As Obama is to Bush, so Windows 7 is to Vista

Sam Varghese
Tuesday, 20 October 2009 14:39

Opinion and Analysis

No, what may prove to be a hurdle in the way of Windows 7 coming anywhere near the targets that Microsoft expected of Vista is the fact that many people will need to buy a new PC in order to experience the benefits of the new operating system.

If one has a one- or two-year-old system, then, yes, one can continue to use it. But anything older will be a bit of a drag.

As usual, the minimum hardware requirements listed by Microsoft are not worth following - unless you have patience similar to that of the Biblical figure, Job. For example, 1GB of memory is listed as being enough for the 32-bit version. One must bear in mind that the official memory requirement for 32-bit Vista was half that!

You'll need 2GB of memory, a recent video card and a recent processor if you want to run Windows 7 at a decent speed. Running the 64-bit version is still something of a problem due to the non-availability of drivers - though to use anything more than 3GB of memory, you'd have to run the 64-bit version.

While there are welcome signs in some parts of the world that the worst of the financial crisis has passed, it is doubtful whether the average middle-class American can sink money into a new PC at this point in time.

The same holds good for many other countries; the stock markets may be indicating that things are getting back to normal but the average household is still doing it tough.

Microsoft has taken a decidedly low-key approach to this launch; there is none of the bluster that accompanied earlier product releases. The sobering effects of the fiasco that was Vista have yet to disappear.

Gimmicks like house parties and the like are a bit of a joke; apart from those who are Windows junkies or paid flunkies, nobody would even bother. A YouTube promo fell flat and one doubts if Microsoft will ever consider using top names like Jerry Seinfeld to try and boost product sales again. It costs too much.

Microsoft is trying to use social tools like Twitter to create some kind of buzz about Windows 7. In other words, it is trying the same methods that have given free and open source software such a massive profile.

By year-end one should have an idea about how things are panning out, and whether the Microsoft balance sheet will show a plus or a minus relative to previous quarters. That, in the end, will be the casting vote.