With the release date for Microsoft's latest operating system looming, the company is confident it will sell.
Arguably Microsoft's most anticipated operating system, Windows 7 should hit shelves on 22 October, and industry watchers say many consumers will want to replace Vista as soon as possible.
Microsoft SA OEM director Francois Rey says the company is confident that Windows 7 will do well. However, he adds that the operating system's sales may take some time to take off. He admits the roll-out of Vista was not Microsoft's shining moment and says the new iteration of the product is “going to be great”.
IDC's director of vertical industry practice in the Middle East and Africa, Mark Walker, says even considering the current economic climate, Windows 7 will show uptake.
“The operating system is meaner and cleaner than its predecessor. It has gone back to the first principles,” he says. Vista was a nightmare for Microsoft, he adds. “When your biggest partner doesn't adopt an OS, you have a problem.” He explains that Intel has decided to roll-out Windows 7 where it held off installing Vista.
Walker says many companies have not taken to rolling-out Vista, because Windows XP had the stability, where Vista was perceived not to have stability. He says companies and consumers were holding onto whatever systems they had to save costs, but “a suitable time has passed for companies and consumers to start investing in a new operating system.”
Earlier this year, Microsoft was forced to halt the download of the beta version of Windows 7, after a rush of users tried to download a test copy.
Microsoft has confirmed it will run a programme to allow people with Vista PCs, bought before the release date of Windows 7, to upgrade for free. However, it has not yet released full details.
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