bill - 1:43 am on Nov 3, 2009 (gmt 0)

Beware the failed install perpetual reboot that hit a bunch of upgraders.

Yes, we are discussing that issue here:
Windows 7 Upgrade Causing Endless Reboot [webmasterworld.com]

Bill, the main complaint I have with Vista is the default file system navigation is cumbersome to me. Is Windows 7 better?

You mean from the Start Menu? I think the Windows 7 version is a big improvement over Vista. It's similar in some ways, but the search is so fast and easy I rarely expand the menu to see everything that's installed any longer. Just type a few characters of the program you want and the list is populated on the fly. The search is very handy in Windows Explorer as well. It's a lot easier to find files. You'll love the Library if you have multiple machines on the same network running Windows 7.

My general feeling, though, is "never upgrade the OS on an existing machine beyond patches and fixes".

Actually I have found that Windows 7 has breathed new life into my laptops and netbooks that were running XP. The systems feel snappier and battery life has noticeably improved. I have left my Vista machines alone only because I spent so much time setting them up and tweaking them that it would not be worth my time to make the switch.