The new operating system will support touchscreen monitors and act as a multimedia control centre for the home


Microsoft today unveiled Windows 7 and announced ambitious plans to have it on the shelves in little more than a year. The new software will replace the unloved Vista operating system, which was launched just two years ago and has endured fierce criticism from casual users and technology experts alike.

Microsoft said at a conference in Los Angeles that it will make Windows 7 available immediately to a select group of developers who will test and improve the product, and that it should be ready be used on most computers by January 2010.

The company said the software would revolutionise the way we use computers, paving the way for touchscreen monitors and letting people use their computers to control other electronic devices, such as TVs and stereos.

But the move to rush out the new software was seen by many as a tacit acceptance that the Vista is a failure. Glitches with the operating system plagued its launch in November 2006 and Vista has continued to suffer problems with privacy, security, and performance.

Many businesses have continued to use XP, the previous version of the operating system, which is considered more stable.
Microsoft said that it had not turned its back on Vista, insisting that Windows 7 was a natural development of its software that was based on Vista's “core archeticture.”

“Vista is in great shape," John Curran, UK head of Windows, said. "It has been the fastest-adopted operating system of all time. If you look at people who are using Vista today, 90 per cent are satisfied with that experience and would recommend it to friends and family.”

Windows 7 will be tested and developed over the next few years, Microsoft said, but users can expect the launch version to include a “touch” feature that will work with compatible touchscreen monitors. People will be able to do simple tasks such as selecting a folder without using a mouse, and write on the screen with a stylus or finger. Software will convert the handwriting into text.

The program will also work with other electronic devices, allowing users to transmit digital music from a PC to a stereo, or relay digital video to a nearby TV.
Some Vista applications, including Calender, Windows Mail, Movie Maker, Contacts and Photo Gallery, will be cut from Windows 7. Instead, those applications will be available for download from the Microsoft website.

Microsoft denied that calling the new software “Windows 7” rather than sticking with the “Vista” tag was a rebranding exercise, saying that the company has historically referred to operating systems by their version numbers.

Sceptics pointed out that Microsoft has recently launched a $300 million advertising campaign to improve the brand’s image and counter Apple’s “Get a Mac” campaign, which characterises PCs as slow and uncool. Industry insiders have said that problems with Vista were the primary reason the company felt the new advertising campaign was needed in the first place.

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/ne...icle5031833.ece

I don’t think that Microsoft ever fully understood its own creation which was invested in Windows Vista.

I feel that they are acting as a company, which means if there is something in the slightest wrong with the product, they will attempt to ditch it.

Windows 7: A better Vista? (CNET)

- LOS ANGELES--Microsoft on Tuesday offered up far more details on Windows 7, successor to the company's oft-maligned Windows Vista.
In particular, Microsoft is focused on improving the time it takes for Windows to start up and shut down. In addition to its own work, Microsoft has been working directly with computer makers to address all of the factors that affect system performance.

As far as other features, Windows 7 features support for multitouch input and a new taskbar that makes it easier to manage multiple open Windows.
"The focus is on making sure the things you do (today) are easier and that the things you always wanted to do are possible," Corporate Vice President Mike Nash said in an interview Monday. "There's a lot of work we've done to just make things easier and faster.

The early, prebeta version being handed out to developers at the Professional Developer Conference here has all of the programming interfaces that will be in the final version but only some of the planned features.
Several enthusiasts who have been checking out the new code for the past couple of days praised the stability of the release, particularly for an operating system, at this early stage.

With Windows 7, Microsoft has changed the way it approaches building early releases. In the past, Microsoft included features at various stages of development. With Windows 7, features are included in the main

Windows build, only after they are fully baked.

Microsoft is clearly looking to leave a far different first impression than it did with
Windows Vista, which made major changes under the hood and led to considerable incompatibilities. With Windows 7, Microsoft is not introducing any major changes to the Windows kernel and is keeping much of the other plumbing substantially similar to that of Vista.

The software maker has also tried to reduce some of Vista's other annoyances, such as the frequently criticized User Account Control feature, which some complained led to too many annoying dialog boxes. With Windows 7, users will be able to choose for themselves how often the system warns them of changes being made to their computer.
The next external release of Windows 7, a feature-complete public beta, is slated for early next year.

Nash wouldn't say whether the company plans more than one beta version before its final release. "We'll see how the first one goes," he said.
The company has said it will have the release out within three years of Vista's January 2007 mainstream release, however, CEO Steve Ballmer has said he wants Windows 7 out next year.

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/cnet/20081028/t...386031007686456