To run WebSphere v7, first you have to install ...

Basically "Install" is one of those things people want to be able to ignore - they want it just work and be done with it. So, a major part of v7 install work was to keep everything working the same way and as well as v6.1 installs. We must have succeeded since most users may not notice any obvious difference, although under the covers there are several improvements. There are minor GUI changes to make the various installers (WebSphere, HTTP Server, plugins, client, Proxy Server, FeaturePacks, etc) more similar to each other in appearance and behavior.

Linux/AIX/HPUX/Solaris non-root installs are fully supported, which sounds fairly straight forward but had huge internal impacts. As well, installation performance has been increased such that the significantly enhanced v7 servers still install in the same time as the previous v6.1 servers. Keeping install performance (time) the same while laying down several hundred more megabytes was a challenge, but the team worked to find many places where a few seconds here-and-there could be shaved, and the net result is almost identical time for v7 versus v6.1 installs.

So, the "Install" should have "no surprises" - the real changes are WebSphere v7 itself. As soon as you can get it, give it a spin ...