Although Microsoft’s Windows 7 won’t be available until 2010, a prebeta version is available to developers. At first glance, it appears to be a more advanced iteration of Windows Vista, as per CNET reviews. The boot process is much faster, although this hasn’t been confirmed in a lab. Restore from hibernation appears much quicker. Although it was not available in build 6801, CNET saw the new Taskbar in Windows 7 available in a more advanced build. The new Taskbar uses icons, not the names, across the bottom.

Read the full review here