Although Windows 7 won't go on sale until October, Microsoft is actually slated to be done with the code that ships on those first PCs within a couple of weeks.
Some enthusiast sites are predicting that Microsoft will peg the release-to-manufacturing date of Windows 7 to July 13, the start of the company's Worldwide Partner Conference. A report on GeekSmack.net suggests that Microsoft will finish the OS by the 13th and post the software to its MSDN and TechNet developer sites shortly thereafter.
(Credit: Microsoft)Although the timing would certainly be convenient, it's also the case that Microsoft is primarily focused on making sure it has stamped out any last-minute bugs.
Microsoft said when it announced the October ship date for Windows 7 that it would have to finalize the code and get it to computer makers by the second half of July.
To meet that goal, Microsoft is no doubt doing long-term regression testing on any builds it thinks could be the final one.
Another Windows 7 date to keep in mind is July 11. That's when Microsoft plans to end a preorder program through which people can buy an upgrade version of Windows 7 Home Premium for $49 or Windows 7 Professional for $99. The software maker has also said that preorders could end earlier if it hits a predetermined sales level, although it hasn't said how many copies it is willing to sell.
The preorder program has been a hit on Amazon, where the Home Premium upgrade remains the top seller in both the software section as well as the overall "computers and add-ons" category.
Microsoft appears likely to offer a "Family Pack" version of Windows 7, according to language in a leaked test version of the operating system.
This week enthusiasts started buzzing over wording in the license agreement in the test build that suggests Microsoft will have an option to buy a license for Windows 7 that covers up to three PCs in the same household.
Wording in a leaked test version of Windows 7 suggests that a long-anticipated Family Pack option may become reality.
(Credit: Microsoft)According to blogger Kristan Kenney, the license agreement included with the recently leaked version states that "if you are a 'Qualified Family Pack User', you may install one copy of the software marked as 'Family Pack' on three computers in your household for use by people who reside there."
Microsoft would neither confirm nor deny that it plans to offer the family pack.
"We will continue to work with our partners and expect to have other great offers in the future as we lead up to and beyond general availability," a representative said. "We have nothing to announce at this time."
Since 2002, Apple has offered a Mac OS X family pack that covers up to five Macs in the same house. Microsoft briefly offered a deal with Windows Vista that allowed Vista Ultimate buyers to purchase discounted copies of Vista Home Premium for additional PCs, but discontinued that offer after just a few months.
Vista Ultimate users are already upset that Microsoft's first discount offer for Windows 7 allows for discounted upgrades to Windows 7 Home Premium and Professional, but offers no upgrade options for them. Microsoft said it may have more offers, but users will have to gamble if they want to skip the current pre-order program.
That option allows $49 upgrades to Windows 7 Home Premium and $99 upgrades to Windows 7 Professional. Microsoft said that those deals will be offered only until July 11.
Windows 7 is slated to arrive on store shelves and new PCs on Oct. 22.
Microsoft promised that by purchasing the pricey Ultimate edition of Vista users would get all kinds of extras.
However, for many, those extras turned out to be little more than a few screensavers and a poker game, prompting some significant grousing.
Now, that frustration has turned to anger after Microsoft offered its pre-order program for Windows 7. Through July 11, Microsoft is offering a steep discount for those moving to cheaper versions of Windows 7, but nothing for those who want to stay on Ultimate. Under the terms of Microsoft's discount pre-order program, users can buy an upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional at roughly half the list price, but the Ultimate version is offered at the full $219 price.
Among the versions of Windows Vista Ultimate that Microsoft sold was this limited-edition package signed by Bill Gates.
(Credit: Amazon.com)John Dabarno, a purchaser from Montreal, said that Microsoft is alienating exactly the wrong crowd. Dabarno notes that he is the person that friends and family turn to for computer advice. Indeed he has already pre-ordered Windows 7 copies to update his wife's desktop and laptop, but feels stuck on what to do with his Vista Ultimate machine.
"It would just be nice to have someone like Microsoft to say we know we did you wrong, here is a freebie on us, or let the Vista Ultimate users get some type of heavily discounted price on it," Dabarno said. "I think they would gain a lot of respect from all of their users with an offering like this, after Vista."
Lindsey Mundy, a corporate IT pro in Denver said that, as a consumer, she was particularly irked by Microsoft's actions with regard to Vista Ultimate.
"Vista Ultimate owners have already been ripped off once in paying for basically worthless 'Extras,'" she said. Now to rub salt in the wound, MS is leaving them out...for some reason best only known to them, when offering a reasonable upgrade price for Windows 7."
Some are taking the attitude of "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" and going with the pre-order and just downgrading to Windows 7 Pro or Home Premium. That's doable, but those who go that route will need to do a clean installation of their operating system--a process that involves backing up data and then reinstalling applications.
Among those leaning that way is Steven Wilczynski of Chicago.
"When I bought my PC about 18 months ago it came with a free upgrade to Vista Ultimate," he said in an e-mail. "I don't think it would be worthwhile to spend $219 in October to upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate."
Others are still trying to figure out what to do.
"I have two copies of Vista Ultimate and I certainly do not want to do a clean install of (Windows) 7 Professional or pay the full price for 7 Ultimate," said Richard Wilbur, who works in clinical research in Clearwater, Fla., and notes he has been loyal to Microsoft since the days of MS-DOS. "They should be giving us the upgrade free considering the broken promises surrounding Vista Ultimate."
For its part, Microsoft isn't being too helpful. While the company hasn't announced any discounts for Vista Ultimate owners, it's not ruling them out either. But users have only until July 11 to take advantage of Microsoft's pre-order discount on Windows 7 Professional or Home Premium.
"This is the first of the offers and there will be more to come, but we can't get into specifics on any of that yet," a Microsoft representative told CNET News.
There's a reason the first thing in Windows 7 that Microsoft chose to show publicly was its support for touch input.
That built-in ability to use two fingers to rotate, scroll, and zoom offers tangible proof that the operating system is different from its predecessor, not to mention being something not found on a Mac.
However, many say that comparatively few Windows 7 PC owners will actually be reaching out to touch their screen. That's because, to use one's fingers in such a manner requires a screen that can support the technology--something that often adds $100 or more to the cost of a PC.
As a result, many expect touch-capable computers to be just a tiny fraction of the market for desktop and notebook computers, even after Windows 7 arrives on store shelves on October 22.
"We're thinking like 5 percent to 10 percent of shipments for 2010," said IDC analyst Richard Shim. And Shim said that, unless circumstances change, the rate isn't likely to climb significantly in the coming years.
Part of the problem is that there really isn't a killer application for touch on the PC, despite the fact that putting ones fingers on the screen has become the de facto measure of cool in the cell phone market.
It's not that there isn't interest in selling touchscreen devices. Hewlett-Packard introduced its TouchSmart all-in-one in 2007. The company now has several touch models, including both desktop and notebook machines. Dell has a Latitude notebook aimed at businesses and has also added an all-in-one with a touchscreen option.
And once Windows 7 hits the market, others will no doubt follow suit, particularly since Microsoft has done a lot of the work. Shim said he expects nearly all the major PC makers to have at least one touchscreen model when Windows 7 launches in the fall. Monitor makers are also expected to offer touchscreen displays that can plug into standard PCs.
"Touch will roll out," Microsoft Senior Vice President Bill Veghte said in an interview last week. "We'll see it in all-in-ones and we'll see it in some laptops and you will see it across the different PC markets."
But just how many of these models will actually get sold is another matter. Some reports suggest that the low-cost Netbook market could actually see things pick up fastest, given their smaller (and therefore cheaper to touch-enable) screens and the fact that people are often using them on the go, without a mouse.
Although Microsoft offers a standard interface for gestures in Windows 7, there are actually several different technologies that computer makers can use to build a touch-capable computer.
New Zealand-based NextWindow uses an optical technology in which tiny sensors are mounted on the top corners of the display and allow the fingers' positions to be captured. It is the company behind the technology used in the all-in-ones from HP and Dell.
Israel's N-Trig, meanwhile, uses capacitive resistance, the type of technology used on the iPhone to read finger input. It combines this with a second technology to also allow input from a stylus. Its technology is employed in HP and Dell laptops, and N-Trig has also received funding from Microsoft.
N-trig's dual-mode digitizer allows for both pen and touch input and is used in laptops from HP and Dell.
(Credit: N-trig)NextWindow's technology doesn't require a special coating or film on the glass, so its screens can look as bright as non-touch displays. However, because it adds a certain depth to the screen, it isn't as suited today to the notebook market.
Touch is actually not entirely new notion for Windows, although Windows 7 is the first to support using two fingers at the same time. In the early days of Vista's development, when it was still code-named Longhorn, Microsoft envisioned the tablet PC market expanding to include touch-enabled devices.
"I'm not sure that it ever delivered on that promise," said NextWindow CEO Al Monro. "There really weren't any of the (software makers) that got behind it."
Although that continues to be a challenge, Monro notes that the market has changed considerably--most notably with the introduction of Apple's iPhone.
"That really brought touch into the mainstream," Monro said.
It also broke down a psychological barrier, Monro said, the notion that computer screens were something to avoid getting one's fingers on. NextWindow has its origins making large touchscreen displays for things like retail kiosks. Not too long ago, he said, the company had to put signs near its installations that said "I'm a touch screen. Touch me."
"You had to really scream it out," he said. "Now people just expect it."
The question now is whether software makers on the PC side will embrace touch interfaces in the way that those who design software for the iPhone have done.
As is often the case with new technology, it's sort of a chicken-and-egg problem, Monro acknowledges. Software makers don't take the time to adopt touch interfaces because not enough touchscreen PCs are sold, while the PCs are a tough sell because there is not enough software.
Monro said he still doesn't have a good feel when that cycle will break. "People aren't going to buy touch screen unless there are a range of things (they can do)."
For its part, Microsoft has done a couple things. By supporting touch at the operating system level, most applications should allow touch control of at least basic functions such as resizing windows, scrolling, and moving the cursor.
The company has also created a "touch pack" that computer makers can include on their systems. The software collection includes some casual games as well as small applications that have proved popular in Microsoft's other multitouch computer--its tabletop Surface machine for restaurants, hotels, and attractions.
Monro also disputes the idea that there needs to be one killer application. Rather, he said, what the industry needs is for a variety of software makers to take the plunge. Mapping, painting, and even social networking can all be better, he said.
"There are just going to be a variety of things that are easier to do with touch," he said.
Internet Explorer 8 now comes with a Nickleback.
No, Microsoft isn't again offering cash to get people to download the browser. This time it has partnered with Live Nation and the band to offer a custom version of the browser.
(Credit: Amazon.com)The software maker is sponsoring Nickleback's 2009 tour as well as Live Nation's Bamboozle music festival. As part of the tie-up, users can download music-themed versions of the browser.
Those who download Internet Explorer 8 from a special Web site gain access to a new live version of Nickelback's hit single "Something in Your Mouth," as well as video of the band on tour. There is also a Bamboozle version of Internet Explorer 8 available at a separate Web site.
Microsoft routinely allows others to create and distribute custom versions of its browsers. Of course, the timing of this is rather interesting considering it comes the same day that Mozilla launched Firefox 3.5, the latest version of its Web browser.
There is also a start-up, Brand Thunder, that creates custom branded versions of Firefox.
While it's true Windows 7 doesn't arrive on retail shelves and new PCs until October, Microsoft has announced two programs designed to give a head start to those who know they want the new operating system.
The Windows Upgrade Option, which runs through early next year, allows those buying a new Vista PC to get a free copy of Windows 7 after it hits shelves in October. The other program, which runs only through July 11, allows Windows XP and Vista users to pre-order a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium for $49 or Windows 7 Professional for $99.
(Credit: Microsoft)In the following question-and-answer post, CNET News' Ina Fried walks you through both programs.
Who qualifies for the pre-order program?
All those who are running Windows XP or Windows Vista on their system, and whose PC is capable of running Windows 7, can upgrade that machine to Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional using the Windows pre-order program. However, the program is limited in both time (it runs through July 11 in the U.S.) and in terms of how many copies Microsoft will sell, although the company has not said what that limit is exactly.
Can I buy one of the upgrades if I am running Windows Vista Ultimate?
A lot of folks have been asking this since Microsoft isn't offering a discounted way to buy Windows 7 Ultimate. The answer is yes, one can buy an upgrade. However, any time one moves "down" in editions as part of an upgrade, it requires a clean installation of the operating system.
Will I get both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the operating system?
Yes, although moving from a 32-bit version to a 64-bit version (or vice-versa) also requires a clean installation of the operating system.
How does the Windows 7 Upgrade Option program work?
Microsoft's other program, aimed at new PC buyers, gives those who buy certain Vista machines between June 26 and the end of January the ability to get a free copy of Windows 7.
The update will be provided after Windows 7 ships on October 22. Different partners are handling it different ways, with some offering the upgrade on DVD, others via download, and some PC makers offering both means.
Is it really free?
Well, Microsoft says it isn't charging the computer makers or retailers, though in some cases the PC makers themselves are tacking on a shipping and handling charge for mailing the updates.
Do all Vista PCs qualify?
No. In general, PCs with Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, or Vista Ultimate will qualify for the program. Buyers should check with their retailer or PC maker beforehand to make sure the PC is among those that qualify.
Many of the PC makers have posted more information on their Web site, including Acer, Asus, Dell, Emachines, Fujitsu, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Sony and Toshiba.
What about Netbooks?
A few Netbooks may qualify if they were running Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Home Premium. Microsoft is still looking at options for how folks running those systems will be able to load the operating system onto their machines, which don't have CD or DVD drives. (Netbooks running Windows XP, like other XP machines, can use an upgrade version of Windows 7, though users will have to do a clean installation of the operating system.)
Is there a limit to how many computers qualify for the update program?
Yes, the program covers a maximum of 25 PCs for an organization. Microsoft says the program is designed for consumers and small businesses and notes the limit of five machines under a similar program with Windows Vista has been lifted.
Gartner analyst Michael Silver said that big businesses should press computer makers to extend the upgrade to cover any large orders between now and when Windows 7 ships. Otherwise, the only way for businesses to be covered is to purchase one of Microsoft's volume licensing programs for Windows, such as Software Assurance.
"Microsoft is encouraging organizations to buy (Software Assurance) and those that don't will need to deal with these artificial, annoying rules," Silver said.
What about those who bought Vista PC before June 26?
Again, I've gotten a lot of e-mail from owners of older Vista machines, including some that are only a few weeks or months old, wondering where their free copy of Windows 7 is. Well, the Upgrade Option only kicked in last week, so owners of older machines won't be getting a free copy. The pre-order program probably offers the cheapest option as far as getting to Windows 7.
Update: Among the questions I was asked most frequently was whether someone could move from a version of Windows XP or Vista to a different version of Windows 7. In all combinations, the answer is yes, and it can be done using the cheaper upgrade version of the operating system, though in some cases a clean installation of Windows 7 may be required.
If you are moving from Windows Vista to the same or higher version of Windows 7 and not changing from 32-bit to 64-bit, you can do what is known as an upgrade-in-place, which transfers your existing set-up to Windows 7, preserving all your settings and favorites.
If you are going to a lower-end version of Windows 7, coming from Windows XP or moving from 32-bit to 64-bit (or vice versa), you need to do a clean installation, which means backing up your data, installing the new operating system and then restoring your data and reinstalling your applications.
Amazon has been taking quite a number of early orders for Windows 7. The $49 preorder version of Windows 7 Home Premium is now the top seller not just among software products, but among all electronics items at the online retailer.
(Credit: CNET)Microsoft's program for preordering Windows 7 at a discount is proving quite popular, at least at Amazon.com.
The program, which kicked off on Friday, allows people to order an upgrade version of Windows 7 Home Premium for $49, more than half off its $119 suggested price, or Windows 7 Professional for $99, half of its suggested price.
Both options run only until July 11 and are also limited in terms of the number of copies Microsoft will sell at those prices, though the software maker won't clarify what the limits are. (Users will get their copy of the operating system after it is made broadly available on October 22.)
The two offers have proven exceptionally popular on Amazon. The Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade package vaulted to No. 1, not just in Amazon's software store, but among all electronics products on the site. Meanwhile, the Windows 7 Professional upgrade was No. 2 among software products. Amazon also has a lot of Windows 7 info on its site, as well as a paid delivery option that guarantees that the product will arrive on October 22.
I'm checking into how the preorder program is doing at other stores. It is also being offered at the brick-and-mortar and/or online outlets Best Buy, Costco, Newegg, Office Depot, Office Max, Sam's Club, Staples, Tiger Direct, Wal-Mart, as well as at a few regional spots, such as Fry's Electronics and Nebraska Furniture Mart.
Best Buy, for its part, said preorders of Windows 7 immediately took off on Friday--faster than with previous preorder programs. Overall, though, it said sales are in line with its projections.
Microsoft is also running similar programs in a few other countries. Reports from Engadget and elsewhere suggest that the program is already sold out in Japan. A Microsoft representative was not immediately able to confirm this.
Also kicking off this past weekend was a separate program in which those who buy certain PCs with Windows Vista can get a free (or nearly free) copy of Windows 7, once the new operating system is available.
There's a funny video making the rounds that mocks Microsoft's huge Bing ad campaign.
In the video, embedded below, CollegeHumor.com suggests that folks start "Googling with Bing."
It's a funny parody of the Bing ads, but it also shows how big Microsoft's challenge is in search.
Bing, it says, lets you Google photos, Google maps, and more. After months of development and testing, Microsoft's revamped search engine made its public debut about one month ago.
On the one hand, typing in Bing.com is just as easy as typing in Google.com (it's actually two characters shorter). In that sense, the bar for changing search engines is low.
At the same time, Google has become synonymous with search. I have been making a concerted effort to try Bing for some of my searches and even made it the default in my search bar in Firefox. I still find myself performing more than half my searches in Google--just because I type Google.com by habit.
On the plus side, Bing has made modest gains in its first couple of weeks. But the real question is whether people will keep Googling with Bing. (and of course, maybe some day just Bing with Bing.)
Microsoft has shown Windows 7 running on Netbooks ever since it introduced the operating system last fall. However, helping consumers get it on their notebooks has proven more tricky.
(Credit: Ina Fried/CNET)Microsoft is considering offering Windows 7 on a thumb drive to allow Netbook owners to more easily upgrade their machines, a source tells CNET News.
The move, which is still under consideration, is one of several things Microsoft has looked at to try to make it convenient to upgrade machines that don't come with a CD or DVD drives.
Microsoft executives have said that they recognize that upgrading Netbooks poses a challenge and are exploring ways that the company can make it easier. In an interview on Thursday, Senior Vice President Bill Veghte said that Microsoft had nothing to announce on that front.
The challenge of getting Windows 7 on to older Netbooks threatens to cast a shadow over the technical work Microsoft did to get Windows 7 running on Netbooks. Its predecessor, Windows Vista, proved ill-suited to Netbooks forcing Microsoft to continue selling Windows XP as its answer to the low-cost notebook phenomenon.
Although a USB flash drive could offer the simplest way to move a Netbook to Windows 7, there are other options. Buyers with an external drive could hook up that to their Netbook, while another option would be an upgrade through a service such as Best Buy's Geek Squad. Microsoft also sells a downloadable version of Windows today, so, in theory it could do the same with Windows 7, allowing buyers to put the OS on their own thumb drive.
Matt Bonin, a merchant director at Best Buy, said this week that the company is aiming to work with Geek Squad to develop services to streamline Windows 7 upgrades. As for Netbooks, he said the company recognizes the challenge they present and said the store already offers services to load other types of software, such as antivirus programs.
Complicating matters further is the fact that most Netbooks are running Windows XP. Those moving from Windows XP can buy an upgrade version of the software, but must back up their data, do a clean installation of the operating system and then reload their applications.
The same goes for all XP owners, as well as users looking to move from a higher-end version of Vista to a lower-end version of Windows 7 and all users in Europe trying to upgrade to Windows 7 using the browser-less "E" version--the only one Microsoft plans to offer there.
Microsoft plans to charge PC makers the same for the business version of Windows 7 as it did for Windows Vista, while cutting the price of Windows 7 Home Premium as compared to its predecessor, a top Windows executive told CNET News on Thursday. That matches a similar move for the boxed copy of the software.
Microsoft's pricing plans for Windows 7, which will be available October 22 on both new PCs, has been the source of considerable tension between the PC makers and the software maker, both of which are trying to grapple with both declining demand and falling prices for traditional PCs.
(Credit: Microsoft)In an interview on Thursday, Senior Vice President Bill Veghte acknowledged that there has been tension between Microsoft and the PC makers over pricing, but said that is always the case when Microsoft readies a new version of its operating system.
"They'd love to have everything at dramatically lower prices," Veghte said, of the computer makers.
On the mainstream consumer side, Microsoft is only offering only one version--Windows 7 Home Premium, whereas with Windows Vista, Microsoft offered both a basic and premium version. Veghte says he understands that, from the PC makers perspective, Microsoft took away an option for low-cost PCs. In part, he said, that's why Microsoft decided to charge a price for Windows 7 Home Premium that was more than Vista Basic, but less than Vista Home Premium.
"We took a blended approach," he said. "It wasn't like I am trying to jack up the prices."
For Windows 7 Professional, as Microsoft did on the retail side, the software maker will charge PC makers essentially the same as it did for Windows Vista Business. However, he said, buyers are getting more with Windows 7 because the professional version also includes the consumer media features, something that wasn't the case with Vista.
PC makers, though, have continued to see both average selling prices and profit margins under continued pressure.
Veghte said Microsoft, too, has seen the amount of money it gets for each copy of Windows drop in recent years.
"Our average selling price has been declining as well," Veghte said. "It's not like we have sat there at the (same) price points the last five years."
For his part, IDC analyst Richard Shim said the fact that PC makers are complaining about price--and not the product itself--is a positive sign for Windows 7.
"If the only thing the market is squabbling about is price, that's a good thing for Microsoft," he said.
One of the biggest changes Microsoft did make in response to PC maker concern, was to lift a restriction on the Windows 7 Starter edition it is selling for use in Netbooks. Initially, Microsoft planned to restrict Starter-based PCs to running no more than three applications at a time.
Microsoft also agreed not to charge PC makers for a program in which, starting tomorrow, buyers of Windows Vista PCs can get an upgrade to Windows 7. That enables PC makers to offer the upgrades for free, or only the cost of shipping, without losing money.
Veghte said lifting the Starter restriction was important to computer makers and consumers and something that Microsoft could live with. The three-application limit began with Windows XP Starter Edition, which was aimed at first-time computer users and sold only on new PCs in emerging markets.
"It clearly was not winning any popularity contests," he said of the limit. "I don't think it fundamentally changes the business approach."
It does, though, pave the way for Windows 7 Starter to become the dominant operating system on Netbooks, Shim said. IDC forecasts that the Netbook market will shift largely from Windows XP to Windows 7 next year, but Shim said that much of that will be the lower-priced Starter Edition.
That means, Microsoft's Windows 7 revenue could be in for a hit if traditional notebook and desktop sales don't pick up. The upside, Shim said, is that Microsoft will benefit when sales do pick up, even if it is next year.
"Even if they only hit a single or double with the launch, they can get some extra bases in the coming years," he said.
