Windows 7 - installation experience

Having used it now for about 18 hours, I really like Windows 7.  It has a ton of refinements that make it easier to use.  It's much faster than Vista, and is rock solid so far. 

I installed it over the top of Vista on my own laptop - I always experiment on myself first!

I downloaded the upgrade advisor, http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=1b544e90-7659-4bd9-9e51-2497c146af15, and ran it.  It identified a handful of programs I'd installed that needed to be updated to run with Windows 7.  I also upgraded to Norton Internet Security 2010, just to be sure.

I decided to install as an upgrade, rather than starting from scratch.  The installation took almost 3 hours.  It didn't ask me a thing after it got started.  I just watched it go.  Remember, I have a TON of software installed on my machine - more than most people. 

As it started, it identified two additional pieces of software that I needed to update for Vista. N.B.: the majority of the total of 10 programs I was advised to update were Lenovo utility programs, most of which I don't seem to need, since I just removed them and haven't reinstalled them.

There have been NO wrinkles after the update, with one exception, and that's a program I use extensively.  This program, the very cool MaxiVista, isn't something normal people would use, though, and the only action I had to take was to uninstall and reinstall it.  It adds virtual display drivers, and they needed to be added in to 7 directly.

All in all, very easy, if a bit slow.  I understand that a clean install can take mere minutes.  This would be because a clean install doesn't have to preserve and update all the settings and programs from the previous operating system.

If I were a normal person would I pay $219.00 for the Windows 7 Ultimate upgrade?  Probably not.  The upgrade to 7 Professional for $200 or to Home Premium for $120, maybe. 

I would without hesitation buy a new machine with Windows 7 instead of either the aging Windows XP or the much (and unjustifiably) maligned Windows Vista, though!