I’ve just installed the latest Vista build, and I’m pleased to report that it’s finally real. Builds up until now have been flaky, and to a great extent not particularly functional. But this one is the real McCoy.

I can’t say the installation was trouble-free. It refused to recognize my network card until I used a bit of brute force. And although Internet access is fine, I can’t connect to my home network. And, of course, there’s a good deal still missing. But still it’s almost all here.

The first things that strikes you about this build is just how beautiful it is. You’ll find transparent windows, rich colors, elegant animations and better-looking icons.

The Windows Switcher feature is probably the best new addition . Click the icon on your Task Bar, and all of your open windows will be displayed, floating in three dimensions, and angled, so you can see them all and easily switch between them.

There’s even an instant-off feature that shuts Vista down pronto — actually, it really hibernates the computer so you can turn it back on instantly as well.

There’s a lot more here as well, as I’ll be reporting in the coming months. Keep your eyes here for more on every Vista build until launch.

Have you tried Vista yet? What do you think?