Windows 7 build 7048 vs. Windows 7 beta 1 vs. Vista vs. XP - which is best?

Windows 7 is still a work in progress (and realistically, probably will be for a good 9 - 12 months after launch) and drivers are still pretty new. However, four patterns do emerge:

* Windows 7 is, overall, better than both Vista and XP.
* As Windows 7 progresses, it’s getting better (or at least the 64-bit editions are).
* On a higher-spec system, 64-bit is best.
* On a lower-spec system, 32-bit is best.

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