Windows XP won't be around forever, and the anticipation for commercial adoption of Windows 7 is reaching a boiling point. With Windows 7 available now for volume license customers and for everyone else on October 22, IT professionals should start preparing for it now. Specifically, they should: 1) start or accelerate application compatibility testing against the Windows 7 RTM code; 2) plan for rolling out Windows 7 in small batches on new hardware initially; 3) weigh the costs and benefits of upgrading existing machines with at least 2 GB of memory; 4) start developing training sessions and tips and tricks guidance; and 5) prepare for — and embrace — empowered users who want to be early adopters.