Microsoft has stated publicly that Windows 7 will be a major release for the company, lending credence to the theory that Windows 7 will have a number of changes and refinements; here is what is known thus far about what changes will be introduced in Windows 7 and what will remain the same from Vista.

User Account Control or UAC, better known to many Vista users as the annoying warnings that pop up every time you try and do something, will return. While many Vista users turn off UAC almost immediately because of the annoyance of constantly having to approve actions that they initiated, the Windows 7 version is hinted to be much more streamlined and easy to deal with.

Microsoft has taken a large amount of user feedback into consideration so that they can provide a UAC system that does what it was designed to do without causing undue annoyance for the users of their operating system.

Windows 7 is also purported to have a feature known as "pervasive multi-touch", meaning that the operating system will be able to make efficient use of a touch screen as a method of control. This will take Windows 7 far beyond previous versions of the Windows operating system in regards to user interactivity, as the new touch screen interface is being designed to allows users to directly manipulate the OS and its applications in ways that simply weren't possible before.

Windows users who are wondering what changes will be introduced in Windows 7 will be happy to note that these aren't the only changes planned for the operating system, but are merely two examples of how Microsoft is taking features or compatibility issues from previous OS versions and advancing them to the next level of user interface.

Windows 7 is being built off of the kernel for Windows Vista, but the company is working hard to improve upon Vista's features and make an operating system that is even more customizable so that it can be appreciated by both power users and those users who are much more casual in their computing. User feedback from Vista is being considered to better streamline the Windows 7 user experience, while new Windows 7 exclusive features are being developed behind closed doors.