Windows Vista and Windows 7 have much in common. They are based on the same architecture and share similar features, functions and programs. However, in Windows 7 Microsoft has fixed many of the issues found in Windows Vista that made many Windows XP users hesitant to upgrade. That means we shouldn’t see the compatibility hassles we saw with Vista. Microsoft has certainly addressed many of the complaints surrounding Vista, such as the lack of backward compatibility, the lengthy start-up and install times, the large disk and memory footprint. Microsoft has also added a number of new interface helpers that will make the new OS more pleasurable and efficient to use.

Windows 7 is the latest offering from Microsoft as its new operating system. It contains much of the functionality and features of Vista, but also is streamlined to run faster and avoid some of Vista’s problems. For those considering upgrading to Windows 7, it is important to understand what’s new with Windows 7 as well as what are the minimum requirements in order to have a successful upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7.

If you use Windows Vista right now, but are thinking of upgrading to Windows 7, you need to make sure that your current system has what it takes to run the new operating system. Depending on your hardware and current edition of Vista, you can make use of the Upgrade option during Windows 7 installation to upgrade from Windows Vista to a corresponding version of Windows 7.

Upgrading is the most convenient way to get Windows 7 up and running on our computer, because it keeps your files, settings and programs intact from where Vista is in place. Windows 7 offers a compelling combination of faster boot times, improved responsiveness, and several fun and practical user interface enhancements.
If your current edition of Windows Vista can’t be upgraded to the edition of Windows 7 that you want to use, you can still install Windows 7 by using the custom installation instead. Take note however, that the Custom installation doesn’t preserve your files, programs and settings. For the step-by-step guide on how to perform a custom installation by visiting Upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 (custom installation).

Systems running Microsoft Windows Vista OS, particularly the Home Premium most likely meet the current requirements of Windows 7.

Here are some installation options to upgrade to Windows 7.

Most desktops or laptops bought in 2006 or later should be able to run Windows 7 fine. If you want to make sure that your current system can run Windows 7 or if your desktop or laptops is on the borderline in terms of age and/or does not run Vista, you should first download and run Microsoft’s Upgrade Advisor. This tool will scan you current hardware, devices, and installed programs for known compatibility issues, gives you guidance on how to resolve potential issues found, and recommends what to do before you upgrade or if it’s a lost cause for your current system.

Also, visit the Windows 7 Compatibility Center to see what works with Windows 7 and find direct links to drivers, updates, and downloads.

Google is making a noise in announcing a new project – the Google Chrome Operating System in its effort to venture into the world of operating systems alongside the giant Microsoft, Mac OSX from Apple, Fedora and Ubuntu from the open-source community. The new operating system attempts to challenge the dominance of Microsoft’s Windows system.

The Google Chrome OS (GCos) is now under development and will be an open-source, lightweight operating system that will be targeted toward netbooks - the smaller, no-frills, low-cost version of laptops. Netbooks are Atom- powered mini-computers such as ASUS EEEPC, MSI Wind and so on. The new Google Chrome Operating System will be running on top of a Linux kernel and as Google announced it will be absolutely free as it will be open-source like Fedora and Ubuntu.

Google already has an existing operating system with a moniker “Android” which was designed to work across a variety of devices from phones, to set-top boxes to netbooks. If you want to give Google Android a try without buying a T-Mobile G1/G2/G3 or netbook, you can download a LiveCD disc image of the “Android” from the internet. Just burn the image to a disc, insert it in your CD or DVD ROM drive, reboot your computer and let it boot from the CD or DVD ROM drive so that you can check out Android without installing it or affecting any files on your PC. The image was also tested working on Virtual Machine, VirtualBox and VMware platforms.
The Google Chrome Operating System is targeted for people who spend most of their time on the internet, and is being designed to power computers ranging from netbooks to full-size desktop systems.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key factors of the new Google Chrome OS. The new OS will be designed to be fast and lightweight and to startup and get you on the web in a few seconds. The user interface will be minimal and as what they did in Google Chrome browser, they will be going back to the basics and completely redesigning underlying security of the new Operating System so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates.

I was able to test and use different distributions of open-source operating systems that are already available. Each one has its weaknesses and strong points. Google has a lot of work to do and will definitely need a lot of help from the open-source community to realize their vision. This will create a lot of hype, but it will surely take some time before we see the new Google Chrome OS running on netbooks. Let’s wait and see what Google has to offer with this new Operating System. It’s going to be a tough job for Google, but let’s see if they will keep their word.