For year’s users of the hard working Microsoft Windows XP eagerly waited for the release of a new operating system from the Redmond software giant. The rumor mill was awash with stories of the development of their latest work codenamed “Blackcomb” but nothing definite to sate our appetites seemed to evolve from our rumor mongering.

Then in January 2007 (with much fanfare) Microsoft released an operating system codenamed “Longhorn” or more commonly known now as Microsoft Windows Vista. Being the technical junkie I am and needing my hi-tech fix I was one of the first of my peers to install it onto my computer, and also one of the first of my peers to remove it from my computer. Vista lived up to its codename and was a slow cow from the start. Vista looked great, but performed poorly.

So it was with a great deal of caution and skepticism that I approached their latest offering. Microsoft Windows 7 (codenamed Vienna). I downloaded the latest RC version and with some trepidation installed it onto one of my notebooks. I can honestly say that I was without a doubt blown away by the latest addition to the Microsoft family of operating systems.

Expecting a slow cow that I would have to quickly put down, I was instead seeing my slightly aging test laptop perform as well as it has ever done! It handled as quickly (if not quicker) as Windows XP but had all the features and eye candy of Windows Vista.

Windows 7 Desktop

With a startling fast boot time I was quickly presented with my new desktop… which quickly became my default workstation of choice. The guys at Redmond have clearly done their homework and everything about this OS is simply “better”.

Presented with a shiny new taskbar, a clean and smooth desktop and software that performs I feel like I am once again using the best desktop operating system on the market. Over the next couple of weeks I hope to share my experience and introduce you to some of the great features that Windows 7 offers.

This is what Windows Vista should have been in the first place, this is what the world was waiting for all those years ago, and it’s with no small sense of excitement that I hope to present to you, the operating system Windows 7 (Vienna)… formerly known as Blackcomb.