Down Under gets first dibs on Windows 7
The first retail sales of Windows 7 will take place in New Zealand and Australia on 22 October, Microsoft confirmed this week.
(Credit:
Renai LeMay/ZDNet.com.au)
Windows 7 will hit first New Zealand, then Australia, due to the countries' placement with respect to the International Date Line. Microsoft announced last week that its new operating system would hit retail shelves and start showing up on new PCs from October 22.
"Our understanding at this time is that the availability of Windows 7 will 'follow the sun' on Thursday October 22," a Microsoft spokesperson said late this week. "As such, we're excited that the first retail sales globally of Windows 7 will take place in New Zealand and Australia as we cross the dateline ahead of other markets."
A number of large Australian organizations including National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Centrelink have already started examining Windows 7, and companies as large as Telstra have flagged their intention to eventually migrate to the platform.
ZDNet.com.au has also been informed by many early adopters that they have had positive experiences with Windows 7 after testing it on their home PCs in preparation for upgrading to the platform from Vista or XP installations.
Microsoft Australia could not confirm at this stage what upgrade programs would be available to locals. However, globally Microsoft has confirmed, without giving details, that it plans to offer some sort of "technology guarantee" giving those who buy Vista machines close to the Windows 7 launch a free or discounted copy of the new operating system.
As with past similar programs, details on pricing will be up to individual computer makers, although Microsoft did say the upgrade program will apply to Vista Home Premium and higher-priced editions (meaning not Windows Vista Basic).
The tech guarantee program is not beginning immediately, but Microsoft did raise the possibility it will offer some sort of lower-cost upgrade to those who are already using Windows Vista.
Renai LeMay of ZDNet Australia reported from Sydney. CNET News.com's Ina Fried contributed to this article.
http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/05/16/windows-feedback-program-participants-can-get-windows-7-gift
The purpose for making Beta and RC releases available -- if you are a software developer and you want to be sure your software will run on the next version of windows, it's in your interest to download the beta and RC. If you run into issues, it could be a bug in the release, or a bug in your software -- but eventually it gets resolved, and when the final version is released you know your software will still run so your revenue stream is unaffected.
Apart from that, enthusiasts will always download stuff (just to try it out) and file bugs etc. -- but there's no way to distinguish them from the s/w developers. In fact, there's no way to tell if you just downloaded the RC for the purpose of getting a discount and never even actually installed it. So it's not practical / reasonable to expect MS to have any sort of 'rewards' program for Beta/RC testers.
Yet I will be the last to try Windows 7 (by choice).
Best to wait for 2 service packs and then evaluate whether it is better than XP or Linux.
You didn't have trouble, that's great. Someone else may have and there will be more trouble when it's released. That's the cycle of life for software when it just comes out. There will always be bugs.
@Mr. Dee
He made sense, rather than be an early adopter, wait until the bugs are ironed out then see if it's better than what he's already using.
You, however, just listed a bunch of new "features" which may or may not actually help his productivity and, for some, may actually harm said productivity. (workers getting used to new features, learning the new interface, trying to do things how they've always done them, learning new Hot Keys).
By the way, Compiz Fusion always has snapping windows, wobbly windows, peaks at open but hidden windows, etc. Most Linux distros can be set up for touch screens fairly easily. My own distro has a firewall built in and I'm sure most, if not all Linux distros, have a firewall built in as well as a built in AV. Everything else you mentioned, I either have a free app to do or I just never really wanted or needed.
Oh, let's not forget that I have Virtualbox, also free, and WINE, just in case there's that one elusive Windows app that I can't find any equivalent to (hint, there aren't many at all).
Which actually means that the earth has 4 corners.
its' waning credibility on the line. Get it right Microsoft! There are millions out here waiting for you.
While I totally disliked Vista, I've found it pleasantly easy to move from WinXP to the RC of Win7. Even better yet, I've personally experienced LESS hardware issues under my Win7 install than I had originally with WinXP.
All in all, I have to say my personal experience with Win7 has been quite good. The only real work I had to do was find the appropriate 64 bit drivers for specific hardware, which I could have done well in advance but chose to wait till post install of the OS.
Everyone has their personal reasons for choosing to adapt now, later or never. But I would like to recommend that anyone who hasn't tried it - but would like to - to download the RC and give it a shot. It's not nearly as hard of a transition as you may think :)
- by whiplash55 June 8, 2009 1:15 PM PDT
- Typical childish sniping from the also ran, they are obviously scared of Win 7 since with few credible exceptions its had rave reviews. Charging 30 bucks for a service pack is better than 130 like they use to, and is a welcome change. I see they've lowered prices of their overpriced hardware good idea when sales are down.
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