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 Windows 7 looks set to be significant milestone in the evolution of Mircosoft's operating system. After the lukewarn reception to Vista, many users had decided to stick with Windows XP, but early reports suggest that the new software also benefits from reduced pre-order prices which means that Microsoft has enjoyed healthy sales even before the actual DVDs were available for posting.

GETTING STARTED WITH WINDOWS 7

You shouldn’t have any problems working with the Windows 7 Start menu, but the new taskbar might take some getting used to - programs are shown as icons rather than bars by default,  and you can pin any application to the taskbar permanently for easy access. Installing new software applications and hardware devices works in much the same way as in Windows Vista, while the list of accessories included with the operating system is alongside similar lines. Two new applications bundled with Windows 7 with you might have already downloaded and used are Media Player 12 and Internet Explorer 8, and further free programs are available from the Windows Live network (point your Web browser towards http://home.love.com to see what’s available).

The Network and Sharing Center has received a number of extra tools and a few helpful tweaks, while the Security Center has been revamped to include maintenance tasks as well and is now known as the Action Center – this utility will still warn you about missing antivirus tools or an overdue spy ware scan, but it’s now also responsible for areas of your system such as checking for Windows updates and backing up your important data..

Like Windows Vista, Windows 7 offers Getting Start window that you can launch from the Accessories menu. The screen features quick links to a number of key area that you might want to familiarize yourself with, including a tool to transfer files and setting over form another computer.

The Start menu and taskbar have been improved, though they work in more or less the same way that they did in Vista. One difference is that some compatible programs will offer sub-menus that enable you to quickly access recent document or files, as in the Mcirosoft Excel example shown here.

Windows 7 introduces the concept of libraries, which enable you to group certain types of files and quickly access your music or video collections (for example) with a couple clicks of the mouse. You can customize each library as required and set up your own via the option on the toolbar.

Accessing and configuring your hardware devices is much more straight in Windows 7 – Visit the Devices and Printers link from the Start menu and you’ll see a screen similar to this one. For more details and related settings for a particular device, double-click on the relevant icon.

The digital media capabilities of Windows have been extended and tweaked, with the new Windows Media Player 12 offering a range of improved managing and sharing tools. Via the Stream menu you can stream your music collection across the PCs and devices in your home or even over the Web.

Many of the tools that were previously bundled with Windows, such as the instant messaging and email applications, can now be downloaded for free from the Windows Live website at http://diwbkaid.live.com. An improved Photo Gallery tool is on of the downloads available.