Windows 7 is a nifty OS. I’ve been running it on a test machine here for months now and it’s fast, stable and easy on the eye too. In fact, it’s such an improvement over Vista that even well-known Mac fans like Leo Laporte have very publicly said how much they love it.
So, with Windows 7 being so well received, here’s my question;
“Is Microsoft deliberately trying to screw up Windows 7?”
Let me explain.
Windows 7 upgrade
The marketplace has been asking for a single version of Windows for a long time – so the user gets the ability to turn on or off the features they need. A single version of Windows 32 bit and one for 64bit users. Nice and simple. After all, this approach works fine for other operating systems. However, even though people have been demanding a single OS since the first beta of Windows 7, it’s not going to happen. That’s right, instead of using the launch of Windows 7 as a chance to give their users what they want, Microsoft decided to create 6 different editions of the same OS.
To give you an example of how unnecessarily complicated this makes buying the correct version, Windows blogger Paul Thurrott has written a post that’s 2,600 words long, trying to explain the differences between each edition. Of course, these versions are all priced differently too.
By the way – Once you have decided which of the 6 editions of Windows 7 to get, you have to make another decision. Do you do an upgrade (from Vista), which Microsoft recommends – or do you do as everyone outside Microsoft recommends (including Paul Thurrott ironically) and do a clean install?
Here’s my point: Windows 7 was Microsoft’s chance to win back some of the good faith it lost, after releasing Vista. Yes, Vista today is not as sucky an OS as it was, (still sluggish though) but the original release was horrible. This angered a lot of loyal Windows users; people who have stuck with the OS since Windows 3.1 or earlier.
I find it amazing that Microsoft is not better able to tap into the needs and demands of it’s users. Many are so mad after their Vista experiences, that they wanted a FREE Windows 7 upgrade. This was clearly never going to happen. But by shipping Windows 7 for almost the same price as Vista AND with the same version problems as Vista, Microsoft are showing that they are either not listening to their customers or that they don’t care.
With Apple and Google breathing down their neck, they might just want to reconsider that approach.
And not one of those confused people will read Paul’s 2600 word post on which ’7′ is which. They will just stand in the computer store and looked confused when the well meaning employee tries to explain the benefits or drawbacks of each version. Or they settle for whatever version Dell bundles. Shame really. But not surprising.
You’re right. The problem this creates, is that when they get the machine home and then 6 months later realises he needed a different version, he or she is screwed. Even forgetting that – why make it so fricking complicated? There’s no need.
That’s not true either. If you buy Home or your computer comes with it, and later decide you want the features of Pro, you can use the Anytime Upgrade feature to upgrade pretty much instantly (you don’t even need to insert a disc!). Really doesn’t get much easier than that…
The whole point is that the user should not have to keep screwing around with upgrades – that functionality should come with the box included in the price. I am confused why you want MS to keep charging you through the butt for options you have already paid for?
Where are you getting “6 versions” from? There are only two that customers will see in stores. Home and Pro. It’s even easier than with XP (where there were Home, Pro, and Media Center for consumers to choose from at stores). So from XP the only real change is that Home and Media Center have been combined, and Pro now includes the Media Center stuff and everything else in the Home (aka “Home Premium”) edition. Sounds a lot easier to me!
Plus, there’s a huge price break for a lot of enthusiasts who had to buy Vista Ultimate if they wanted the Business features (remote desktop, domain support, etc) and Media Center in the same OS. Now with Win7 they can just buy Pro. That’s a big savings!
Yeah, there’s the super niche Ultimate you can order if you really want BitLocker, and there’s Home Basic which is only in developing nations, and the Starter/Cheap-Netbook edition that will only appear included with super-cheap netbooks. But that’s still only 5 editions, and including them really isn’t fair since each targets highly specialized markets and won’t be on new PCs or store shelves.
Brandon. You start your comment saying there’s only 2 versions and end up saying there’s 5.
I agree that multiple versions are just ridiculous. If anything maybe have a corporate, home, and stripped down (resource friendly) netbook version.
Absolutely! There’s just no need for so many versions.
I don’t understand the people who are saying it’s too many editions. Remember unlike other OS’s Windows is used by billions of computers. Trying to make Windows “One Size Fits all” is not going to happen. Unless you are outside the country, you can ignore the international versions. The Enterprise/Business editions can be scratched as well. These editons I can scratch because either that’s the one for you or you can’t even get it.
The image of a family confused because of all the versions is wrong. The only version they will know about is the version that the PC maker has put on the system. Desktops will come with Premium and Netbooks will come with Starter. Duh! What other choices will they have?
To Clean install or upgrade? Really? Who upgrades? Most people will upgrade when they buy a new computer. Microsoft wishes that more people would buy off the shelf copies. the profit margin is much higher there.
Until Linux can handle as many different pieces of hardware as Windows, it will never unseat Windows from the desktop. (I am bundling Apple, Google and all Linux distros together).
Russell. I am in the UK so yes, I guess I am outside ‘the country.’ I don;t agree with your belief that things are the way they were 5 years ago, with people only getting a new OS when they buy a new machine. The massive drop in PC sales shows that people are keeping old hardware for longer, because of the recession. MS has already pre sold millions of copies of Windows 7 to real people, who will install it on their existing machine.
My Dad BUILT my computer. All of the machines in our house are custom created because building a computer is actually cheaper than buying one, and you can make the hardware suit your own purposes. A lot of people I know build their own computers…
And if you’re building your own, it’s not going to come pre-installed with Windows…so picking the correct version would be a good idea.
Also I dig Mac OSX and the macbook hardware. It looks cool, it functions well, and aside from the stupidly named “logic board” there’s no real reason to disdain it. Apple does insist on shrouding their tech in mystery, but it’s good tech.
It does seem a bit ridiculous to have six flavors of an operating system, but I think in reality the lion’s share of the market will be chosing between Home Premium and Professional. And that’s a pretty easy choice to make depending on what your needs are.
Not many people will be willing to pay the extra dollars and cents for Ultimate. If my internet research is correct (and when is the internet ever wrong?) the flavors of Starter, Home Basic, and Enterprise won’t even be sold in the US retail market. Neither will the European version that comes without Windows Media Player because of the 2004 anti-monopoly ruling. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_Microsoft_antitrust_case )
The only real room I see for Microsoft to provide less flavors is to conflate Home Premium and Professional into one. But most home users won’t need the features of Pro, and most Pro users won’t need the media-orientation of Home Premium. My thinking is- if you need it, you will know.
I don’t think Microsoft has dropped a single drop of sweat over OS competition. They have the business market completely under their cloak, and most of the home market. I don’t think Google Chrome OS can even see Microsoft’s neck, much less breathe on it. They can mostly do whatever the hell they like, unless the EU doesn’t like it in which case they may get fined over ONE BILLION DOLLARS. But for a company with $48 billion in gross profit per year… That’s like a drop in the bucket. A very very big drop in a very very big bucket.
I think you are right, that MS believe they can just do anything. The challenge they have now, is that the world is changing and MS are no longer untouchable.
Windows 7 is a great operating system and I will be buying it in October. I just wish MS would stop screwing around with all these versions and prices.
Reading: "Is Microsoft deliberately trying to screw up Windows 7? | The Tech News Blog" (http://twitthis.com/ajdr2i)
Not that they have 2 try hard. RT@marketbuzzPR: "Is M’soft deliberately trying 2 screw up Windows 7?" (http://twitthis.com/ajdr2i)
RT @thetechnewsblog Is Microsoft DELIBERATELY trying to screw up Windows 7? http://tinyurl.com/l34y24
RT @thetechnewsblog: Is Microsoft DELIBERATELY trying to screw up Windows 7? http://tr.im/wxtu
RT @tweetmeme Is Microsoft deliberately trying to screw up Windows 7?WIndows | The Tech News Blog http://bit.ly/3Hz3a0
Having been stung ‘big time’ purchasing a Microsoft ‘Ultimate’ Operating system before, I can say that to me my own personal choices have already been whittled down to two Professional or Premium, but working in the IT Support arena I will be having a play with all of them at some point I’m sure. I’m already not looking forward to searching Microsoft’s website to double check I’ve installed the correct version for my MD on his personal laptop…
Anyway, having read Paul Thurrott’s blog on this matter I can say that I agree whole heartedly that Microsoft gone over board with the amount of versions this time. I can remember only having to make the choice between 2 versions of windows for the PC and 1 for servers, home and professional (Media Center Edition was too short lived to count) and lets not forget during the time of these 3 windows versions Microsoft made it’s huge stockpiles of money!
I’d also like to add to the mix that Apple only has only had Mac OS and Mac Server. The same goes for Linux (although through choice I’m not a greatly knowledgeable Linux user), and both Apple and Linux are starting to gain ground on the Redmond Giants OS’s.
So I ‘also’ ask why-oh-why is Microsoft making it so complicated with Windows versions when they should be making the OS modular, only install what you need, or what your system can run. It’s not hard to do!
Thanks for such a well thought out reply Dave.
Did you even read Paul’s article?
And this…is why I use a macbook, haha. Granted, the upgrade procedure was a bit irritating (for my Dad, my laptop broke when the new one was released and they just uploaded it for me, haha) but there’s one version to worry about, and I can just turn stuff off if I don’t like it.
I do wish that I could make the menu bar a different color, but now it’s transparent.
RT @tweetmeme Is Microsoft deliberately trying to screw up Windows 7?WIndows | The Tech News Blog http://bit.ly/3Hz3a0
hi Jim, I’m in the market for a new PC and this is exactly the reason I’m putting off my purchase until Windows 7 has been out for a month or two.
For a variety of reasons (mainly software compatibility) I’ve stuck with Windows over the years but now I’m seriously looking at how I can change everything I do & use over to a Mac, Linux or even better, an OS independent type set up considering how much of my life/biz is now web based and less tied to any one operating system.
It’s one thing for Microsoft to still be delivering less than overwhelming products but with their insane market share, a little good will towards customers (i.e. the Vista fiasco) and some common sense marketing (listen to what customers want), a simplified product offering could turn things around for them at least temporarily.
I’m sure the future is web based apps and OS’ but as you said, they seem to be deliberately messing things up. Go figure!
RT @thetechnewsblog Is Microsoft deliberately trying to screw up Windows 7? http://bit.ly/3Hz3a0
RT @thetechnewsblog: Is Microsoft deliberately trying to screw up Windows 7? http://bit.ly/3Hz3a0
I don’t think a single or even double version of Windows is ever going to happen. The is Microsoft and that means bottom line profit first. There is a large market for low cost windows systems that can’t afford the professional, enterprise, etc. versions.
Remember, M.S. doesn’t care about you or me. Go to Linux for that.