Windows 7 preorder a hit--on Amazon

 

Windows 7 pre-sales have started and they are selling like hot cakes. Friendly Computers found out how well they are selling on Amazon and some other companies:

Microsoft's program for preordering Windows 7 at a discount is proving quite popular, at least at Amazon.com.

The program, which kicked off on Friday, allows people to order an upgrade version of Windows 7 Home Premium for $49, more than half off its $119 suggested price, or Windows 7 Professional for $99, half of its suggested price.

Both options run only until July 11 and are also limited in terms of the number of copies Microsoft will sell at those prices, though the software maker won't clarify what the limits are. (Users will get their copy of the operating system after it is made broadly available on October 22.)

The two offers have proven exceptionally popular on Amazon. The Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade package vaulted to No. 1, not just in Amazon's software store, but among all electronics products on the site. Meanwhile, the Windows 7 Professional upgrade was No. 2 among software products. Amazon also has a lot of Windows 7 info on its site, as well as a paid delivery option that guarantees that the product will arrive on October 22.

I'm checking into how the preorder program is doing at other stores. It is also being offered at the brick-and-mortar and/or online outlets Best Buy, Costco, Newegg, Office Depot, Office Max, Sam's Club, Staples, Tiger Direct, Wal-Mart, as well as at a few regional spots, such as Fry's Electronics and Nebraska Furniture Mart.

Best Buy, for its part, said preorders of Windows 7 immediately took off on Friday--faster than with previous preorder programs. Overall, though, it said sales are in line with its projections.

Microsoft is also running similar programs in a few other countries. Reports from Engadget and elsewhere suggest that the program is already sold out in Japan. A Microsoft representative was not immediately able to confirm this.

Also kicking off this past weekend was a separate program in which those who buy certain PCs with Windows Vista can get a free (or nearly free) copy of Windows 7, once the new operating system is available.

 

Source http://news.cnet.com/microsoft-news/?tag=hdr;snav

What PC makers are paying for Windows 7

There is tension between Microsoft and PC-Makers concerning the pricing tiers between different versions of Windows 7. Friendly Computers thinks you may find this interesting:

Microsoft plans to charge PC makers the same for the business version of Windows 7 as it did for Windows Vista, while cutting the price of Windows 7 Home Premium as compared to its predecessor, a top Windows executive told CNET News on Thursday. That matches a similar move for the boxed copy of the software.

Microsoft's pricing plans for Windows 7, which will be available October 22 on both new PCs, has been the source of considerable tension between the PC makers and the software maker, both of which are trying to grapple with both declining demand and falling prices for traditional PCs.

In an interview on Thursday, Senior Vice President Bill Veghte acknowledged that there has been tension between Microsoft and the PC makers over pricing, but said that is always the case when Microsoft readies a new version of its operating system.

"They'd love to have everything at dramatically lower prices," Veghte said, of the computer makers.

On the mainstream consumer side, Microsoft is only offering only one version--Windows 7 Home Premium, whereas with Windows Vista, Microsoft offered both a basic and premium version. Veghte says he understands that, from the PC makers perspective, Microsoft took away an option for low-cost PCs. In part, he said, that's why Microsoft decided to charge a price for Windows 7 Home Premium that was more than Vista Basic, but less than Vista Home Premium.

"We took a blended approach," he said. "It wasn't like I am trying to jack up the prices."

For Windows 7 Professional, as Microsoft did on the retail side, the software maker will charge PC makers essentially the same as it did for Windows Vista Business. However, he said, buyers are getting more with Windows 7 because the professional version also includes the consumer media features, something that wasn't the case with Vista.

PC makers, though, have continued to see both average selling prices and profit margins under continued pressure.

Veghte said Microsoft, too, has seen the amount of money it gets for each copy of Windows drop in recent years.

"Our average selling price has been declining as well," Veghte said. "It's not like we have sat there at the (same) price points the last five years."

"If the only thing the market is squabbling about is price, that's a good thing for Microsoft," he said.

One of the biggest changes Microsoft did make in response to PC maker concern, was to lift a restriction on the Windows 7 Starter edition it is selling for use in Netbooks. Initially, Microsoft planned to restrict Starter-based PCs to running no more than three applications at a time.

Microsoft also agreed not to charge PC makers for a program in which, starting tomorrow, buyers of Windows Vista PCs can get an upgrade to Windows 7. That enables PC makers to offer the upgrades for free, or only the cost of shipping, without losing money.

Veghte said lifting the Starter restriction was important to computer makers and consumers and something that Microsoft could live with. The three-application limit began with Windows XP Starter Edition, which was aimed at first-time computer users and sold only on new PCs in emerging markets.

"It clearly was not winning any popularity contests," he said of the limit. "I don't think it fundamentally changes the business approach."

It does, though, pave the way for Windows 7 Starter to become the dominant operating system on Netbooks, Shim said. IDC forecasts that the Netbook market will shift largely from Windows XP to Windows 7 next year, but Shim said that much of that will be the lower-priced Starter Edition.

That means, Microsoft's Windows 7 revenue could be in for a hit if traditional notebook and desktop sales don't pick up. The upside, Shim said, is that Microsoft will benefit when sales do pick up, even if it is next year.

"Even if they only hit a single or double with the launch, they can get some extra bases in the coming years," he said.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/microsoft-news/?tag=hdr;snav

Windows 7: Microsoft vs. the PC Makers

Microsoft and retailers are starting to battle back and forth about the cost of the new Windows 7. For the entry level edition which has less features then the current Vista standard edition, Microsoft wants to charge retailers about 3 times the current price. Friendly Computers found this article, which should shed some light on the matter:

As Microsoft (MSFT) prepares to launch a new version of its Windows operating system this fall, the software giant and PC makers are squaring off over pricing for the new software. The battle's outcome will have a broad impact on the cost and capability of PCs available to consumers and corporations.

Microsoft has much on the line with Windows 7, scheduled to be introduced in October. The Redmond (Wash.) company is counting on the new operating system to end years of complaints about its predecessor, the buggy Windows Vista, and to keep the Windows franchise churning out profits. While the early reviews for the new software are strong, many PC makers question the proposed pricing and features. Microsoft wants to charge about $50 for an entry-level version of the operating system, called Windows 7 Starter Edition, say analysts and PC makers. That's roughly triple the price the company gets for the cheapest version of Windows available now.

The Starter Edition also will be missing key features such as top-flight security and graphics, and Microsoft plans to charge customers another $50 to upgrade to premium versions of Windows 7. PC makers want Microsoft to cut that fee. So far, the software maker has refused to budge. "It looks like Microsoft [is] paying a lot of attention to their own profitability rather than how to expand the market," says Gianfranco Lanci, chief executive of Acer, the Taiwanese personal computer manufacturer.

Microsoft declined to discuss specific pricing plans. CEO Steven A. Ballmer has said the new software will be the "best version of Windows ever."

The standoff points to a broader problem in the tech industry. The number of PCs sold each year is flattening, and the average selling price is falling fast. That leaves Microsoft, Intel (INTC), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), and Dell (DELL), which once shared profits from a fast-growing market, fighting harder for every dollar. "These guys feel like they're getting their wallets picked," says Roger L. Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates.

Notebooks, once the most profitable segment of the business, have seen the most dramatic change. Average prices have tumbled to $788 from nearly $1,420 in 2004, according to researcher IDC. The average notebook is now, for the first time, cheaper than the average desktop. The declines in notebook prices accelerated last year with the growing popularity of low-cost netbooks designed primarily for checking e-mail and surfing the Web. Netbooks that sell for less than $400 account for a fifth of total unit sales.

The tangle between Microsoft and the PC makers is over who wins and who loses as profits get squeezed. PC companies typically pay $60 to $150 for Vista, but they can use the older Windows XP for roughly $15 for netbooks. Acer, HP, and others often make only about $20 in profits on a $400 netbook. If Microsoft raises the price of the operating system for such machines to $50, the PC maker has to raise prices or watch profits get wiped out. "These are issues we still need to work out," says Phil McKinney, chief technology officer for HP's PC group, who declined to comment specifically on future Windows pricing.

The cost of Windows could rise more sharply on other machines. Microsoft has told PC makers the $50 Starter Edition will be available only for netbooks with screen sizes smaller than 10.2 inches and chips that aren't capable of playing most games or watching video. Larger netbooks would have to use Windows 7 Home Premium, which would add $200 to a unit's cost, says Mike Abary, a senior vice-president at Sony's (SNE) Vaio PC unit.

 

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_26/b4137044277552.htm?chan=rss_topStories_ssi_5

Fujitsu to Offer Windows 7 Upgrades but Not for Free

 

Many computer manufacturers will be offering upgrade coupons with new computers running Vista so that they can be upgraded when Windows 7 is released. Friendly Computers found out that there will most likely be a charge for the voucher. Read below for all the details:

Fujitsu will charge for Windows 7 upgrade vouchers when it begins offering them shortly to people that buy a PC ahead of the operating system's October 22 launch.

Many PC vendors will offer the vouchers, in the hope that customers won't put off planned PC purchases until Windows 7 ships. A similar program was offered for Windows Vista, while Apple has also offered free OS upgrades to some of its customers.

Fujitsu said it will launch its program before the end of June, probably this Friday. Microsoft has scheduled a news conference in Tokyo on that day.

The company is one of Japan's biggest PC vendors and also has a sizable business in Europe. Several other PC makers around the world have also confirmed they will take part in the voucher program, including Hewlett-Packard and Taiwan's Acer, Asustek Computer, Gigabyte Technology, Micro-Star International (MSI), and Shuttle.

The companies are levying a charge on users because they have to pay Microsoft to include upgrade coupons with PCs. The coupons will cost the PC makers between US$9 and $15 to include with PCs although end-users will likely be charged a higher price, one Taiwanese company said.

The PC industry needs all the help it can get right now.

Global PC shipments dropped by a record amount in the first quarter of this year. Total shipments were 66.5 million units, down 8.1 percent on the same period in 2008, said iSuppli last week. The fall was entirely in the desktop segment, which saw shipments drop 23 percent versus a 10 percent increase in the laptop segment.

 

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/167087/fujitsu_to_offer_windows_7_upgrades_but_not_for_free.html

Four things Windows 7 can learn from Mac OS X

 

The talk about Windows 7 is that it is suppose to be the best Windows operating system yet. Friendly Computers found this article which touches on some improvements Microsoft should make:

Windows 7 is clearly Microsoft's best operating system yet. But it's far from perfect. Here are four ways Microsoft can improve it by "borrowing" features from Mac OS X.

Use Expose for window handling

Windows 7 introduces some nifty new window handling features, such as Aero Peek, but it doesn't go nearly far enough. It should borrow from Mac OS X's Expose, which lets you do things like see all of your open windows neatly displayed with a single keystroke, display open windows as thumbnails, and so on. It's more than just eye candy --- it improves productivity as well.

Replace the Control Panel with System Preferences

The Mac's System Preferences feature is a model of simplicity. It organizes all of the operating system's features into a handful of icons, organized by category, that gives you easy access to customization. The Control Panel is a far messier piece of work. Windows 7 should simplify the way you customize it and use an organizational tool like the Mac OS X's System Preferences in place of the Control Panel.

Ship better built-in applications

Mac OS X ships with some very good applications that would be worth buying on their own right, such as iPhoto, iMovie, and iWeb. Microsoft is moving in the exact opposite direction with Windows 7 --- it's stripping out most applications, so that even Windows Mail won't be part of the operating system any longer. That's the wrong direction. Microsoft should instead beef up the applications that come as part of Windows.

Use Mouse Gestures

Windows 7 will have some touch-enabled features, including rudimentary touchpad gestures. But it should go whole hog and use far more. On my Macbook Air, for example, I can scroll through documents, right-click, go forward and backward in my browser and more without lifting my hands from the touchpad. I'd like to be able to do the same thing in Windows 7.

Source: http://blogs.computerworld.com/four_things_windows_7_can_learn_from_mac_os_x

Windows 7 Will Give Netbooks the Magic Touch

 

Friendly Computers wants you to know that versions Windows 7  will have touch screen capability. This will be a very useful feature for netbooks, which have limited space and screen sizes. Check it out below:

While current netbooks are already rapidly capturing the attention and credit cards of savvy travelers, the addition of multi-touch support in Windows 7 could be the spark that sets off a firestorm of netbook purchases later this year.

Touch is one of the most exciting, yet least discussed features of Windows 7. Although most people associate multi-touch features with Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch products, the idea has existed for years and Microsoft conceptualized multi-touch for the Microsoft Surface tabletop computer as far back as 2001. If you use an iPhone, then you already know how to use multi-touch. If you already own a netbook, you’ll want to hock it on Craigslist when the Windows 7 netbooks featuring multi-touch displays hit the market.

While most computers can benefit from the use of this technology, netbooks are a special case. First of all, their tiny keyboards and touchpads beg for a heavy dose of human-interface assistance. Additionally, the limited real estate afforded by their small screens is an obvious candidate for pinch-style zooming and for scrolling with a simple and intuitive flick of the finger.

The cost of adding capacitive touch-screen functionality to diminutive screens will be much less than with laptop and desktop monitors with their relatively large surfaces. The Touch feature set is only available with Windows 7 Home Premium and higher Windows editions, which adds to the overall cost; however people buy netbooks as much for portability as for price. People purchasing based on size and features and will be willing to spend the extra $100 or so for significantly improved usability

A few touch-screen netbooks already exist, for example Dell’s education-focused Latitude 2100 is available with an optional touch screen. Also on the market are the relatively pricy Gigabyte Touchnote series of tablet-style convertible touch-screen netbooks. While these single-touch computers can be useful for a number of things, to really take advantage of the new Windows 7 features, you’ll need one that can recognize the input from multiple fingers, not just one. Capacitive multi-touch LCD panels are currently being manufactured in quantity, and I expect to see netbooks with them launched on the same day as Windows 7

Some netbooks, like the Lenovo S10, feature a multi-touch trackpad as an upgrade option. This is a great feature, but touching the actual image you’re manipulating is vastly more intuitive on a small device.

Touch-enabled netbooks will likely have massive appeal for business users. Much like the iPhone allowed users to competently navigate non-mobile optimized Web sites on a 3.5-inch display; multi-touch netbooks will enable business users to organically and quickly navigate spreadsheets and word-processing documents on 8.9- to10.2-inch displays. People will be able to zoom in and tap on a cell to modify a formula much more quickly and with less frustration than they can with a shrunken keyboard and touchpad. The laptop can now stay its docking station while the netbook travels comfortably inside a briefcase.

 

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/166726/windows_7_will_give_netbooks_the_magic_touch.html

Can Windows 7 save PCs?

 

With Windows 7 set to be released soon, will the new operating system be enough to spark new sales when we are still in a recession? Friendly Computers found this article and we think it may be of interest to you:

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Windows 7 is coming soon. But having a PC sales rebound come with it seems unlikely.

Computer sales are mired in an awful slump, as businesses and consumers have reined in spending during the recession. Year-over-year global PC shipments fell 7% in the first quarter, the largest drop in that measure since the third quarter of 2001 amid the dot.com bust, according to tech analysis firm IDC.

But Microsoft's new operating system is set to debut on Oct. 22, and experts for the most part like what they have seen. That's a dramatic shift from the largely negative reviews -- and disappointing sales -- of its current Windows version, Vista.

"Microsoft learned a lot from its mistakes with Vista," said Richard Shim, analyst at IDC. "They fixed some very important features and made an impressive operating system."

Despite the positive reviews, most analysts say Windows 7 alone is not enough to jumpstart lackluster PC sales. They cite customer animosity toward Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500), a change in consumer trends and the typically slow pace of businesses' OS integration as reasons.

Microsoft's problem: Windows is by far the most-used PC operating system. Last year, 83% of new PCs sold had Windows built in.

Windows 7 may be a shiny and new version of the world's No. 1 OS, but analysts wonder if customers are willing to give Microsoft a second chance after Vista. Users complain that Vista is sluggish, has too many versions and is susceptible to bugs.

According to a survey of more than 1,000 IT professionals nationwide conducted in March by Dimension Research, 50% said they were considering leaving Windows altogether rather than switch to Windows 7. Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) Mac OS X was the system they are most likely to switch to.

"Microsoft tried to stuff too many features into the Vista bag, and the bag burst," said Zeus Kerravala, analyst with Yankee Group. "There was a big loss of goodwill towards Microsoft [over Vista.]"

Happy with my clunker: Disenchantment with Windows may not help a PC sales rebound, but PCs may have been doomed anyway.

As more and more applications become available on the Internet, consumers have begun to rely less on computer processing speeds and operating systems' bells and whistles. Online programs such as Google Docs, Yahoo Mail and Wikipedia, for the average consumer's purposes, can stand in for Microsoft Word, Outlook and Encarta.

It's called "cloud computing" (the software is "in the clouds"), and analysts say it will likely continue to damage PC sales growth.

"The most important part of valuating a PC five years ago was its OS, but with more applications moving to cloud, the browser is quickly becoming the most important feature," said Kerravala.

With Internet browsing becoming faster on non-computer devices such as mobile phones and video game systems, analysts say customers are delaying the purchase of new computers from the typical three-year refresh to as much as five years.

Slow to catch on: One set of customers that still rely heavily on PCs are businesses. But companies' integration of operating systems is typically slow.

According to the Dimension Research survey, 84% of IT professionals who are planning on switching to Windows 7 said they are going to wait at least a year to upgrade.

Gartner analysts John Enck and Mike Silver said a six to 12-month period of compatibility testing is typical before businesses begin to adopt a new OS, as IT departments work in companies' customized features and applications.

On a conference call in May, Dell (DELL, Fortune 500) Founder and Chief Executive Michael Dell agreed that a technology refresh cycle is about "nine months to a year out."

Consumers are slow to catch on too. According to IDC, a release of an OS has not led to an immediate boost in shipments since Windows 95 was launched in 1995. Sales have picked up in successive years, though. For instance, Windows XP, which was launched in 2001, had a record sales year in 2007.

Rebound still coming: Though Windows 7 may not be the catalyst needed to spark a rebound in PC sales, most experts say a natural PC sales boost is due by late next year anyway.

A stunning 83% of IT professionals in the Dimension Research survey skipped a Vista upgrade and continue to use the eight-year old Windows XP -- which is ancient, by computer standards. Analysts say businesses will often upgrade their hardware with a new operating system, and the lack of a Vista upgrade means many companies are using older computers that are two or more years past their typical decommissioning period.

"A natural PC sales refresh is coming up from the commercial side, as big companies pushed off a refresh a couple of times during the downturn and kept their old systems," said Shim.

Still, the rebound won't happen anytime soon. Enck said the PC market slump could last until at least the third quarter of 2010. And according to a recent Gartner forecast, U.S. PC sales won't rebound past 2008 levels until 2011. 

 

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/12/technology/pc_sales/?postversion=2009061204

Windows 7 Upgrade Programs Will Start Soon, Vary by Vendor

Some PC retailers will be offering upgrade coupons for Windows 7 soon. They hope that by doing this more people will continue to purchase computers and no wait for the release of Windows 7 in the fall. Friendly Computers thinks you may be able to use this information:

Some PC vendors and sellers will begin a coupon program on June 26 to entitle people who buy premium versions of Microsoft Windows Vista to upgrade to the new Windows 7 operating system when it arrives later this year, but the upgrade offers may not be free. Offers will vary by vendor and retailer.

Three Taiwanese PC makers plan to provide a coupon for a free Windows 7 upgrade to anyone who buys a new desktop or laptop PC loaded with Vista Home Premium, Vista Ultimate or Vista Business between June 26 and the time Windows 7 launches globally on Oct. 22, according to executives from the companies. They requested not to be named in this story for fear of harming their business relationship with Microsoft, because the software giant has not yet announced the timing of its Windows Upgrade Option (WUO) program.

PC vendors will have to pay between US$9 and US$15 per PC to include an upgrade coupon with a new computer, said an executive at one Taiwanese PC maker. People will use information on the coupon to download a copy of Windows 7 from a Microsoft Web site once the software is on sale, he said, and Microsoft will also send the holder a copy of the operating system on a disc.

Another executive said the upgrade coupons will be good from June 26 through Jan. 31, 2010 and are meant to encourage people to buy new PCs ahead of the Oct. 22 launch date for Windows 7.

PC makers fear consumers and businesses may put off buying a new desktop or laptop until Windows 7 formally launches in October, causing a downturn for PC sales this summer. The upgrade program is aimed at keeping PC sales steady over the time.

Microsoft has not announced a date for when its Windows Upgrade Option program will begin, said Amelia Agrawal, director of public relations at Microsoft Asia Pacific, in Singapore. However, she pointed out that the upgrade offers will vary by PC manufacturer and retailer.

A Taiwanese executive also said he feared the upgrade program will hurt sales of netbooks because they come with Windows XP instead of Vista. Netbooks are among the hottest sellers this year for PC makers due to their small size, long battery life and low-cost. But XP users will not be offered an upgrade coupon.

Information from the Taiwanese executives matched most of the information in a memo from U.S. electronics retailer Best Buy, leaked last week.

Several companies in Taiwan plan to offer Windows 7 upgrade programs, including Acer, Asustek Computer, Gigabyte Technology, Micro-Star International (MSI), and Shuttle.

Hewlett-Packard will participate in the Windows Upgrade Option program but won't disclose details until Microsoft formally announces the start date, said Ann Finnie, public relations manager in HP's personal systems group, in an e-mail.

Chinese PC maker Tsinghua Tongfang will not offer upgrade coupons since few of its machines offer eligible versions of Windows Vista, a company representative said. She said she did not know the launch date of the program.

 

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/166563/windows_7_upgrade_programs_will_start_soon_vary_by_vendor.html

Should "Standard User" be the default in Windows 7?

 

Windows 7 user accounts may have a flaw that may run scripts in the background under admin settings. Friendly Computers thinks this may be helpful to you:

It seems clear to me that combining an Admin accounts with Windows 7’s “low nag” User Account Control (UAC) setting is a bad idea. Problem is, Admin accounts and “low nag” UAC settings will be the default for millions of people buying Windows 7-based PCs.

The problem with systems running with these two settings is that it’s possible to use a code-injection vulnerability to silently run code or other applications with administrative privileges behind the user’s back. Even Windows super-guru Mark Russinovich acknowledges that a problem exists:

Several people have observed that it’s possible for third-party software running in a PA account with standard user rights to take advantage of auto-elevation to gain administrative rights. For example, the software can use the WriteProcessMemory API to inject code into Explorer and the CreateRemoteThread API to execute that code, a technique called DLL injection. Since the code is executing in Explorer, which is a Windows executable, it can leverage the COM objects that auto-elevate, like the Copy/Move/Rename/Delete/Link Object, to modify system registry keys or directories and give the software administrative rights. While true, these steps require deliberate intent, aren’t trivial, and therefore are not something we believe legitimate developers would opt for versus fixing their software to run with standard user rights. In fact, we recommend against any application developer taking a dependency on the elevation behavior in the system and that application developers test their software running in standard user mode.

The follow-up observation is that malware could gain administrative rights using the same techniques. Again, this is true, but as I pointed out earlier, malware can compromise the system via prompted elevations as well. From the perspective of malware, Windows 7’s default mode is no more or less secure than the Always Notify mode (”Vista mode”), and malware that assumes administrative rights will still break when run in Windows 7’s default mode.

So, a problem exists, and not only is it something that malware authors could use but we could even see software developers using the trick to make their product less naggy than the competition. The solution is to change default settings, something that most people out there in Computer Land won’t even know is possible.

Another flaw is to assume that just because someone is running Admin account, they would accept all prompts thrown their way anyway. The problem with this is that the current settings allow a behind-the-scenes code injection to stealthily mess around with a system.

It seems to me that Microsoft has backed itself into a corner. It tried to make UAC less naggy, but by doing so introduced some serious vulnerabilities. The only advice it can offer to counter these vulnerabilities is that users should change default settings. Why not just make these more secure settings the default? Because it would break stuff. Like I said, Microsoft is backed into a corner.

My view is that Microsoft should make Standard user the default user on systems. Sure, it would break some stuff, but eventually something has to change because the current situation can’t last forever. It’s clear that Admin accounts are a security vulnerability in the hands of those who don’t understand what it means to be running Admin accounts.

 

Source: http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=4627

Windows 7 On Sale Before It’s On Sale

Friendly Computers found out this information on how you get get guarantee your copy of Windows 7. Below is what we found out:

We don’t mean to crash the Apple party, but there’s some news from The Other Side.

The other side being Microsoft and its Windows 7 operating system. According to a report in Engadget, a memo from the Best Buy chain indicates that the store will offer, from June 26 to July 11, a “pre-sale” on Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade and Windows 7 Professional Upgrade for $49.99 and $99.99, respectively. The software will ship in October, Microsoft previously said.

Best Buy said Tuesday that the memo was in fact “an item that appeared on our Intranet site, part of a newsletter directed at company employees. We’re very excited about it.”

The company is also guaranteeing a free Windows 7 upgrade to all PC buyers from June 26 to the retail software launch day in the fall.

The memo seems to take a rather subtle slap at the current Windows Vista OS. According to the memo, Windows 7 “isn’t just a “Vista that works” program –- it’s a new operating system with improved productivity, functionality and creativity that uses less computer resources.”

The so-called sale, obviously an attempt to propel market share with low price points initially and create a buzz, comes at the same time Apple announces it will sell the upgrade to its new OS, Snow Leopard, for $29, starting in September, and beating Windows 7 to market by a month or more. The OS wars are fully engaged.

 

Source: http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/windows-7-on-sale-before-its-on-sale/

Windows 7: Shaping up quite nicely

 

Friendly Computers found out some more information about the highly anticipated new Windows 7. See what we found out below:

 

It's official: Windows 7 is practically done. The code paths are being frozen as we speak, and the final bits should be arriving on Oct. 22, just in time for the holiday shopping season. Of course, savvy users will have Windows 7 well before that date (think mid-July). The myriad torrent sites will see to it that anyone who wants to will be able to run the RTM (release to manufacturing) bits this summer; whether or not they'll be able to activate them in the absence of an RTM product key is another matter.

In almost every sense, Windows 7 is finished. Whatever happens between now and the RTM a few short weeks from now will be entirely cosmetic -- some tweaked branding here, a bug fix or compatibilty shim there. So, given my extensive history with the product, starting with the much-maligned PDC build and running through the latest leaked builds, I thought it time to revisit the OS in light of my nearly seven months of continuous use.

Here, in a nutshell, is what I think of Windows 7:

Usability: Much has changed since build 6801. Back at PDC, Microsoft had still not enabled the the full range of Windows 7 UI revisions. For example, the new Task Bar was MIA, as were many of the Windows 7-specific Aero goodies. And although some clever users were able to work around these limitations -- by hacking the build to allow these still unfinished features to be accessed -- the net result was uneven at best.

Fast-forward to today and the new Task Bar now feels like an old friend. Most of the more glaring kinks have been worked out, and -- as of build 7137, anyway -- it is as reliable and predictable as the old Task Bar. Likewise, the myriad Aero features. In fact, when using these latter builds taken from the Windows 7 RTM branch, it's very easy to forget you're running a pre-release OS. Add to this the fact that the new UI represents a leap forward in usability (even the Mac fanatics are giving it some begruding respect), and it's hard to imagine anyone sticking with Vista once Windows 7 ships.

Compatibility: After some well-documented stumbles with the early pre-beta builds, Microsoft has done a good job of cleaning up Windows 7's compatibility story. Nearly all of my critical tools run reliably on build 7137, and the popularity of the public beta release has prompted many developers to rush any required fixes to market. The result is an end-user landscape that looks a lot more hospitable than the one that Windows Vista walked into nearly three years ago.

Then there is the matter of Virtual Windows XP Mode. I made my opinion clear a few weeks back when I declared it to be a kludge solution. And recent experience has shown just how confusing and frustrating this feature can be. This past weekend I picked up a new PC at Costco with plans to use it as a temporary development system while in the United States (I work overseas normally). The HP system has a quad-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 640GB hard disk. Yet it cannot run Virtual XP Mode due to the software's requirement that the CPU support Intel's VT extensions (which this chip inexplicably does not).

Place the blame where you like -- with Intel for creating too many SKUs with brain-dead feature sets, or with Microsoft for tying its solution to a technology that is far from ubiquitous -- but the fact remains that this otherwise uber-powerful system can't run a simple Virtual PC session. Go figure.

Performance: Windows 7 is faster than Windows Vista ... but not by much. My own testing shows that these latter builds are, at best, 3 to 5 percent faster than Vista SP2 on linear tasks, like the OfficeBench test script. And Windows 7 is still a good 20 to 15 percent slower than Windows XP, although multicore systems help to mitigate this advantage somewhat.

However, Windows 7 defintely feels more responsive than Windows Vista, especially on low-end hardware. I've been running Build 7137 for weeks now on a lowly HP Mini 2140 netbook, and I can say with confidence that it works well. I rarely find myself complaining about the performance of the OS -- this, thanks to improvements in background service behavior and a more intelligent kernel scheduler.

Overall, Windows 7 is shaping up quite nicely. Will it succeed in wooing the masses away from Windows XP? Probably ... eventually. But in the meantime, it allows Microsoft to close the door on the ugly, half-baked Vista era. And as a long-suffering Vista user, I say it can't happen soon enough.

 

Source: http://www.infoworld.com/d/windows/windows-7-shaping-quite-nicely-617?page=0,1

Apple bashes Windows 7, talks Snow Leopard

While Microsoft is getting ready for Windows 7, Apple is comparing the new OS to their new version of Leopard. Apple claims that Windows 7 is essentially “the same old windows”. Friendly Computers found this information which may be useful to you: 

AN FRANCISCO--While Microsoft is trying to position Windows 7 as an exciting new version of the operating system, Apple on Monday tried to characterize it as the same old Windows.

In a keynote speech at the Worldwide Developer Conference here, Apple's Bertrand Serlet said the underpinnings of Windows 7 include the same complexities that have been in the past versions of the operating system.

"That's Windows 7," he said. "Fundamentally, it's just another version of Windows Vista."

Serlet tried to draw a contrast between Windows and what Apple is doing with Snow Leopard, the next version of its own operating system. "We've come at it from such a different place."

But while his rhetoric suggested a fundamental difference, Serlet actually characterized Snow Leopard in some of the same ways--as a better version of the existing Leopard operating system.

"We love Leopard," he said. "We are proud of Leopard."

The goal of Snow Leopard, he said, was really "to build a better Leopard."

There are other similarities between what Apple's and Microsoft's efforts. Among the new features in Snow Leopard is a feature that adds the Expose window--previewing feature to the Dock--not unlike the Aero Peek feature that Windows 7 has as part of its new task bar.

In fairness, there are some key differences between what Apple is doing with Snow Leopard compared to what Microsoft is doing with Windows 7.

Windows 7 is largely focused on improving the look and performance of the core Vista engine, while Snow Leopard goes more under the hood, aiming to better handle 64-bit processing and multicore capabilities.

Apple is also trying to boost its Windows compatibility story by adding Exchange server capability to Snow Leopard. According to Apple, all the user has to do is fill in an e-mail address and password, and the software will "auto-detect" the Exchange Server and make the user's calendar and mail available in Mac OS X's iCal and Mail programs.

The biggest pressure from Apple, though came on the pricing front. Serlet said that Apple will ship Snow Leopard in September and charge just $29 for Leopard owners to upgrade.

Microsoft has hinted that it will offer a cheaper upgrade for Vista users to move to Windows 7, but has not announced details.

 

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10259248-56.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0

10 reasons Vista haters will love Windows 7

Many of the annoyances from Visa have supposedly been corrected in the new Windows 7 operating system. Friendly Computers found this list which explains some of the features that are making this the “Vista Perfected” operating system:

Many of my friends and readers adamantly refused to make the switch to Windows Vista when it came out. Some who bought new machines with Vista installed immediately “downgraded” the OS. A few proclaimed that they would give up XP only when you pried it from their cold, dead hands. But even in the last category, many of them are impressed with what they’ve seen in the Windows 7 beta.

While some tech pundits are saying 7 isn’t really all that different from Vista — and indeed, one of the attractions for Vista users is that 7 can generally use the same drivers and run the same apps as Vista — the consensus among anti-Vista folks I know who’ve tried the 7 beta seems to be that the new operating system is “Vista done right.”

Here’s why I think you’ll see many of the XP diehards happily embracing Windows 7 when it’s released.

 

1: UAC has mellowed out

User Account Control in Vista is like living with an overprotective mother — when you’re 30. It’s constantly popping up to warn you of impending danger, even when you’re just trying to take a look at Device Manager or perform some other innocent task. It hovers over you and nags you constantly: “Are you sure you want to do that?” Like Mom, UAC has our best interests in mind, but it can drive you nuts in the name of “security” — especially when you consider that it doesn’t really define a security boundary. (For more on that, see Mark Russinovich’s TechNet Magazine article “Inside Windows Vista User Account Control.”

Windows 7 doesn’t do away with UAC, but it does give users options regarding its behavior. By reducing the number of unnecessary and redundant UAC dialogs, making the prompts more informative, and providing users with more control over UAC, Windows 7 maintains many of the benefits of the feature without intruding on users’ computing lives so much that they turn the whole thing off in frustration.

2: Explorer is no longer a pane in the behind

In a misguided attempt to alleviate the need for horizontal scrolling, Vista made the left navigation pane in Windows Explorer a constantly moving target. As you move your mouse, it will automatically scroll back and forth. My husband calls this auto-scrolling feature the “whack a mole” phenomenon because of the way the contents of the pane seem to dodge back and forth.

You can avoid the auto-scrolling by dragging the pane to make it wide enough to accommodate the entire tree, but that isn’t a good option on a small screen, such as the one on my compact VAIO notebook.

In Windows 7, the navigation pane stays still, so you no longer risk getting seasick from all the swaying back and forth.

3: Graphics cards coexist peacefully once more

In XP, we could use pretty much whatever graphics cards we wanted for multiple monitors. I had a machine with three cards installed: an NVidia, an ATI, and a Matrox. XP would stretch my desktop across all three monitors attached to those cards. When I upgraded that machine to Vista, I found that I no longer had multiple monitors. Some research revealed that to use multiple graphics cards, they would have to all use the same driver. That meant I couldn’t use cards from different vendors together. I had to shell out a few bucks to get more ATI cards before I could use all my monitors again.

According to reports, Windows 7 has added support for multiple heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors. Now this probably doesn’t mean you can combine ATI and NVIDIA cards in an SLI-configuration, but it sounds as if we can have our multi-vendor multi-monitor setups back.

4: Clutter and bloat are reduced

Vista was perhaps the culmination of Microsoft’s efforts to be all things to all users. Along with the built-in applications we got with XP, Vista added a contacts program, a calendaring program, a photo editing program, and so forth. While some users appreciate all these free applications, many others have been annoyed by the “extras” they don’t need or use. If you’re planning to install Office with Outlook, there’s no need for Contacts and Calendar. And if you have your own favorite and more powerful graphics applications, such as PhotoShop, there’s no need for Photo Gallery. The extras just clutter up your Programs menu and take up space on the hard disk.

With Windows 7, Microsoft has removed a number of the extra programs and now offers them as free downloads from the Windows Live Web site. This way, those who want them can have them, and those who don’t won’t have to deal with removing them.

5: Boot performance is better

Another common complaint about Vista has been the inordinate amount of time it can take to boot up. This might not be an issue for those who leave their systems on all the time, but if you turn off your computer every night, waiting around forever for it to get started in the morning can turn into a major annoyance.

A Microsoft spokesperson indicated that the company’s goal for Windows 7 is a 15-second boot time, whereas three quarters of Vista users report boot times of more than 30 seconds. Although the beta of Win7 may not have achieved that 15-second mark yet for most users, the majority of beta testers I’m hearing from say it’s substantially quicker than Vista on the same hardware. That’s been my personal experience, as well. Since it is still a beta, it’s not unrealistic to hope that continued tweaking will get that time down further before the final release.

6: Notifications can be fine-tuned

In XP and Vista, you can disable the balloon notifications in the system tray, but what if you’d like to continue to get notifications from some applications but not from others? Windows 7 allows you to customize the behavior by simply clicking the little arrow next to the tray and selecting Customize. In the dialog box, choose which icons you want to appear in the tray. For each application, you can select whether you want to display notifications or hide them, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

Windows 7 gives you much more control over those notifications in the system tray.

7: Security messages are consolidated

In Vista, you have several security-related icons in the system tray, and you might have notifications popping up from each one. To make changes to security settings, you may have to open several applications. In Windows 7, all the security messages have been consolidated into one icon. When you click it, you’ll see all messages related to firewall, Windows Defender, Windows Update settings, and so forth, as shown in Figure B.

Figure B

Windows 7 consolidates all security-related messages in one system tray icon.

By clicking the Open Action Center link in the message box, you can make the changes that are recommended or (for example, in the case where you have an antivirus program installed but Windows doesn’t recognize it), you can select the option to turn off messages regarding that application, as shown in Figure C.

Figure C

You can make changes or turn off particular security notifications in the Action Center.

8: Side-by-side windows auto-size

Most of the monitors sold today come in a wide aspect ratio that’s better for watching movies, which is also handy for displaying two documents side by side on the screen. With Vista, though, you have to manually size those docs. Windows 7 has a cool new feature by which you can drag windows to each side of the screen and they will automatically size themselves to each take up half the screen when you let go of the cursor.

Even better, if you drag the window back away from the edge, it goes back to the size it was before. How cool is that?

9: Home networking gets simple

For home users without a lot technical know-how, networking has been made simpler in Windows 7. A new feature called HomeGroup allows all Windows 7 computers on a network to share files, printers, and other resources more easily. Thanks to Libraries (collections of certain types of files, such as music, photos, or documents), you can access files anywhere on the HomeGroup network as if they were stored locally, and you can search across the whole HomeGroup.

Windows Media Player in Windows 7 can stream the music and videos on one PC in the network to another, and even play back songs from iTunes libraries on other computers.

Connecting to a wireless network is also easier; now you can click the wi-fi icon in the system tray and select a network from the list, instead of opening up a separate dialog box to make the connection.

10: Taskbar preview really works

In Vista, you can hover over a taskbar button — for Internet Explorer, for example — and see that three instances of IE are open. You see the open pages stacked as shown in Figure D, but they’re so small that it’s difficult to really tell which page is which.

Figure D

The Vista taskbar preview gives you an idea of what your running application windows contain.

In Windows 7, the preview feature has been enhanced so that it becomes an extremely useful function. Now when you hover over a taskbar icon, you get actual previews that are placed side by side and are large enough for you to identify (Figure E).

Figure E

In Windows 7, you can actually tell what’s in each of those preview windows.

And that’s not all. If you’re playing a video in one of the windows, that video plays in the preview window, too. And if you right-click the IE icon in the taskbar, you get a list of your IE history files, as shown in Figure F. You can just click any of those and go immediately to that page.

Figure F

 

Source: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=536

Windows 7 catching developers' eyes

The new Windows 7 operating system will have touch screen capability. Friendly Computers is beginning to find out what software and hardware is being developed to work with the new operating system. You may find this interesting….

While we've heard a lot about Windows 7, we haven't heard too much about the software and hardware that will take advantage of the new operating system.

That's starting to change.

This week, touch-screen maker N-trig is showing off a variety of third-party software programs that take advantage of the multitouch features of Windows 7. Meanwhile, Microsoft's hardware unit said it is also building support for Windows 7's new taskbar and thumbnail previews into its line of keyboards and mice.

Microsoft said beta versions of the drivers for its products are available now, with final versions set for release at the end of next month.

On the software front, N-trig is showing off a number of multitouch Windows 7 applications at a display conference in San Antonio, Texas, this week. Microsoft has also announced its own package of free touch programs for Windows 7, including three casual games and three programs ported over from Microsoft's Surface tabletop computer.

"There's lots of stuff going on," N-trig Vice President Lenny Engelhardt said in a telephone interview. Among the applications N-trig is showing is a photo browser from FingerTapps and a multitouch 3D design program from SpaceClaim. Corel also said it will have multitouch-enabled programs later this year, but didn't give specifics.

"Windows 7 and Windows Touch are giving Corel's software designers an incredible opportunity to enhance how consumers experience creative software," executive vice president Joe Roberts said in a statement.

Getting compelling software is key to transforming multitouch from a curiosity into something that consumers are willing to pay for. A touch screen adds on the order of $100 or more to the cost of a system, depending on screen size.

"In this current economic climate, to get people to buy new hardware is going to take some real nice, compelling applications," Engelhardt said.

HP and Dell have started shipping multitouch machines ahead of Windows 7, but Engelhardt said he expects all the major hardware and software makers to support touch at some level once the new operating system hits the market in October.

"None of these guys wants to be left out," Engelhardt said.

Although touch will remain a small part of the total PC market, Engelhardt said he sees it expanding from where it is today, with a few desktop models as well as a handful of convertible tablet laptops.

"A lot of those notebooks are going to be larger than what you have seen," he said. "There will be computers with 14- and 17-inch screens."

Multitouch will also reach the Netbook sector, though that market is harder to predict, he said.

Engelhardt said that multitouch has the opportunity to do the same thing for Windows PCs that the iPhone did for mobile phones--take a task that everyone was already doing and make it fun.

A video from N-trig shows some other possibilities for where touch can go in Windows 7. In the video (embedded below), N-trig shows a number of gaming scenarios, including the ability to play Guitar Hero using several fingers touching the screen. Although the makers of Guitar Hero haven't announced such plans, Engelhardt said the option is entirely technically feasible, with his engineering team having created a working demo.

Thus far, Engelhardt said, the consumer area appears to be ahead of the enterprise software market, but over time he expects more touch-enabled business applications as well.

For its part, Microsoft said it is happy with the level of touch support it is seeing from developers.

"We are pleased to see how quickly our partners are developing multitouch applications on Windows 7," principal group program manager Ian LeGrow said in a statement.

 

Source: http://news.cnet.com/microsoft-news/?tag=hdr;snav

Windows 7 to launch October 22

Windows 7 is set to release on October 22, 2009. Friendly Computers got the scoop:

 

Microsoft confirmed on Tuesday that it is planning for Windows 7 to hit retail shelves and start showing up on new PCs on October 22.

To reach that milestone, Microsoft plans to wrap up development of the operating system by the middle or end of next month, Senior Vice President Bill Veghte said in an interview.

"The feedback from the release candidate has been good," Veghte said.

Microsoft made the near-final release candidate version available last month. Shortly after its release, Microsoft finally confirmed that it was aiming Windows 7 for a holiday 2009 release, something that was widely anticipated, but not confirmed by those in Redmond.

In an interview, Phil McKinney, chief technology officer of Hewlett-Packard's computer unit, said that he feels good about Microsoft's launch date.

"We're locked and loaded for the launch," McKinney said. "The quality of code is just absolutely stellar."

The software maker also confirmed, without giving details, that it plans to offer some sort of "technology guarantee" giving those who buy Vista machines close to the Windows 7 launch a free or discounted copy of the new operating system. As with past similar programs, details on pricing will be up to individual computer makers, although Microsoft did say the upgrade program will apply to Vista Home Premium and higher-priced editions (meaning not Windows Vista Basic).

The tech guarantee program is not beginning immediately, but Microsoft did raise the possibility it will offer some sort of lower-cost upgrade to those who are already using Windows Vista.

I've gotten a lot of e-mails suggesting Microsoft do something along those lines, but its comments this week were the first time I had heard it acknowledge that it was considering such a move.

As for the technology guarantee program, it likely means that Microsoft will do some deferring of Vista-related revenue, though Microsoft again did not spell out details.

"Depending on when we do it there will be the associated accounting for it," Veghte said.

Microsoft has said that Windows 7 will come in five different editions in most markets--Starter, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. A "Windows 7 Basic" will also be sold in emerging markets, Microsoft said.

The software maker has yet to announce pricing for the product.

 

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10253924-56.html?tag=mncol

Microsoft removes key limit for Windows 7 Starter

Friendly Computers found out that Microsoft will remove the limit on the entry-level of Windows 7 that only permits 3 programs from running at once. Friendly Computers thinks this may be useful to you:

Microsoft confirmed on Friday that, with Windows 7, it will lift the limitation that the entry-level "Starter Edition" run no more than three applications at a time.

With Windows 7, Microsoft is for the first time allowing the product to be used globally, as opposed to just in emerging markets. In particular, Microsoft is positioning it as its lowest-cost Windows 7 option for Netbooks.

Initially, Microsoft said it would maintain that restriction that users run no more than three programs at a time, however speculation has been growing that it would lift that limitation.

"We believe these changes will make Windows 7 Starter an even more attractive option for customers who want a small notebook PC for very basic tasks, like browsing the Web, checking e-mail, and personal productivity," Microsoft said in a blog posting on Friday.

Although Microsoft is lifting the three-application limit, it notes that there are still a number of other differences between Starter and Home Premium, including the former's lack of support for Windows 7's cool graphics, multiple monitors, Windows Media Center or XP Mode, among other features.

 

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10252407-56.html?tag=mncol