The anxiously-awaited Windows 7 operating system from the world's biggest software company, Microsoft, has finally hit the markets in several countries round the globe today, October 22; even though the formal launch of the OS is still a few hours away!

The faster, easier, touchscreen-features-enabled OS chiefly aims at winning back Microsoft's lost market share, especially after its Windows Vista debacle; and countering competition from new technologies from rivals like Apple and Google.

With the software giant counting heavily on the encouraging reviews and new features of Windows 7, and the success of the new OS ever so crucial for the company, its executives have fanned out to mark the celebrations of the launch of the core product.

Going by the early indications pertaining to the Windows 7, a number of companies are readying themselves for the switch to the new OS.

However, the sales of the newly-released Windows 7 OS - which will retail at $199.99 for the Home Premium version or $119.99 for upgrade from older versions - will not have any immediate bearing on Microsoft's quarterly results.

Nonetheless, talking about the significance of Windows 7 for Microsoft, analyst Brendan Barnicle of Pacific Crest Securities remarked: "It's the first really significant release of Windows in a decade. Given the missteps around Vista, people really questioned Microsoft's relevancy in the technology space. So this is a critical first step for Microsoft regaining that credibility."