After been slightly disappointed with the 'look and feel' changes to Vista, I am pleased to say on the productivity side it looks like Microsoft have made some great leaps forward.
 
The new search functionality which can be accessed through the 'Start' menu is a great addition to the Vista experience.  Taking inspiration from the Google Desktop Search tool, the new search creates an index as documents and emails are added to your PC, enabling very quick access to the files you are after.
 
In addition to the main search feature, they have also added a similar search function to Outlook 2007 which is a giant step forward from the search capabilities of Outlook 2003.  Microsoft has added some great functionality, enabling you to manage tasks a lot more effectively. The functionality reminds me of the Franklin Convey Plan Plus task management module in some ways, which I previously used on Outlook 2003. 
 
New to Outlook 2007 is the 'To-Do Bar' which allows you to quickly view up and coming appointments and tasks.  I have to say the new version of Outlook is great, the search facility is wonderfully quick and the new task management functionality is making my life much more organised. Watchful that I don't sound like an advert for Microsoft, I would suggest reading Jason Busch's account of his Vista experience ‘Vista, Office and Outlook 2007 are a Nightmare’ which is the exact opposite to mine; resulting in Jason requesting a downgrade back to Office 2003 and XP!

It does seem strange our accounts are so polarised, especially as our two machines are virtually identically in spec. To tell the truth I was expecting to have more problems with the Vista and Office 2007 combination myself and was very surprised to report that my blue screen count is still sitting at ‘1’…

I am heading today to the China Sourcing Summit, in Shanghai, so look forward to giving you an update on the presentations and my thoughts on the supplier visits.