Windows 7: Is This The Future?

While Apple made a joke out of Windows 7 with its numerous ads, the Free Software Foundation accused it of being a sin. Riding on publicity that is both negative and positive, Windows 7 has arrived with a bang.

However, before the launch of Windows 7, Gartner reported that this new Microsoft OS will lead to a hardware upgrade or refresh cycle. Talking about the claim, Diptarup Chakraborti, Principal Research Analyst, Gartner says, “There are two reasons why we feel there will be a hardware upgrade cycle. Firstly, because a lot of people, who had bought Windows Vista, downgraded themselves to XP. So, they didn’t really refresh their system, which is what normally happens. In developed countries, PCs are replaced after every three years, while in India, it is replaced after every four, four-and-a-half years. But people delayed that as well, with the thought that they should wait for Windows 7”.

He further adds that due to the slowdown, people had cut down on their IT costs, and layoffs ensured that no fresh need for PCs was felt. However, with the economy coming back on its feet, there is bound to be new recruitment happening, which will lead to buying of new PCs with Windows 7 as the OS. Mohammad Saif, Director, ICT Practice Asia, Frost and Sullivan, says, “As the entire industry moves towards this new paradigm, there will a requirement to upgrade the systems”.

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However, there are few, who disagree with Gartner’s stand. Harish Kohli, Chief Sales Officer, Acer, for example, is of the opinion that in comparison with Vista, the hardware requirement of Windows 7 is less. “So for anyone to get into Windows 7, you don’t need to upgrade your machine as the shift from your existing OS to Windows 7 is quite easy.”

But the question remains, will Windows 7 be an apt upgrade to Vista? “One of the reasons that people are looking forward to Windows 7 is the dissatisfaction that people had with Windows Vista. People have been told that all the problems that you had with Vista have been taken care of,” Chakraborti says. He further adds that Microsoft being a dominant player in the OS space, there is bound to be anticipation and excitement amongst the masses.

Saif agrees and adds that need for speed is another reason that people are looking forward to this platform. “Enterprises are looking at more robust systems from a security point of view, which can give them higher output. So from that angle, it would be required for them to upgrade their current systems,” he adds further.

So, while analysts are giving Windows 7 a green light, its early adopters aren’t far behind in handing out their compliments to this new OS. George Paul, EVP-Marketing, HCL, says that the reason they find Windows 7 exciting is that it gels very well with the younger generation, with its user-friendly features. “From an HCL point of view, we are also excited because it compliments our ‘Me’ range of laptops, which we have just launched, which is targeted at the younger generation”.

Rajesh Uppal, chief GM-IT division, Maruti Suzuki, adds further, “I have been using it for the past two months now and I am finding it very user friendly. We have been using the XP platform in the company, in fact we have downgraded from Vista to XP on our machines, because that was the standard platform that we had in our organisation. But I am finding Windows 7 very exciting. From a user perspective, the productivity is very good and the platform is very stable”.

It’s not just the user-friendly features or the fact that it is a new interface that is making the OS so popular with the masses. By offering 13 security patches even before the OS launched, Microsoft has made a sort of mark in the minds of users.

“Features like application locker, which will make sure that a company can lock the entry of a user or only allow a few to access the application are handy. Apart from that, the advance bit locker option, which enables the user to lock his data, in a removable disk or a USB is also something that should make people more comfortable with the platform,” says Saif.

Chakraborti says, “The security threats will be more with Windows 7, simply because it is a Microsoft product that generally finds mass takers, which makes it that much more vulnerable. However, I don’t think anybody will not buy Windows 7 because of security concerns”.

Citing an example as proof to these statements, Pankaj Dikshit, General Manager, NIIT, says, “From the security point of view, one of my colleagues had run Windows 7, for at least a period of three months, without an anti-virus. He didn’t come across any problem whatsoever simply by using Live OneCare, a service by Microsoft, which has a defender.”

With so many varied viewpoints, it remains to be seen what kind of acceptance the new OS finds in the market.