There’s no doubt that Windows 7 is the most important OS to be released in 2009/2010. The question that I was wondering about was –

Is Windows 7 the most important OS ever?

Before I go into what I think, here are three things to consider  -

1. The battle between desktop OS and web based OS (however rudimentary) is more important than ever.
2. Microsoft really messed up with Vista and another mess up might very well mark the end of Microsoft’s absolute dominance in OSes. 
3. The rise of XP as the preferred OS for netbooks shows that Windows is still the most relevant and popular OS – even for platforms that start out heavily skewed towards Linux.

Now that that’s out of the way, I really feel that –

Windows 7 is the most important OS ever.

There are a lot of reasons I feel that, a few of which I’ve outlined –

1. A successful Windows 7 will make Microsoft an even bigger force. Microsoft currently has 5 horses, and except for search, each is generating $3-5 billion in revenues per quarter and strong profits. The Xbox division is the only one of these 4 to not generate at least $1billion+ in operating income. However, as the current generation of consoles fully matures, this division’s operating income is going to sky rocket – leading to 4 Microsoft product lines that have $3 billion+ revenues and $1 billion+ operating income. That’s a remarkably strong company.  
2. Windows 7 has multi-touch and opens up a whole new dimension in creating software. It also drives demand for newer hardware and new hardware technologies.
3. Multi-touch also has the potential to lead to one or more killer apps that drive demand even higher.
4. The improved performance of Windows 7 makes it ideal for Netbooks and would reduce Linux’s share in that market even further.
5. A good desktop OS, and my experience with Windows 7 is pretty good, would help people stay with desktop Operating Systems in general. People are very reluctant to switch to something new if they’re happy or even merely satisfied with what currently exists.  

Basically, the rise of WebOS is only possible if Microsoft starts messing up their desktop OSes and create an opportunity. With Windows 7, Microsoft has done the reverse – it’s actually introduced multi-touch, faster performance, quicker boot, a better taskbar, and loads of other improvements. Its more than made up for the mistakes in Vista and created a very compelling experience.

Windows 7 is going to do one of two things –

1. Create a new direction i.e. revitalize the desktop OS and make features like multi-touch and better performance compel users to stick with a desktop centric world. This is now somewhat probable. Before using Windows 7 as my OS I would not have believed it at all.  
2. Delay the advent of WebOSes by a long time. Google is trying very hard with Chrome to create a Browser based OS. Their strategy is going to be to make the browser more and more important and the cloud more and more important. However, a compelling desktop OS, combined with features like LiveMesh (actually a really good product) and a good Azure would make Microsoft safe from whatever danger Chrome presents.

There are a lot of kudos due to Ray Ozzie, Steve Ballmer and Steven Sinofsky. They’ve managed to create an OS that might not only slow the rise of the net centric and cloud based model, but might actually put it on hold. 

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Filed under: Window 7 Rants