The date is getting closer: on Oct. 22, Microsoft Corp. will officially launch Windows 7, the next version of its operating system. But should you use it?

Let’s face it: when it comes to computer operating systems, Vista — the current version of Windows — was a lemon. It shipped late; and when it did finally arrive, it was beset by so many problems Microsoft had to develop an advertising campaign to convince customers that it wasn’t that bad after all.

And then there was the security issue. Because of the ubiquity of Windows, it is a prime target for hackers. Microsoft has tried to solve that problem by introducing a set of new controls with Vista, but that had its drawbacks.

One of the features introduced with Vista was called “user access control” (UAC), which improves security by asking the user’s permission every time a piece of software tries to do something that requires administrator-level access. This is safer, but also irritating.

Windows 7 will change that by introducing multiple levels of the UAC, depending on how you want to balance security and usability. With Vista, you have only two options: turn off the UAC, or keep it on. With Windows 7, you get to define how often the UAC alerts you. For example, you can tell it to notify you about everything that it finds suspicious, or to notify you only when a program tries to change your PC.

This change is significant, because it will make Windows 7 easier for people to use without any annoying prompts getting in the way.

Other important changes include improved searching and networking technology, which could have real advantages for small-business users. The new HomeGroup feature makes it easier to connect PCs in your office and to share files and folders more intuitively among users.

Windows 7 also includes libraries, a feature that enables you to organize your files in a your own way. You can create custom libraries containing collections of files relating to particular projects, for example, and then sort them according to various criteria, even when those files exist on different computers.

The search box in Windows 7 complements this notion of improved remote file-sharing. It now supports “federated” searching, in which users can search remote locations, including other computers and even online data sources that have been connected to your PC.

But the single feature that most appeals to us is the most fun: Windows Touch. Windows 7 can support motions made by the fingertips on a touch screen. This means you’ll be able to resize pictures, for example, by pinching two fingers together or by pulling your fingers apart, just as you can on Apple’s iPhone. You’ll be able to rotate and zoom in on a map of your client’s neighbourhood or scroll up and down in a document with your finger.

You’ll need a special touch-sensitive screen to do this, but these are already appearing.

Many of the changes in Windows 7, though, are largely cosmetic. There are different desktop wallpapers, and new audio themes that are unlikely to appeal to anyone outside of the consumer market. The sidebar — a strip that was available down the side of the screen in Vista — has been removed. The gadgets that used to populate the sidebar are now available directly on the desktop. These gadgets are small pieces of functionality, such as news feeds, clocks and picture displays, some of which were available in Vista.

Microsoft has changed the way the Windows task bar and “start” menu work. Applications can be dragged to the task bar — which now functions more like the “dock” in Apple’s OSX operating system — so you can always access them. This innovation replaces Vista’s “quick launch” menu.

Users can also handle application windows more effectively on the desktop. The “Aero Peek” feature makes it possible to render windows transparent, so you can see what’s underneath on the desktop, and application windows can be maximized easily by dragging them to the top of the screen. While this might save you a little time, it hardly represents a great leap forward.

Ultimately, Windows 7 will probably be the version of Microsoft’s operating system that will encourage more upgrades. As we slowly begin to emerge from the financial crisis, many firms will be considering hardware upgrades over the next 18 months. Windows 7 will come pre-installed on new PCs, so there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself using it by default. IE