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Windows 7 fast-tracked due to unpopular Vista?

January 21, 2008

There's been a healthy debate in our forum following last week's blog about InfoWorld's Save XP campaign.

As someone who uses XP in the office, but Vista at home and on a laptop when on the move, I have to report that I've not once had a problem with Microsoft's newest operating system. But you cannot ignore the anti-Vista sentiment among those who expected more from Microsoft after such a long development period.

Vista cynics criticise the operating system's hardware requirements and lack of hardware support (at least initially) among other things, the upshot being that the new OS has been labelled as Microsoft's most unpopular yet, while its predecessor is now seen as quite the opposite.

This fact has not gone unnoticed at Microsoft HQ, and if you believe one report pointed out in our forums, it may even have convinced the software giant to fast-track Vista's successor – Windows 7. Every official statement we've heard so far claims Windows 7 will be with us in 2010, but TG Daily claims it could launch in just 18 months' time. Apparently 'key partners' already have 'Milestone 1' (M1) code for Windows 7, and TG Daily even claims to have details of some of its features.

There's nothing concrete to back up these claims, but rumours of an early launch for Windows 7 will do nothing to help Vista sales. If InfoWorld's Save XP campaign fails and XP is no longer available in the shops after June 2008, those who aren't prepared to buy into Vista may only have to wait a year before another new version of Windows is available.

Posted by: Paul Trotter

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Comments

Posted by Bull Gates on January 21, 2008 :

The time for upgrading windows everytime a new version is launched has passed. MS should keep supporting xp indefinately as my machine shows no signs of giving up after 5 years. No new features in vista or windows 7 are compelling enough to force me to upgrade

Posted by FE on January 21, 2008 :

The 'little man user' is winning the Vista war hands down.
And many of us are frighting the MS Hydra and loving every minute.

Anyone who has driven the old model of Mini car will tell you that it was one of the best cars to drive.
Sadly many of these afluent drivers have aged into a walnut and cream leather de-lux car.
We all know that the Mini was more exciting, had cheaper costs and in the end we still arrived at our destination.

The exact same can be said regarding XP and Vista.

MS can see that a tiny modern operating system is going to be a global winner for the average surfer.
However, they can't make massive dollar profits on this so they ain't going to produce one.

Happily, others will.
Keep up the good work Paul.

Posted by Paul Urban on January 21, 2008 :

I upgraded my pc to vista and used it for about 2 days and then went back to xp. Apart from vista making my supposedly vista capable laptop go as slow as a slow thing I just didn't like the look and feel of vista. I like most people have gotten used to xp's layout, in vista I couldn't quite work out where anything was and how it all worked. I think that all in all xp looks and acts more professional than vista, which from what I saw of the looks of it on the screen it is marketed at kids. The same goes for the new ms office which doesn't seem the sort of thing that you would use in an office, it is more like something young people would use on facebook.

Posted by thrasher on January 21, 2008 :

Well... I for one happen to like XP i was pleasantly impressed right from the start, and will continue to use it till M$ offers a comparable os. killing xp to force people to use vista will not work... the proof is here

Posted by thrasher on January 21, 2008 :

Well... I for one happen to like XP i was pleasantly impressed right from the start, and will continue to use it till M$ offers a comparable os. killing xp to force people to use vista will not work... the proof is here

Posted by DAVIUUK on January 21, 2008 :

XP IS BETTER NOT MUCH CHANGES FROM XP TO VISTA XP FASTER AND MUCH OW MORE I COULD SAY HOW XP IS BETTER www.davidlower.spaces.live.com

Posted by DAVIDUUK on January 21, 2008 :

XP IS BETTER NOT MUCH CHANGES FROM XP TO VISTA XP FASTER AND MUCH MORE I COULD SAY HOW XP IS BETTER go to my webspace at www.davidlower.spaces.live.com

Posted by Del Monty on January 21, 2008 :

Why not upgrade to Mac OS X instead?

Posted by greenygrog on January 21, 2008 :

Been using XP for years no problem. Like the functionality and I know where everything is. Vista is too cartoony. Also have Ubuntu on an older PC, works much better and quicker than Vista and looks great, shame that game manufacturers don't make games for Linux or I'd drop XP too!!!

Posted by Rob on January 21, 2008 :

MMM as a gamer i may have to upgrade so maybe windows 7 is the answer whether you like it or not dx10 is a killer app that gamers want

Posted by Cedric on January 22, 2008 :

I bought a low range HP laptop (2.5 Ghtz, 1 Gig). It came under Vista and was too slow for being used. It now runs perfectly under XP. Vista is also a pain for installing all kind of soft (backup, ...)

Posted by cowboy62 on January 24, 2008 :

i have vista on my laptop but prefere xp the only reason i have not removed it is because it is still under guarantee my rating out of 10 for vista woud be 3 for xp 9

Posted by Andi on January 29, 2008 :

I upgraded my pc to Vista late last year and I have to say in all honesty that I don't really have any complaints. It runs smoothly and quickly on what is essentially a budget machine (AMD Sempron @ 2.5GHz, 2GB RAM). I have had 1 windows update that caused an issue with usb mice but that was easy to fix with the correct knowledge. XP was and still is an excellent OS, but for me, Vista is that bit nicer.... am I the only happy customer?? If Windows 7 is even better/nicer/faster then it's probably a good thing that a lot of people don't like Vista, because Microsoft will get it to us sooner and (hopefully) it will be excellent from the get go :-).

Posted by Vista no more on February 15, 2008 :

Maybe I'm just an old timer, but I've used every MS/OS since DOS 3.0.

Thought a GUI like 3.0 was the cat's PJs, then '95, '98, '98SE, ME, (didn't get into the 2K and server 03 versions, tho) then the BLOAT.

I've watched the OS's get bigger, more complex, and bloated as time has passed.

Waited two years 'til MS (mostly) got XP workable before loading IT up.

Since I work on OTHER peoples machines for a living, I figured I'd better learn the Vista interface. So it went into a testing/familiarization machine.

BAH!

Once familiari, out the damned thing came.

Foootprint the size of Antartica, bloatware up the yazoo, and a prediliction for pretty, pretty, rather than funtional!

If MS's answer to the problem is more hype about yet ANOTHER "more, better, bigger" o/s then I suggest they rethink, retrench, and rework to something like XPlite and 2000lite.... Faster, smaller, better- by removing the crap.

Paul Trotter
Blogger Paul Trotter has been addicted to online news since ditching newspapers at the dawn of the internet. He's been writing about the IT market for ten years and is editor of PC Advisor.

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