The new Taskbar replaces the old small icons and text labels for running apps with larger, unlabeled icons. Vista gave the Start menu a welcome redesign in Windows 7, the Taskbar and the System Tray get a thorough makeover. The Windows experience occurs mainly in its Taskbar - especially in the Start menu and System Tray. ( is a NBC Universal-Microsoft joint venture.) Read on here for an in-depth look at how Microsoft has changed its OS - mostly for the better - in Windows 7. Consult ' Windows 7 Performance Tests' for Windows 7 performance test results, and ' How to Upgrade to Windows 7' for hands-on advice on the best way to install it. Microsoft's release of Windows 7 also roughly coincides with Apple's release of its new Snow Leopard for a visual comparison of the two operating systems, see our slideshow ' Snow Leopard Versus Windows 7.' Of course, an OS can't be a winner if it turns a zippy PC into a slowpoke or causes installation nightmares.

But overall, the final shipping version I test-drove appears to be the worthy successor to Windows XP that Vista never was. And some long-standing annoyances remain intact. Some features feel unfinished others won't realize their potential without heavy lifting by third parties.

Windows 7 user icons