Microsoft released Windows 7, the latest version of its market-dominating operating system, around the world on Thursday.
The launch came one year after Microsoft said its next operating system would be sold under its code-name of 'Windows 7', and almost 10 months after the OS's first beta release.
"The development of Windows 7 was a huge collaborative project that involved listening to the feedback from millions of people around the world," Microsoft UK consumer business group lead, Leila Martine, said in a statement. "We are grateful to all the customers, partners and developers who helped make Windows 7 what we believe is the best Microsoft operating system ever."
New features in the latest version of Windows include a redesigned taskbar that allows thumbnail previews of open applications, and a virtualised XP mode to ensure compatibility with older applications. Windows 7 also boots faster than its predecessor, Vista.
According to Ovum principal analyst Jens Butler, Windows 7 will see significant enterprise adoption in 2010, which will in turn have a positive impact on the entire PC industry, including hardware suppliers, application developers and systems integrators.
"From a buyer's perspective, Ovum expects the Windows 7 launch to be an opportunity to undertake some serious housekeeping, especially for organisations that have stuck with XP," Butler said in a statement.
Butler said Windows 7 would give Microsoft a chance to rebuild some of the trust lost through Vista, which failed to displace its own predecessor, XP.
"Even with that legacy, expect enterprise uptake and migration programmes to start to appear during the first two quarters of 2010, with greater acceleration once budgets become released on the back of the green shoots of recovery, and when XP support is phased out by Microsoft's channel partners," Butler added.
Also on Thursday, rival analyst firm Forrester issued its predictions for UK enterprise uptake of Windows 7.
Based on a survey of British PC decision-makers at enterprises and small businesses, Forrester said nearly two-thirds of those polled were planning a migration to the new operating system at some point, with 53 percent intending to have most of their PCs running it within a year.
Talkback
.
Hmmmm Bah Humbug....
As THE actual inventor of the term "Crapware" - about Microsoft Products of course...
THE best thing I ever did was migrate across to Linux.....
I think Microsoft is like buying a lemon car with a great (?) paint job........
I mean I can't just drive it, Nooooooooooooo I have to spend hours under the hood every day, day in and day out, just "looking after it" so it will keep on running....
The MS operating systems that require "going for a drive" not only with a boot load of spares, but also a tow truck and a van full of service technicians..... "OH yay! MS rocks ----- NOT.
And MS's security (anything) is not worth 2 dogs rooting in a blizzard....
Copy-pasted from the M$ $tore:
Microsoft Signature PCs come with full versions of the software you need, pre-configured and ready to run.* Included are:
Internet Explorer 8
Surf the Internet faster, safer, and more easily than ever before
Windows Media Center
Preconfigured home entertainment shell allowing users to watch/record TV and download videos/shows on PC, manage pictures, movies, music, play stored media from TV and handset; additional configuration included
Internet TV Update for Media Center
Software update which enables TV playback on PC
Playready PC Runtime (for WMC) Allows access to play-ready content
Microsoft Security Essentials
Automatically updated software that protects against malware, spyware, virus, worms, and other threats to your security
Microsoft Silverlight
Software for delivering rich Web applications similar to Adobe Flash; Web application run-time
Adobe Flash Player for IE
Software for viewing Shockwave Flash (SWF) animations and movies using Internet Explorer
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Software for viewing PDF documents
Bing 3D Maps
3D mapping program for Bing Maps
Zune 4.0
Music, video, FM radio, and podcast player; provides access to Zune marketplace for music and TV shows
Auto Collage 2009 Touch
Program for converting photographs into collages
Live ID Sign-in Assistant
Software utility to link Windows account with Live ID
LiveUpload for Facebook (for Photo Gallery)
Allows user to upload photos from Live Photo Gallery directly to www.facebook.com
Windows Live Essentials Windows Live Call
Allows users to make PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone voice and video calls
Windows Live Family Safety
Software for controlling and monitoring online activities of children
Windows Live Mail
E-mail client successor to outlook and windows mail; includes Calendar, Contacts, Feeds, Newsgroups
Windows Live Messenger
Instant Messaging, calling, and video chat program
Windows Live Photo Gallery
Photo-management software
Windows Live Writer
Blog-publishing software
Microsoft Office Live Add-In
Software allowing MS office programs to save files to and access files from a shared online workspace
Windows Live Sync
File-synchronization program
Windows Live Movie Maker
Movie-making software
Windows Live Toolbar
Web browser toolbar to facilitate connection with Windows Live
That's the spec list.....???????????????
I am now so thrilled with MS's offerings, or is that droppings, I think I have to get off line for a while and cry lest I feel overwhelmed with the urge to make a necklace of bricks and go swimming off a bridge......
Microsoft makes me feel suicidal...... Corporate Moron Bullshit to the Max.
Thankyou everyone who ever contributed in anyway towards making LINUX and all it's offerings so good.....
Thankyou that I don't ever have to go back to Microsoft EVER again.....
Microsoft Orifice 07? AFTER having tried it hard for a few days ??? - I wouldn't use it if I had a FREE version of it with hassle free upgrades for the rest of my life...... In fact if I was given a pirated version it would go in the bin......
All I can say is "I am SO grateful that there is Linux - Ubuntu Linux, and Open Office etc....
I am SOOOO pleased that I can escape from the cash cow for idiots by idiots.....
I am looking forward to the release of Windoze 07, as much as I am for dog terds to be made into corn flakes....
Microsoft software and operating systems?
PASS.
I take it you don't like Microsoft Software. Don’t forget the 80% of machines that do run some sort of their software. And I like using it
Do you think I care?
No.
So what are you telling me your over priced and under scanned problems for.
When shelves of new computers are pre-installed with windows, and you are FORCED to buy a license at purchase time, the percentage is probably higher. The actual figure is an unknown, because no one knows how many people remove windows and install Linux when they get home. If you were able to buy a new computer without an OS, or to actually be able to choose what OS you want, then that percentage would drop dramatically. I switched to Linux in 2001, and have never looked back. I have a copy of XP for a couple of games, but I am afraid to keep it connected to the internet due to it's lack of security, even though it is fully patched, and anti-virus running, I still don't trust windows. Windows security is a contradiction of terms.
it ? will never be as good as my ubuntu i,ve had it a year now and its not much different to vista, which in my honest opinion is crap,so there but before you del my cmment ,listen my ubuntu plays music just by putting the curser on it ,it shows a little picture of a photo/image,it shows a file just by touching the file and it wake me in the morning its nickname is FANNY and she,s great , next story i wrote to bill gates pesonally and told him that the p/c i,d bought had vista on it and i wanted to remove it and could i have a le jit copt of XPpro as i only had an iffy copy , the didnt reply accept to say [give us a copy of your XP pro cos ours keeps crashing [JOKE]
I've yet to pick up my copy of win7 yet but hopefully within the next few days ill get around to it, my intension is to put it on a new hdisk so ill haft to get one of them orded also.
Hopefully it should serve me as well as xp has over the years for my main system, until better alternatives become more widely available.
I went to Wembley Tech conference a few weeks ago and had win 7 ultimate given for free, had been using all other betas before hand still think it is very good. And I also tried the different flavours of Linux but keep going back to windows, the software that I use doe's not work with Linux, I do not want to spend hours and hours looking for the programs that are Linux compatible
drop us a line i,ll send you a copy ,you have the right to try before you buy [its our law
My only concern with open source OS's I need something that will work with the applications I use I know they is a good selection of stuff available for the open source market, but they is a very very big following for the windows platform to which they is no denying, that provides a greater volume of 3rd party applications available for it.
My only other concern is that I don't want to many other machines around the house, if I can get maximum use from the household system that just leaves me with having a mobile device, and thats a win for me.
you keep you loyalty at hand and may one day bill will get in touch and say hey c you,ve been very loyal her,s a free p/c [joking apart i do understand] just a final point there is a free ubuntu desktop with free third party software,this you can download free put it on try if you don,t like it remove it it.s ubuntu 0.04 from ubuntu.com
Basically its all very well having a open source operating system but if the applications I use are not available to run on them, then their no good to me.
Albeit not as bad as it once was for the open source market, windows still has more choice of applications to choose from currently, and until that changes then I'm pretty much stuck like most other people.
So STOP calling everyone who has a difference of opinion a fanboi.