As of today, we’re 9 days away from the worldwide launch of Windows 7. It’s no secret that when Windows 7 becomes available on October 22nd, our hardware partners are launching a host of cool new PCs to match it. I’ve had the privilege to see some of the slick new machines and I can tell you that there are some seriously fast computers with wickedly cool designs on the way.

“But Brandon!” you might be saying. “I don’t want to wait 10 whole days to start shopping for a great PC! Which machines can I check out NOW?”

Well, fear not. There are quite a few powerful, reasonably priced Windows 7 PCs that you can start test-driving now, and a few that you can even pre-order. I’ve highlighted some of my favorites below.

First up is the HP dm3. This 13” bad boy is available with a whopping half-terabyte hard drive, discrete graphics, a built in web cam, and up to a mind-boggling 10 hours of battery life. Sounds expensive, right? The truth is just the opposite; you can get your own starting at $549, which makes it a great option if you’re a student on a budget, or a consumer looking to get a lot of bang for your buck.

On October 5th, Dell opened up a great new program called the Windows 7 Easy Upgrade which will allow you to order once of their select machines today and have it pre-installed with Windows 7 and shipped to you right around the time when Windows 7 launches on October 22nd. One of my favorites and the laptop I am currently using today is the Dell Studio 15. I love this computer because it’s the total package – its great looking and completely customizable. Dell does a GREAT job at letting you personalize the color and design of your machine via their Design Studio. I customized mine with a weird funky goat.

I affectionately refer to this laptop as “The Goat”. I decorated The Goat with a few stickers (as you can see). The Studio 15 has some serious media street cred with a 15.6” HD screen that does 900p resolution, 256MB ATI discrete graphics, webcam and built in DVD burner. It also has a heck of a reasonable price tag, starting at $899. This is a really solid choice if you’re looking for an eye-catching “do-it-all” laptop. I’ll be talking more about this laptop and my experience with it in another blog post coming shortly.

One of my favorite thin-and-light notebooks is the Toshiba Satellite T135. Maybe it should have been codenamed “Pocket Hercules” instead; 3GB of RAM, a new Intel ULV processor, 250GB drive, HDMI and a 720p HD screen, all wrapped up in a package that’s only about an inch thick. It’s a very cool ultra-portable notebook, perfect for working (or playing) on the go.

Is 11” just too big for you? Then check out the HP Mini 110. This 10”, 2.68lb netbook PC is one of the most unique I’ve seen – for this project, HP partnered with designer Tord Boontje to create HP Imprint 3D, a new engraving process that allows HP to build amazing textured casebacks. At $399, it’s an affordable way to get the ultimate in style and portability.

If you need something to put on your desk, instead of carry in your bag, I suggest you take a look at one of the great new all-in-ones. They’re compact and clean, and work great in the kitchen or in an area where you don’t have a lot of space.

The newest kid on the all-in-one block is Sony’s VAIO L. Part HDTV, part PC, the L has a Blu-Ray player, a TV tuner, and a beautiful 24” multi-touch display that’s ready to take advantage of Windows 7 multitouch. The VAIO L is set to hit stores in November, and pricing starts around $1300.

Dell also makes a nice all-in-one in the Dell Studio 19. I love this thing because it’s a powerhouse in a super slim design, and you can get it in white, blue, grey, pink or red. It’s got an Intel Core 2 Quad processor, 3GB of memory, a 500GB drive and all of the trimmings. Like the VAIO L, its ready to take full advantage of Windows 7’s multi-touch technology via its super-bright touchscreen display, and you can get it in “alpine white” for $999. Adding a custom color job and a Blu-Ray drive will bump the price up to about $1100, which is still a great deal.

And HP just announced today revamp of HPs a revamp of their venerable multi-touch enabled TouchSmart PCs. They’re introducing two new models – the TouchSmart 300 (20” HD screen) and 600 (23” HD screen). Not only are these great looking machines with a long, successful history, but they also include HP customized touch versions of popular applications and services, like Twitter, Rhapsody, Hulu, Pandora, Netflix, and more. Pricing starts at a consumer-friendly $899 for the 300 and $1,049 for the 600.

This is just a small sliver of the PC goodness that’s coming soon with Windows 7. Stay tuned for more info on the latest and greatest Windows 7 PCs!

Thousands of Microsoft employees have begun hosting Windows 7 Launch Parties this week. I had the pleasure of attending one last night. Microsoft employees have been given the opportunity to do “preview” Launch Parties before October 22nd to show off Windows 7 to their friends and family (public Windows 7 Launch Parties officially kick off on October 22nd).

The Launch Party I attended last night was hosted by Dana Manciagli, a General Manager on Microsoft’s US OEM Team. Her Launch Party took place at The Parlor in Bellevue and she had her friend and fellow Microsoft employee (Cedric Dahl) demonstrate 7 key Windows 7 features such as many of the Windows Taskbar enhancements, Aero Shake and Aero Snap.

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The audience seemed to really like what they saw. One conversation I overheard was about how much better Windows 7’s window management is for applications. Another related to using Aero Snap to compare Excel spreadsheets.

After the demonstration, there was a trivia contest with questions relating to the Windows 7 demos. Guests who answered the questions right received some cool prizes.

Everyone who attended Dana’s Windows 7 Launch Party was asked to donate to the kids of Junior Achievement for Washington State. Dana creatively combined her Launch Party with Microsoft’s annual Giving Campaign. Matter a fact, Ina Fried from CNET posted about another effort to raise money for Microsoft’s Giving Campaign earlier today.

At the Launch Party, I got to finally meet Laura Foy from Channel 9. She has posted an awesome video from the event including several interviews. Watch the video here.

Overall, it was a fantastic event! I look forward to hearing more about people’s Windows 7 Launch Parties come October 22nd.

We’ve had an overwhelming turn out of people signing up to host a Launch Party for Windows 7 since going live earlier this month. Starting today, finalist emails are going to those who signed up to host a Launch Party and if you don’t get a finalist email, don’t worry, there are still other ways to participate.

If you signed up to host a Launch Party and receive the host finalist email, please read the email carefully. Receiving the finalist email doesn’t mean you’ve been accepted to host just yet. You will need to be among the first to respond via a link within your email to be confirmed as a host. This extra step is needed due to the amazing response we’ve had from people interested in hosting a Launch Party. Spots to host a Launch Party are limited so we want to make sure folks who signed up are still able to host.

After responding to the finalist email and confirming, you will then receive a confirmation email. You’ll then be able to begin planning your Launch Party and sending out invites!

If you were not accepted to host a Launch Party or live in a country where Launch Parties are unavailable to host, you can still hold a Windows 7 gathering of your own. We are providing Windows 7 tips, content, demos, and training here online for you to host your own gathering or “meet-up”.

Last night, many employees here at Microsoft (including me) received an email from Tami Reller, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Vice President for the Windows Business Group. Her email invited Microsoft employees to host a Launch Party for Windows 7 – and we’re extending this invitation out to you! These Launch Parties will be a way for everyone to get involved in the excitement of the launch of Windows 7 on October 22nd. You helped make Windows 7, now you can help launch it!

These gatherings can are a way for people who are excited about Windows 7 to bring together their friends, families and acquaintances to see the experience the product. They can happen anywhere - at home, in a cafe, at schools, or at other community gathering spots and can be as flexible and creative as you and your circle of people. I’m thinking about hosting a Launch Party myself and thinking about where and who to invite to my party when I host it.

If you live in one of the countries where Launch Parties will be available for you to host, you can apply here to be a Launch Party host. In order to host a Launch Party, your application must go through a review process first. If your application passes the review process, you will be sent an email letting you know you have been accepted. A MyParty page is created for you by House Party where you (as the host) can add who you want to invite to your party and invite them. You will also receive a kit to help you with your party, including Windows 7 Host Help Videos and Host Notes (demos) and other materials to make your Launch Party fun.

Todd Bishop wrote a good blog post talking about Launch Parties which is worth reading if you’re interested in hosting one! 

Note: If you don’t live in a country where Launch Parties are available to host – don’t worry! You can still hold a Windows 7 gathering of your own. We will be providing Windows 7 tips, content, demos, and training online starting September 15th for you to host your own gathering or “meet-up”.

Today Windows Live SkyDrive leaves the "Beta" tag behind - introducing 5GB of storage for its users and becoming available in 35 new countries and regions. Read the Windows Live SkyDrive launch announcement from their team blog!

On top of being available to users in the United States, United Kingdom, and India, Windows Live SkyDrive is now available in the following 35 countries and regions:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Finland, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Turkey.

With 5GB of storage, you can store quite a bit of your photos, music, Office documents and more. Did I mention that the 5GB of storage is also free?

For those who have been beta testing Windows Live SkyDrive - with today's launch you can expect to see improvements with the backend that help improve performance on top of the increase to 5GB of storage from 1GB previously.

Here on the Windows Experience Blog, I use Windows Live SkyDrive to host the OPML files for my Microsoft Team Blogs page. Yes, the page may be a little out of date but a big update is coming very soon with a few more categories. You can download the OPML files and add them to your RSS feed reader directly from Windows Live SkyDrive. We also have a Public Folder setup on Windows Live SkyDrive for the Windows Vista Team Blog too.

You can head on over to skydrive.live.com and login with your Windows Live ID to use Windows Live SkyDrive today.