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.

The release of any new operating system usually heralds a change in the market. It’s a volatile element being introduced to the marketplace, and it can change the way PCs are bought and sold. But although the release of Windows 7 is imminent, one analyst believes it will have little effect. Prices are unlikely to decrease or increase, which should make for a smooth transition from Vista to Windows 7.

Microsoft’s first foray into the mobile hardware market has been rumored for years, but it’s so far turned out to be vaporware, with nothing ever materializing. And it looks as though Project Pink, the latest step on the ladder, could soon be killed off before it’s been born. At least if an inside source is to be believed.

The whole world is still locked into a recession right now, and one of the sectors hit for consumer spending is technology. But there could be a savior on the horizon, and it’s probably not the one most people would have pictured. That’s right folks, Microsoft is about to save us by releasing Windows 7, an OS that could potentially persuade us all to spend once more.

The Zune was a failure, right? Without a doubt, yes it was. But rather than traipse off with its tail between its legs moaning about Apple tying up the market with its quality products, Microsoft stuck in there and tried again. The Zune HD has now been on sale almost a week and select retailers are already sold out of the device. What’s more, reviews of the Zune HD are proving to be generally very positive.

Should you upgrade or do a clean install once Windows 7 hits? Which will take longer, which will cause more bother? I’m afraid those questions aren’t easy to answer because it all depends on what system you have, how much data you have saved and what applications you have running. Microsoft reports that one Vista to Windows 7 upgrade could take almost a whole day to complete.

Microsoft is pulling no punches with its efforts to persuade consumers to choose Windows over its competitors. Just a day after details of a training program for Best Buy employees concerning Linux emerged, so has a similar program concerning the differences between PC and Mac. However, unlike Linux, most of the anti-Mac statements are accurate, at least in the exact way they are worded.

The original Zune failed to set the world alight in the way Microsoft had intended. Pitched against the iPod and poor early reviews, sales were slow in coming and remain stale. Thankfully, the Zune HD is on its way, however, Microsoft has decided to discontinue all existing models of the Zune to make way for it.

October is shaping up to be a busy month for Microsoft. Oct. 22 will see Windows 7 released to General Availability, while the new range of Windows Mobile-enabled Windows Phones will be available after Oct. 6. The question is whether Microsoft can gain the foothold in the smartphone market it has so far failed to grab and provide competition for the Apple iPhone.

Apple fanboys may well be very vocal in their love for Steve Jobs and co., but in reality Apple is small-time compared to Microsoft. Macs may be loved by certain niches and demographics but in reality it is Windows-based PCs that continue to dominate the market. With just weeks to go before Windows 7 is released to the general public Apple is becoming increasingly desperate, as its new ‘Get a Mac’ adverts demonstrate.

The Zune HD is shaping up to be everything the original Zune was not. HD video and radio are added to a bigger high-quality touchscreen. And the addition of the Nvidia Tegra chip with built-in graphics processing means the Zune HD is a powerful bit of kit. But will this be enough to allow the Zune HD to compete with the Apple iPod and iPod Touch?

Microsoft has slightly altered one of its recent ‘Laptop Hunters’ ads after receiving a complaint from Apple about pricing misinformation included in it. Rather than being a cause for Apple fanboys to whoop with joy at having forced Microsoft to act, this is a sweet victory for Microsoft because it shows Apple is being affected by the campaign. And not in a good way.

The recession, it seems, is now affecting even the largest companies in the world. And Microsoft is no exception. Faced with the economic downturn, and what is described as, “weakness in the global PC and server markets,” Microsoft announced its fourth quarter financial results, and they don’t make for positive reading.

Microsoft has always maintained that Windows Vista sold well despite the bad press it received in the run-up to launch and beyond. However, those figures are now being put into perspective by the Windows 7 sales figures in Europe. To say Windows 7 is proving popular is a huge understatement.

Windows 7 edges closer to release every day. And each new day brings new details on the release or facts surrounding it. The Windows 7 RTM now looks to have been finalized, and Microsoft has confirmed that people using the Release Candidate will have an option to upgrade to the retail version.