Summary: More doubts about Vista 7, which lacks new features; consumer choice is further removed

THE previous post contended that Microsoft was renaming Vista in order to dodge its poor reputation. Here is a confirmatory item found today in Google News:

Windows 7 will be released soon, and although there is actually lots of positive buzz about their latest product (in comparison to a lot of negative buzz about Vista), there simply aren't that many new features in 7. I maintain the suspicion that the whole Windows Mojave experiment was just a ploy by Microsoft to see if they could get away with repackaging and renaming Vista with only a few minor improvements. No more improvement than I would expect with each subsequent release of Ubuntu. The difference is that Ubuntu takes six months to put out a new release, and Microsoft takes at least two years.

We took a lot at news headlines from Google News, spanning a period of one week (16/08/09-22/08/09 inclusive). With duplicates removed we have roughly 400 headlines left. The number of headlines matching "Vista" in the past week: 0. Compare that with 13 for "Windows 7". Nothing but 'fluff' there by the way. None of those articles about "Windows 7" actually presents anything new, so it's all about buzz and PR. As for "Vista", it's history; never mind the fact that only Vista is available as the version of Windows today, whereas "Windows 7" is something marketers talk about.

“None of those articles about "Windows 7" actually presents anything new, so it's all about buzz and PR.”Based on our experience viewing articles, many journalists who write about "Windows 7" never even tried it; they rely on word of mouth and coverage that Microsoft bribed for. A lot of other coverage comes from MSDN subscribers and other Windows enthusiasts whose PCs are very modern (and probably came with Vista preinstalled, which makes them compatible with Vista 7).

Based on experiences of our readers, Vista 7 suffers from hardware incompatibilities, just like its predecessor. As this new cartoon reminds us, serious Windows bugs simply refuse to die. As long as Microsoft gets to saddle each PC with Vista 7 (possible violation of the law), why even bother improving the product?

Added at the bottom are a bunch of links which show how Microsoft blocked competition on sub-notebooks. Terry Porter from Australia writes today:

I checked the shelves in the local superstore the other day, and it's now all Microsoft Windows, no more choice, no more Netbooks with Linux.

The cheapest is now at least $100 more [note: this is Australian dollars] than the Linux units that once adorned their shelves.

Once a hive of buyer interest (when low cost Linux units were available) the area is now a buyer dead zone.

Yes, the Linux units sold just fine, the under $500 price tag did the trick.

My partner uses her unit (bought there) daily, to keep in touch with me while she is traveling. Her Acer Aspire One A110 (Linux) is unmodified except for enabling 'advanced mode', and uses a off the shelf broadband wireless modem, which worked perfectly from the start with 'Mobile Manager', standard on that model.

She paid $400 for that unit, brand new.

Windows, its all about (the removal of) choice.

According to this potentially-new revelation, Microsoft may charge $150 for Windows XP at the OEM channel. Is this possible?

I expected to have to dig around to find the comparison between two comparable systems, one with MSWindows and one with GNU/Linux. Boy was I wrong. Dell put the cost of MSWindows front-center with a button titled “Personalize with WindowsXP for an Additional $150. Good for Dell!

If Microsoft is able to remove choice, then it can charge as much as it wishes. How is this beneficial to consumers? ⬆

More information:

• Intel-Microsoft Collusion in Sub-notebooks: A Smoking Gun
• ASUS Enters the Slog Business
• More Suspicious Moves from ASUS
• It's Unofficial: Microsoft Pays ASUS (Kickbacks) to Block GNU/Linux. Will EU Commission Step in?
• ASUS: “Currently, We're Closely Tied up With Microsoft”
• What is Going on with ASUS and GNU/Linux?
• ASUS Profits Fall 94% After Getting “Closely Tied Up with Microsoft” at the Expense of GNU/Linux
• Microsoft Embracing, Extending, and Extinguishing Sub-notebooks
• Does Microsoft Blackmail Sub-notebooks Vendors?
• What Microsoft's Anti-Linux Taskforce in Wal-Mart Teaches Us About Sub-notebooks