Windows 7?

Many, many Microsoft XP users have resisted Vista. But perhaps they will move to Windows 7, coming in October?

Microsoft’s chart Upgrading your PC to Windows 7 doesn’t seem to offer much encouragement. As John Gruber says, “That’s a lot of blue boxes.” All upgrades from XP require a “Custom Install.” For some users, that will mean installing Windows 7 on a separate drive or partition to create a multi-boot system. Most users though will want a single operating system on an unpartitioned hard drive. They’ll need to do a clean install — backing up files and settings, wiping the drive, installing Windows 7, reinstalling programs, restoring settings, and moving back all files.

But first, they’ll need to decide which version of Windows 7 to purchase: Home Premium? Professional? Ultimate? Cool Mint?

At which point, they might decide that if there’s a move to make, it’s to a Mac.