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23 Oct 2009
The launch of Windows 7 is hugely important for Microsoft, but in time may also represent the company's historical high point.
As launches go, Windows 7 was quite understated compared to previous operating system releases. In 1995 Microsoft paid The Rolling Stones millions for the rights to Start me up and bought every edition of the The Times to give away free.
the Windows XP launch was also a big deal, with senior executives clocking up the air miles to spread the message around the world. By contrast, Windows 7 has had a number of launch events - and some cringe-inducing home launch parties no doubt - but has concentrated on getting the message out to businesses and consumers that Windows 7 is out, and it is not Vista.
This is ironic, since Windows 7 is basically Vista as it should have been. It runs on similar hardware, it has a lot of the same features and much of the code is the same. This shows up in the development time. Windows 7 came out less than three years after the launch of Vista, compared to more than five years from XP to Vista.
Microsoft, as well as the computer manufacturers and the components companies that supply them, desperately needs Windows 7 to kick off a refresh cycle in office hardware, and it is this that will be key to Microsoft's future.
Vista was a disaster for the hardware industry. Companies were not willing to roll out the operating system because of poor reviews and the knowledge that they would have to replace not only their software, but upgrade their hardware to run the system.
At first it looked like this would be an issue of timing, and Microsoft executives were confident that, as Vista's bugs got ironed out, companies would come round. But then the recession kicked in and spending on hardware and software fell away sharply.
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man, whats with you windows hatters. win 7 is an incredible operating system, this article is a complete failure in giving you an idea of what to expect from it at all. As a user who currently uses windows, linux, apple I say this: if there was ever an operating system that could ever justify buying a new computer (even if it had a markup comparable to apple's) This would be the one.
Posted by: james c. 08 Nov 2009
Why bother
Steve Blencowe has it right. With a two year old PC running Win XP Pro I can do all the work I want with programs that suit my way of working. Some of these programs are so old that they may not work under Win 7. I would have to get a PC that will run Win 7 with XP mode. The price of that is outrageous in UK. I will wait until the PC fails by which time I will know all I need about Linux to make the change and leave MS forever.
Posted by: irdac 27 Oct 2009
Windows 7 ha
After using MS platforms for many years....I have changed to MacBook Pro....goodbye windows hello apple....never again will windows give me trouble and frustration....Just look at the sales of Apple products and software great hardware and sofware...Farewell Windows....
Posted by: John 23 Oct 2009
Why bother?
If you have XP and it works why on earth would you want to buy Windows 7. You can't upgrade so it's a complete re-install which will take hours and assumes that you've still got your original installation media. When you've done it all what benefit have you gained? For most of us, a computer is just a tool. If it works I don't need a new one.
Posted by: Steve Blencowe 23 Oct 2009
Microsoft scumbag antics and LONG history of shonky software will be it's downfall
Here in Australia MS set the price for all the crap versions "Crippled, Half Baked, Basically Stupid and the Full Kit" at around 2 X the American price; and They have also stopped people buying it from the USA vendors on the basis of IP address, NON US delivery address and Credit Card Location. And now they are scabbing away with "the idea of" family packs..... The US gets them but Aus won't. It's all this bullshit that MS never endingly comes out with - including some genuinely CRAP software and SPIN, that is the #1 reason I dumped them like a fresh terd and went with Ubuntu Linux and Open Office. Did you know there are over 25,000 bits of really AMAZING and free software that you can download to use with it as well? Treat MS with the same deceitful treachery that they treat us. Dump them. I have and I have never enjoyed computing so much - and it's so good to be free of their corporate moron bullshit. And they only "became #1" because they bullied and lied their way to get there.....
Posted by: Jahm Mitt 23 Oct 2009
Kill the refresh cycle
The refresh cycle is profoundly wasteful. Most of the time we just want to be able to do what we have been doing for the last 10 years. Upgrading everything is simply not neccesarily. This con - driven by in built obsolescence and lazy programme design - has run its course. I hope the credit crunch depression kills it off for ever.
Posted by: Andrew Turvey 23 Oct 2009