If you didn’t like what I said, or you think that I was nitpicking, consider this. Many PC users have been running XP since it was introduced. I know that there was some resistance at first because it looked different and stuff had been moved about, BUT everything ‘Windows’ was there. A five year active life is a long time for an operating system, long enough for users to get stuck in a rut, perhaps.

When Vista came along, it should have taken all that XP was and run ahead with it. Vista was everything that XP was and more; more security, more features, more stuff moved around, more problems. Hardware incompatibility was not the most prominent of the problems. Bulk and crippling performance topped the list. In actual fact, Vista performance is nothing like as bad as it was, what with the patches and fixes which have filtered through Windows Update, but the bulk and some of the glitches remain.

PC users will have had a further two years of XP up to the point where Windows 7 is released, and first impressions are going to count. The five points I stated are what XP users are first NOT going to see. Many are going to think ‘uh oh, Vista Mk 2’ and reel back quickly.

Windows 7 will have its big opening day very soon and access to the lot is fast, but where are the doors which will let users in? Presently, the only way in is through a small window.