People may not camp out on the street to get a copy of Windows  7, but the latest version of Microsoft 's flagship operating system is ringing up pre-orders.
Amazon.com is offering discounts of 50 percent or more on pre-orders of Windows 7, with limits of three copies per customer on the Home Premium and Professional upgrades. Currently, Windows 7 is the best-selling software on Amazon and is also leading the charge in the entire electronics category.
Amazon is selling the upgrade for Windows 7 Home Premium for $49. That's less than half the $119 suggested retail price. The Windows 7 Professional upgrade is selling for $99, half the retail price. Those who pre-order a copy of Windows 7 will receive the software on Oct. 22 when it is officially released.
Simpler, More Pragmatic
Windows 7 may be resonating with the technology-buying public because it dials back Microsoft's approach to a simpler, more pragmatic time when its products stood tall without the aid -- or added weight -- of lofty rhetorical expectations, according to Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT .
During the Windows 7 development process, King said, Microsoft went out of
its way to enlist numerous clients, analysts and focus groups to determine: 1) what went wrong with Vista, 2) how best to go about fixing those problems, and 3) what customers actually wanted in the company's next generation OS. As a result, King added, Windows 7 reflects the best sort of team effort in which Microsoft learned from its mistakes while meeting clients' expectations and fulfilling their most pressing needs.
"Like any large IT vendor effort, Windows 7 is anything but a one-person show," King said. "However, just as Vista was considered to be Bill Gates' ultimate offspring, Windows 7 will be regarded and remembered as Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's baby -- one that defines his qualities as a chief executive and an industry leader."
The Windows 7 Ripple Effect
If Windows 7 becomes a commercial success, King said, it will help Microsoft on several fronts and it may have a ripple effect on the entire industry.
First, it will help Microsoft redefine the value of its core products. Windows 7 could eclipse the memory of Vista, define Windows' value for the next generation of personal computing , and solidify the company's reputation for innovation and thought leadership. (continued...)
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