Why can't some people make Windows 7 work?

I feel fairly confident that Windows 7 will turn out to better than its predecessor.

I feel fairly confident that it will not turn hairy users bald, nor cause sane users to enter institutions of mental restructuring.

However, I have been watching these two pieces of film from Japan with some small prick of concern.

In each we see a television personality attempting to enjoy the touch screen facility and, well, finding the screen as frigid as a beer in a Reykjavik bar.

I don't speak Japanese quite well enough beyond "watashiwa kekong shtemasen" (no, I am not married) to know what is being said.

However, the fine Japanese news source, Japan Probe, was itself somewhat discombobulated by these two seemingly unrelated incidents of Windows 7 opacity.

I should say that both these clips appear to come from Fuji TV, so I hope that they didn't manage to obtain a rather duff copy of the operating system.

But there is something disconcerting about seeing the rather serious gentleman in the beige jacket and imposingly expensive watch fail to expand his view of the world. His face is so unbearably fixed, as if it too has been frozen in sympathy with what is happening on the screen.

It also affects one's blood pressure to see the chap in the waistcoat on the breakfast show "Tokudane", continually tap a file, then the Windows logo, then any and every part of the screen in a vain attempt to make for a little exciting television.

Indeed, one of his fellow televisual employees scuttles up and crouches down in front of the screen and tries to help him out. Yet still his screen finger skills bear as much fruit as, well, some fingers that attempted to make sense of Vista.

I am sure these were isolated incidents caused by inferior configuration or some kind of digital unfamiliarity.

However, I will be eagerly scouring the Web for sales figures from Japan.

[MyRightEye]

Apple. Often copied. Never beaten.

[Ed0719]

Know why I hate Apple? People like you, that's why. I can point to just as many incidents of failure with Apple equipment, but you'd excuse it in some way. Operator error comes regardless of who makes the equipment. Arrogance seems to be a particularly prevalent quality of Apple, however.

[solitare_pax]

Face it - some people are just too uncool to use a computer, whether it is a PC or a Mac.

Fortunately, most wind up as middle management, celebrities, or work at that fast food joint. You know the one...

[jedmmj11]

The touch screens use infrared light running across the screen to detect touches. Bright studio lighting can actually cause them not to recognize touches because the finger won't break the light beam. In essence, the cameras are blinded by the outside lighting. This makes it really difficult to do bright lights demos of the technology. I suspect the people trying to do this on the news weren't aware of that and didn't do a run-through before they went live.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen#Infrared

[adasha76]

@ed: Hear hear. I would love a Mac. I like the elegance of the OS and it is more consistent. But to have one means becoming an Apple user and I'll be damned if I'm getting lumped in with that lot.

[thelemurking]

Ed speaks what many of us feel. Apple makes great products, but it has a side effect of turning some users into elitest jackasses who need to be slapped back into reality. Using a specific computer does not make you cooler or better than anyone else. Grow up and stop being an iDiot.

[jabberwolf]

Apple Always beaten and Apple ALWAYS copies the old and repackages as new.. only idiots fall for the ploy.

This seems to be a SONY issue .. a driver issue with the Sony VAIO L Model.
If you didnt notice the only problems were with THOSE models!

Oh wait... the Apple HAVE a touch screen? Nope..

[cary1]

Apple. An foot note in the computer world story

[Norseman]

@Ed0719

Oh, Lord, it's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way........;-)

[Norseman]

@jabberwolf

Apple has a great touchscreen on a handheld device, where it makes sense---not on a desktop screen where it doesn't make sense.

[traxx09]

@ Jeremy Chappell and the others who think touch is pointless.

You aren't seeing the big picture. Touch is only a stepping stone. Just watch, a few years down the line Touch will merge with Project Natal. Then you won't even have to put your greasy fingers on the screen. Think "Minority Report." It'll be like that except you won't have to wear the controllers on your hands like Tom Cruise does in the movie. Touch isn't the goal. It's just a pathway to something better.

[ovality]

Same thing happened on BBC Breakfast (UK) last week - it was sluggish and unresponsive when they tried to demo it and the reviewer let slip that he was afraid that something like that would happen as they had also had trouble earlier when someone had 'hit the wrong button and froze the whole system'.

Inspires confidence.

[Splashes]

But hey, if it takes a "wrong button" to freeze the system, it's still better than Vista.

[Jeremy Chappell]

Err... Why do I want to get paw prints all over my screen again? Microsoft have totally failed to show ANYTHING worth doing with their touch screen tech. This is the height of utterly pointless.

Wasn't it better when they showed their 3D map tech with an Xbox360 controller? Didn't that make more sense?

Touch as implemented in Windows 7 is pointless - and doesn't even seem to demo well.

So what are we left with? Well we're left with "a better Vista". It's still not longhorn (all the "missing tech" is still AWOL) but at least it's Vista without the baggage (of negative opinion). This isn't even Microsoft's "Snow Leopard" moment - very little new tech, unlike Apple's "big cat". Apple's OS is all about the future (and I mean that in both ways, at present there is very little for endusers, but developers will love the new toys - the fruits of developers labours will make Snow Leopard worthwhile for endusers). Microsoft haven't introduced much that's actually "new" here. We're told that dragging a window to the side of the screen and it popping to fill that half, or to the top and it filling the whole display is somehow a huge innovation. Or shaking a window to hide the others will change our computing lives forever (really?!) Then there's "jump lists", the innovation here is they work even when the app isn't running (Apple have this - but the app has to be running, iTunes is an example) sure this is better. Otherwise I see little that's really new (maybe if I'd done the Vista thing I'd see more - I've used other people's Vista machines, never ran my own).

So what are we left with? Touch is pointless, the UI improvements are massively overhyped (by people who should know better) the rest of it is making Vista less annoying (UAC) and finally moving performance in the right direction.

Have Apple never overhyped a feature? Oh sure, "sheets" were a "huge innovation", that in reality make little difference (they are a little better - but really most of the time you'll want to deal with them right away anyway, I don't routinely have large numbers of sheets attached to windows).

So what's changed? Nothing, Apple still make to "cool" stuff, it costs a little more, but you'll end up loving it. PCs still range from "wow, that's cheap" that nobody could love, to "whoa - I could buy a Mac for that!" that's actually quite nice. Really if you care at all about your computer, Mac or PC it's worth spending a little more to get something well made and pleasant to use. If you need to run this or that Windows app most of the time then a PC running Windows makes sense, if you're a gamer, well it's a PC (but seriously - don't penny pinch, but honest with yourself, gaming costs more than a cocaine habit). If you still care about your computer but don't need this or that Windows thingy all the time and aren't serious about gaming - well you have a choice, Mac or PC (I choose Mac, but you can get some nice PCs - IMHO not as nice as Mac OS X but YMMV). If you're a developer, you probably NEED a Mac, and a Windows install DVD (and a download of a couple of Linux distros...)

However, if you're buying a nice machine - keep your greasy hands off the display!

[aMUSICsite]

Yep, I saw the BBC crew struggling to get Windows 7 to reboot after crashing it on set.

Might be worth waiting for SP1, or 2...

[jabberwolf]

Did you notice what model was having issues? Was it the same Sony VAIO L model?
And if thats the case, ever think it might be the VENDOR that has issues and not the OS?

Nope never crossed your mind did it? Maybe you didnt use it long enough...?!?!

[traxx09]

@ Jeremy Chappell & whoever else thinks touch is pointless,

You guys are missing the big picture. It's a process. Touch is not the be all end all. Just watch, a few years down the road touch will merge with Project Natal. So then you won't even have to put your greasy fingers on the screen. Think "Minority Report." It'll be the same type of thing only without the controllers that Tom Cruise wears on his hands in that movie. That's the direction that it's moving. Touch tech is only a stepping stone.

[baconstang]

It'll work.... trust 'em.

[Splashes]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpOvzGiheOM

[MPB]

ha ha ha "this time its going to be different..... trust me" lol their off to a great start.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpOvzGiheOM

[Splashes]

Um . . .

[baconstang]

Maybe he should have used an iMac?

[Splashes]

Um, not until Apple releases a touch-screen iMac, which they never will, because a touch-screen desktop is so monumentally stupid only Microsoft would think of it.

[baconstang]

I know. It wouldn't seem to have mattered, since the Sony touch screen wasn't responding anyway

[Splashes]

I was just thinking that along with Windows 7, this doesn't make Sony look very good either, does it? (Yes, I know it's not Sony's fault, but it's their logo that's most prominent in both videos. Maybe Sony should have paid to have their logo blacked out.)

[adasha76]

No-one seems to realise that touch capabilities aren't meant for desktop use. There are tons of kiosks running windows that don't have keyboards and mice. Including touch capability makes developing the software for these kiosks easier. Would it have been better as an option instead of being there by default? Probably - no doubt they just wanted the exposure. Is it pointless? No, it's just not meant for you.

[sparrowhyperion]

Danger Will RObinson! Sensors Detect a Fanboy in the Area!

[cary1]

@Splashes

Will you stand by this comment when Apple actually releases one?

I still remember when Steve Jobs said the same thing about watching video on a 2" screen

[Nataku4ca]

touch screen is danm useful, you people just don't know what to use it on,

no offense but it is just that much easier to teach the elderly to press the screen than use a mouse

[Splashes]

@cary1: I've never made a safer prediction in my life. Have you ever used a touch-screen PC for routine computing tasks? It doesn't make any sense, even on paper. There's no way to type fast (i.e., paragraphs) on a touch-screen, so you'll have to have a keyboard, and that means going back and forth between the two input devices. And touch-screen isn't any good for precision input (graphics, etc.), so you'll have to have a pointing device as well. Also, if your screen is oriented vertically or near-vertically, your arms will get tired in a hurry. Put the screen down horizontally or near horizontally (e.g., tablet) and the viewing angle is bad -- you get more reflections from lights, sun, etc. And of course there's the fingerprint issue, which is especially problematic on today's glossy screens.

Touch-screens are one of those "Jetsons" technologies that everyone of 30 years ago thought we'd all be using by now -- like voice control and flying cars. There's a very good reason we aren't using touch-screens now, and that reason will still be as valid a hundred years from now.

I'm sure there are other good input technologies to come. Touch-screen ain't one of 'em. And Steve Jobs & co. know it.

[ralfthedog]

Touch screens have many uses. I like the idea of using touch screens to spread the H1N1 virus and help save the pharmaceutical industry.

[rapier1]

Touch screens make sense for certain computing tasks and its idiotic for others. However, what those tasks are remain dependent on the platform and environment. For example, ever see someone use an ALOHA POS at a bar or restaurant? How much sense would that make as a keyboard or mouse driven application? Almost none. Does it make sense to use a touch screen to write a paper? No. Does it make sense to use a touch screen to layout a mask in photoshop? Yes. Making a blanket statement that touch screens are useless is just willful ignorance.

[Splashes]

"It also affects one's blood pressure to see the chap in the waistcoat on the breakfast show "Tokudane", continually tap a file, then the Windows logo, then any and every part of the screen in a vain attempt to make for a little exciting television."

Well, I have to admit, it made my blood pressure rise, too, but only because I was laughing so hard. I couldn't help wondering if the cameraman would assist by zooming in and out, thus simulating pinch-to-zoom.

I'd love to see Ballmer's face after seeing these. The phrases "veins exploding" and "flop sweat" come to mind.

[Kalemanzi]

Giggle giggle giggle. LMAO. It's going to be fun watching everybody struggle with Windows 7! When will they wake up and start using Linux for ordinary office tasks?!

[thelemurking]

When will Linux wake up and actually come out with polished apps that people will want to use? When will Linux wake up and become a gaming platform of choice?

I've been using the beta of Windows 7 for months on end. I received my Family 3 pack a day early and just like the beta, I have had zero problems with it. Win 7 performs better than Vista on the exact same hardware.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Unbuntu box, but trust me, Linux has a LONG WAY TO GO before it becomes truly consumer friendly.

[nmharleyrider]

Never. Ya get what ya don't pay for!

[sparrowhyperion]

When it supports more mainstream applications and games, is easier to set up, and doesn't require a 400 page manual to help the average user (I mean average) operate it. I'v managed ISPs, so I know more than I want to about Linux. It's a hobbyist or server OS. And that's probably all it will ever be.

[cary1]

What's Linux? Never heard about it

[Nataku4ca]

no offense but too many flavors and when you actually try to look for apps on the internet instead, the installation instructions usually won't work with all flavor and is confusing as hell for regular users that just want to click on a button and be done with

[shane--2008]

You all make fun, but the next windows (windows 8? windows TBA?) will not have any of the problems 7 is having...

trust me!

[Alan4ik]

Exactly! I see your point... :-)

[terminalblue]

Originality.

[sturnerx]

The touch screens use infrared light running across the screen to detect touches. Bright studio lighting can actually cause them not to recognize touches because the finger won't break the light beam. In essence, the cameras are blinded by the outside lighting. This makes it really difficult to do bright lights demos of the technology. I suspect the people trying to do this on the news weren't aware of that and didn't do a run-through before they went live.

[jedmmj11]

if thats true, thank you for posting. then very explicable

[sparrowhyperion]

It's true. I've used touchscreens before. I personally don't like them. Once the cool factor wears off and you run out of monitor cleaner for the 8th. time in a day, it dawns on you just how impractical they are. First off, reaching up to constantly touch and manuever the screen will give you tennis elbow after a while. Nest, you are constantly having to wipe fingerprint grease off of the monitor or deal with it being all foggy and gross. And lastly... Not a lot of apps support it.

[Nataku4ca]

about the grease on screen part, i usually dual monitor onto a TV so the monitor only has the menus

it is really useful for karaoke, playing media(any thing you can think of) and if more people create application that seperate the controls from the content would be nice.

[t8]

How embarrasing.

Google has the idea. They are hoping that people will switch to using a small and simple OS that loads a browser (real fast) through which you run Web apps. No need for major upgrading like Windows. It seems that every upgrade is so complicated with proprietary OS's that they don't work as it should. All the complicated stuff is done on a Web server and delivered to you in HTML and Javascript which is what the browser reads natively.

Or perhaps it is just that Microsoft tried to fit too many bundled programs like the browser into the kernel of their OS.

Who knows, who cares.

[Nataku4ca]

well, unfortunately operating systems are complicated, we will see how the google OS works when it -> "COMES OUT" for pete's sake...

[t8]

An OS that simply loads a browser and talks to the hardware is better than an OS that comes loaded with everything that you don't want.

[rapier1]

If all you want to run are web apps then that's great. Some people want a richer computing experience that isn't adversely affected by network delay, dropped packets, and network outages though.

[t8]

The Web is a richer platform than Windows and is getting richer faster.

[naterandrews]

Personally, I don't dislike nor like Windows 7. It's just the same old Windows to me, nothing has really changed. I remember the first PC I ever got, and it had Windows ME on it; I was in awe with how awesome it was and I want to go back to that. I think that Microsoft has the ability to really, truly "wow" all 1 Billion of it's users but they just seem to have stopped trying.

7 is too similar to Vista, and both are merely facelifts to Windows in themselves. Aero Snap and Peek are nice, but aren't revolutionary. The new taskbar is nice, but is more form over function. Look at XP, it is loved by hundreds of millions because it is simple, it doesn't demand too much from hardware, and it is revolutionary instead of evolutionary like Vista/7.

I may disdain Microsoft as a company, but Windows is pretty decent- I just wish they would put forth the effort that it deserves.

On the other hand, for the Mac/Apple guys that are commenting here I just want to say one thing- grow up! So you love your Mac, great for you! But stop trolling around and commenting about how much you hate "Windoze" or pushing garbage about Unix/Linux just because you feel that you are the only person that can have an opinion. Sure, Apple makes a great OS but let's also keep in mind we need both companies to drive each other forward. If we didn't have Windows 7 doing favorably with users, we'd be stuck with 10.x for another 8 years (which btw, it's already been out since 2001, how much longer can we see rehashes of the same OS?)

Case in point- Macs are great and have their loyal fans, Windows 7 is nice but Microsoft really needs to make the next version a truly REvolutionary OS in order to ignite and excite the billion strong base it has

[t8]

The OS concept itself is in need of a revolution,
Think of a browser running Web apps.
Real fast and efficient.
No need for 10 million lines of code to run a lame program like Calculator or Paint.
Just a browser to run all sorts of awesome web apps and services.

[Splashes]

The only direction OS design can go that is revolutionary is LESS. I'm a certified Mac fanboie convinced of OS X's superiority, but Apple does the same thing as Microsoft -- they keep piling on features of dubious value in an effort to sell the latest version. For instance, Apple added Dashboard (widgets) to 10.4, and there was a lot of hoopla, and a zillion widgets appeared within weeks, but at its core Dashboard was a flashy way to sell an upgrade and bulk up the OS while slowing it down. Touch-screen support in Win7 is the same -- makes a great demo (when it works) but adds a bundle of crap to the OS and will be utilized by very few.

What would be revolutionary is for an OS "upgrade" to strip out the crap, refine the essentials, and speed it all up. Will that ever happen? I'm not holding my breath with regard to Apple or Microsoft; true revolutions are few and far between -- that's why they call them "revolutions."

[Nataku4ca]

@t8 + Splashes

just wait until the network dies then we'll know what it really means to be in deep s***
there are people that need local access you know =..=

try doing engineering software over the web, we will need network infrastructures that are at least 3x the current size(especially when the rest of the world thats not using a computer yet catches up)

[Splashes]

Hey, don't lump me in with t8 -- I wasn't agreeing with him. In fact, I agree with you, the notion of "browser=OS" is a pipe dream.

My point was that OS dev needs to go a different direction, rather than more of the same.

[ralfthedog]

How about an OS as a tool to manage memory and load programs? If you want you can throw in a backup utility and a tool for downloading Firefox.

[rapier1]

@Splashes,

I just disabled the dashboard. It was using too many resources for something of really limited value.

[silkibivi]

Here we go again. There has been so much hype about how great Windows 7 will be for about the past year. All of the net pages have ads or columns about it. Microsoft has a program that analyzes your computer and what problems you might have if you wish to get it. My report said that I have 4 areas that I will need to upgrade for it to work properly. Frankly, for now, I'll just stay with the Windows XP that I have. This may be another Vista situation in the making.

[iArthax]

my japanese is kinda ok so and im gonna simply explain what they are saying in the second video

at first when he was trying to open a folder he said its weird it worked just now how come its not working now?

and for the google earth thing the old dude said that mr.kimura from the yesterday show tried to access fuji tv just like ur doing now but its didnt work so beat it, looks like fuji tv hates u guys

at last they r saying some **** to cover the epic fail of windows

yea i forgot.. and that chick made a joke about whether its a chinese crap or not.. looooool

[alan_06]

Chris, looks like you googled for "Windows 7 issues" and posted this article just to get hits as it's a hot topic :) Sorry, I couldn't control. It's not a surprise to expect issue when a new product is released. There will also be some dum-bo users trying Windows 7. Hope media doesn't exaggerate this time (one of the reason for Vista failure)

[leodavinci314]

No, I think Ars Technica summed up the reasons for Vista's failure quite well, and they didn't involve the media.

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/reviews/2009/10/windows-7-the-review.ars

[jaximflash]

Maybe it's a problem with the hardware and not Windows7. That's the one problem/strength of Microsoft. Unlike Apple, if something goes wrong you can't be too sure it is Microsoft's fault; although, they seem to always be blamed even though it is mostly the fault of the manufacturer.

[Super2online]

I have to shake my head at all the hub bub about a few incompetent souls who obviously shouldn't come within a 100 yards of a computer. And no, I'm not refering to the unfortunate personalities in front of the camera. I'm talking about the incompetence behind the camera who should be sat down and evaluated for competency for putting up equipment they knew was having issues. Even studios have IT people, and those people obviously don't have a clue how to test equipment. I have worked many years in the industry and seen the same thing over and over again.

At the same time I also have to shake my head at the fact that our expert Chris seems to think that putting up videos about computer equipment failures is a great idea when he can't understand a word thats being said in the video and how that relates to the issues they are experiencing. I guess doing your research is optional these days when the only thing that matters is getting clicks and comments for money. At a boy Chris, keep up the good work.

And of course everyone else who jumps on the bandwagon for a good laugh only to inflate their egos and satisfy their own personal insecurities about choices and preferences they make. Is there anyone here that is genuinely interested in furthering their knowledge and understanding of computers, OS's and systems that make our life better, or are we only here to look at every situation as another opportunity to ridicule other people, products and companies. It really can make a person long to seek out others who value a higher standard.

[Nataku4ca]

i agree with you, even though I do like Chris's articles this one doesn't really bold well, he needs to have the video translated first and have a thorough understanding of what was going on, and I seriously suspect the touch screen tech that was used at the time

[strams9]

Ahhh isnt the point of a modern OS is that "anyone" can and should be able to use it? If your claiming that people with less then average computer using skills shouldnt be messing with it, then Id have to say Microsoft has failed. If it requires only IT tech people to make any of the features work, then its not for the masses.. "Hi, I'm a PC and you can be one too with four years of IT tech training". What a joke. Make a OS for the rest of us... Oh yeah there is one...OS X

[ddhboy]

This is why you don't install new releases on critical computers. They should have put it on some back computers to test it out, or wait a while for the complaints to come out with any possible solutions. Now they're going to have to clean install all those touch screen devices back to Vista (or XP) and wait for more compatible drivers to come down the line for Windows 7.

[Perry_Clease]

"I have been watching these two pieces of film from Japan with some small prick of concern"

Which one of the trolls was watching the film with you?

Okay as you know may me as an AppleFanMan, but to be fair to WIndows 7 there are probably more people making it work than are having problems.

[MikeM132]

Spashes...LOL at your Vista comment. Also, I agree that Windows touchscreen on a desktop is kind of dumb, unless you're at a kiosk or something. At home or work?? Maybe those who like to use handwriting on their tablet PC (another concept I fail to see the value of--although my laptop has it) will appreciate it. MS should work harder to get fingers to work on their phones before allowing me to use my hands on my desktop monitor.
For the record, I've used Vista since the beginning. It's fine. I have 3 (soon to be 4) pcs running Windows 7---it's better. Still learning the ins and outs, however.

[vamman]

This company is owned by Apple.

[FF2009]

I hate that touch screen crap...but just for the record... @Haha Windowz 7 FAIL!!!!!