The Digital Home

In a recent study from Forrester Research, analysts found that Dell and Hewlett-Packard provided customer experiences that were well below par, while Apple came out on top.

According to the study, which asked 4,500 U.S. consumers to rate the usefulness and enjoyability of products, Dell received a "poor" rating in overall customer experience. The company mustered a "very poor" when it came to the customer's enjoyment using Dell products. HP's experience was rated as "poor," while Apple led the way for computer manufacturers with an overall "good" experience.

Bruce Temkin, the study's author, wrote that while PC manufacturers have some work to do to enhance the consumer's experience, Windows also contributed to the low marks.

"I do think Microsoft's software has a bit to do with it," Temkin wrote. "Consumers don't distinguish problems with the operating system from problems with the PC manufacturer. Bottom line, the Windows ecosystem needs an extreme customer experience makeover."

I agree with Temkin. But I also believe that Windows 7 is the single Windows OS that can improve the consumer's experience.

The $50 Windows 7 Upgrade?

(Credit: Microsoft)

I need a new computer. Badly. My old iMac, which I'm using to write this now, has seen better days. My Windows machines, strewn across the house, are old and tired. But I'm unwilling to buy a new computer today. It's not that I haven't seen machines that I really would like to have, or that I don't have a desire to build my own. But there's a single factor that's forcing me to wait: Windows 7.

I'm done with buying Macs for a while. I really do love my iMac and my MacBook is my trusty companion when I travel, but after using Windows 7, I now know that I'm ready to jump back into the world of Windows. In my testing, Windows 7 isn't just an outstanding operating system that provides an ideal experience, but it's also a great alternative to Mac OS X. I find it superior to Apple's software on almost every level. It's that good.

But there's more to this story than Windows 7's superiority. I want to wait for Windows 7 for a number of reasons.

The $50 Windows 7 Upgrade?

(Credit: Microsoft)

According to CNET News reporter Ina Fried, Microsoft might release Windows 7 in 2009, although the company's representatives still won't say whether that rumor is true.

In conjunction with that report, Fried also said that Microsoft is putting the "finishing touches on a program to offer Vista buyers a free or low-cost update to Windows 7. That program could kick off as early as July, sources said."

TechArp published what it says are Microsoft's latest plans for its Windows 7 upgrade. The publication says that anyone who purchases Vista between July 1, 2009, and January 31, 2010, will be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 7. Windows Vista Home Premium users will receive Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows Vista Business users will get Windows 7 Professional, and Windows Vista Ultimate users will receive Windows 7 Ultimate.

TechArp's findings are interesting, but they don't answer a key question: how will Microsoft treat all those Vista users who purchase its operating system prior to July 1, 2009? Ostensibly, they will be forced to pay an upgrade fee, which if it's anything like Vista's upgrade costs, could be as little as $99.95 or as much as $219.95.

That's expensive. This time around, Microsoft should set a flat fee of $50 for a Windows 7 upgrade.

Thursday, I covered what I like about Windows 7 beta. In a nutshell, I think it's a great operating system that could become my favorite of all time with more updates and proper development.

But that doesn't mean I don't have reservations. There are still some lingering issues that Microsoft hasn't addressed.

Is Windows 7 designed to be just the next iteration in a long line of Microsoft operating systems or does Microsoft want it to be something different, something new? Answering that question isn't as easy as I once thought. The look and feel of Windows 7 is great. It reminds me more of a Mac than any previous version of Windows. I like that, but especially for Windows XP users who have never switched to any other operating system, that's not necessarily good.

Is it a Mac or is it Windows?

As a Mac user, I like the Dock, enjoy Mac OS X's user interface, and typically appreciate its design. After using Windows 7, I have the same feeling. Windows 7 is easily the most attractive OS Microsoft has ever released and its revamped Taskbar is a treat to use, thanks to snazzy thumbnail features that actually put Apple's Dock to shame.

But after using Windows 7 for a while, it quickly became apparent that in Microsoft's quest to make Windows "prettier," it sometimes makes it harder to perform basic functions. The same Windows you're familiar with is still there, it's just harder to find under all the makeup. Especially if you're an XP user who skipped Vista.

On more than one occasion, I clicked on an open application in the Taskbar expecting another window to open (after all, this is Windows). But just like the Mac, it didn't happen. Instead, Windows 7 highlighted that app and brought the window to the front. To open another window, I was forced to right-click the icon and click another option. For the veteran Mac user, that's expected. For the veteran Windows user, that's something new that will take some getting used to.

That's just one example of many that I found in Windows 7. A slight glare in the upper corner of an icon indicates a program is running. After a while, you'll get used to that. But for someone who has used every other version of Windows and isn't as tech-savvy as some, that will undoubtedly be confusing at first.

I'm afraid Microsoft has placed too much stock in Apple's design and not enough in usability. That's appealing for Mac users, but if I had never touched an Apple machine, I don't think I'd want my Windows box to be a Mac clone. I'd want it to be Windows. I'd get over it. It would just take some time.

Anyone who reads The Digital Home knows that I have issues with Windows Vista. I think it's a sub-par operating system with too many quirks and far too many flaws to make it worth using. I only use Vista when I have to.

So I entered into the world of Windows 7 with some trepidation. Would it be the bloated mess that Vista is? Or would it bring me back to the golden days of Windows and whisk me away from the clutches of Apple? I didn't know.

But after using the beta (a term I use lightly, since this so-called beta is better than anything Microsoft ever shipped as Vista "Gold"), I can say with the utmost certainty that Windows 7 isn't only the best operating system I've used in the past decade, it might be my favorite of all time. And as a person with four Macs staring me in the face as I write this, that's something I never thought I'd say.

But I should note that so far, all we've seen from Microsoft is this beta. The company has a proven track record of promising, and even offering, features in betas that never seem to make their way to the finished product. Yes, I'm looking at you, Vista.

Regardless, the Windows 7 beta provided me with an unparalleled experience. From install to surfing the Web, it's fantastic.