Windows 7 is in wide release and IT Business Edge contributor Rob Enderle says the new OS is change for the better. He says Windows 7 is what Vista should have been. The new platform is fast, key features work as expected and there is enough new to be interesting.

Here are some of Enderle's observations about Windows 7.

• A clean install is better. Clean installs, while they take a bit longer, are always better.  You end up with a new system with all new drivers. If you do an upgrade, there is a chance malware, improper settings, or non-compliant drivers will pass to the new system, and you’ll spend days trying to figure out what has gone wrong.  If you have a virus, it is likely it, too, will be passed to the new system and, because it is part of the initial boot image, it may be much more difficult for an antivirus product to find it.

• Desktop suspend, particularly on new hardware, is worth the price of admission. When suspended, the hardware drops into low-powered sleep -- all lights and fans go off and then nearly instantly wake up when the mouse is moved.

• One cute feature in Windows 7 is that when you connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot that requires you open a Web page and sign in, the task bar icon generates a message telling you to do this so you don’t sit there wondering why you’re connected and nothing seems to be working.

There are an endless number of other features, some of which Enderle describes in his blog.

Don't forget about these Windows 7 resources in the Knowledge Network, as well:

• Windows 7 Features Checklist
• Windows 7 Pocket Guide Excerpt