By Jing Garcia, Tech Times editor

Singapore: The weather was already warm here in the island-city state but what made it really hot was Microsoft’s much-anticipated launch of the software company’s latest computer operating system (OS)—Windows 7. The arrival of the latest Windows OS puts the final nail in the coffin, so to speak, for the much-maligned Windows Vista. Since its entry in the computing world only three years ago, Vista became more of a bane, not only for computer users, but also for the Redmond, Virginia-based software giant as well.

Windows 7 is deemed by many as the best software to come out of Microsoft since Windows 95. Over 8 million computer users globally downloaded the beta version months prior to final release with a lot of positive feedback. Assuring Microsoft a goldmine from their latest offering.

Live, Mobile 6.5, enterprise

Although it was not only Windows 7 that Microsoft officially launched worldwide on Thursday, the software maker also introduced to regional media at the Microsoft Singapore head office, the latest version of Windows Live, a demonstration of Windows Mobile 6.5, and in addition, the announcement of other significant Microsoft products at the Windows 7 event proper, which include enterprise software Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Release 2 and Microsoft Exchange 2010.

Windows Live is an optional but free downloadable set of applications that could be integrated with Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7. These software tools provide easy access and tweaks to such essential apps such as e-mail, instant messaging, photo and video editing and SkyDrive—a free password-protected online storage.

“People are now in control,” said Barrie Ooi, head of Microsoft’s Windows Live Online Service Group in Southeast Asia. “If Windows 7 simplifies your personal computing world, Windows Live simplifies your online world.”

With Windows Mobile on the other hand, Microsoft tries to boost its rank in the smartphone category by introducing its latest version Windows Mobile 6.5.      “We’ve been in this business for several years now and it’s time to bring the Windows experience to your phone,” said Natasha Kwan, general manager for Mobile Communication Business at Microsoft, Asia. “Smartphone users will double in market size in the coming years and we believe that Microsoft has already established a unique position.”

Windows Mobile 6.5 features an improved graphical user interface, a home screen with a customizable list of applications, one-touch access to favorite applications such as multimedia files, instant messaging, e-mail and social networks. The new mobile version will also feature new touch and gesture technology, full flash support on its Explorer 6 Internet browser, Windows Marketplace (ala iTunes Store) and My Phone—a Web service that backs up information from the Windows-based mobile-phone to the Internet or PC.

Stimulus package

With the current economic situation, amplified further by weak PC sales, Microsoft executives believe that with the arrival of their new products, they could spur economic growth as PC users upgrade their machines and new computers loaded with Windows 7 start selling in the market.

“We hope that Windows 7 to be the stimulus package to rebound us from this crisis,” said Emilio Umeoka, president of Microsoft Asia Pacific.

Industry analysts said that the worst might be over as they expect 10-percent growth in the PC market and an expected 30-percent growth in netbook sales in Asia Pacific alone. Netbooks, which have been the saving grace of the PC industry, are low-cost notebook computers made primarily for online data consumption. More often than not, these ultralight computing devices are powered by an Intel Atom CPU.

“There are great opportunities for all of us here,” said Umeoka.

Considered as a significant upgrade in the Windows Family, Windows 7 is seen by Information Technology analysts as the one to give the tech industry the much-awaited boost. With more than one billion people or roughly, 95 percent of global PC users have Windows installed in their systems; Windows 7 may just be the stimulant everyone is waiting for.

The best since Windows 95

Never since Windows 95 was an OS so important and much anticipated. Windows 7 came at a time when its predecessor Windows Vista was more of a nuisance than a truly helpful operating system that supposed to make the computing experience fun and easy for users. Or so everyone believed. Yes, Vista was bad but it wasn’t that terrible. It was just that the first batch of hardware marketed as “Vista-ready” was not that ready for Vista, and the people using these machines did not expect such problems to come from a freshly released OS. As a solution, most reverted to Windows XP. Even Microsoft had to surrender to consumer request to extend the life of XP.

“We listened to our market, we listened to the users, we learned from our experience,” said Richard
Francis, general manager, Windows Client BG Lead Business and Marketing Organization at Microsoft Asia
Pacific (also, a former managing director of Microsoft Philippines).”This time, we made sure people won’t go back to their old operating system only because there are problems with the new one; we’re giving them a new simplified computer experience.”

In Windows 7, Microsoft worked closely with computer makers, users and software developers to create the software company’s latest tagline “Your PC, simplified.”

Expect these new features from Windows 7: there’s a redesigned taskbar for launching programs and switching windows swiftly; an enhanced capability to share files with other PCs, particularly in a home network environment; also, an improved photo and video editing software making it more fun to do such tasks on your personal computer; plus, the ability to stream digital music or video to other devices, again, targetted for the home network.

Also, Windows 7 promises to boot up and shut down faster—far from what Vista could offer. More importantly, Windows 7 puts computers into sleep mode and wake them faster. The new OS also reduces the clicks needed to get common tasks done and Microsoft even cut redundant ways to start programs.

New OS for the best PC design

When it comes to timing, Windows 7’s arrival is simply perfect.

This is the time when PC design and technology are at there peak. Today, thanks to Intel’s CPU technology design, computers, particularly notebooks, are thinner, lighter, has longer battery life and incredibly enough, affordable. Unlike Vista, Windows 7 is expected to work seamlessly with new small form factor machines, not to mention the likes of netbooks and other mobile Internet devices (MIDs).

“We have designed our computers that would perfectly complement Windows 7,” said Dennis Mark, vice president and general manager for Desktop Systems Unit, Personal Systems Group at HP Asia Pacific, Japan. “HP is definitely Windows 7-ready.”

At the launch: Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and Sony displayed their latest notebooks and all-in-one desktop PCs, all running Microsoft Windows 7.