Windows 7 is released this week as Microsoft fights to maintain its position in the face of competition from rivals Apple and Google.
How the desktop of the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system looks in 'flip-view'
The operating system comes three years after its predecessor, Vista, which received a mixed response from users.
Some estimates suggest 90% of PCs and laptops use Windows but this figure may be dented when Google launches its own operating system, Chrome.
Microsoft insist they have learnt from Vista and "really listened to customers" on Windows 7, which will be available to consumers on October 22.
Stella Chemyak, a senior director at Microsoft, told Sky News Online: "At one point during the testing, we were getting customer feedback every 15 seconds."
She said users should find the transition to Windows 7 easier than it was with Vista as there are fewer "architectural" changes.
"In this economic climate it is critical for customers to get value," she added.
"The good news is customers are already looking at Windows 7 and finding the cost saving benefits."
Windows 7 comes three years after Vista
A trial by UK firm Baker Tilly found they could save £116 per PC each year in direct labour costs and reduced electricity usage which allowed two people to be redeployed, she said.
Baker Tilly's deputy director of IT, David Hilland, told Sky News Online: "It means there is less downtime on the machines when we're working on them, which lets our staff work."
The success of Windows 7 will be crucial for Microsoft, according to the editor of PC Advisor, Paul Trotter.
"The company's two major competitors in operating systems - Apple and Google - definitely have the cool factor," he told Sky News Online.
"Lots of people have been waiting for the launch of Windows 7 before buying a new computer or upgrading an old one, and those people should feel fairly confident in the new operating system.
"In terms of features, it's more of an incremental upgrade to Vista than a whole new way of working. More importantly, it appears to run very smoothly and without any setup headaches.
"Whereas Vista had teething problems with third-party hardware and software, I've yet to find anything that won't work with my Windows 7 laptop."
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How the desktop of the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system looks in 'flip-view'
The operating system comes three years after its predecessor, Vista, which received a mixed response from users.
Some estimates suggest 90% of PCs and laptops use Windows but this figure may be dented when Google launches its own operating system, Chrome.
Microsoft insist they have learnt from Vista and "really listened to customers" on Windows 7, which will be available to consumers on October 22.
Stella Chemyak, a senior director at Microsoft, told Sky News Online: "At one point during the testing, we were getting customer feedback every 15 seconds."
She said users should find the transition to Windows 7 easier than it was with Vista as there are fewer "architectural" changes.
"In this economic climate it is critical for customers to get value," she added.
"The good news is customers are already looking at Windows 7 and finding the cost saving benefits."
Windows 7 comes three years after Vista
A trial by UK firm Baker Tilly found they could save £116 per PC each year in direct labour costs and reduced electricity usage which allowed two people to be redeployed, she said.
Baker Tilly's deputy director of IT, David Hilland, told Sky News Online: "It means there is less downtime on the machines when we're working on them, which lets our staff work."
The success of Windows 7 will be crucial for Microsoft, according to the editor of PC Advisor, Paul Trotter.
"The company's two major competitors in operating systems - Apple and Google - definitely have the cool factor," he told Sky News Online.
"Lots of people have been waiting for the launch of Windows 7 before buying a new computer or upgrading an old one, and those people should feel fairly confident in the new operating system.
"In terms of features, it's more of an incremental upgrade to Vista than a whole new way of working. More importantly, it appears to run very smoothly and without any setup headaches.
"Whereas Vista had teething problems with third-party hardware and software, I've yet to find anything that won't work with my Windows 7 laptop."
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