Microsoft yesterday released the latest version of Windows worldwide, including in Malta.
Called Windows 7, it is being hailed by industry commentators as the best version of the 24-year-old operating system ever – a far cry from the negative press Windows 7’s predecessor, Vista had gained.
This version of Windows, according to Microsoft, has been targeted at making the user experience simpler, and it does so by redesigning the desktop to make it more intuitive and user friendly. It also adds a lot in the way of eye-candy, with convenient previews of different windows when switching across applications.
Another significant feature of Windows 7 is its ability to handle multiprocessing. Most computers now come with more than one processor but these were not being used to their full potential.
Windows 7, on the other hand, can support up to 256 processors, meaning that it would be able to harness the power provided by modern systems – something which XP, for instance, could never come close to doing.
The system is also not very power-hungry, meaning that it can run very well on the latest craze in portable computers, the pint-sized “netbooks”, which don’t have the bite of bigger portable or desktop machines.
Windows 7 has been long in the making, with development starting shortly after the release of Windows XP in 2001. This development was, however, hindered by three major security flaws in the system exposed in 2003, which made Microsoft shift its priorities towards making the system more secure, leading to the release of Service Pack 2 for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
Windows Vista, released in 2007, was originally intended as an interim release but ended up having some of the features destined for Windows 7.
In fact, many computer users had opted to stick to Windows XP and not to upgrade to Vista because of its instability and what users perceived to be a less user-friendly operating system.
The final stage of development had Microsoft issue a “release candidate” version of Windows for free, enabling users of all stripes to test the software and give feedback to Microsoft. In a speech in New York, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer thanked the millions of volunteers who helped improve the product by testing early versions.
In specialised reviews, most writers agreed that this release of Windows is the best ever, with Cnet.com, Wired, Engadget and Gizmodo all recommending switching to the new software.