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With Vista and all the relative negative publicity I played it real safe and only got a new laptop when Vista SP1 was around. But after having successfully tried Windows 7 RC, I have to admit that I never looked back and went ahead with a new desktop PC purchase.

I cannot argue that I know Windows 7 as well as XP or Vista, however I can say with fair certainty that there are good reasons to not hesitate to buy it with a new machine or to upgrade from the now old Vista:

1. Ease of installation: Installing Windows 7 is a simple fast affair that requires little user intervention. I have not tried to upgrade because I like clean installations. The new OS detects devices automatically and there is already some updates available. The later I take as a point of good support rather than vulnerability, as for any new OS. Just make sure you have your USB keyboard in hand to initialise the installation (I had trouble using my wireless one).
2. Low resource requirement: Windows 7 will run even on single core processors, that does not however mean that a decent Core 2 Duo or above is not desirable. I find startup and shutdown times snappy and would suggest that you do not pay too much attention to comparisons against XP, Vista or OSX. The real deal is how the OS runs in general once it has fully loaded, and here we have no disappointments.
3. Connectivity: Connecting to wireless is easier than ever before, accessible directly from the taskbar. Given that Windows 7 will replace Vista and XP on any PC, this will make life much easier for travelers using laptops or netbooks.
4. 64 bits: Although the 32 bit version is fine, I would strongly suggest that you go for the 64-bit proposition. Both versions cost virtually the same, with 64 bits giving you the extra advantage of breaking free from the 4GB of RAM that is the limit for 32 bits. I started on my new machine with 6GB of RAM in triple channel and still have three slots free for whatever arises in the future. This flexibility and future proofing is simply not possible with 32 bits. Plus the fact that serious work has been done and is in process as far as software and driver compatibility go. I seriously doubt that Windows 8 will have a 32 bit version because 64 is the future.
5. Media support: It seems Microsoft has given up on trying to strongly promote proprietary file types and now offers wider media file support than ever before. After all, Microsoft is not hit by music and film piracy right? Of course these issues could always be overcome with freeware like VLC player, plus the fact that the Media Center is better and more complete than ever before.
6. Time for upgrades: I know you love your XP based system. It was faithful for years, you used it to get a lot of work done or to play several great games. However things move on, one of them is hardware. Windows 7 takes care of all the newly available goodies, like for example compatibility with the new DLNA protocol.

I think the latest point is the most serious one. I know a lot of people and business that still hold on to oldie computers because they kept XP and did not like Vista. Although the PC replacement cycle has become awfully longer than the three years a decade ago, there is no reason to hold on to archaic gear that is problematic with speed, reliability and media.

In fact some PC users and businesses have kept their hardware for so long that sooner or later they would seek some kind of replacement. Therefore it is thankful that after the mixed feelings of Vista, Microsoft has come up with a good new OS that is a reason in itself to upgrade.