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.

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.

The Windows taskbar has always been where you found your open programs.  You could easily move from one to the other just by left clicking icons on the taskbar.  The Windows 7 taskbar works the same way, but it has a few handy features of which you might want to take advantage.

Microsoft has found a solution to a problem which caused some Windows 7 upgrades to freeze up before completion. But the firm has yet to solve a separate problem where machines are caught in a reboot cycle.

One of the leading players in the Linux world has described Windows 7 as “excellent”. But some of Mark Shuttleworth’s other comments are a perfect example of the phrase “damning with faint praise.”

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 advance hype is over and Windows 7 is now out in finished form (well, as finished as constantly updated software can be). Should you upgrade? That’s a question only you can answer, but we’ve got some tips and suggestions to help make that decision.

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.

Associating different programs with certain file types makes those files easy to open or listen to.  For instance, associating Microsoft Word with .doc files allows you to quickly open word files when you download them.  Other files can be associated with a variety of different programs.  Gif files, a type of picture file, can be opened by many different programs like Internet Explorer, Paint, Windows Media Player, Picasa and other photo/picture viewers.  What happens if your pictures or music don’t open in your preferred program? When that happens you need to change the file type association.

Windows 7’s launch was serious business for Microsoft. But that’s not stopped plenty of people finding more lighthearted ways to “celebrate” the release of the system.

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.

Windows 7 is finally here. What that means depends entirely on your perspective. Here’s our take on the impact Windows 7’s debut and potential success or failure could have on every corner of the tech world.

The British Amazon site says Windows 7 has become its most pre-ordered item ever, beating out the final Harry Potter book. It comes as some British buyers report receiving the system early in an apparent attempt to beat a postal strike.