> By Omar L. Gallaga of dailycomet.com.

> Windows 7 could go awry for Microsoft, a company that knows a thing or
> two about taking a good thing and running it into the ground. There is
> the matter of Apple, a company that just had its best financial
> quarter ever and that has all but convinced the buying public that its
> Mac computers are hipper and smarter than PCs.

> Windows 7 is good, but is it good enough to make people go out and buy
> new PCs (or bother upgrading their XP or Vista machines)? Here are
> five ways Microsoft still could lose:

> 1. Continuing to confuse customers. As it did with Vista, Microsoft
> released multiple versions of 7 with names like, “Starter,” “Home
> Premium,” “Business” and “Ultimate,” all with different prices,
> different features and different target audiences. It’s a horrible
> strategy, and one that serves no one but Microsoft.

> Release one great version of Windows 7 and price it fairly for the
> broadest possible audience. It worked for Apple with the September
> release of Snow Leopard, an update to its Mac OS operating system,
> which works on all Apple computers that are currently sold.

> 2. Tone-deaf marketing and advertising. Microsoft had a point with its
> “laptop hunter” TV commercials, focusing on the price differences
> between Macs and some Windows PCs. But the commercials came across as
> shrill and whiny. Most Windows ads only serve to remind people how
> much better Apple’s “Mac vs. PC” ads are.

> And an attempt to get people to throw “Windows 7” launch parties for a
> copy of the OS felt desperate. Microsoft has a great spokeswoman in
> pint-sized 5 1/2-year-old “Kylie.” Microsoft would do well to stick
> with Kylie and quit bringing up Apple in its ads.

> 3. Not wooing XP users. There are many more Windows XP users than
> Vista users, but Microsoft had made it much harder for those with
> Windows XP to upgrade. In my case, I had to do a full backup, erase my
> hard drive and reinstall my software, a process that took me a week.

> Microsoft suggests XP users buy a new PC; ha ha, good one, Microsoft.
> The company needs to convince XP users that “Windows 7” is worth the
> hassle without trying to extract more money out of people’s wallets.

> 4. Losing the virus war. The more people who get Windows 7, the more
> chance you’ll see viruses and malware that target vulnerabilities
> unique to this new operating system. One major virus outbreak could
> wipe out Microsoft’s credibility on security in Windows 7. They’d do
> well to keep working to make its security airtight. (Or at least more
> secure than XP and Vista have been.)

> 5. Bloat. Microsoft wisely has stripped several applications that not
> everybody uses, such as Windows Messenger and Windows Movie Maker, out
> of Windows, making them available as optional online downloads. While
> some users might feel they’re getting less than they bargained for,
> anything that helps create a more-streamlined, less-cluttered
> interface is a step in the right direction.

> In future updates and patches for Windows 7, Microsoft needs to
> remember that and avoid the temptation of adding extraneous, resource-
> hogging features and applications that we don’t really need.

> 1.  Apple pretty much has 1 type of users, while MSFT caters to many.

> 2.  You're STILL talking about the launch party, guess it stuck in
> your mind. Guess it made a pretty long lasting impression.

> 3. People are just buying new PCs.

> 4. And one major virus targetted at Macs can do the same.

> 5. zzz

> On Nov 4, 3:49 am, Ima Ufo <thetruthaboutm...@gmail.com> wrote:

> > By Omar L. Gallaga of dailycomet.com.

> > Windows 7 could go awry for Microsoft, a company that knows a thing or
> > two about taking a good thing and running it into the ground. There is
> > the matter of Apple, a company that just had its best financial
> > quarter ever and that has all but convinced the buying public that its
> > Mac computers are hipper and smarter than PCs.

> > Windows 7 is good, but is it good enough to make people go out and buy
> > new PCs (or bother upgrading their XP or Vista machines)? Here are
> > five ways Microsoft still could lose:

> > 1. Continuing to confuse customers. As it did with Vista, Microsoft
> > released multiple versions of 7 with names like, “Starter,” “Home
> > Premium,” “Business” and “Ultimate,” all with different prices,
> > different features and different target audiences. It’s a horrible
> > strategy, and one that serves no one but Microsoft.

> > Release one great version of Windows 7 and price it fairly for the
> > broadest possible audience. It worked for Apple with the September
> > release of Snow Leopard, an update to its Mac OS operating system,
> > which works on all Apple computers that are currently sold.

> > 2. Tone-deaf marketing and advertising. Microsoft had a point with its
> > “laptop hunter” TV commercials, focusing on the price differences
> > between Macs and some Windows PCs. But the commercials came across as
> > shrill and whiny. Most Windows ads only serve to remind people how
> > much better Apple’s “Mac vs. PC” ads are.

> > And an attempt to get people to throw “Windows 7” launch parties for a
> > copy of the OS felt desperate. Microsoft has a great spokeswoman in
> > pint-sized 5 1/2-year-old “Kylie.” Microsoft would do well to stick
> > with Kylie and quit bringing up Apple in its ads.

> > 3. Not wooing XP users. There are many more Windows XP users than
> > Vista users, but Microsoft had made it much harder for those with
> > Windows XP to upgrade. In my case, I had to do a full backup, erase my
> > hard drive and reinstall my software, a process that took me a week.

> > Microsoft suggests XP users buy a new PC; ha ha, good one, Microsoft.
> > The company needs to convince XP users that “Windows 7” is worth the
> > hassle without trying to extract more money out of people’s wallets.

> > 4. Losing the virus war. The more people who get Windows 7, the more
> > chance you’ll see viruses and malware that target vulnerabilities
> > unique to this new operating system. One major virus outbreak could
> > wipe out Microsoft’s credibility on security in Windows 7. They’d do
> > well to keep working to make its security airtight. (Or at least more
> > secure than XP and Vista have been.)

> > 5. Bloat. Microsoft wisely has stripped several applications that not
> > everybody uses, such as Windows Messenger and Windows Movie Maker, out
> > of Windows, making them available as optional online downloads. While
> > some users might feel they’re getting less than they bargained for,
> > anything that helps create a more-streamlined, less-cluttered
> > interface is a step in the right direction.

> > In future updates and patches for Windows 7, Microsoft needs to
> > remember that and avoid the temptation of adding extraneous, resource-
> > hogging features and applications that we don’t really need.

> Trance, I don't disagree with your points but I'll just add one quick
> story.  For the record, Windows 7 will be a success for Microsoft
> since it will come on the 300 million PC's sold next year.  That is
> for certain but...

> A friend of mine called me the other night asking why his Windows
> Vista machine was taking 16 hours to import 1 hour of video from his
> HD camera.    I told him it could be a Vista problem and Windows 7 is
> "supposed" to be better.   He asked what my experience has been on the
> Mac and I replied with the standard but true, "It just works" and it
> comes with all the software he needs and the iLife suite works
> together seamlessly.  He went out and purchased an iMac the very next
> day.   In the first hour, he told me it was a "very different"
> experience already.  Out of the box, plugged it in, (no other wires!),
> found his wireless network and he was surfing the internet.  He can't
> wait to get some more time with iMac.

> The point of my little story is that some percentage of frustrated
> Vista users will abandon the PC and move to Mac instead of upgrading
> to Windows 7.  Also, users seeing the "pain" of a Windows XP upgrade
> will also consider Macs.   Finally, this is how Apple wins customers
> for "life" because of the Retail Store experience along with great
> products that just work.

> On Nov 4, 9:40 am, Trance_Emotion <tranc3mot...@gmail.com> wrote:

> > 1.  Apple pretty much has 1 type of users, while MSFT caters to many.

> > 2.  You're STILL talking about the launch party, guess it stuck in
> > your mind. Guess it made a pretty long lasting impression.

> > 3. People are just buying new PCs.

> > 4. And one major virus targetted at Macs can do the same.

> > 5. zzz

> > On Nov 4, 3:49 am, Ima Ufo <thetruthaboutm...@gmail.com> wrote:

> > > By Omar L. Gallaga of dailycomet.com.

> > > Windows 7 could go awry for Microsoft, a company that knows a thing or
> > > two about taking a good thing and running it into the ground. There is
> > > the matter of Apple, a company that just had its best financial
> > > quarter ever and that has all but convinced the buying public that its
> > > Mac computers are hipper and smarter than PCs.

> > > Windows 7 is good, but is it good enough to make people go out and buy
> > > new PCs (or bother upgrading their XP or Vista machines)? Here are
> > > five ways Microsoft still could lose:

> > > 1. Continuing to confuse customers. As it did with Vista, Microsoft
> > > released multiple versions of 7 with names like, “Starter,” “Home
> > > Premium,” “Business” and “Ultimate,” all with different prices,
> > > different features and different target audiences. It’s a horrible
> > > strategy, and one that serves no one but Microsoft.

> > > Release one great version of Windows 7 and price it fairly for the
> > > broadest possible audience. It worked for Apple with the September
> > > release of Snow Leopard, an update to its Mac OS operating system,
> > > which works on all Apple computers that are currently sold.

> > > 2. Tone-deaf marketing and advertising. Microsoft had a point with its
> > > “laptop hunter” TV commercials, focusing on the price differences
> > > between Macs and some Windows PCs. But the commercials came across as
> > > shrill and whiny. Most Windows ads only serve to remind people how
> > > much better Apple’s “Mac vs. PC” ads are.

> > > And an attempt to get people to throw “Windows 7” launch parties for a
> > > copy of the OS felt desperate. Microsoft has a great spokeswoman in
> > > pint-sized 5 1/2-year-old “Kylie.” Microsoft would do well to stick
> > > with Kylie and quit bringing up Apple in its ads.

> > > 3. Not wooing XP users. There are many more Windows XP users than
> > > Vista users, but Microsoft had made it much harder for those with
> > > Windows XP to upgrade. In my case, I had to do a full backup, erase my
> > > hard drive and reinstall my software, a process that took me a week.

> > > Microsoft suggests XP users buy a new PC; ha ha, good one, Microsoft.
> > > The company needs to convince XP users that “Windows 7” is worth the
> > > hassle without trying to extract more money out of people’s wallets.

> > > 4. Losing the virus war. The more people who get Windows 7, the more
> > > chance you’ll see viruses and malware that target vulnerabilities
> > > unique to this new operating system. One major virus outbreak could
> > > wipe out Microsoft’s credibility on security in Windows 7. They’d do
> > > well to keep working to make its security airtight. (Or at least more
> > > secure than XP and Vista have been.)

> > > 5. Bloat. Microsoft wisely has stripped several applications that not
> > > everybody uses, such as Windows Messenger and Windows Movie Maker, out
> > > of Windows, making them available as optional online downloads. While
> > > some users might feel they’re getting less than they bargained for,
> > > anything that helps create a more-streamlined, less-cluttered
> > > interface is a step in the right direction.

> > > In future updates and patches for Windows 7, Microsoft needs to
> > > remember that and avoid the temptation of adding extraneous, resource-
> > > hogging features and applications that we don’t really need.- Hide quoted text -

> - Show quoted text -