Is Number 7 Lucky For Microsoft?

THERE are more than one billion computers in the world.

In just three years these machines could have a new ruler, one that will appear in just eight days' time.

Windows 7 will launch next Thursday and is shaping up as the release the computer industry, PC users and Microsoft have been waiting for.

The antithesis of Vista's difficult birth, Windows 7's launch is coming on time, under budget, well reviewed and well supported by computer, accessory and software makers.

Although Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer predicts "there will be a surge of PCs but it will probably not be huge," research firm Gartner predicts Windows 7 will be the world's biggest operating system by 2012.

But will computer users be able to put aside memories of Vista's teething problems to invest in the new system? And what does Windows 7 offer that its predecessors and rivals do not? Connect took the new system for a test drive, and quizzed stakeholders.

Lucky Number 7

PREDICTIONS for Windows 7's initial popularity vary.

Gartner research analyst Eileen He foresees a quick transition for consumers, many of whom have been waiting for the new software to arrive before investing in a new PC.

But she says other savvy computer users and businesses, burned by the Vista experience, might "wait for several months to see if this new system is good in the market".

Despite some hold-outs, analyst Annette Jump says that by next year 66 per cent of all new PCs sold will feature the new operating system.

It is heartening news for Microsoft Australia managing director Tracey Fellows, though she is careful not to get carried away.

"We will see some pent-up demand and higher sales in our retailers compared to last year, for sure, and sales for people upgrading their existing machines," she says. "I would say that this launch will be bigger than last time (with Vista) but you try and temper your excitement and enthusiasm with the current economic reality which is a bit uncertain."

Fellows says Microsoft followed Vista's launch with "an enormous amount of research" into what computer users wanted from the next Windows instalment.

The result, she says, was an overwhelming call for compatibility with other programs and accessories.

"We really had to prepare our close partners, our hardware and software partners, and take them on the journey with us so everything was available to new users, not some drivers ready and some drivers not ready," she says.

As such, Fellows says, Windows 7 is designed both as a Vista upgrade and for those who plan to upgrade from Microsoft's 2001 release, Windows XP.

New features

MICROSOFT'S new operating system does not look unfamiliar, but it does look cleaner and slicker.

Windows consumer product marketing manager Karl Miklis says the reason for this is "thousands and thousands" of focus groups and other research to determine how people use their computers.

"One of the first things you'll notice with Windows 7 is that the taskbar at the bottom of the screen is now much larger," Miklis says.

"The research showed that people had between five and 15 windows open at any one point in time and with so many windows open it's hard to navigate and find what you're looking for. Most people can only really use three at once."

To solve this problem, Microsoft added Taskbar Previews or windows that appear when your mouse touches a program icon. The preview windows show snapshots of open files, such as documents or websites, and let you select the right one.

Another big change, Miklis says, is one designed to clear clutter from users' desktops.

"People like to store things on their desktops - files, images, folders - but it was never designed as a storage space. It was designed as a background. People were using it as an easy access point," he says.

Miklis says Microsoft added a feature called Jumplist, a list of recently opened files. Also added is the ability to Pin favourite files and folders to the Jumplist, so they are listed at its top.

Other Windows 7 additions are designed to more easily manipulate open programs. Selecting a program's menu bar and shaking it makes other windows disappear. Moving it to the side will see the program take up just half the screen, so you may do the same with another program for on-screen comparisons.

Microsoft has also added a feature called Libraries that groups one type of file, such as photos or songs, together from wherever they are saved on your computer.

Fellows says her favourite addition to Windows 7 is HomeGroup that lets you set up a password-protected, file-sharing network in your home, so you can share photos or documents with nearby computers without physically carrying files about.

New computers

WINDOWS 7 is not just compatible with existing computer accessories, but with new types of computers.

The new operating system is both netbook-friendly and made for use with touchscreen computers.

Fellows says the addition of multi-touch capabilities to Windows 7 will encourage computer-makers to add touchscreens to laptops, netbooks and desktop PCs.

"HP had their TouchSmart computer but we are seeing an explosion in touch on the phone and now we'll see it on the PC," she says.

In the recent report Will Windows 7 Do for PCs What the iPhone Did For Mobiles, Gartner analysts Amy Leong and Tracy Tsai predict the new operating system will jumpstart a new era in touchscreen PCs, with demand surpassing six million touch-sensitive computers next year; more than four times the current figure.

Additionally, Windows 7 can also be added to netbooks for the first time. Unlike Windows Vista, whose requirements were too onerous for the moderate processors and memory in these mini-laptops, Windows 7 can be used capably in these computers.

There is some concern, however, that it may come at a slightly higher cost, raising the price of these miniature machines.

• Windows 7 will cost $299 for Home Premium, $449 for Professional or $469 for Ultimate from October 22.