Who would've thought that an operating system could be exciting, but that's exactly what Windows 7 is. This new version of Windows is designed to make using your computer easier, fun and more productive for the suits among us.

Microsoft have listened to their users and come out fighting with an operating system that has been receiving high praise from various magazines, websites etc. Windows 7 isn't as power hungry as Vista so you can extend the life of older machines. With the popularity of laptops, netbooks and other portable devices MS have really gone to work on making it efficient so you should see extended battery life with battery powered devices such as laptops.

Like it or not Networking (grouping several computers or devices together) has grown in importance. Previously this was complicated and was the domain of geeks and nerds but Windows 7 has made this a lot easier. You'll easily be able to browse photos, music and video from other computers on your network or share one printer among several machines. Want to setup a server so your PC, PSP, PS3 can access all your digital content? With Windows 7 it's laughably easy.

With so many machines, so many hard drives and so many ways to lose track of your information searching is an important feature and with Windows 7 finding your files has never been easier. Just type what you're looking for into the search box and a list of results are returned. Windows even searches external hard drives, networked PCs and results are grouped by category and keywords are highlighted.

Connect to the web and you can download Windows Live Essentials for free. This fantastic feature gives you a load of great programs such as Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Mail, Movie Maker, Messenger and much more. Add to your Windows Experience with this nifty feature rich free programs.

Windows 7 comes with both 32bit and 64bit versions of the OS, meaning you can choose the version that best suits you. The 32bit version is suited to most everyday users while the 64bit is the choice of gamers and users who need a powerful machine for hardware intensive tasks such as photo and video editing.
If you have older programs that struggled to work or even didn't work at all with Vista then Windows 7 Ultimate and Professional should be the version(s) you choose as the best backwards compatibility for Windows XP programs can be found here.

Backing up your data is vital. If you have precious or valuable documents then Windows 7 Ultimate and Professional should be the version you choose. In addition to full-system Backup and Restore found in all editions, you can back up to a home or business network with these versions.

Features

• Easier to install and less power hungry than Vista
• Less annoying notifications and pop-ups
• Designed with mobile devices in mind so Windows 7 is more energy efficient
• Networking has been made alot easier. Share a printer among several machines. Setup an entertainment server so your various devices can access your music, photos, music and more
• Searching for documents and files is even easier
• Windows Live Essentials adds great free programs such as Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Mail, Movie Maker, Messenger and more
• 32bit and 64bit versions of Windows 7 included
• Strongest backwards compatibility with Windows XP programs can be found in Windows 7 Ultimate and Professional
• Superb data backup features. Do a system backup, restore and backup to a home or business network with the Ultimate and Professional versions of Windows 7