Microsoft Releases Windows 7 Beta: Will it Suck as Bad as Vista?
by Andrew S. Lennon | The Daily Anchor
A demo version of Windows 7 is now available on Microsoft.com and geeks everywhere are racing to see if it’ll suck as bad as Microsoft Vista.
Considering 35% of consumers who purchased Windows Vista ended up downgrading to XP because of a wide range of adoptability issues, it’ll be interesting to see how Windows 7 performs.
The funniest thing I’ve seen all day is Alec Saunders’ post:
At 6:00 AM yesterday morning I started downloading the Windows 7 x64 release. By 9:30 AM I was installing it. Yes, I admit it, I’m a keener. I’ve used every Windows beta since Windows 3.1 in 1992, and I still find it a thrill to be on the bleeding edge of new technologies.
Does he moonlight for Microsoft, or does Alec really think that using a demo version of Windows puts you “on the bleeding edge of new technologies?” I hope the former. I’d argue that Microsoft is just now catching up to what Apple acomplished with Mac OSX 10 back in 2001 - if that - and I give Apple another 1-2 years before they release another OS that Microsoft will spend another 7 years trying to catch up to.
To clarify, I grew up in the 80s using both a Mac and a PC but was a long-time PC owner until I finally entered technological rehab in 2002 after my custom-ordered two-month-old POS Dell laptop crashed and burned. I now own both a Powerbook (4 years old but still a champ) and an Intel Macbook. I do have a PC at my office, but it pretty much sits off to the side and collects dust (and viruses) while I work on my Mac.
You know, I just realized I’m filing this under “News” and yet this post has become way more of a rant than a news piece, so I suppose I’ll add in some newsy tidbits.
But before I do… do yourself a favor and buy an apple. Once you make the switch you’ll thank me; it’s like the fear of switching from regular to diet soda: at first you just don’t get why you should, and then you’re worried about how it’ll taste, but then you finally take the leap and you realize how much better off you are and wonder why you were so thick-headed to begin with. At this point I should make some concession about that being a weak analogy, but then I’d just have to follow that up with a snide comments about my weak analogy not being as weak as a PC, so I’ll just let it go.
Ok, here’s the newsy scoop:
- Windows 7 has been released in Beta and is available for download here
- The final version is scheduled for release in 2009 or early 2010
- The software was supposed to be made available on Friday, but the company delayed the release after Web site problems plagued the site. (I’m guessing they we’re using Internet Explorer)
- Initial reports are that Windows 7 is a huge improvement over Vista, which means that Microsoft may finally have caught up with Apple, er, caught up to where Apple was 5 years ago.
- Initital system requirements are:
- 1GHz processor (either 32-bit or 64-bit)
- 1GB of system memory
- 16Gb of disk space
- Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory
- DVD burner and Internet access.
- A MacBook Pro to access online support when your PC inevitably catches a virus, crashes, or commits suicide.
Sources:
CNET | Microsoft Lifts Download Limit for Windows 7 Beta
CNET | Windows 7 Beta: First Impressions
Saunderslog | Windows 7. The Vista “dot” release
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Alec Saunders | Jan 12, 2009 | Reply
Hey Andrew,
Thanks for the commentary. Makes me laugh that you’ve managed to turn a News piece about a technology release into a post about me, but what the heck — I’ll take the traffic!
FYI, I worked in Windows product management at Microsoft for close to a decade. If you were a regular reader, or had read the bio on my blog, you would know that. I’m also quite clear in my biases — I think that Mac’s are overpriced. Owning a Mac is an elitist statement, IMO, just as the blog post you’ve written. It’s kind of like owning a Mercedes — you can, so you do.
Cheers, A
Andrew | Jan 12, 2009 | Reply
Alec,
Thanks for being a good sport! I did indeed stumble upon your blog for the first time today, and though I chose to use just one line of your post to serve that elitist agenda of mine, I must say you wrote one heck of a thorough write-up on the beta release and I encourage anyone who wants to read full details about the release (as opposed to a rant on Microsoft…) to head over and read it.
I’ll absolutely concede that Macs are overpriced, but while that shuts Apple out from the mass market, it also plays into the Psychology of Influence (the perception that “you get what you pay for” and “expensive = good”), and has worked very well for winning the favor of the high-end consumer. I find great value in Apple’s computers, but yes, their perceived value (and cost) is even greater.
The eternal PC vs. Mac argument really boils down to a matter of usage and preference. You’d be hard-pressed to find an accountant who prefers a Mac, and even harder pressed to find a graphic designer who prefers a PC.
All the best,
Andrew
Alec Saunders | Jan 12, 2009 | Reply
You’ll get no argument from me on either point, Andrew. I’m full of admiration for what Apple has accomplished in both their technology and their marketing.
Cheers, A
popiropi | Mar 22, 2009 | Reply
the most stable and fastest PC ever -> is PC with Leopard on IT