We're excited about Microsoft's forthcoming new operating system Windows 7 here at PC Advisor, and have been busy installing it on test machines.
It's not a Windows Vista killer - Windows Vista fulfils that role quite well enough, thank you.
But it's hard to know how excited Microsoft itself is about Windows 7. Show it too much love, and it's effectively agreeing with everyone who hates Vista - and sometimes it feels like that really is everyone. So Microsoft is keeping Windows 7 at a distance, and not saying that much about it at all - or perhaps just enough to stop its users going on and on about how much they love Windows XP.
Windows 7: the public beta explained
Windows 7 review
Windows 7 news
A nice counterpoint is Apple, which actually does get excited about new versions of its Mac OS X operating system - or as excited as a cold, controlling organisation run by one cool man can be. (Obviously, Apple's manic users go way over the top in their pant-wetting love of Jaguar, Tiger, Leopard, et al - tatooing System Preference icons on their faces, endlessly rolling their cursor along the Dock with Magnification set on Maximum, leaving their screens on all night so they fall asleep under the warm glow of a Time Machine backup.)
Just take a look at how Apple shows off its operating system - full of quirky action and colour.
OK, let's take a look at Microsoft's released screen of Windows 7.
It looks like the bottom of the ocean - dark and lit only by life outside. Now start humming the theme from 'Jaws'.
Maybe Microsoft is keen to show the minimal system requirements that Windows 7 will ask of its hardware, after Vista's mauling for demanding the latest, fastest, most expensive components.
Or maybe Microsoft simply still just doesn't get it...
Comments
2bathred said: For those of us who just get on and use the PC for whatever it is we do All you critics should remember that most of us only care how to run it and not how it runs Think of the millions of car drivers who have bought a new car they know how to drive it but dont know how to change the oil and dont really care The millions of Vista users are just like that
tricky said: As an early adopter of Vista I think that the stacks of updates have actually got it working reasonably Might do a wait and see before going to windows 7
Realhead said: Many recently have been critical of the computing media including PCA for not being more objective and critical about recording Vistas poor performanceI would say that it is only noticeable in about the last 6 months that we have seen a distinct real and welcomed change in PCAs stance on VistaI felt that their first 18 months or so was highly subjective but thankfully they have come round to the plain and objective view that Vista is expensive bloated and a poor deal for the average userSo Techhead I think that you will now find that even MS Insiders are laughing their heads off at how junky Vista really is
Techhead said: I keep saying this the only one who says Vista is bad is the testers yes like the ones from pcadvisor etc the anaylists the media everyone i know who has a Vista machine loves it Even with rediculous coverage on the media Vista is still doing quite well If everyone just believe you guys from media microsoft should have closed door alreadyAs a regular comsumer i want to tell everyone in pcadvisor may not like msft but you need to be fair at least you need to try