Windows 7

Vista-reminiscent marketing blitz starts for Windows 7

When the geniuses behind WIndows 7 marketing came up with the idea for customer-hosted launch parties (and associated Windows 7 launch party prep videos) I’m sure they didn’ t expect the most common descriptor would be “cringe inducing.”

What this not-so-dynamic video foursome needs is not Windows 7 so much as cheap tequila. A lot of cheap tequila.

More on the festivities here.

Microsoft Golds rip Windows 7 RTM schedule

Some Microsoft Gold partners are more than miffed that they won’t get their Windows 7 RTM code until after volume customers as well as hardware OEMs and ISVs.

According to the Windows Team Blog, Microsoft Golds have t Continued »

Top five channel hot spots

There’s nothing like a channel advisory board call to recharge the batteries.

Here are the top five takeaways from SearchITChannel.com’s quarterly call earlier this week:

First: It’s probably a no-brainer, but solution providers expect a big hardware refresh to accompany the Windows 7 launch this fall and hope to bundle an array of services around that upgrade binge.

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Win 7 RTM and other hits from WPC

Bill Veghte may be moving on from his Windows leadership role, but he was in New Orleans with a vengeance Monday morning, promising Windows RTM for this month as planned and reiterating the new desktop OS’s ability to drive partner services dough, particularly in deployment planning.

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Sinofsky on the rise at Microsoft

Steven Sinofsky, a Microsoft long timer known for driving efficient–and secretive–Office 2007 and now Windows 7 development efforts, got promoted. Yesterday, he was named president of the Windows division. Tami Reller, CFO of that group, now picks up marketing as well. Bill Veghte, the senior VP who lead the marketing, sales and strategic planning charge will assume another–as yet unnamed–role.

More Windows 7 downgrade confusion

Microsoft did a good thing when it amended its planned Windows 7 downgrade rights to give PC buyers 18 months (instead of the original 6) from the October 22 ship date to downgrade to Windows XP or Vista or stick with Win 7.  So that gives you 18 months from Oct 22, or until Service Pack 1  (SP1) debuts, to decide.

But still, given that many shops wait till SP 1 to evaluate any Microsoft OS, there is still an issue.

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Windows 7 pricing news

Windows 7 pricing was posted on the Windows Team Blog Thursday.

Estimated retail price (ERP) on upgrades is $119.99 for Win 7 Home Premium; $199.99 for Professional; $219.99 for Ultimate. These (U.S.) prices are presumably for users moving from either Windows XP or Vista. Continued »

Microsoft muddles Windows 7 licensing, downgrades

Windows 7 isn’t out yet but nearly everyone is perplexed by Microsoft’s licensing and downgrade rights for the operating system.

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Back to the future: Ellison eyes netbooks

I can’t remember who said it but  around the time Oracle launched its big Sun Microsystems buyout plan, one industry pundit snarked that it was only a matter of time before Oracle CEO Larry Ellison would rechristen netbooks as NCs and declare victory. (If you kids don’t know what an NC is, ask your parents. Or read this.) Continued »

Win 7 promised for October 22

Microsoft got specific about general availability for Windows 7. The software will be on PCs and store shelves October 22, Microsoft said Wednesday. According to the Windows Team blog, partners should get RTM code in the second half of July. RTM code for Windows Server 2008 R2 will be available at around the same time.

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