Windows 7 launches, world fails to end

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Geoff Spick23 October 2009, 8:00 AM

Somehow, civilisation makes it through the WIndows 7 launch unscathed, but there was the odd stumble along the way


Around the world there were Windows 7 launch events, parties and signs of people buying actual boxes with a DVD in. Britain got an early break with mail-ordered copies arriving early to beat a national postal strike and some early issues were uncovered, but nothing horrific seems to be going wrong.
 
A few users found that when performing an upgrade installation (something that Microsoft doesn't recommend) some hardware drivers and apps (iTunes and Google Desktop were two examples mentioned) were uninstalled before Windows 7 could be put in place. Those apps could be reinstalled and ran fine afterwards. There was some misguided nashing of teeth about this on forums, but with many in the Mac/Linux club hoping for something to go wrong, that was only to be expected.


Richie McCaw donated a signed Windows 7, HP Pavilion for auction at the launch event in Auckland.

Microsoft's bank manager will be pleased with the results of the launch, Amazon reckons that the launch is the biggest grossing release for the etailer. What remains to be seen is if hardware and system sales will get the kick that the industry so badly needs. No one seems overly confident given the current climate.

Will businesses upgrade? When they are good and ready seems to be the standard answer, so expect Microsoft to be raking in those expensive enterprise licenses for a good few years to come, something which might appeal to long term stock investors, given Microsoft's currently depressed share price.

Steve Ballmer was in New York to manage the largest launch, which you can replay here:


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plutonium210 (Advanced member):

"....but with many in the Mac/Linux club hoping for something to go wrong, that was only to be expected." - Geoff Spick

Along with the majority of forumologists at APC.

Have used the RC for a while on my work notebook and to be fair, it is the best thing MS has done since Win2K.

Caveat: Still not as slick as Snow Leopard though :)

23 October 2009, 9:17 AM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Aubrey (Cornerstone member):

Quoting Geoff Spick:
but with many in the Mac/Linux club hoping for something to go wrong,

Not this penguin! I am so sick of reinstalling XP for family members it will be a blessed relief to have a version Windows that actually works for more than six months without becoming crammed with cr#p. (I do not even mention Linux to most computer-challenged people as I am reluctant to become even further enmeshed in their, mostly self-inflicted, problems. At least with Windows there'll be some other poor sod who can help them if I can't or won't)


Quoting plutonium210:
Caveat: Still not as slick as Snow Leopard though :)

Nor Ubuntu 9.10, the RC of which also released yesterday! (Wheres the APC review? - obviously Canonical doesn't fly IT journos to pre-release parties)

I too have run the 7 RC for a few months and while I can certainly see the improvements over Vista and XP, it isn't about to tempt me back to the Dark Side.


23 October 2009, 9:41 AM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

Quoting plutonium210:
Have used the RC for a while on my work notebook and to be fair, it is the best thing MS has done since Win2K.


I agree. Win2K was the peak of Windows. Apart from it's inability to switch threads to other CPUs in real time (there was a delay each time), it was near perfect.

23 October 2009, 3:20 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Me In Oz (Cornerstone member):

"...A few users found that when performing an upgrade installation..." - Geoff Spick

Even if you have the upgrade, DO A CLEAN INSTALL !!!

I cannot stress this enough. Drivers magically disappear along with .dll files if you don't.

23 October 2009, 9:54 AM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

Quoting Me In Oz:
Even if you have the upgrade, DO A CLEAN INSTALL !!!

What he said! Never better advice.


23 October 2009, 12:12 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

Quoting Me In Oz:
Even if you have the upgrade, DO A CLEAN INSTALL !!!


And that's been the rule since Windows 95 came out. MS and "upgrade" just seem to never manage to work things out right.

23 October 2009, 3:17 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Halcon (Advanced member):

I am unimpressed with the big lunch of Windows 7, Microsoft is counting its chickens to have a saviour for the debacle of Windows Vista.
Still the software is very expensive and the license is for just one computer, too bad!
With this scenario, I am not going to buy it, only fool people will rush out like crazy and buy it thinking they got something good (but the reality check is that they bought a box of empty promises and nothing else)
Linux and Mac OS may fare much better, although the fractured reality is that both offering differ so much due to the limitations of market penetration, better hardware price (Mac) and true usability (Linux).
If every user around the world could unite and not buy Windows 7 on the grounds of price and licensing model limiting the legitimacy of fair use, Microsoft should feel the pain and bow to pressure to lower the pricing and increase the usage at least 5 computers.
By far this is a big abuse perpetrated by a big company hell bent on absurd copy protection schemes that don't benefit neither users and the software company.
There is no evil that can last 100 years, one day Microsoft will fall down!

23 October 2009, 3:14 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Pauly (User):

Quoting Halcon:
There is no evil that can last 100 years,

Religion seems to be still going strong!



23 October 2009, 5:21 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

The Penguin (Advanced member):

Quoting Geoff Spick:
which you can replay here:

Sorry I'm not seeing a video here.


23 October 2009, 6:38 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Halcon (Advanced member):

Quoting Pauly:
Religion seems to be still going strong!

If this is what you think, then have a look to this:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/gallery-e6freuy9-1225788595490?page=3



24 October 2009, 9:29 AM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Me In Oz (Cornerstone member):

You do give a good giggle, Halcon
I suspect you may be a disgruntled ex-Microsoft employee now working on the Linux development team. Tell me it's true and that will explain all your laughable rantings ...... LOL :)

23 October 2009, 11:49 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

Quoting Me In Oz:
the Linux development team.

The wha? The idea retailers had an idea about development is now entirely debunked.

Quoting Me In Oz:
You do give a good giggle, Halcon

what falling skies don't do it for you?





24 October 2009, 12:23 AM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Me In Oz (Cornerstone member):

Quoting Raindog:
The wha? The idea retailers had an idea about development is now entirely debunked.

Come on Raindog, I thought you IT gurus were quicker than that!
But I'll explain anyway.
The Linux developmet team refers to every Tom, Dick and Harry!
And please don't ask me for the explanation for 'Tom, Dick and Harry'




24 October 2009, 6:23 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

Quoting Me In Oz:
The Linux developmet team refers to every Tom, Dick and Harry!

I think you find it's every Tom, Matilda and Harry.
It's a proven fact that most of the loudest Windows fan-boys are the Richards. :>


27 October 2009, 4:12 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Halcon (Advanced member):

Quoting Me In Oz:
I suspect you may be a disgruntled ex-Microsoft employee now working on the Linux development team


Ha! if I were in such position I could have enacted my revenge on MS for being totally arrogant with the users.
Quoting Me In Oz:
that will explain all your laughable rantings

I would say I am furious at the way Microsoft treat the users with some disrespect, its obvious the idea of this sinister company is to maximise the earning to the fullest possible the users are being pushed aside.

as this is how MS treats the user base, I can't recommend such product if the needs of some people is to install the product in more than one computer, again a 5 license will suffice for those of us that have this amount of computers be a bit old or new, this does not matter.

24 October 2009, 8:35 AM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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