I have been using Windows Vista for almost two years now and I have had Windows 7 Beta installed for about 5 months. Vista to me was has done poorly mainly because the operating system came out too early compared to the price of the hardware that it required. A PC running Windows XP more than likely could not run Windows Vista. The graphics are too heavy by default and the amount of RAM it uses to run the OS made it really hard for the average person excited about upgrading to Vista. On a machine built for Windows XP Vista feels very bloated.

Windows 7 seems like Microsoft finally got it right. The difference seems to be in the way that Microsoft developed the way Windows handles the desktop graphics. Windows 7 still feels a lot like Vista. A user that has never been on Windows Vista will have the same trouble getting used to 7 as if they were to go to Vista. The option menus are almost identical and the administrative portions of Windows 7 are basically identical to Vista.

If you are trying to figure out when to buy a new PC or laptop I would suggest waiting until you can get a machine that comes with Windows 7 pre-installed. It will cost you more if you buy a machine now and then upgrade later on. Plus as Windows 7 comes out there will be less and less support for Vista so the sooner you can get it the better.