Skepticism Precedes Windows 7
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by Tony Kontzer We're less than a month until the Oct. 22 release of Windows 7--even less if you believe the Oct. 13 advanced release some custom PC-makers have been floating. What better topic could there be for my second edition of Twit Digest? In case you missed the first installment, it works like this: I spend a little time monitoring Twitter posts on a subject of interest to IT folks, and then I filter the perspectives of that many-headed view for you. So what were Twitter users saying about Microsoft's hotly anticipated OS between 10 pm and 11 pm Sunday, Sept. 27? Let's just say that the Vista hangover has left a lot of cynicism in the Windows universe, and that no one appears to be impressed with Microsoft's bizarre Windows 7 ad campaign: -The first post that catches my eye comes from JohnHerry45, who offers up a link to JustWindows7, where a poster is seeking help UNINSTALLING Windows 7. Not surprisingly, in the minutes between JohnHerry45's post and my reading it, the link to the full entry stops working. -A few minutes later, ScottRhodie shares this humorous thought: "I'm torn between iSnack 2.0 or Windows 7 Party video as worst marketing ideas of 2000-2010." I have to back him up on this--they're equally terrible. -For those who haven't been paying attention, The Windows 7 Party video ad is generating a tidal wave of mockery (deservedly so), and a Twitter post moments later from californiakara tells of one such creative outburst: the Windows 7 Party decision tree for Macintosh users. -Being the fair journalist that I am, I feel compelled to share the more positive posts, too. For instance, mazohack pointed readers to an oft-tweeted blog post that, in somewhat fractured English, details how the "Group By" setting in Windows 7 makes document management much simpler than it is with Vista. Then again, improving on Vista wasn't the tallest of orders. -Finally, I wrap up my Windows 7 research by following the link ISPgeeksForums provides to its own blog post about a 9-inch tablet PC, running on Windows 7, that Archos will release in conjunction with the Windows 7 launch, on October 22. Of course, if you want Windows 7 sooner, there are always those early-release vendors referenced above, but I'm loathe to imagine why anyone would want to move that quickly, no matter how badly they want off of the Vista track. What are your hopes and expectations for Windows 7? Share your perspectives with us in the comment field below, or tell me on my Twitter feed. |
Comments (7)
The Windows 7 Party Video is irrelevant. Geeks enjoy making fun of it, but the general public will never see it.
I like Microsoft's first two Windows 7 television commercials, and anticipate that Windows 7 will be a very good product.
BTW, for the most part, Vista's critics are stuck in the past, before the release of SP1. I use Vista SP1/SP2 every single day, and have no real complaints.
Posted by JohnJ | September 28, 2009 2:29 PM
If you had tried Vista, and not spent so much time watching mac/pc videos or spent too many hours on WindowsBashing sites, you might have liked Vista a lot. I did. W7 is working fine for me, but, so did Vista. No problems, no virii! And now, with the release of Free Windows Security Essentials, uninformed Linux and Mac dittoheads will no longer be able to tout their alleged security. Come on, it's an OS, not a religion.
Posted by Tom Savage | September 30, 2009 8:39 AM
I have talked to several of my customers and none like Vista. They have had nothing but issues. Many corporate users are still using XP. I suspect Microsoft has reached the end-of-the-line much like IBM (some remember when a PC and IBM were the same thing). My guess is many will opt for the iPhone or such and the Personal Computer (ie desktop/notebook) will disappear in 5 years. For those power users who need a powerful machine, there still be some workstations.
Posted by Onion Head | September 30, 2009 9:43 AM
Wow, how original. Is there anything here that is new?
But I guess you have to fill up space in order to get paid.
I've had it for 7 weeks. I like it.
Posted by Hank | September 30, 2009 9:53 AM
Tony, check out TWiT (http://twit.tv), hosted by Leo Laporte and consider the name of your Twit Digest.
Posted by Matt | September 30, 2009 10:00 AM
First, on the Windows 7 front, I totally get that it's an important product, will probably work just fine, and is being abused for no apparent reason other than it's a Microsoft concoction. I also get that Vista works pretty well--I do run it on my laptop, and have had few problems with it.
However, I also feel my item is fair in that there are a lot of people out there dissing it, and MS does have some bad history with its initial OS releases to contend with. It may seem like I spend time on Windows-bashing sites, but really, all I did was search for Windows 7 references on Twitter and start reading and clicking. My goals for Twit Digest are two-fold: a) reflect the tenor of posts about whatever subject I'm tackling, and b) have a little fun in the process.
Now, as for the name, you have no idea how hard it is to come up with a name that's a play on Twitter than hasn't been taken already. I tried dozens of possibilities, all of which were already in play. Twit Digest was not. But there were many names with "Twit" in them, including twit.tv. I'm certainly open to suggestions if someone has something better.
Thanks for reading--and commenting!
Posted by Tony Kontzer | September 30, 2009 11:48 AM
As more app come out for the iPhone/iPod I have less of a need for Windows 7. It will probably be a good OS, but I'm unsure if I'm going to buy it. I only use it to run apps I can't run on the Mac and that list is very short. If someone would write an app that allowed me to use my iPod apps on my Mac, I probably wouldn't need Windows at all.
Posted by Mark | October 12, 2009 7:40 AM