Pretty Impressed (Longtime Mac User)

As a long term (15 years) Mac (By choice) and Windows XP (At work) user I just wanted to take the opportunity to give my two penneth about my initial impressions of Windows 7.

Although I absolutely detest using XP with a passion and personally find it a horrible, horrible system to use (I know many people love it but that is just how I personally find it), and was completely underwhelmed with Vista, I have been pleasantly surprised with Windows 7!

I have a PC laptop that I use predomintantly for work purposes and since making the decision to install the Windows 7 RC on it on Saturday, I can honestly say that for the first time I no longer view using it as a chore but actually enjoy the experience!

Although I'm no 'Apple is God, Microsoft is the Devil' type of person, I could never have imagined ever finding a Microsoft system both pleasurable or even fairly intuitive to use but thus far with Windows 7 that is indeed what I have found on both counts.

Although I love OSX and have no intention of ditching it, I can now genuinely look forward to a future where I can live in a 2 operating system environment without feeling like one of them is constantly battling against me!

After Vista I was actually pretty sure that it was the beginning of the end for Microsoft in the OS stakes but I have to take my hat off to them for pulling this little gem out of the bag! (And I'm still in shock that I've actually just written this! LOL)

Ive been a long term user of Windows from Windows 3.1 and been with the highs and lows, and I have to agree that Windows 7 is deffinitely a high.

I think fans are just stubborn assholes (no offense) because it mostly means they buy products because they got apple logo or microsoft logo, not because they are actually good.

I like MS, I don't like apple generally, but I've found some of their stuff better than some others and I also hate IE even though I liked XP, vista and 7 (I was kinda noob with older versions, cant say a thing).

I'm fan of things that float my boat, not particular company.

Sorry for going off-topic but I'd just thought I'd give out a lill rant or something.

Thanks for the warm welcome folks:)

I entirely agree that it is combination of what works for you and what you are used to.

As a Mac user I have encountered many frustrations in the past getting to grips with the Microsoft way of thinking (Especially pre Vista) when using their OSs but know that this is equally the case the other way round with people used to Windows trying to get to grips with a Mac and being equally frustrated.

However, once you get au fait with any system and how it works then the difficulties/differences become less relevant. The biggest obstacle to overcome (And this is true for any OS) is to realise that, for example, XP is not OSX, Vista is not Ubuntu etc., etc., etc. so people shouldn't try to use any of them as if they are something they are not. This is where many misconceptions and elements fanboyism are created, mainly through ignorance.

I also think that individual learning styles also play a part here. For example, as an extremely visual learner, I'll use a crude analogy here, if I see Windows 7 and OSX as the 2 hot twin supermodels you've just pulled and Vista is the plain looking girl next door who offers you it on a plate, then XP is the toothless growler you wake up next to the morning after supping 12 pints the night before