Microsoft is most definitely back. The combination of Windows 7 and the Bing search engine means that the company is in a fine position heading into 2010. Windows 7 continues to grab market share away from both Vista and XP and is managing to steal market share from its competitors. However it’s Yahoo rather than Google that is feeling the pain.

Microsoft has decided to open up the Windows 7 desktop to advertisers, with companies able to put together themes that can be downloaded to users’ computers. I can see many people hating this idea and accusing Microsoft of selling out but, really, what’s the problem? The themes are 100 percent free and 100 percent optional so I really cannot see the issue.

Windows 7 is a brilliant operating system. Of that there is no doubt. It’s what Vista should have been, built along the same lines but with less bloat and more features. So what’s the problem? The problem is that the look and feel of Windows 7 may have been inspired by the look and feel of Mac OS X, the operating system of Microsoft’s arch rival Apple. And that’s causing a hell of a storm of controversy.

It was good news when Microsoft released its Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool to enable owners of netbooks without an optical drive to upgrade to Windows 7. However, it’s bad news to learn that the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool possibly contained source code from the GPLv2-licensed ImageMaster project. Oh dear.

June saw Microsoft announce it was busy redesigning the MSN homepage. While it’s still a few months away from being rolled out to everyone, the new design has now made its debut. And the timing couldn’t be better, with Microsoft Web sites beating all comers, including Google, for total hours spent on them online.

Two weeks after the launch of Windows 7 and I think we can safely say it went rather well. There was a successful build-up to the launch, a huge buzz created around the new operating system, and despite a few upgrade hiccups, very few technical difficulties for end users. And first week sales figures suggest consumers responded by opening their wallets.

Just a fortnight after announcing the deal, Microsoft got its knickers in a twist and pulled out of sponsoring Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show. But never mind, because another sponsor has stepped into the breach. Microsoft, meanwhile, has been shown to have what most people would consider double standards when it comes to which shows to advertise on.

When Microsoft announced Microsoft Security Essentials, its new free antivirus software designed to replace Windows Live OneCare, it was treated with contempt by the vendors of both other free antivirus software and the paid-for security suites. But a recent testing of the most popular antivirus products placed MSE on a par with the paid-for products and above its free competitors.

It took Microsoft a long time to decide to enter the retail sector and open stores of its own. But it’s finally doing so, and going head-to-head with bitter rival Apple in the process. With the opening of its second store, in the same mall as an Apple Store, the war is finally on.

Two weeks ago, Microsoft proudly announced it was to be the sole sponsor of Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show. Now, all of a sudden, it has pulled out due to issues over the content. Has no one at Microsoft ever seen Family Guy before? Because it looks as though someone made the decision after finally watching an episode of the hit show.

The release of Windows 7 went well, with just a few problems marring an otherwise perfect launch. It succeeded where Vista failed two-and-a-half years ago. But there was one strange addition to the Windows 7 launch that I don’t recall ever being present at the launch of any other operating system, Microsoft or otherwise. That’s right, burgers seemed to be the order of the day for some inexplicable reason.

It’s not been a bad week for Microsoft. Thursday saw the release of Windows 7, and Friday saw the company announce its quarterly results. Although not fantastic, they are better than expected and the market reacted positively, with Microsoft shares rising by 9 percent at one stage of the trading day.

It took its time in finally arriving but it’s now here at last. Windows 7 went on general sale yesterday around the world. In many ways, the true test for Microsoft’s new operating system now begins. Beta testing is fine but it cannot ever hope to compete with millions of average everyday PC users installing and using the OS on their machines.

Apple has had its own retail stores for some time now, and they have proved very successful, both in terms of ringing up sales and building a bond between the company and its customers. Now Microsoft is moving in on Apple’s turf, with its first two retail stores due to open by the end of the month to coincide with the release of Windows 7. Can Microsoft outdo Apple in the retail sector or is this going to be an epic fail?

Microsoft is currently gearing up for the massive, and massively important, launch of Windows 7, which goes on general availability on Oct. 22. But in China, pirates have already preceded the official launch of the new operating system, and consumers can buy a copy of Windows 7 for an absolute pittance.