Hangover time

Summary: Vista 7 -- like its predecessor Windows Vista -- turns out to have all the predictable headaches and weight problems

According to the Wall Street Journal, no less than $300,000,000 are spent on the shameless marketing blitz which may be violating the law in some areas. We speak of actions like bribery [1, 2, 3], but marketing is -- almost by definition -- about lying.

Microsoft Corp. is in the midst of a $300 million dollar ad blitz as it releases its Windows 7 operating system.

We have written quite a lot in recent weeks about errors in Vista 7. The "upgrade" process in particular has proven to be broken to many. There is a whole article about this now:

Windows 7 Upgrade Struggle Continues

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There are also conflicting reports about enteprise plans for Windows 7, with some chomping at the bit to get off XP and others content to wait for Windows 7 to mature.

In other words, getting to Windows 7 is more complicated than it seems.

CRN publishes: "Microsoft Exec Taking Heat On Windows 7 Upgrades"

A Microsoft executive who earlier this week scolded unnamed bloggers for publicizing a Windows 7 upgrade hack is becoming a lightning rod for criticism from angry customers.

Eric Ligman, global partner experience lead in Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Group, says the workarounds, when applied to a PC without an existing copy of Windows, violate Microsoft's software licensing terms and put users in danger of running illegal software. On Friday, visitors to Ligman's SMB Community blog expressed their displeasure with the way Microsoft is handling the situation.

Over at Mercury News, Wolverton writes: "Be cautious upgrading to Windows 7"

As we pointed out some days ago, Student Edition of Vista 7 has serious problems and Microsoft is now acknowledging this. There are also blame games (Microsoft blames the users) and a case of being naïve.

Anthony Doesburg, who routinely writes for the New Zealand Herald, sort of slams Microsoft for lying about Vista 7 performance. Vista is sometimes faster than Vista 7, he argues, based on the assessments of many people (some of whom were bullied and silenced earlier this year when they said so, even producing benchmark results).

The good news about Windows 7 is that it's faster than its predecessor, Vista. The bad news about Microsoft's new operating system, which went on sale yesterday, is that it is slower than Vista.

The contradictory statements only serve to show the confusion of numbers coming from technical analysts and publications about Windows 7 performance.

As we showed a few days ago, some people are waiting for a service pack before even considering Vista 7. We find more of this pattern in the news. IDG publishes:

Windows 7 And You: Wait For The Service Pack?

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For many, the official release of a new Microsoft operating system--such as Windows 7--is just the starting of a clock. They will not buy the new OS until Service Pack 1 is released.

CIO Today says (in the headline) that Vista 7 "Still Faces Hurdles To Enterprise Deployment"

More rants arrive even from CNN:

I'm also peeved that I had to pay for this for this upgrade. Wasn't running Vista for two years payment enough? That OS was patched and upgraded numerous times while I was running it, at no cost to me. Windows 7, while a better experience, is still clearly Vista with problems fixed and an improved interface. I don't feel I should have to pay for again.

The Seattle Weekly, despite being Microsoft's next-door neighbour, ridicules the Vista 7 launch parties, calling them "predictably pathetic".

You may remember that prior to its release, Microsoft tried to hype their new operating system Windows 7 with a series of exclusive "launch parties."The promotions folks in Redmond have been known for some screwy logic. But this one was truly baffling.

Lies and gimmicks about energy savings are being shattered to pieces:

Energy-Savings Claims Don’t Add Up for Microsoft’s Windows 7

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Microsoft is touting its energy-saving features with the new Windows 7 operating system, but is not making any specific claims about how much power Windows 7 can save, reports Fred Pearce, author of the Guardian’s Greenwash column.

Actual users of Vista 7 publicly speak out and it is not particularly heartwarming. No longer are users of Vista 7 mostly computer enthusiasts and MSDN subscribers. Compatibility problems arise. Who didn't see that coming?

Wintel 7 machines freeze out iPhone

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If you're having trouble syncing your iPhone with a PC based on the Intel P55 chipset and running Windows 7, you're not alone.

The Belfast Telegraph asks: "Has Windows of opportunity shut for Microsoft?"

From a competitive point of view, Google has delayed the release of its operating system, while Apple has not had the impact it hoped for on its Snow Leopard system. This means Microsoft can potentially steal a march with Windows 7. This alone will not overcome the long term threats to Microsoft's business model. People will start using more and more browser-based cloud applications and not have to use an operating system at all.

What about the crashing profits extracted from Windows? Microsoft, unlike GNU/Linux developers, is in the business of maximising cash flow, not in the business of putting the software in as many hands as possible. No wonder GNU/Linux is hurting Microsoft where it hurts the most: the pocket. Vista 7 won't change that. ⬆

"My initial evaluation of Windows 7 shows that it's really just Vista with a fresh coat of paint."

--Randall Kennedy, 2008