Three years ago today, I was excitedly installing Microsoft Vista Ultimate and Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007. My computer is still running very well, just as it did during that heady night, except that Vista has morphed into Windows 7, and the only part of the original partnership left on my machine is Office 2007.

Normally, one would expect a list of differences and why new is better than old, mini-rants about how much easier Windows 7 is than Vista was. The thing is that Windows 7 is very good because Vista wasn’t, or so I am told because Vista was always good to me, for me. Windows 7 is very good because Vista was very good but some don’t want to see it or admit to it.

There wasn’t any excitement when I installed Windows 7 because there were some features which I already knew that I did not like. I installed it because if I didn’t, I would be left behind in the world of online community support. That was a worse scenario than struggling with an awkward menu system. However, I find the Vista style gadgets and other Vista vestiges reassuring, and all is well..

Thank you Vista, and Happy Birthday. Your offspring is doing ok thanks to the ground rules that you set..