“Windows 7 is no Windows Vista. But it remains a Windows operating system,” Rob Pegoraro reports for The Washington Post.
“That is, Microsoft’s new release, arriving in stores and on new computers Thursday, ought to turn the troubled Vista into a bad memory. But it shouldn’t make people forget about Apple’s Mac OS X,” Pegoraro reports. “On its desktop, 7 introduces a new, Mac-like version of the taskbar on the bottom of the screen. Here, the old rectangular taskbar buttons have been condensed to squares that can be rearranged and can point both to open programs and ones you use often — much like Mac OS X’s Dock.”
MacDailyNews Take: Apple introduced the Mac OS X Dock on September 13, 2000, over 9 years ago. That’s better than the eleven (11) years it took for Microsoft to badly copy the Mac’s UI in upside-down and backwards fashion (Mac debuted in 1984, Windows 95 in 1995), but not by much.
Pegoraro continues, “The Start menu, however, remains the same old mess… [and] 7 takes a step back with its new Library folders, a set of prominent shortcuts to all the documents, music, pictures and videos on a computer. On a computer used by only one person who already sticks to the default Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos folders, they’re more likely to confuse.”
“Upgrading an older machine from XP to 7 is a recipe for pain even if the computer meets 7’s hardware requirements,” Pegoraro reports. “Microsoft calls an XP-to-7 upgrade a “custom install,” but “destructive install” is more accurate. You run an Easy Transfer utility to back up your files, the 7 installer wipes out XP, your programs and the drivers enabling your computer’s hardware; Easy Transfer reloads your files and settings; you reinstall programs. On a test XP system, this left some applications missing their settings or files.”
“If you were hoping to stop policing random software-versus-hardware squabbles, Windows 7 isn’t the operating system for you. Nor does it bring an end to drawn-out program installations and uninstallations, the risk of virus and malware attacks, the need to submit the computer to “validation” checks, or compatibility problems between 32-bit software and 64-bit installations of Windows,” Pegoraro reports. “Then again, for Vista users weary of that operating system’s foibles, Win 7’s selling points can stop at two words: ‘not Vista.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Some selling point: Windows. Now it sucks less. Get a Mac.
Mac users have way more fun!
Direct link via YouTube here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Carl H.” for the heads up.]
MDN’s take is spot on!
I wonder what Microsoft employees, loyal ones, think and feel when they read stuff like this?
“Recipe for pain…”
The Ow Starts Now.
Not good. Not good at all.
Maybe the M$ employees are too busy working on VISTA SP 4 to read this? Thus will never know.
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NeXTStep used a Dock concept even before that. I remember that in 1998 the OpenStep project had already cloned it. So Microsoft really took 11 years to copy the Linux copying.
You can’t work for Microsoft for very long unless you don’t give a crap. The corporate philosophy is based on the number of units sold, and Microsoft only fears and loathes competitors who could potentially be cheaper and more ubiquitous — Linux.
That’s Rob how we have come to appreciate him. He does not let the hype confuse him. Bottomline: the best Windows ever is still a Windows.
I guess we can await the next cat with confidence.
zing. That’s gotta hurt!
Rob nails it. Ole’ Mossy from the WSJ should be taking notes. I used to think Mossy was the best–well, not in this case. And this was a big call.
@DX
“I wonder what Microsoft employees, loyal ones, think and feel when they read stuff like this?”
Ever heard of the Stockholm syndrome?
I’ve said it here before, but as much as I despise Windows, I have to use it at work, and we’ve been “downgrading” all of our machines to XP for the past two years. Using an antediluvian OS at work, then OSX at home, makes work a drag. We won’t start using 7 until the first service pack comes out, naturally, but by about this time next year I could FINALLY be using a modern OS at work. How refreshing.
Shame on you Walt Mossberg for being a paid MS shill!! This reviewer has the integrity to tell it like it is.
That is just it, it never has to be the best, it only needs to be good enough. Once people understand this, they can understand why Windows has 90% of the market.
Expect a withering barrage of hype and FUD from Microsoft’s PR and marketing army in the next couple of months fed through the media syncophants like C|Net, ZDNet et al. Only after
a few months of real-world use will the truth emerge that delivers a verdict on Windows 7. Underneath it all Ballmer is frantic. He needs a win. And he will stop at nothing the buy prople off to sway the masses. He has not had a hit yet under his tenure, and before long, if Windows 7 is a dud, Wall $treet will ask for his head on a platter. Expect Microsoft to play dirty as a result.
This won’t be pretty.
I see HP, Intel, Sony, Asus, Lenovo and some of the others (Dell is the wild card they could stick with Microsoft but I think Mickey Dell at this point sees the writing on the wall) developing their own UI’s to run on top of Linux, Free BSD or more likely Darwin so that the PC Vendors can have more control over the OS and their future sales. Microsoft has proven to the industry that it is not to be trusted and putting your eggs in the hole ridden Microsoft basket which will only end in one way doom and lost profits for the Hardware Vendors.
I’d love to see the Hardware Vendors start innovating in the OS space using an Open source Platform with their own GUI. HTC has proven that it’s possible to do this in the smart phone space. PC Vendors are looking at it from the PC Hardware space were they have been married to Microsoft for far to long and Microsoft has prevented a lot of innovation in the space. Consumer and device vendor uptake of UBS was not driven by the greater Monopoly Windows PC Market but by a tiny Computer company outside the Windows Monopoly, Apple. Apple has also driven acceptance of TCP IP, HTTP Standards, Ethernet (Microsoft preferred and advocated Token Ring), low cost Wi-Fi, DVI Monitors, Firewire and now Display Port monitors. In the future Apple will drive even greater innovation such as Light Peak and even FDDI Home networking. PC Vendors see Microsoft’s constant lagging behind as their biggest weakness but, at the same time all of the PC Hardware Vendors also fear Microsoft, with the exception of maybe Asus who has made Microsoft Blink.
Yes, the old Tech Windows Centric, Microsoft Spiff pocketing media types with their consent talking up Microsoft have all called me crazy and said that I don’t know what I’m talking about and that Microsoft will dominate the PC Hardware Platform forever are all living in fear and dread. How do I know the Winds of change are in the air and no one is taking about it? It’s simple, Microsoft spends a lot of money to keep the press on a leash. While they all claim that they don’t take gifts and cash from Microsoft it’s well a lie, I’ve been in and around the business long enough to see the booty change hands. Game Reviewers are the worst and Podcast/Blogger reviewers that have come from old PC Magazines and TV/Radio programs come in second. As for the change in the industry Vista was the straw that broke the back of the industry, Apple’s continued success in a down economy shows the industry that without the anchor of Microsoft around it’s neck a small PC maker could increase sales and revenues even is a down economy. This as most if not all of them thinking how well could they have done if they were using an Apple Model and in charge of their own Hardware and OS strategy and not sunk with the Microsoft Windows aircraft carrie sized anchor.
As the owner of a software company that creates High-end engineer and scientific software that no longer creates that software for the Windows Platform, I’m often approached by PC Vendors who ask me why and how we can continue to be successful if we do not support Windows. My answer is always the same, INNOVATION!. By removing and dumping Microsoft’s poorly designed and implemented OS and all of it’s crap ware we can be more innovative and more flexible. When you can be 5-10 years ahead of your competition who chose to be saddled by Microsoft’s Windows with it proprietary technologies and poorly done leaky code. It is easy to get the best customer’s even when your product is more expensive upfront then your competitors. Recently many Hardware Vendors have approached me with discrete questions about perhaps certifying our software packages on their internal OS efforts. My response is as long as it’s does not use Proprietary Technologies like ActiveX or DirectX and uses standard technologies like Open GL and a UNIX base we’ll be happy to talk.
Windows 7 is just Vista 2.0
@Mac-nugget
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Spot on. The world is full of people who live life by the motto “good enough”, maybe as high as 90% of the people?
@CHaz…90% of the people make up statistics right on the spot.
Re wannabe
First off Next step is not (was not) Linux (Mach/BSD Unix)
Second do you not understand that Apple IS Next Step?
They did not steal next step or borrow it’s designs. Steve built NeXT and then sold himself and his new company back to the company he originally founded (a[[le) but was ousted from) and took over (including the entire NeXT team)
Demon makes a good point here and to back up his comments I suggest you look at the writing on the wall. Many people remember the experiment with selling Linux on cheap hardware at Walmart? That was just to test the waters of demand. Although many people were dissatisfied and returned the boxes, they sold like hotcakes. Many PC manufacturers (Dell included) have voiced their concerns and it wouldn’t surprise me if they have secretley been developing their own OS in secret labs around the world. Dell knows that they have been lowering their prices to the point of almost non-existent margins, I suggest that maybe they have been doing this for two reasons. One, to satisfy Microsoft with sales figures to keep them happy but make no mistake, when Michael Dell said he was interested in selling Mac OSX on his machines he may have actually been trying to give a hint at his strategy.
I would think it would take no less than 5 years to assemble a team and start coding your own OS, like DEMON said, just putting a nice GUI on Linux or heck even some flavor of UNIX… Hmmmm, makes you think. It WOU:D be a smart move
Ballmer will pay who ever can be bought, and that is most, to get good reviews. But, the users will finally be the last judge. It will take some time to filter down but it will happen.
But then again, who needs the masses of pc users switching to Mac? not me. Let ’em wallow in their muck.
Uncle Fester’s cousin, in my comment I pointed out that in 1998, OpenStep had copied aspects of the NEXT interface. OpenStep is/was a project designed to bring NEXT to other Unix platforms — in practice mostly Linux.
The point being, as I said, Linux people were copying this stuff 11 years ago.
Ok, I thought you were (like so many apple haters out there) insinuating that apple copied the interface first (from linux)
My point is (was) steve has driven the computer industry forward from the time he was a teenager
Want to take a mind blowing ride on the wayback machine?
“Many people remember the experiment with selling Linux on cheap hardware at Walmart? That was just to test the waters of demand. Although many people were dissatisfied and returned the boxes, they sold like hotcakes.”
Yeah, they sold so well that WalMart doesn’t sell them anymore–hasn’t since March of 08. Why? WalMart have too much money suddenly?
The idea that the Linux/*nix ecosystem is inherently more profitable for ISVs and IHVs is ridiculous on its face, even considering the sizable investments some of these companies are making in Linux, like HP and IBM.
Bottom line: Demon’s ludicrous conspiracy theories and revisionist history aside, people want supported solutions at every level of the ecosystem. M$ offers that. Apple offers that, though less so for enterprises. Linux? You’ve got RHE and Canonical, and that’s not saying much for end-users (RHE corporate support is pretty good, though).
RE: Another IT Guy,
Very funny, I/m pretty sure Michael Dell wants to sell Mac OS X not because he see’s it as more profitable alone, but that he see’s an opportunity to break free from the mess that is windows (which makes more profits per license than they make on margins, scary i know, but true). Not to mention that if they have their own solution they can make more profit as well as drive competition in the market.
I have always longed for more choice than 2 OS’s. Imagine if you only had 2 choices of cars? Lord, we all would be driving around in corvairs or model T’s still. More choice makes better competition in which makes more profitability (so long as you have a product that consumers want).
Try thinking outside the box for once, instead of limiting yourself…