Windows 7 release moves closer: Are you ready, or willing?
Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 7, is headed for an official launch on October 22. Of course, those of you brave enough to put up with potential bugs are free to download it now during the software’s open beta phase.
I had a chance to see the program when I went to the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year. If it really does what they promise (among other things, it’s supposed to be be less of a memory hog than Vista), it should be a nice upgrade for PCs.
But as pointed out by Dan Costa at PCMag.com, the big issue for Microsoft may be the price. Apparently the home version of the program will sell for $119, while the pro version will sell for $199. And during a brief promotional period, upgrades can be purchased for $50 and $100, respectively. But will those prices fly with consumers?
Are these prices and upgrade plans on the mark? Keep in mind, Vista Home cost $129 and we know how well that did. Microsoft has to be more aggressive this time around. When Apple launches Snow Leopard in September it will cost just $29 to upgrade. Believe me, the script for the Mac vs. PC advertisement is already written. Either Microsoft gets real on prices or it will spend the rest of the year suffering Justin Long’s wise-ass grin.
Tim has covered a wide range of topics, including tourism, crime, aviation and gambling, since becoming a reporter in 1990. The Oklahoma native joined the Post-Dispatch in 2007 after spending nine years in Orlando. In his spare time, he's often exploring one virtual world or another. He can be reached at tbarker@post-dispatch.com. 
Has MAC been able to tweak their operating system to work on PC’s yet?
Snow Leopard doesn’t matter. As long as you can get a decent web-browsing PC for $300, people will continue to buy that over a $900+ Mac. Whenever Mac decides to get off it’s high-horse and offer a value machine, then MS will worry. Even then, they probably won’t worry much because Windows is so embedded in homes and businesses that it would take years before Mac ever found a foothold.
Mac should be worried about MS if they finally figures out the OS thing. If Windows ever gets to be even near as efficient as MacOS, then they’ll watch their already tiny market share drop even further.