By Jasmine Osada

The current most popular version of Windows, the XP, is eight years old now.

With its immediate successor Windows Vista not being the most popular with consumers, Windows 7, Microsoft's latest operating system, did indeed arrive at a good time.

Offered in both 32 and 64-bit versions the new operating system comes with the promise to give consumers what they want - the result of a massive consumer feedback exercise that came with the beta version.

Upgrading my PC from Vista to Windows 7 was easy - all I had to do was to click a few buttons and as the program did all the work for me. In all, the process took about 45 minutes, which was quite acceptable.

Turn on the computer and most users will notice that visually, Windows 7 does not differ too much from Vista. You still see the sleek, translucent and 'shiny' task bar and window interface that was first offered in Vista.

Run a few programs or surf the Internet for a while, however, and you'll notice how much Microsoft has improved its operating system.

For one, the annoying text boxes and system security questions are gone. Once you've tweaked your basic system settings, you will no longer see the "cancel or allow" security reminders that seem to pop up every other minute.

Windows 7 was also surprisingly backward compatible with plenty of programs and games, allaying my worries that some of my favourite PC game titles will no longer run on the new OS.

For those who enjoy keeping connected or own more than one computer in the home, Windows 7 also offers a new 'Homegroup' feature that allows users to transfer, share and play files on multiple devices and computers with minimal effort.

Nifty features such as the 'snap' function, which keeps windows to one half of a screen so that users can compare data easily without having to switch views, are also part of the new operating system's improvements.

The Verdict

This is a very much needed upgrade to the Windows operating system. With it's improvements and new features, users who are still on XP or are using Vista can look forward to better days by getting the upgrade that really delivers.