Windows 7 is the newest version of Microsoft Windows, and was released for testing on July 22, with a public release set for October 22.  What is unusual about this new OS is that it is coming out less than three years after the release of its predecessor, Windows Vista.  It took seven years to go from Windows XP to Windows Vista!  The quick rollout is mostly due to the fact that Vista was poorly received (and still not selling well) and that Windows 7 is a less dramatic upgrade to Vista than Vista was to XP, so Microsoft did not have to rewrite everything from scratch. 

Vista introduced a large number of new features while Windows 7 is intended to be a more focused, incremental upgrade, with the goal of being fully compatible with applications and hardware with which Vista is already compatible. Changes touted by Microsoft have focused on multi-touch support, a redesigned Windows Shell (look and feel) with a new taskbar, a home networking system called HomeGroup, and performance improvements.

OIT will test Windows 7 upon its final release in October for compatibility with our network and standard software.  In the past, Windows upgrades have created problems with our Novell Network environment, so prematurely adopting the new OS would be a mistake.  Having said that, we are encouraged by the positive reviews 7 is getting and look forward to working with it, as it will likely be the standard PC operating system of the near future.