Windows 7 is fine - I use it both in a home as well as a corporate environment. (Also a big linux guy - typing this on Fedora Core 14 which is actually dual boot with W7).
Windows 7 beats Windows XP on any number of measures. It’s later, greater, has better support from MS, will be the development target for HW and SW manufacturers, has a better security model, and has integrated things like search more tightly into the OS. The Aero view that uses the graphics hardware to improve the user display is a nice feature, IMHO.
Aside from MS eventually dropping support for XP (I don’t know when but some day) also realize that the Hardware platforms are evolving and sooner or later, XP is going to be as relevant as Windows 95, Windows 98 etc. etc. Sure you can probably get some of these older OS to run on current HW but it might be tough and why would you want to?
Eventually you have to keep up with the times in all things IT. That’s just the way it is. Else you’re swimming upstream. For example, Fedora only supports 2 releases and they’re on a 6 month release cycle. If you install a brand new OS on the day it’s released, 1 year later you’ll have to upgrade if you want ongoing support. Sure that’s Fedora, and not Windows, but the principle is the important thing. Nothing is supported forever because time marches on.
The other point is that there is an incredible amount of FUD spread around about Windows in particular. Sure, I’m not a huge fan, but having said that I use it every day to get real work done and it basically does what it says it does. Think of it as a Toyota Camry or something like that - not glamorous, not necessarily fast, but a lot of people use it and it gets you to work every day.
Double ditto’s on what 2kools has to say...For the majority of “normal” non-geek people Win7 is the best choice. I don’t like Windows - for my personal computers I use linux - but for my wife - and my work - it’s a windows world. There’s a time to tilt at the wind mills - and there is a time not to. I fought like heck to keep OS/2 on my work PC long after the corporate direction was DOS/Windows....though I did hold out long enough to be allowed to go to Windows NT 3.X....yes....I’m that old...