The transition from Windows XP to Windows 7

So I'm just getting started on trying out Windows 7, although I still prefer
Windows XP. I was just curious what any others might have felt about their
transition (besides the usual comments of XP is not supported anymore, etc,
etc).

For me, I had to install Classic Shell to help me get around in Windows 7,
as the original configuration (to me) leaves much to be desired, including a
pretty confusing Control Panel! Even now I still find it harder to get to
things, such as System Restore, for example. In XP, you simply clicked on
System Restore, and ALL options were there ("restore" OR "create an image"
OR "change the restore settings"). Not so with Windows 7.

Another example: right mouse click on the Desktop in XP, and everything
related is right there for configuration; not so in Windows 7. It just
seems like you have to go thru more hoops to get to anything you want to
configure, or even get to the desired application in the first place.

Want to change the file associations? Where is it? Well, I found it by
using that search box - that's the only way I could find where its hiding
(or many things, for that matter). In Win XP, in Windows Explorer, you
simply clicked on the folder options column, and went to file types.

Is it my imagination, or is a bit less intuitive than Win XP or Win9x, for
that matter?