A new Windows 7 release candidate, to be available on May 5, will be free with no strings attached until June 2010, making the new OS available for one whole year for free. Updates and improvements will be included.
Why? Goodwill:
However, Curran believes that Windows 7 has already lifted much of the negativity that surrounded its predecessor. “The positive energy and momentum is quite a bit higher than it was in the Vista timeframe,” Curran conceded. “People are excited about Windows 7.”
As we know, Microsoft needs a win with Windows 7. Personally, I think they’ve got it. People are excited about this OS and that means a lot. By offering hackers and IT guys plenty of hands-on time with the upcoming OS, things could be looking up for Windows in general.
Interestingly, this could be a ploy to reduce the rumors that the OS is dropping on October 23, 2010.
While Win 7 may appear to be good now, that will all change after the OEMs get hold of it and take a massive dump on it with loads of shovelware and their own branded ‘apps’. After they’re done filthing it up, Win 7 won’t run much better than Vista did.
So don’t buy your computer from an OEM who does that! Better yet, don’t buy your computer from an OEM at all. Buy the parts and an OS disk, and put it together yourself so there is nothing on it you didn’t put there.
I think the problem he was referring to was that Windows7 will get just as much negative flack as Vista once it becomes a slow, bloasted mess from the OEMs that are loaded with crapware.
I really think MS should take a page from Apple’s book and put tighter restrictions on how much crap a manufacturer can bundle Windows with, its gotten so bad that Geek Squad is offering services to REMOVE it when you purchase a system.
All these people who claim that a new Windows system is slow and keeps crashing is because of the bloat that comes with it, not because of the of ITSELF.
The last time Microsoft exerted any influence over what OEMs put on the system, they found themselves in federal court, and being sued by several states as well. Microsoft can’t get away with controlling the platform like Apple does.
I greatly dislike Vista and ‘Windows 7′ aka ‘Vista Version 2.0′
They pissed off ATI, AMD, Intel, and Nvidia with their BS about making DX10 games ‘Vista only’ which has pretty much stagnated graphics and capabilities for an entire generation of gamers who wanted to actually use those fancy DX10 cards they purchased for several hundred dollars. Its not hard to ‘backport’ the functionality into WinXP but M$ refuses to do so cause they want to force people to upgrade since
Vista uses the ‘Trecherous Computing’ model of allowing anyone BUT you to determine how the content on your computer behaves.
This is indeed a VERY clever ploy by M$ and will likely drive massive hardware sales (since people will want the full graphical bells and whistles) and its a nice way to get people to not even consider GNU/Linux or Mac platforms. Windows, free, for a year!
People shall shout and rejoice, until the day they realize their M$ Word documents refuse to open since they were ‘blacklisted’ for being ‘political’ against the wrong people.
Oh well…welcome to Orwell’s 1984.
Enjoy being a corporate whore, you poor souls.
Claiming Windows 7 is an upgraded Vista? – Check
Spelling MS with a $? – check
Using made up negative sounding words such as “Trecherous Computing”? – check
Downplaying anything positive MS does as a hidden negative motive? – check
Ignoring the fact that a corporation is meant to make money, not bend over backwards just for you? – check
Thinking that trying to make money makes you evil? – check
Calling Linux GNU/Linux? – check
Claiming MS will take over and control everything? – check
Referencing 1984? – check
Yep. Grade-A blind Linux fanboy who knows nothing about what he is talking about.
Did you even read 1984? 1984 was about the dangers of socialism and a huge central government, NOT commercialism. Orwellian tactics are only Orwellian if you’re watched WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION. If you think that Microsoft (There’s no $) is going to do that, for some crazy reason (honestly, what’s the point?), then go ahead and don’t install the software. Otherwise, quit whining. You’re embarrassing yourself and making Stallman look bad.
- G
But what self proclaimed nerd/gadget enthusiast doesn’t uninstall all that bloatware? The average everyday, doesn’t give a crap user will not care about the bloatware as they haven’t in the past. For example, most of my family’s computers run like crap and are slow as hell. Not because of the hardware but because they don’t care.
more like free fail for about 5 seconds before some new virus is discovered and it crashes your computer
HILARIOUS! And so original! You are a God amongst anonymous comment trolling comedians my friend. You should probably call up Dane Cook.
Not as original as your name. Obviously.
Then stop going to so many porn sites and clicking “YES” to everything.
It may also be a way to inflate the install base numbers for Wall St. and lead to the general impression that there is a large movement shift to upgrade to this OS. Microsoft used a similar tactic with Vista reporting.
This is a good move on Microsoft’s part. A bug-free and virus-resistant OS presented for free will do a great deal to help its image.
My only problem is with the possibility of government action. With an absolutely free OS, Microsoft’s opponents might take the initiative to accuse it of violating the monopoly lawsuit brought against it earlier this decade.
- G
This was the only thing preventing me from installing the beta on my main system, the fact that it was set to expire before the official release, prompting me to downgrade back to Vista, which couldn’t have been pretty. I’ll switching over May 5.
IMHO, MS’s intent is to induce XP owners to take the “free” upgrade, then justify the EOL for XP based on the numbers. “Free” Win7 could also blunt interest in Linux desktops. People are short-sighted and will ignore the fact that eventually, they’ll need to pay or switch.
The Windows 7 release candidate will effectively become useless a full 4 months before the June 1st date when it “expires”. Because on March 1st, 2010 your computer will start nagging you to upgrade, and forcibly shutting down EVERY 2 HOURS.
Seriously, you should update the story and change the headline. And call Microsoft out if they mislead you into thinking the OS would work up until next June. Or call yourselves out if you were the ones who overlooked it.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx