“Microsoft introduced what it said would be a slimmer and more responsive version of its Windows operating system on Tuesday, while unceremoniously dropping the brand name Vista for the new product,” John Markoff reports for The New York Times.
“The new version will instead be branded Windows 7… The company did not say when it would sell Windows 7 to the public,” Markoff reports.
“After almost two years, Windows Vista is still getting a lackluster reception from consumers and facing a relentless marketing barrage from Apple,” Markoff reports.
“The problem was highlighted last week when Microsoft reported its financial results for the most recent quarter. Its Windows unit reported just a 2 percent rise in revenue against a 4 percent decline in operating income,” Markoff reports. “The computer industry viewed the setback as a shift of historic proportions. The company acknowledged last week that the mix of Windows sales in both mature and emerging markets had tipped more toward low-cost PCs, which come with lower-margin versions of Windows and often not Vista.”
“Steven Sinofsky, the Microsoft technologist who has led the development of the new version of Windows said that he had not taken particular offense at Apple’s ad campaign teasing the giant software developer. However, the laptop did have an ‘I’m a PC’ sticker on its cover, a reference to a recent series of ads Microsoft ran that were widely viewed as a somewhat belated response to Apple,” Markoff reports.
MacDailyNews Take: Yet another Microsoftie who doesn’t seem to understand that Macs can just as easily say “I’m a PC,” too – and faster:
• Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn’t know that Macs can run Windows – October 06, 2008
• Microsoft’s $300m ad campaign doomed? ‘I’m a PC, too’ says Apple’s OS-unlimited Mac (with video) – September 23, 2008
• Apple debuts new ‘Get A Mac’ ad: Fastest Windows Vista notebook is an Apple Mac (with video) – December 04, 2007
• Apple MacBook Pro is world’s fastest Windows Vista notebook – October 30, 2007
• USA Today on switching: Apple Macs can also be screaming-fast Windows machines – March 15, 2007
Markoff continues, “He then demonstrated a “pre-beta” version of Windows, acknowledging that some features were still missing. The presentation focused generally on the more polished control features of Windows 7 including how on-screen notifications are handled, an issue that was an irritant for early Vista users who complained about the nannylike behavior of the software.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Dale,” “Spark,” “Chuck,” and “Joe” for the heads up.]