I read a review that said it’s faster at a few things like detecting a USB device and going to sleep and waking up, but that basically it’s not faster than Vista. Basically it is Vista. It has a few new gui features. I heard that Microsoft says don’t even try upgrading XP to 7. A clean install is required.
Someone correct me if I’m wrong.
You're wrong.
Step-by-Step: Windows 7 Upgrade and MigrationPublished: October 22, 2009
"To maintain settings when installing Windows 7 on a computer running Windows® XP, you must migrate files and settings using a tool such as Windows 7 Easy Transfer and then reinstall your software programs. (Windows Easy Transfer (Migwiz.exe) is installed with Windows 7 and is available on the Windows 7 DVD in the Support\Migwiz directory.)"
My advice is to use an appropriate sized flash memory stick, or get an external free standing hard drive. Both are fairly inexpensive alternatives.