Microsoft’s release of Windows 7 also roughly coincides with Apple’s release of its new Snow Leopard; for a visual comparison of the two operating systems, see our slideshow “Snow Leopard Versus Windows 7.”

Consult “Windows 7 Performance Tests” for Windows 7 performance test results, and “How to Upgrade to Windows 7″ for hands-on advice on the best way to install it.

The Windows experience occurs mainly in its Taskbar–especially in the Start menu and System Tray.

The new Taskbar replaces the old small icons and text labels for running apps with larger, unlabeled icons

Windows 7 eliminates Quick Launch and folds its capabilities into the Taskbar

Also new in Windows 7′s Taskbar is a feature called Jump Lists. These menus resemble the context-sensitive ones you get when you right-click within various Windows applications, except that you don’t have to be inside an app to use them. Internet Explorer 8′s Jump List, for example, lets you open the browser and load a fresh tab, initiate an InPrivate stealth browsing session, or go directly to any of eight frequently visited Web pages. Non-Microsoft apps can offer Jump Lists, too, if their developers follow the guidelines for creating them.