What to Get and How to Install It

Microsoft intends for Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional to be the two editions that most consumers are apt to pick up. Your Average Joe should target the latter, whereas small business-themed customers will want to opt for the latter. Microsoft has yet to offer its official suggestions for or hardware recommendations for the operating systems, so stay tuned. However, that the various editions of Windows 7 will be able to run on a "very broad set of hardware, from small-notebook PCs (sometimes referred to as netbooks) to full gaming desktops."

Microsoft has yet to announce price points for any of the Windows 7 products. Upgrading from a lesser Windows 7 version to a more meaty variety will be handled through Microsoft's electronic upgrade capabilities. Going from a standard Vista Home Basic or Home Premium install to Windows 7 won't require a reformat of any kind. According to , the new operating system can be installed right overtop of these Vista editions without complications. Going from XP to Windows 7 will require a clean installation, as will jumping from a 32-bit Windows 7 installation to a 64-bit installation.