Release date: 22 October 2009

There are six editions available: Starter (not sold separately) Home Basic Home Premium Professional Enterprise Ultimate

No specific prices were available when going to print, but Microsoft said that retail prices should be similar to ­Windows Vista, and in some cases even slightly cheaper.

If you buy a PC with ­Windows Vista installed, make sure to ask the shop assistant if an ­upgrade to Windows 7 is available.

Windows 7 is less resource intensive than Vista with a faster boot-up time.

If you’ve ever tried ­working in two windows simultaneously you know what a drag it can be to resize them to fit on the screen. Aero Snap can align both next to each other in, well, a snap.

Jump Lists let you not only access recent ­documents, but also programs you’ve used recently. You can also pin shortcuts, such as playing music, to it.

Windows 7 features new versions of Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer.

The Windows Vista gadget sidebar has been ­removed, although you can still stick gadgets on the desktop. There is also better taskbar ­functionality.

Windows Action Centre takes care of both the maintenance and the ­security of the system.

BitLocker Disk Encryption with USB flash disks encryption capabilities available on Enterprise and Ultimate.

Native support for reading and writing Blu-ray disks.

Better calculator and Paint. As if that’s going to make you upgrade.

Helpful websites

List of all the Windows 7 features available on each package: http://tinyurl.com/yajn4ta
How to Make Windows 7 Installs Easy – http://tinyurl.com/ybd2fpt
News and Tips on Windows 7 – http://windows7news.com
Microsoft Website –www.microsoft.com/windows/