This newest version of the Microsoft operating system is due for release on October 22, 2009. Windows 7 is (from all the tests results thus far) stable, smooth, and highly polished. Most importantly, it won't require the hardware upgrades that Vista demanded. After the release of Vista, hardware manufacturers have worked hard to “raise the bar”. However, if you have an older PC and are contemplately an upgrade, please download the "Microsoft 7 Upgrade Advisor" link on my HELP Page to examine your upgrade suitability.
Microsoft has gone to great lengths to make Windows 7 accessible to as many people as possible. Getting the general public to walk away from XP and accept 7, when there was such an enormous amount of bad press and emotion regarding Vista, has been Microsoft’s Job One. It's important to note that the public testing process for Windows 7 has constituted what many regard as the largest shareware trial period ever! This greatly diminishes the general public’s involvement in debugging – and that is a good thing! The end result is a rock stable, easy and beautiful operating system for all users – a fitting successor to Windows XP – which is widely accepted as the best Microsoft ever offered. As usual, Microsoft is offering six versions of Windows 7: Starter, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, OEM, and Enterprise. The four flagship offerings will be Home, Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. Microsoft will also offer a Starter version to consumers. Windows 7 will support continue to support both 32-bit and 64-bit systems.
The bare minimum requirements for the 32-bit version include: 1 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB available hard-disk space, and a DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver. 64-bit version systems will require at least a 1 GHz processor, 2 GB RAM, 20 GB of free space on your hard drive, and a DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver. A touch-screen monitor is required to take advantage of the native touch features.
In the coming weeks, there will be more about this latest and greatest offering from Microsoft - so check back!
