Pros: After struggling with Vista on my laptop I vowed to use XP as long as I could. After trying 7 for a while, I didn't hesitate to buy it. On a modern system (one from the last few years) it feels just about as responsive as XP. Memory usage is much lower than Vista, drivers are ready this time (only had to install video/ soundcard drivers), and it looks great. I didn't think I'd like the new design, but it looks good with minimal tweaking. I'm mostly a Linux guy, but I'm not afraid to admit this is a great Microsoft release. This is what Vista should have been.

Cons: Though it's lighter on resources than Vista, it is of course heavier than XP. Most 32 bit apps work well under x64, one or two of my games had problems that I have to find solutions for. I still think Windows is very expensive for an operating system. There is still a shortage of native 64 bit Windows programs.

Overall Review: My friend got Windows 7 working on an aging Dell laptop form 5-6 years ago. It's not lightning quick, but it works well. Network activity feels so much faster than XP; my WoW ping time actually dropped after I switched.

Pros: If you're looking for a version of Win7 and don't mind not having Microsoft Technical Support, then get this. I was a little wary when I was looking at buying this. I didn't know if the licensing was special or came with restrictions. So far, I haven't had any problems.

Cons: None, really. Not having Microsoft Technical Support doesn't matter when you've never called it to begin with.

Overall Review: If all you're wanting is a copy of Windows 7 and want to get the most out of the OS, then get this. It's a full version. There's no bulk software loaded. You can upgrade or do a fresh install. There's no restrictions on it. The only caveat is that there is no Tech Support. So, if you're used to being the Tech Support and don't mind not calling Microsoft if you have an issue, then this is what you're looking for.

Pros: OK, first off, this is a review based on THIS PRODUCT, which is the OEM copy of Win7 Ultimate x64 for System Builders, Not Windows 7 itself! As for my purchase. the DVD arrived unharmed, and affixed firmly in the case, as i expected. No scratches on the disk. It did NOT come in a pretty box, just a clear dvd holder. Nothing special. The COA sticker was affixed to the outside of the dvd case, inside the cardboard sleeve. As for install, It went as expected. Reformatted, copied, entered the key, set the time, and finished loading. Installed my drivers and updates, and voila! Windows 7 Ultimate x64.

Cons: I have no complaints on this item. The purchase went smooth, shipping was fast, and the package arrived unharmed.

Overall Review: I knew exactly what i was buying, so therefore I knew that this operating system comes with NO SUPPORT. That's why there's Google. I wished people would quit complaining about errors or blue screens or it's slow or whatever. it's your computer, not this disk. Buy this ONLY if you know what you're doing. The key works once and ONLY once, and you get no support. BUT, if you need Win7Ult x64 and know what you're doing, this is the ticket.

Pros: Installed without a hitch, somewhat of a surprise for a Windows product. Great OS. It's basically Vista SP3. No, that's not a bad thing. Vista got a bad reputation because there was a lot of old hardware that wouldn't work with. That hardware still will not work with Windows 7, it's just that now it's so old no one cares. If you absolutely hate Vista, you will hate Windows 7. If you like Windows 7 and you think you hate Vista, you bought into what you were being told instead of thinking for yourself.

Cons: Less features than Vista Ultimate. Was almost a deal breaker for me, but I have to run what my clients run. Vista Ultimate is still the better OS, IMO.

Overall Review: Please understand OEM licensing. With OEM, your license is tied to the machine it is installed on. Once your machine dies, or if you change out so many components that Windows thinks it's a different machine, you will not be able to activate it. OEM means the license is married to the Original Equipment, and support for the product will come from the system builder. These are the reasons OEM licenses are cheaper, and the reasons why not everyone should buy them. If you're building a system for yourself with this OEM license, make sure it is not one you plan to heavily upgrade any time in the near future, and don't expect any form of included technical support from MS. You're on your own.

Pros: A lot more stable than Vista while being better than XP, everything previous is painfully slow. No more wasted Desktop space since you can pin everything you use to the task bar. The only icon I have on my desk top is the wastebasket though I'm probably going to lock it into my Start Menu somehow. I think someone figured this bit out just have to find the information. lol Intuitive search feature allows you to find documents fast. Only one copy instead of multiple file copies for one document. Means less wasted drive space and faster(up to system specs) seek times for your HDD(s). Simple Disk Cleanup feature is even better than XP. Ultimate comes with a lot of upside. Includes a Zip program that pretty much handles everything thrown at it. Yes there are some things it can't do but there aren't many. WordPad is WordLite. Has almost as many functions as Word from what I can see. I'm sure that it lacks, but I haven't found much thus far.

Cons: So far the only Cons I can see are negligible. The only one I've run across is when intalling in a RAID setup. I have a Crosshair IV system that has a RAID driver that is required prior to installation. It requires the use of a thumb drive(USB key for you technical types,lol) to install the driver. If you leave the drive in the USB socket and then attempt to install the OS, it will try to write to the USB. Of course if you have anything under 21 Gigs of space it will not take. Leaving one to scratch their head til it bleeds as to why the OS is not taking. Now imagine those that have a 32 Gig Voyager or bigger. Yeah. The OS is going to land on the Flashdrive and disappear when it's removed. So just be prepared and pull your drive after you install the driver and everything should operate just fine. Kind of wish the Developers had thought this through completely and wrote in some code to defeat that but...(cont. in other thoughts)

Overall Review: it's not like the user won't ever figure it out. Also with SSDs' coming down in price, RAID systems(imho) will be fewer and fewer, as builders will have the OS drive(SSD) and install a large storage drive to drop all the extraneous files and documents into. So that little hiccup didn't necessitate a dropped egg. Actually the only reason I would even contemplate a dropped egg is because Microsoft is possibly going to be dropping Win 8 on us in the next year or two. However I'm not gonna sweat that cause this OS does everything I want, only wish they would offer an upgrade pack via system update that would charge you a small fee to install the missing features that Win 7 doesn't have. From what I've read there are only a few of those in development but that remains to be seen. Also ran into one other issue. If you have a netbook and wish to upgrade you can only do 32bit and it has to be the Upgrade package. I got the 64bit OEM and that's on me for the lack of forward thinking. lol

Pros: This is a great OS 64 bit OEM. I recommend it. For me it is great. OEM means you can only install it in one computer that means you can not install it in another.

Cons: none

Overall Review: No support from Microsoft. So buy only if you know the deal with OEM.

Pros: Being an avid gamer I rely heavily on my OS to perform the way I need it to. I have stuck with XP up to this point with all the issues that plagued Vista. At this point though I have had many chances to play around with 7 and all my impressions where really good. Everything in the OS is smooth and polished. I really like all of the features that they have added to help clutter and confusion to a minimum. Not to mention with you being able to purchase the OEM it saves you some money off the full retail version.

Cons: None

Overall Review: Being a gamer I like to keep tabs on my hardware. A plus is being able to use the "gadgets" that are embedded into the desktop without having to install a lot of third party software. Right now I use the ones that monitor my Network Traffic, CPU and Ram information, and monitors all my GPU stats. So far I haven't noticed any of them causing any issues with system performance so we're good.

Pros: I see where it was posted that you can't upgrade or overclock CPU. I have my CPU overclocked. See other thoughts.

Cons: None. Runs well

Overall Review: I have my E8400 over clocked to 3.6 runs great. I think if you up grade your parts and your key stops working.All you do is call MS and explain what you did and MS will tell you what key to type in ( like others have posted on here.) I really like this OS.