The most contraversial part of Microsoft's recent ventures is the catastrophic failure of Windows Vista amongst the general public. Those of us who are somewhat savvy when it comes to computers have mixed views on Windows Vista, however the general public, as in those who are not somewhat savvy, have a deep deep, almost genetic, hate towards Windows Vista. Simply put, the reason that people hate Vista is because it sucked. When it was first released, Vista was plagued with massive compatability problems, huge stability problems and a complete lack of appropriate advertising. Microsoft had not swept the ground from the horrible muck that would eventually doom Vista to an early grave. So, in light of this, Microsoft set about creating the Operating System that Vista was meant to be.
So, we've got the basics of why Microsoft is releasing Windows 7, so now I'll quickly explain what an Operating System is, and why Microsoft is doing so well with Windows 7. For those of you who live in a dark cave somewhere, an Operating System is the software on your computer that makes it work. That means everything you see on your screen, excluding the Internet Browser, is your Operating System, or OS. Having a good OS, and sometimes having the right version, allows you to utilise your computer hardware better. The vast majority of people will be running Windows on their computer for the simple fact that everyone else is. Windows creates a level playing field and allows everybody to share information without any compatability problems. At least, this is what we expected of Vista. Unfortunately, Vista was so badly coded that it did not even fill this basic requirement until much later on.
Fortunately for us, Microsoft has actually done a very thorough job with Windows 7. Straight from the start, Microsoft took on board the problems of Windows Vista, and straight from the start Microsoft began to prepare the ground. There have been months and months of open dialogue between Microsoft and it's users, with early releases of Windows 7 all the way through. Microsoft has been talking to all the major OEM's, Original Equipment Manufacturer, and has promised a smooth transition. Something which can definitely be delivered because Microsoft has already released Windows 7 to the public as a Release Candidate. All this PR work and solid coding with input from the rest of us has made a surprisingly solid Operating System. Microsoft has learned from it's previous mistakes and knows that it's reputation depends on the absolute success of Windows 7. However, much like Vista, Windows 7 well be coming in different versions. Unless you buy a new computer, you'll be trying to choose between Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate. I don't see why they can't just sell the same product to everyone. One major step forward, however, is the amalgamation of 32-bit and 64-bit OS's. Microsoft tried to break into 64-bit computing with Vista, however by charging separately for them, it failed to do so. Windows 7 will come with both versions, which means 64-bit should become the new standard.
Generally speaking, everything that Microsoft has done so far to ease Windows 7 into the world, has worked. Backed up by solid performances, Windows 7 is expected to be a total success. However, it is down to people like us to review Windows 7 to see whether it lives up to the expectations.
Coming up next : We will be reviewing the installation of Windows 7
Tags : Microsoft, Windows 7, Release Candidate
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