Scrap XP and Vista.

That's the consensus of Ann Arbor computer experts as the technology industry preps for Thursday’s release of Microsoft Windows 7.

Windows 7 offers an enhanced operating experience for computer users, say several experts who’ve been testing it for months. That contrasts sharply with common sentiment about Windows Vista, the much-derided version of the operating system released in January 2007.

The release of Windows 7 is earning plaudits from a variety of technology experts, including Bruce McCully, president of Ann Arbor-based Dynamic Edge.

McCully, who has been testing Windows 7 for several months, said the new operating system's improved speed alone makes it worth the upgrade for users running Vista.

“When Vista was released, I was all over the place saying 'do not install this application' to everybody I could talk to. I was probably not Microsoft’s best friend at the time,” McCully said. “If you’re operating Vista, upgrade immediately. When I upgraded, I saw an increase in speed and performance.”

Vista, which promised increased security and performance, was plagued by slow load time and lack of connectivity to some external devices like certain printers.

“Vista is sluggish,” said Anders Bray, manager of A2 Computers, where Microsoft-certified technicians have been testing Windows 7 for months. “We never as a company fully recommended it.”

Windows 7, on the other hand, may entice Windows XP holdouts to finally upgrade. Upgrades cost about $50 to $200 depending on the specific circumstances. (Take heed, however: Upgrading can take hours.)

Some 71.5 percent of PCs still run XP, whose underlying structure is fundamentally 10 years old; only 18.6 percent run Vista, according to CNNMoney.com. Pre-orders of Windows 7 have been strong, ComputerWorld.com reported.

Cameron Vand, owner of CPNU Computer Services, which recently moved from Liberty Street to West Stadium, agreed that Windows 7 might be the “tipping point” for XP users resistant to upgrading. He agreed that Windows 7 appears to be a better product than Vista and XP, but cautioned against upgrading immediately.

“I would personally hold off until it’s been out a while, until you get some feedback from the industry,” he said. “There’s really no sense for it yet.”

Bill Wagner, co-founder of Ann Arbor-based SRT Solutions, said Windows 7 offers improved speed, better networking capabilities, enhanced touch-screen features and improved multi-monitor functioning.

“I cannot come up with a single reason why someone would run Vista once Windows 7 is out,” Wagner said. “It is definitely a lot more stable than Vista and a lot more robust and faster on the same or even lower-grade hardware.”

McCully and Wagner - IT consultants who generally advise businesses on computer purchases - are advising clients to strongly consider upgrading to Windows 7 if they’re using Vista. Users still clinging to Windows XP may be able to wait to upgrade until they purchase a new PC, McCully said.

McCully said the sheer speed of Windows 7 makes it worth the upgrade. For example, with Vista, he said it took a few minutes to conduct a search of his 25,000-e-mail inbox. With Windows 7, searches occur instantly.

“The user experience has gotten considerably better,” McCully said. “In the end it is worth it.”

Whether Windows 7 is better than Apple’s Snow Leopard operating system, however, is a debate that’s not likely to be settled anytime soon.

“I don’t foresee that this will persuade” Mac users to switch to Windows, Bray said.

More on Windows 7

• New York Times review
• Should you upgrade? (PCmag.com)
• How to upgrade (CBS News)
• Microsoft betting on Windows 7 to revive brand (Chicago Tribune)
• Why is it named Windows 7? (Associated Press)

Contact AnnArbor.com’s Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.