The much anticipated Windows 7 is due for release in October and after the disappointing effort that was Windows Vista, Microsoft will be hoping they have got things right this time.  Initial reports seem positive but here we have laid out some of the pros and cons to help you decide whether you are going to enjoy the newest member of the Microsoft progeny...

Things you might dislike...

Internet Explorer...

There is talk of the European version being without Internet Explorer.  There has been no advice from Microsoft yet on how people are supposed to get online to download a browser when they do not have one to use in the first place...

Upgrades...

Vista users will benefit from an ‘in-place upgrade' so the new operating system will replace the old.  However, this is not going to be possible for those using XP.  An odd decision when it is thought that the majority of people initially opting for Windows 7 will be those that decided to avoid the problematic Vista and stick with XP. 

The taskbar...

The taskbar has many likeable aspects until you attempt to pin things that don't want to be pinned but should be pinned!  After 5 minutes of application use the task bar starts to look like a bit of a dog's dinner.

Windows Media Player...

Windows 7 users are stuck with the unreliable and behind-the-times Media Player.  Microsoft have a better offering so why make people settle for second best?

Control Panel...

The Control Panel's simple overview is just too much.  It can now take a whole afternoon of drilling up and down to find where a certain category resides.

However, you might like...

Lack of pop-ups...

If you are a Vista user you will delighted with the fact that the annoying pop-up messages you put up with currently will be placed in a notification area on the taskbar to look at and deal with at your leisure.

Homegroup...

Homegroup allows users to easily share content such as music and pictures amongst PCs within a home network.

Bitlocker...

The Bitlocker encryption tool was available on Vista but only in some editions and for the boot drive of a PC.  In the new Windows 7 version, Bitlocker allows you to encrypt and password protect USB devices in case they are misplaced.

Libriaries...

Libraries are like folders but they bring together all the content from more than on location in one place. A particularly useful example is the pictures library that will bring together all the pictures available to that user from wherever they are stored on the hard drive or shared network.

Multi-touch...

For those that have touch screen compatibility, Windows 7 supports gesture based input control and it works with most of the available applications, not just those created for Windows 7.

In conclusion, there are going to be aspects of Windows 7 that will bug you, any operating system that you didn't create yourself would.  However, the final comment on the matter has to be:

It's not Vista.  Enough said.