mobile OS. Read on.....

My general feeling when trying Beta version software is one of mild trepidation, this stems form the idea that you're not going to get the finished, polished feel that the final release should offer. You are much more likely to get a cranky, odd and unattractive looking piece of software that still needs a final coat of paint. This is where Windows 7 really surprised me.

First off. The install was simple and flawless. Even the HP drivers (ok, with the exception of the 3-in-1 card reader), where included on the installation disk. This was enough to make me sit up and pay attention. Secondly, within minutes you're very much aware that this is no half baked Beta nightmare. Far from it. Windows 7 is slick, even by XP standards! It just seems to fly through most tasks with ease. No hassles, no grief.

And as well as the joys of having a really a responsive and quick desktop environment to play with, Windows 7 also brings a lot of the classy eye-candy that (at least some of us) have gotten used to with Vista. The transparent windows are back, the task bar has been revamped and there's a funky looking fish on your default desktop; although I haven't worked out if it's a big guppy, or a siamese fighter yet. I also really like the resource manager app. This can be accessed through the task manager and basically helps you to find out exactly what application is hogging resources. Again, nice move. Love it.

Actually the new taskbar is a real winner. Yes it is similar to what Apple did on OSX, but to be frank, it just seems to be such an obvious and intuitive step in the right direction that I reckon it'll eventually become standard on all desktops, including Linux. Hovering over an icon in the taskbar reveals what you have going on with that application, while non-running applications can also be pinned to the taskbar too. Icons man. They're the future.

Overall, Windows 7 picks up where Vista left off. It's polished, it's slick and it does what it says on the tin. Perhaps more importantly, Windows 7 is also well suited to mini-note and ultra portable devices. It uses significantly less system resources (especially system memory or RAM) than Vista and even takes up less physical space on your hard drive.

Although still in Beta - I certainly expect to see the first release candidate (RC1) appear soonish - Windows 7 looks like a winner. I can't wait to get my mobile mits on it.

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