I'm really not sure what features one can keep adding to a computer operating system or to its applications in order to make it a compelling upgrade these days. What do people want - triangular windows? Or is just anything new - which this brilliant spoof from The Onion illustrates?

I was somewhat mystified by the rush to download the beta of Windows 7 and the somewhat unholy speed at which reviews of this new toy appeared on so-called tech news sites. Some of these "reviews" were written without the writer even having downloaded and installed the system. The experiences of others are quoted without a blush.

If this were something esoteric - like riding in a spacecraft - it is understandable, for not everybody can afford to have first-hand experience of such things before writing about them. But to experience all the goodness (?) that Windows 7 offers, one only needs an internet connection, a blank DVD and a PC on which to install said system.

Thanks to iTWire, I have a PC which I can abuse repeatedly by installing any operating system that needs to be examined. Windows 7 is now installed and running on that box.

A few observations follow - this is not a review. In my opinion, one cannot review anything without using it for at least 14 days - as I did for Vista, without its first service pack and with it .

First off, the certificate on the Microsoft download site was dodgy - I had to make an exception in my browser to access the page. Then, after providing all the details needed and receiving a few emails to prove the "genuineness" of my email address, I gained access to a page which had a very pretty download button.

But clicking on that button did not bring any joy - I had to view the source of the page, copy the link to the .iso image and paste it in a browser tab. Then only did my download begin.