Windows 7 is fast, stable and far more reliable than we'd expect from a first public beta.

And while it doesn't include major new features, take the time to explore and you'll find lots of useful changes that will make a real difference in how you use your PC.

Like any version of Windows there are various tips, tweaks and hacks you can perform to get your PC working the way you want it.

Here are TechRadar's most popular Windows 7 guides.

50 seriously useful Windows 7 tips
Look beyond the headlines about interface tweaks and you'll find Windows 7 is crammed with lesser known, but still important, new and enhanced features, which taken together deliver improved performance and productivity, better troubleshooting, stronger security and a whole lot more.
Read 50 seriously useful Windows 7 tips

Windows 7 Beta 1 review
Don't expect major changes in the beta of Windows 7 - or in the final version. The beta implements the full user interface that Microsoft was demonstrating last October, along with a few changes and improvements, but there are no major new features now and there won't be any when Windows 7 ships.
Read TechRadar's full Windows 7 Beta 1 review

The clever Windows 7 features Microsoft hasn't shown you
Microsoft showed a number of Windows 7 features at its CES keynote, but there were other cool features that it didn't show off. TechRadar was given a more in-depth demo.
See the features that weren't shown at the keynote

Everything you need to know about Windows 7
The changes to the new Windows 7 user interface are subtle, but they reflect a handful of design principles aimed at countering the perception that PCs are confusing and difficult to use. For example, there are six different methods that you can use to open up your email client in Vista, including icons on the desktop, in the taskbar and in the system tray as well as on the Start menu. Windows 7 replaces the majority of those with an icon on the taskbar that launches Outlook and gets you back to it once it's open. This concept is repeated for many applications, de-cluttering the desktop. And if you hover your cursor over the program's icon, you'll get a preview of the running program that can show the multiple windows inside the app. So you can see all of the tabs in IE8 without having to switch into the browser itself, for example.
Read the full article Everything you need to know about Windows 7

Should Windows 7 be a free upgrade?
People paid good money for Vista expecting to receive a racehorse, and Microsoft sent them a pig in a wig instead. If that hasn't already scared them into the arms of Steve Jobs, they're still going to be wary about giving Microsoft any money ever again. So Microsoft shouldn't ask them for any.
Read Why Windows 7 should be a free upgrade

How Windows 7 shames Vista on battery life
If a notebook runs Windows Vista, it will run Windows 7 and it will get better battery life, promises Gabriel Aul of the Windows Performance team. But PC manufacturers and device suppliers are also going to have to do their part to make a big difference to power consumption on new notebooks.
Read the full article How Windows 7 shames Vista on battery life