Comfy Computing Ltd

Windows 7 (The next system after Vista) is getting discernibly nearer).

What does this mean for people on Planet Comfy? Possible quite a bit. I know most of my clients using Vista have had to do so because XP ceased to be an option on home computers some while ago. I felt Vista as first released was no major improvement on XP.

However Windows 7 (W7) wont be supplanting Vista for some time. Microsoft haven't yet released an official version of W7 to PC makers and it may be some while off. There will however be various "flavours" of W7 and interestingly  a Windows XP Mode will be free for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate users. Some business applications didn't work well in Vista and this is set to remedy it: I suspect to lure happy XP users onto W7.

One point for potential PC buyers, it won't be long before, if you order a Vista based machine, you will get a free or very reasonable upgrade to W7, because if MS didn't facilitate this, sales of Vista PC's would decline pending W7 being fully available. This is my prediction but individual makers will have their own policies. Don't rely on the vague assurance of a salesman though: as always be sure when you but a new PC. It looks like you may have to do research on the day you buy or order it at the moment.