"Windows 7 would appeal to business users and IT
professionals because [...] the new OS does not
require new hardware investments above those required
by Vista."
That's not the point, it would appeal to business users if there are no hardware requirements above
those of windows XP!!!
Microsoft: Windows 7 means business
Summary
A top Microsoft Windows exec spoke to ZDNet UK about the new operating system's potential appeal for enterprise users.
Topics
Windows 7 is going into public beta, Microsoft head Steve Ballmer announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas late on Wednesday.
The first beta version of the successor to Windows Vista is immediately available as a downloadable disk image to MSDN, TechBeta and TechNet subscribers, while the general public will get to test drive the new operating system from Friday 9 January.
Windows 7 is expected to hit shelves towards the end of this year or the start of 2010, according to Microsoft's broad roadmap for operating system releases, which specifies a three-year gap between releases. The new OS first made an appearance in October, when a 'pre-beta' version was given to attendees of Microsoft's Professional Developer Conference (PDC) 2008.
Prior to Ballmer's Wednesday announcement, ZDNet UK talked to Microsoft's UK Windows chief, John Curran, in London. Curran, who called the beta release "feature-complete", said Windows 7 would appeal to business users and IT professionals because of its enhanced security and because the new OS does not require new hardware investments above those required by Vista.
"[The encryption feature] BitLocker was a key enhancement in Vista, but Windows 7 takes that a step further," Curran said.
"BitLocker To Go is the new feature. If you take a traditional USB drive and then turn on BitLocker, you can either put in a password or lock [the USB drive] using a smartcard."
A USB drive encrypted using BitLocker To Go will be usable on a PC running Windows 7, Vista or XP — although an XP machine will only be able to read the drive after downloading software to allow this.
"Any hardware that runs Vista, you can have confidence it will run Windows 7 the same or better without a hardware upgrade," Curran said. He also claimed that, as the new OS is "fundamentally built on Vista", most Vista-compatible applications will also be compatible with Windows 7. The exceptions would be applications that are highly operating-system-specific, such as antivirus or file-management software. Curran described Windows 7 as "designed and optimized for the mobile PC, whether it is a netbook or a laptop", and claimed the new OS would work even on current netbooks such as those using a1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU.
A key feature for business users, Curran said, would be DirectAccess. This feature, also included in Windows Server 2008 R2, lets mobile workers access their corporate networks without the need for a VPN. It also lets IT professionals remotely manage laptops, even if the machines are too small to allow for the incorporation of a smartcard reader.
Curran also said power-management enhancements in Windows 7 made the operating system suited to mobile computing. "Windows 7 does some clever things in terms of power management," he said. "The screen automatically dims after 30 seconds [of disuse] but, if you flick the touchpad with your finger to keep [the PC] awake, it will wait longer until the next time it auto-dims. It will adjust its behavior according to your needs."
It is not yet clear how many sleep modes will be included in Windows 7 — many saw the number in Vista as too great and too confusing — but one certain addition is that of "wake to wireless", adding to the current "wake to LAN" mode. Another enhancement for business users, Curran said would be found in Windows 7's search functionality. Whereas Vista's integrated search covers the client PC in question, the new "syndicated search" allows search across a corporate network or even across Sharepoint.
Curran also said that Windows 7 was smaller than Vista, in terms of the amount of space it takes up on the hard drive, and that performance had been "tweaked across the board".
In its appearance, Windows 7 closely resembles Vista. Two significant exceptions are the size of the buttons in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen — these are now larger so as to be more usable in the OS's built-in multitouch mode — and the lack of the sidebar. The sidebar in Vista contained the widgets, but in Windows 7 these mini-applications can be spread across the desktop in a similar way to widgets in the Android mobile operating system. As Android seems set to make its way into netbooks, it is likely that Google’s operating system will become a direct competitor to Windows 7 in that market segment.
The taskbar in Windows 7 also includes another visual enhancement over Vista, in that it will automatically display multiple tabs for a browser or multiple documents for applications such as Word.
Asked whether businesses should ignore Vista in favor of the upcoming Windows 7, Curran claimed that "the road to Windows 7 is through Vista".
"If you are running XP today, my best advice is to move to Vista today," Curran said. "Most businesses will wait for the first service pack for Windows 7 [before deploying it], but some will test Vista and [realize] they can get benefits [over XP] here today." Curran's words echoed those of Ballmer in October, when the Microsoft chief said he accepted that some companies would skip Vista, but recommended that they try Vista anyway due to the compatibility between Vista and Windows 7.
Curran refused to say whether Windows 7 would launch with the same level of marketing campaign that went into the release of Vista. He also said Microsoft had not yet decided on the minimum hardware specification for Windows 7, nor the number of versions in which it would be made available. He did, however, insist that Microsoft was "committed to an enterprise edition" of the operating system.
Talkback Most Recent of 16 Talkback(s)
-
amitbat8th Jan 2009 -
realistically, there arent.
Unless you want to run it on a sub P4 system with less than 512 megs of memory. If you don't have money or need to replace 4 year old machines who cares about Vista?
JoeMama_z8th Jan 2009 -
Let this argument die already!
That's not the point, it would appeal to business users if there are no hardware requirements above those of windows XP!!!
Windows XP was released in late 2001. It is now eight years later. Hardware capability has improved dramatically in that time. An entry level system, at $299, is more than capable of running Vista and presumable Windows 7 (which appears to have lower memory requirements than Vista) well.
If businesses have systems that cannot run Vista or Windows 7 then they either need to continue using Windows XP or buy new systems.
ye8th Jan 2009 -
Let this argument die already!
If XP does all I need, and I can use the rest of the computation power for actual programs (not the OS),
then this is what I'll use.
The more powerful machines are made for more powerful applications, not more resource demanding OS.amitbat8th Jan 2009 -
They're made for both.
The more powerful machines are made for more powerful applications, not more resource demanding OS.
Or are you advocating a move back to DOS?
If XP does all I need, and I can use the rest of the computation power for actual programs (not the OS), then this is what I'll use.
Why limit it to XP? Why not Windows 3.1? Or DOS?ye8th Jan 2009 -
For one, because DOS has no TCP/IP networking
without additional setup. That's an example of a useful resource being utilized by the newer OS. Updated application libraries (e.g. DirectX) would be another. But the thing is that you have these on XP, so there is not the nearly same drawback as going back to DOS.
Things like animated 3D desktops and gadgets are examples of not-so-necessary resources, for at least a good portion of the population. So the difference between XP and DOS, to me anyway, is that you can run modern day applications on a modern day computer on a modern day network on XP whereas you cannot on DOS. And the difference between XP and Vista is that Vista has more eye candy and more out-of-the-box security (the latter being no small detail) but XP has more resources for other apps and with care can have similar security capabilities.
Michael Kelly8th Jan 2009 -
Actually, no
More powerful machines are for driving more powerful software, whether it be the OS or apps. The point is, Vista is not so much a more powerful OS, more of a resource-hungry OS which wastes half your computing power. If I advise someone buying a new system, I'll still tell them to get XP. Why? Because otherwise they're simply throwing half of their lovely new system in the bin. Half the memory, half the CPU power, simply wasted. For what?
MS really does NOT want to be advertising Windows 7 as "built on Vista", or "no more of a resource hog than Vista was". That is not a marketing strategy that will convince me to try it, let alone buy it.
LordLiverpool9th Jan 2009 -
Vista was just a gimick to help vendors sell expensive hardware
That's why there's no substance to it. If it offerened just 2 things thatt functioned correctly, DX10 that works or functioning search engine I'd be all over vista like stink on cheeze. But they don't, The only thing Vista has is Areo, there's really no other reason to get it and if that's the only reason your getting it you may as well go get Compiz-Fusion for Ubuntu for free.
Breetai9th Jan 2009 -
DX10
Wasn't DX 10 ported to XP even after Gates said it couldn't be done?
There is even XP freeware that offers Aero effects to XP as well. Not that Aero has anything on Compiz-Fusion
Refresh my memory someone. Vista was a good idea because?....... anyone?.....Bueller?.....
cpt_slog@...12th Jan 2009 -
RE: Microsoft: Windows 7 means business
Friday is going to be a good day! I can't wait to get my grubby little hands on Windows 7 and use it for all the magnificent that it is. Everyone loves it, and I will finally get a chance to see for myself just how great it is and why its posed to be the #1 operating system for the next few years.
Loverock Davidson8th Jan 2009 -
Shill Alert!
Man... and MacHeads get a bad rep for product loyalty.
Seriously... can't the Microsoft Evangelists spend their time doing more productive stuff with Microsofts payroll bucks than spam the ZDNet comments.
Metronome498th Jan 2009 -
You're a shill! (NT)
_ _ _Loverock Davidson8th Jan 2009 -
Good comeback
...(nt), Gomer.
Dunce.Metronome499th Jan 2009 -
If Only Vista was Delivered As Promised
maybe then Ballmer would have reason to smile. Even with Loverock onboard there is 0 (ZERO) chance of persuading any corporate IT clients from forking out the needless expense for Win 7. Or Vista.
IT budgets and workforces will be slashed as it is. In the current economic climate HOW does Ballmer expect anyone cares at all about WIN7????
The recession/depression (the elephant in the room Steve Ballmer is trying to deflect attention from) means enterprise IT simply will NOT switch from their existing XP configurations. Or, if they do - it will be to go open source.
Vista was a crock - and I've yet to hear Microsoft's "Mea Culpa". For that reason alone Win7 is totally immaterial. It could be all-singing and all-dancing and I simply could care less. Touchscreen is a technology in search of a solution. We don't need it.
Win7 - Tomorrow's Dodo Todaycpt_slog@...12th Jan 2009 -
RE: Microsoft: Windows 7 means business
...so what version does this mean, Windows NT6.1?
Or Son of ME II?
tomax78th Jan 2009
Talkback - Tell Us What You Think
The best of ZDNet, delivered
ZDNet Newsletters
Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox
Facebook Activity
