Q:So the big media splash and commercial wars for Windows 7 have quieted. I am in the market for a PC. Should I plan on Microsoft's new operating system, and what can I expect? Answer: I wrote this article using Windows XP. Why? Because the 9 year-old XP is a solid operating system from Microsoft. It runs fast on current equipment and behaves well with a lot of legacy hardware and software. Plus, my laptop is about 4 years old.

The predecessor to Windows 7, Windows Vista, suffered from two major (and many minor) flaws. First, older machines struggled to keep up with the operating system demands, or found driver compatibility issues. Second, even new hardware hadn't caught up with the demands of the operating system. That meant it ran slowly on many machines that were available at the time of the launch.

Many had similar unfortunate experiences with Vista. So, you are understandably hesitant about Windows 7. Windows 7 is another story. By now you have upgraded your PC or plan to buy a new one soon. The current PC architecture and speed are more than enough for Windows 7. I don't see an upside in sticking to an old operating system for your Windows machine. Windows 7 is Your PC.

So, what can you expect? Do you have to learn a lot of new stuff? Microsoft might say no, but that's because it's trying to sell you something. So here are some helpful features of the Windows 7 user interface: It's pretty: Windows 7 continues the visual improvements introduced in Vista, called Aero. The windows, menus and other visual components are nice-looking.

Snap, shake and peek: Snap lets you quickly resize two windows split either horizontally or vertically by moving them to a screen edge. It's a great way to work side by side. Shake minimizes all open windows except the one you shake by jiggling your mouse. Peek quickly shows your desktop by making all open windows transparent.

Smart task bar: Hovering your mouse over minimized windows in your task bar displays thumbnails of the windows and allows you to maximize or close them quickly. You can also pin favorite tasks to a position you like. Easy network: With many of us running home networks with wireless routers, the HomeGroup network configuration makes setup a breeze.

Quick pick: Just right-click on an application, such as Internet Explorer or Media Player, and recently used documents show up for easy reload. There are lots of other features, but these likely will be your favorites and most-used.