Windows 7 Ready for Primetime.

Windows 7 has been creating a real stir in the consumer market. As I have insisted all along in this blog, Microsoft seems to have finally come to the realization that they only had one more chance – and seize this chance they did!

Windows 7, after using if for months now, is absolutely the best OS I have ever used hands down. If I had to give the OS some cheesy genus and species it would definitely be Panthera Leo. Seriously, this cat is making one little snow leopard mighty nervous.

In fact, even users that I have presumed to have very little interest in computing in general and equally little knowledge, have approached me eagerly asking my opinions of Windows 7. The excitement is definitely here – but that, unfortunately, also left me with a bit of a dilemma.

These users are corporate users and any questions regarding Windows 7 were obviously in reference to integrating the new OS into their current corporate IT infrastructure. While I have had a lot of experience with the OS on a personal level, I was very apprehensive of the notion of joining this to the domain and expecting it to play well with others. There were a lot of unanswered questions for me.

Well, these fears are starting to subside. Recently Intel just finished its own trial test of the shiny new OS, and its testers gave an astounding 97 per cent approval rating of the OS and fully recommend that Intel proceed with upgrading their current fleet of XP machines. The upgrade, however, won’t come until next year sometime and only with the roll out of Intel’s vPro technology.

The numbers cited by Intel were impressive – over $11 million dollars in three years could be saved with the increased productivity, ease of deployment, reduced costs and enhanced security the the new platform brings.

Intel’s vote of confidence, along with Ford, Continental Airlines, Convergent Computing, Baker Tilly, and the city of Miami has now put me into a position of confidence in recommending the OS to enterprise. Moreover, the availabilty of Windows XP mode seals the deal as that effectively means that there will not be any applications that cannot be run in some form on Windows 7. 

Look forward to Windows 7 pouncing into a company near you with a ferocious roar and don’t be surprised if you see a few spotted leopards quietly slipping out the door.

Congratulations Microsoft!