The Register has a first-look review of the new Windows 7 operating system. It looks quite promising. It's more evolutionary than revolutionary, so it's probably closer to a second version of Vista than a completely new OS. This is a good thing - Vista is basically a sound operating system that is badly let down by a few stupid design decisions and a dauntingly high minimum hardware requirement.

Among the new and improved features in Windows 7:

• Better power management and resource usage - so it will run faster and longer than Vista on the same hardware.
• All new Windows taskbar.
• Revisions to User Account Control - it can now be adjusted as to how intrusive it is (this is my number 1 annoyance with Windows Vista!)
• The Sidebar has been scrapped, and the gadgets can now be placed on the desktop itself.
• Bitlocker data encryption has been extended to cover USB drives and external media (the government should be pleased to hear this...)

This looks like it might just be the version of Windows that Vista should have been!