Early users see promise in the energy-saving features and boot-up times of troubled Vista's successor.

By Gregg Keizer and Patrick Thibodeau
November 2, 2009 06:00 AM ET

Microsoft Corp.'s standing as an operating system developer is on the line with the launch of Windows 7, according to analysts and other experts.

Late last month, the company formally unveiled its next-generation operating system -- the first new Windows release since co-founder and longtime CEO Bill Gates departed in 2008.

"There's a reputation issue at stake here," said Michael Silver, an analyst at Gartner Inc. "Apple has been making fun of them, and Microsoft wants to put an end to that."

Preston Gralla, a Computerworld contributing editor who has extensively reviewed Windows 7, said that in following the roundly criticized Windows Vista operating system, "Windows 7 will show if [Microsoft] can do operating systems right, or if they've finally lost it." [Computer World..] [Comments...]