Using keyboard shortcuts can save you lots of time in the course of the day: I recommend learning as many as possible. Some of the most obvious -- and oft-used -- include:

• Ctrl-X: To cut a selected item, like a sentence from a document you're writing

• Ctrl-C: To make a copy of an item, similar to Ctrl-X. The difference is that you're not moving the object; you're just copying it

• Ctrl-V: To paste whatever you've cut or copied to the new location

• Ctrl-Z: One of the most important shortcuts of all: to undo the last action

Microsoft has published a full list of keyboard shortcuts in Windows 7. It would be worth your while to take a look, and learn the ones most valuable for your style of computing.

This Associated Content story makes the claim that Windows 7, Microsoft's newest operating system, is a winner on laptops.

It goes on to describe how various laptop manufacturers are customizing it for their own brands, including a number of tweaks to make it boot up and shut down faster.

I can personally testify to how well Windows 7 works on laptops. I use it on my Dell Studio XPS laptop, and have been putting it through its paces for many months now, back to the beta (pre-official-release) days. I bought it immediately once the final version came out, and have used it exclusively since then.

My laptop is my main work machine, and given what I do, it gets a serious workout. It's not uncommon for me to have five or six applications open at any one time, along with two browsers that might have 10 - 20 web pages open. In other words, my computing needs are quite extreme compared to the average user. So how many blue-screens (i.e. unrecoverable crashes) have I experienced so far?

None. Zip. Nada. Zero. And that's on a laptop, remember, which by nature are more finicky and prone to crashing than a typical desktop. I'm a Windows 7 fan, for a simple reason: it works for me, and works great. Based on feedback from my readers, they generally feel the same way. How do you feel about Windows 7, on a laptop or desktop? Let me know personally, or comment below.

Microsoft has built a new website showing users how to install, uninstall and reinstall its last three operating systems: Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.

There are videos, step-by-step tutorials, and more. It's worth checking out if you're considering doing any of these tasks.

A Computerworld article quotes a computer industry analyst as predicting that Windows 7 may be Microsoft's last large-scale operating system release.

The analyst, at giant consulting firm IDC, adds that it's not because Windows 7 is a weak product; quite the contrary. Instead, he believes the computer market is going to become a lot more fragmented and less centered around the PC, which means less need for Windows in the future.

There is some merit in what he says. We've already seen the explosive growth of the smartphone market, for example. My iPhone has a sophisticated operating system and uses third-party applications, just like Windows. In other words, it acts very much like a standard computer operating system. And Microsoft, with Windows Mobile, hasn't dominated those emerging areas of computing.

In the good news for Microsoft, the analyst believes that Windows 7 will continue to dominate operating system sales for the next five to seven years, as people transition from Windows XP and Windows Vista to the new version.

What do you think is going to happen? Will Windows 7 be Microsoft's last major release? Reply below or email me your thoughts.