Austin360 blogs > Digital Savant > Archives > 2009 > October > 21
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Digital Contrarian: Five ways Microsoft could still screw up Windows 7
The reviews are in and the news is good for Microsoft: the latest version of its operating system, “Windows 7,” hits stores Thursday and tech reviewers seem smitten with “7.” The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Engadget, CNet and others have bestowed praise on it. The snarky gadget site Gizmodo.com used the headline, “Windows 7 Review: You Can Quit Complaining Now.”
On the praise, I can’t disagree. Microsoft sent us a 64-bit copy of “Windows 7 Ultimate” several weeks ago and after a fear-filled ordeal getting my Windows XP desktop ready for the hard drive wipe and migration, I’m a happy camper. “Windows 7” is Microsoft’s attempt at a do-over on its last major revision, Windows Vista, which debuted in early 2007. I avoided the public-relations disaster that was Vista on the advice of negative reviews and friends who used it and grew frustrated with its quirks and sluggish performance.
For me on a pretty high-end PC, “Windows 7” runs fast, doesn’t crash, handles all the software I was running before with a minimum of compatibility issues, and is a big leap forward in attractive, streamlined design. I like the way hovering over a taskbar icon brings up a tiny preview of open windows. I like that I can shake a window and make every other Window on the desktop disappear. I find myself using my Windows 7 PC more often than I used to as it feels, in general, less frustrating to deal with. My MacBook is probably pretty jealous.
That being said, “Windows 7” could still go awry for Microsoft, a company that knows a thing or two about taking a good thing and running it into the ground. There is the matter of Apple, a company that just had its best financial quarter ever and that has all but convinced the buying public that its Mac computers are hipper and smarter than PCs.
“Windows 7” is good, but is it good enough to make people go out and buy new PCs (or bother upgrading their XP or Vista machines)? Here are five ways Microsoft could still lose with “Windows 7’:
1. Continuing to confuse customers — As it did with Vista, Microsoft released multiple versions of “7” with names like, “Starter,” “Home Premium,” “Business” and “Ultimate,” all with different prices, different features and different target audiences. It’s a horrible strategy, and one that serves no one but Microsoft. Release one great version of “Windows 7” and price it fairly for the broadest possible audience. It worked for Apple with the September release of “Snow Leopard,” an update to its Mac OS operating system, which works on all Apple computers that are currently sold.
2. Tone-deaf marketing and advertising — Microsoft had a point with its “Laptop hunter” TV commercials, focusing on the price differences between Macs and some Windows PCs. But the commercials came across as shrill and whiny. Most Windows ads only serve to remind people how much better Apple’s “Mac vs. PC” ads are. And a recent attempt to get people to throw “Windows 7” launch parties for a copy of the OS felt desperate and sad. Microsoft has a great spokeswoman in pint-sized, 4-year-old “Kylie.” Microsoft would do well to stick with Kylie and quit bringing up Apple in its ads.
3. Not wooing XP users — There are many more Windows XP users than Vista users, but Microsoft had made it much harder for those with Windows XP to upgrade. In my case, I had to do a full backup, erase my hard drive and reinstall all of my software, a process that took me an entire week. Microsoft suggests XP users buy a new PC instead; ha ha, good one, Microsoft. The company needs to convince XP users that “Windows 7” is worth the hassle without trying to extract more money out of people’s wallets.
4. Losing the virus war — The more people who get “Windows 7,” the more chance you’ll see viruses and malware that specifically targets vulnerabilities unique to this new operating system. One major virus outbreak targeting it could wipe out Microsoft’s credibility on security in “Windows 7.” They’d do well to keep working to make its security airtight. (Or at least more secure than XP and Vista have been.)
5. Avoiding the bloat — Microsoft wisely has stripped several applications out of Windows that not everybody uses like Windows Messenger and Windows Movie Maker, making them available as optional online downloads. While some users may feel they’re getting less than they bargained for, anything that helps create a more streamlined, less cluttered interface is a step in the right direction. In future updates and patches for “Windows 7,” Microsoft needs to remember that and avoid the temptation of adding extraneous, resource-hogging features and applications that we don’t really need.
I like “Windows 7.” A lot. It’s the first time in a long while that I’ve felt the Mac operating system has some real competition for my computing time. Let’s hope Microsoft plays it smart and doesn’t find a way to mess up a good thing.
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Apple fires across the bow before Windows 7 launch
Yesterday, Apple followed up its strongest quarterly earnings ever with a salvo of product tweaks aimed at continuing the company’s momentum going as Microsoft rolls out its new operating system, Windows 7, on Thursday.
Among the new stuff was “Magic Mouse,” a wireless computer mouse that has no physical buttons, but instead relies on the same kind of multi-touch technology users have become accustomed to on the iPhone and on the trackpads of Mac laptops.
Apple also tweaked the design of its white MacBook, making it a “Unibody” design that uses one piece of plastic for the main case (similar to the aluminum cases on its MacBook Pros.)
The iMac computer got a new design with widescreen monitors at new screen sizes (21.5” and 27”), with upgraded specs that go all the way up to a quad-core processor with an upgraded ATI graphics card (the highest-end 27” model starts at $2,000).
The Mac Mini also got some love with speed upgrades and a new “Mac Mini Server” that can be used to stream video and other content. It costs $1,000.
There were also upgrades to the company’s Time Capsule and Airport Extreme products (slight Wi-Fi speed increases from a tweaked antenna design) and a new version of the $19 Apple remote, now available in an aluminum design.
I went to check out the new products yesterday at the Apple Store at the Domain, but unfortunately, none were on the floor. The new MacBooks had arrived, a store associate told me, but they weren’t on display yet. The other products, including Magic Mouse were still being shipped to the store.
The mouse is certainly tantalizing (if it works as promised), but these are mostly small upgrades designed to make those considering a new Windows 7 PC think twice. And they should — although I’m a fan of Windows 7 (I’ll have a full review posted by tomorrow), Mac OS is still a powerful, refined operating system and with every hardware refresh, Apple makes its Macs more desirable at their respective prices.
If you’re shopping for a new PC or Mac, there’s no sense in rushing. Wait a week or two and see what kind of offers the Windows 7 rollout brings and take a look at Apple’s new crop. It’s a pretty good time to buy a computer, but we’ll probably be seeing even better deals from both sides before the holidays.
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