With Windows Vista, Microsoft had dug itself a cool, dark hole, whether they deserved it or not. They also couldn’t be very proud of the users’ demands that Redmond prolong the life of Windows XP. The expectations for Windows 7, Vista’s successor, were high due to the deluge of complaints and bad news that followed the release of the first service pack. On July 30, 2009, Microsoft sent CNET an official copy of Windows 7 RTM, which served as the basis for this review.