Windows 7 will be welcomed by Windows users and give Mac heads less to brag about

The launch of Windows 7 will complete the story on Microsoft’s ill-famed Vista operating system.

Windows 7 is faster, whiter and brighter than any previous version of Windows. Users are already flocking to it and the anticipation is building.

Here at NJN, we have tried several versions of the beta including the RTM final version. None of them were as easy to install and use as the offical release version.

We signed up for a Windows 7 Launch Party and Microsoft sent us a Party Pack that included both 32 bit and 64 bit versions. Each of them installed smoothly on laptop and desktop respectively.

The desktop is my primary computer that gets intense use throughout the day. My response is a muted wow.

Our launch party is called the Windows 7 Launch and Kitchen Party in honor of the defunct Thursday night kitchen parties at Brennan’s in Charlottetown, PEI. The subtitle – Geeks and Guitars – tells the story.

We will be spending some time observing the new chrome wheels of Windows 7 and more time just kicking up our heals with some good old guitar picking and strumming.

I see all the fixin’s arrived last night for an extra large batch of my famous chile-con-carne-but-not-kill-ye so today will be Chef’s Apron Day.

What’s to like in Windows 7

Try our 2 minute upgrade while you are reading. We set it to the Blue Danube Waltz which is peaceful. You can do lots of house work while upgrading. Almost everything is automatic.

The best thing about Windows 7 is it works right out of the box and into DVD drive. There were no glitches, hiccups or programs that stopped working.

One of my media catchers has a little glitch. It saves the cache files that are created when you watch videos online. No doubt the company will upgrade it soon.

Adobe Premier and Photoshop work better than they ever did, which is amazing since the RTM code stopped them in their tracks.

DS Technologies Easy Mail Merge is working without a glitch, another good news story since it crashed weekly with Vista.

I like Libraries in beta and love them now. Libraries collects all your files by type – pictures, videos, documents, and music – across all hard drives. To find something, you can search by type, day, month, rating, and tags. The feature is ultra convenient.

Is Windows 7 faster

That one is hard to say except I have been getting in trouble double clicking. When Vista would stall, my habit was to click again. In Windows 7 that takes me places I didn’t intend to go.

After reading several speed tests, subjectively it feels faster.

How to get Windows 7 cheap

Too late to throw a Launch Party which costs more than Windows 7.

New computers will ship with Windows 7 already. Amazon and Tiger Direct sent me overnight email flyers they are shipping today.

Every computer and office supply store will have it on the shelves tomorrow. If you buy a new computer it will be bundled in. Most of the computers sold since June 26 have free (shipping not included) upgrades.

Window 7 Home Premium retails for $120 but you can cut that to $50 a computer by purchasing the 3 license Family Pack. That’s the best deal I could find.

OEM pricing should be around $80 per computer.

Windows 7 Ultimate will sell for a stunning $320 and likely gather dust on shelves.

Whatever you do, don’t forget to back up your data and make sure you have your software installation disks before upgrading. Other than upgrading from Vista, Windows 7 will wipe your disk clean.

Happy computing. Mac users – eat our dust.