Australia, New Zealand to get Windows 7 first
By Michael W. Jones
Microsoft has announced that the first retail sales of Windows 7 will happen in Australia and New Zealand on Oct. 22 of this year, based on their position relative to the international date line.
In the announcement, a Microsoft spokesperson said, “Our understanding at this time is that the availability of Windows 7 will ‘follow the sun’ on Thursday Oct. 22. As such, we’re excited that the first retail sales globally of Windows 7 will take place in New Zealand and Australia as we cross the dateline ahead of other markets.” One imagines the spokesperson jumping up and down in unbridled glee.
At least we have an official release date, regardless of where the sun is at any given time, according to a CNET story. On Oct. 22, 2009 Windows Seven will be available on store shelves and on new computer systems. It remains to be seen whether or not the new Windows operating system will leap off the shelves. There is some feeling that Windows XP was the zenith of the operating system, but that it is so long in the tooth that W7 will at least outperform Vista in the marketplace. Even if W7 is no better than Vista, people really have little choice if they are going to run Windows.
The initial reaction to Windows 7 has been better than the average reaction to Vista over time, which was a debacle of major proportions for Microsoft. The Redmond software producer has removed or papered over some of the “features” that kept so many customers, from grandmothers to General Motors, from adopting the Vista incarnation of Windows.
A combination of the removal of roadblocks to adoption that existed in Vista and the pure necessity, for most users, of replacing older operating systems will almost certainly make W7 a better seller than was Vista. The overall veracity of the new system remains to be seen, but pending performance tests and the installation and use of the new system in corporate environments Windows 7, by the time the sun rises over it on Oct. 22, may be just what Microsoft needs to take some of the tarnish off their image.
Related:
Entry was posted
on Sunday, June 7th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
under
Read more entries by Michael W. Jones.
Stumble It!
June 7th, 2009
Probably to give Hugh first shot.
June 8th, 2009
I’ll be cleaning the Remington and breaking out the shells.