Can you imagine Windows 7 with a host of new and improved features? It may be hard to imagine but Windows 8—which is now arriving—will offer just that and much more. Should customers who are planning to buy a PC wait for Windows 8 or not?

That is the question on every one’s mind, but the answer from Microsoft is loud and clear. Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President and CFO for Windows and Windows Live, Tami Reller advised all Microsoft customers to start using Windows 7 instead of waiting for Windows 8. During the Worldwide Partner Conference in 2011, Tami stressed the though the future belongs to Windows 8, users should not hesitate to buy a PC with Windows 7.

The same sentiments were echoed by Redmond Company when customers were questioning whether to upgrade to Windows Vista or wait for Windows 7. Even though the Redmond Company position was that the natural step in the evolution towards Windows 7 was embracing Windows Vista, the majority of users ignored the recommendation.

Windows 7 is more advanced than all its predecessors from XP to Vista, and therefore the evolution to Windows 8 obviously started with Windows 7. With millions of users already using Windows 7 as their full time OS, it is the opportune time for other customers to upgrade their environment, modern hardware, modern applications and modern browser to a more modern OS. After using Windows 7 and fully grasping the navigation systems, upgrading to windows 8 will be easy.
XP Users

For consumers who have been using Windows XP as their operating system since its inception and can ride it out for a few more months, waiting for Windows 8 is not such a bad idea. Those who are able to wait will be able to upgrade months ahead of the general availability deadline.
Normally—and I do not expect this time to be any different—Microsoft will offer free upgrades to Windows 8 customers, especially to those who have bought windows 7 machines over a specific period of time.

Considering Windows XP is to expire on April 2014, businesses are advised to take action as soon as possible, as integrating and migrating from one version of windows to another can take years of planning, testing and piloting. Another important point to note is that a Garter report recently revealed that more than 50 percent of organizations that do not take the initiative to move to Windows 7 by mid 2012 will lay themselves open to bigger support costs due to the fact that the deployment of Windows 7 will not be complete prior to the support of Windows XP coming to an end.

You might be asking—where do all these challenges leave Windows 8? Considering the fact that Windows 8 is software, it’s usually safe to assume that any laptop or desktop can be upgraded when the need arises. But the fine print may suggest otherwise.

There may be necessary modifications of hardware for Windows 8 to run smoothly. Nothing to fret about though, as the added features on windows 8 make it worthwhile. From the pleasant nature of the touch-enabled Metro user interface to the Ivy Bridge for the people without the slightest bit of curiosity in a tablet-like laptop, Windows 8 has something for everyone.

For those of us whose dreams are filled with hybrid devices or powerful devices that can be used as both a tablet and or a semi-laptop, like the Asus Eepad Transformer Prime windows version, all I can say is hold your horses and wait for Windows 8. The best windows 8 tablet in the world is the one and only Lenovo manufactured Yoga IdeaPad, which can be opened like an ordinary laptop but is capable of being turned over into a tablet. If you cannot wait for the official launch of windows 8, then do pray that Microsoft will debut soon some laptops from Acer and Samsung, as it show cased Windows 8 on these ultra-book-type laptops, and they are considered ‘Windows-8-ready’ machines.

So when is the official launch of Windows 8 you might ask? According to Seth Rosenblatt’s comments in a recent blog post, and going on subsequent schedules, it is most likely going to be in October of 2012, though Microsoft has not released an official date for the release of Windows 8 yet.