I disagree with you saying XP is still the best fix. If you have upgraded you computer within the last 2 years, XP will cripple it because it can't use all of the processing power your new computer can supply.

This is an OK article as far as it goes. It doesn't really talk about some of the actual benefits of the libraries. The description used to describe them is the same as I used as to explain why you use sub-folders. The advantage of Libraries is that you can combine several folders in to one location. Please note I said, "several folders," those folders don't have to all be on the same drive, or even the same computer - this means they can come from DIFFERENT file structures. When I open the Documents Library on my home computer, it will display the documents that I have on my work computer at the same time as those on my home computer. I no longer have to shortcut to the other folder.

Win7 did not remove the old file structure. It is still there. I still recommend using an appropriate file structure even in the Libraries. If you are used to the old file structure, Win 7 still makes it easy to navigate it the same ways as you did in the old XP Explorer windows. Even the method of changing the folders in the Explorer is nice with its drop-down lists of sub-folders at each location.

I use XP, Vista, Win7 and OS X regularly in my day to day job. I get lots of time to compare the different OSes. OS X has several things to recommend it over Win7, just like Win 7 has things to recommend it over OS X. To be honest though, I will not go back to XP. There is no longer anything there to recommend it over OS X or Win 7, there is plenty or reasons to use it over Vista though.