Lucky Number 7
Posted By
Karen Moltenbrey on
October 22, 2009 01:48 pm |
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Lucky Number 7
Looks like for many Microsoft users, today is a day for celebration. Windows 7 is now available.
I have to admit, the cute commercials that have been airing lately to herald the arrival have caught my attention. You know, the ones with the children doing cool things on the computer. Would it really be that simple?
Microsoft says, “Yes, it is.” I say, “I hope so.”
I am a Mac person. Have been for a very long time. Things just seem simpler on a Mac. My husband is a PC guy. So is my son (though, I think he would prefer a Mac). Maybe it is the left-brain/right-brain thing: Macs for the more creative types, and PCs for the linear thinkers. But then again, I do not think our mixed household is that much different from many others. As was pointed out recently by a tech writer, a recent NPD survey found Macs and PCs “living together harmoniously in America's homes.” In particular, 12 percent of US computer-owning households now own a Mac, up from 9 percent in 2008. (No doubt this is attributed to the shooting stars of Apple’s line, such as the iPod and iPhone.) Furthermore, nearly 85 percent of Mac households also own a Windows-based PC, and two-thirds of Apple households own three or more computers.
If you are a PC-only person, forgive me for not being so excited about Windows 7. But then again, I would be happy for an alternative to Vista. When I have to use our PC, and when I have to use it, I feel as if Vista creates a mountain out of a mole hill at times. I scan a file. Where is it? It takes a half hour to locate it. Nothing seems to be as intuitive as it is on my Mac. The PC makes me think too much.
Bill Gates, in an interview in Newsweek some time ago, hinted that this version of Windows would be “more user centric” than previous iterations. Hey, that’s a very good thing.
Don’t get me wrong, where would any computer user—PC, Mac, or otherwise—be without Windows? We need Windows. It opens many doors.
The graphics industry seems to be excited. Today alone I received a number of press releases from companies proclaiming support for #7. And, it seems that Microsoft has made some magic of its own, besting Harry Potter at Amazon.
Are you celebrating this Microsoft moment?