As someone who performs almost every computing task on a Mac (for the past one and a half years) and tells anyone who will listen that the average consumer should be using a Mac instead of a Windows machine because of security and stability, I’m starting to prep myself for the single moment that I thought would never come: I’ll be using a Windows 7 machine as my main computer and telling anyone who will listen that, believe it or not, using the latest Microsoft operating system is truly worth it – once again.
And from another diehard Apple fan:
Those who think I continually bash Microsoft products for no reason, like to label me an Apple fanboy. But as I’ve said time and time again, I’m more than willing to give any product or service a shot, I just have one requirement: It has to be good.
For the past several years that just hasn’t been the case with most of the Microsoft products I’ve used (the Xbox being one exception), and I’ve had no problem saying as much. But get ready, I think I’ve found one I like — and it’s a big one: Windows 7.
[…]
I like it because it looks fairly nice (thanks to yes, borrowing some elements from OS X), runs smoothly (especially for a beta) and is fast — even on the machine I have it on which is nearly 3 years old. … I honestly would not mind using Windows 7 on a daily basis.
(via Sarah)
Ed Bott (@ wordpress.com) 
This is weird. Microsoft must be doing some magic or something!
There is an high probability that lots of Mac users will like Windows 7 while PC (read: Windows XP) users won’t like it cause it’s very similar to Windows Vista (which I consider a big improvement over Windows XP).
Ironically, there is much to like in Windows 7 because Vista did the heavy lifting.
I use all kinds of OSes (Mac – Leopard) Vista, XP, Windows 7, Xandros (on an ASUS Eee PC) and Ubuntu. They all have good points. They all have warts.
But, I think Windows 7 Beta 7000 is a harbinger of good things coming from Microsoft. If my experience is like others, it will be really big.
This is a test of the borked WPSpam plugin that Ed has recently installed. I continually get error messages in Firefox 3.0.6 even though Cookies and JavaScript are enabled. This is frustrating.
Addendum to prior post: should read Firefox 3.0.5
When Apple starts bashing Windows 7 rather then Vista, we’ll see these people change their attitudes. Microsoft’s PR movement did little to nothing to help stem the tide or negative PR. Either that or maybe they are getting the reality that Apple straight out lies, if not fudges the truth a few miles.
Amazing!
Hey Ed, this is a little out of the topic but I was looking forward on seeing Accelerator in W7 (huge fan in IE8) but I googled around and apparently it’s not includid on this build (I think it was on one of the previous builds). Also, the implementation seems to be odd, I imagine it being “universally” included on the context (like copy/paste) menu but it was implemented as a toolbar in the taskbar. Really odd.
Accelerators (plural) are there. They’re available as a popup menu (blue arrow in a box) when you make a selection in IE8. You can see all available Accelerators from Tools, Manage Add-ons. Third item in the dialog box.
Vista is a Great OS, and Windows 7 takes it even further.
It looks like Microsoft has a hit on its hands
Well, let’s wait and see, WHAT is going to be released.
@Ed
Yeah, but I thought Accelerators will be integrated as part of the OS itself. It was included on build 6780, Look here:
http://www.withinwindows.com/2008/12/17/accelerators-for-windows-7-missing-in-action/
But apparently it’s not on the the current beta.
Ah, I see what you mean. The new pohilosophy is fairly simple. Things get cut, they don’t get added. That’s how you ship a product. So it won’t be back for this release. Maybe later.
It also might have been cut for antitrust concerns.
I have been using the beta since it realeased. I recently Bought a Core I7 but it seems its way too new to have drivers yet. So I am waiting. Even though it doesnt have drivers, this thing crunches numbers in a way never imagined by my person. its… just incredible.
It moves with such an smooth pace.
Also I like the new taskbar, it has made me more productive and made my eternal hatred for the dock (since it first appeared and I first tried it back in 1996-98 on my development mac) scarier.
wishfull thinking