WASHINGTON, USA: Microsoft is all set to unveil its Windows 7 operating system, designed to take full advantage of multicore processors, this year.

Said to come with improved support for hyper-threading, the new OS is expected to charm users of processor-intensive applications, such as 3-D games and graphics programs.

However, said an 'Information Week' report, the applications themselves must be written in such a way as to take advantage of hyper-threading.

In fact, only a small percentage of apps include that capability, said the report. According to Bill Veghte, Microsoft's senior VP for Windows development, the software maker has been working closely with chipmaker Intel to bolster Windows 7 OS's ability to get the most from hyper-threading.

The software major is also said to be working hard to ensure that Windows 7 doesn't suffer from the compatibility glitches that plagued Windows Vista upon its release in January 2007.

This would come as good news for Windows users who were not happy with the Vista offering. Vista's compatibility problems had led to the OS not gaining acceptance among users who looked for better software and hardware compatibility.

However, this time around, the company feels that the Vista debacle will not repeat itself when Windows 7 debuts this year.

Microsoft will complete work on Windows 7 by about mid-August and make a final version of the OS available to consumers and businesses in time when the holiday season arrives.