Microsoft’s new Operating System Windows 7 is officially on sale from today.

Microsoft’s new Operating System (OS) Windows 7 is officially on sale from today, and so far has seen good reviews across the board.

The new OS that follows the disappointing Windows Vista offers faster and more responsive performance for users whether run on a low-specification notebook or a high-powered professional desktop.

According to Microsoft, ‘Windows 7 allows computers to boot up faster and connect to a Wi-Fi network more quickly; searching for files and documents is easier, and results will be delivered more quickly, and grouped in to helpful categories to make it simple to find what you need.’

It enables the use of a touch screen, allowing windows to be moved, expanded and reduced using fingers – much like on an iPhone in fact. ‘Snaps’ allows a user to compare two open windows – simply grab a window and pull it to either side edge of the screen to fill half the screen. Then Snap the other window, and it’s easier than ever to compare those windows.

‘HomeGroup’ is set up automatically when Windows 7 is added to the first PC in a home network, allowing users to store digital photos on a computer in one part of the house, and access them from a laptop in another room; furthermore, any printers are shared automatically with all of the PCs in a home.

The taskbar is greatly improved, with the ability to pin any program to the taskbar so it is always just a click away and the icons can be rearranged on the taskbar just by clicking and dragging. Hovering over an icon will show you thumbnails of every file or window that opens in that program – if you then hover over the thumbnail, a full-screen preview of that window will appear.

The ‘Jump List’, which has been likened to a virtual corkboard, allows users to quickly reach the files they’ve been working with by right clicking the icon on the taskbar. Similarly to the taskbar, users can pin files to the Jump List so they’ll always appear – so favourite music, video and image files can be accessed easily.

There are substantial improvements in power management, too, with ports being turned off when they are not in use, and so this is an operating system that does what it should: unlike Vista, it shuts up, and keeps things going while the user carries on with whatever he/she is doing.

Batteries will live longer, but the programme learns from users’ behaviour too – recognising regular actions or preferences and adapting to them, such as moving the mouse as soon as the screen dims.

It was reported this morning that advance sales of Windows 7 at Amazon UK set an all-time record; the online retailer said that pre-orders for the Microsoft OS, which began in July, have been higher than for even the final Harry Potter book. It is clear that users of Windows XP will jump straight to Windows 7, and are likely to be pleased with the upgrade.

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