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Windows 7: A Fresh Start

Windows 7 has gone RTM and seems poised undo much of the damage Windows Vista has wrought. Is it time to start developing for Windows 7?

A bad reputation can be hard to live down. Just ask the executives at General Motors, who are trying to convince consumers to buy their cars after decades of turning out duds. Or ask the folks in Redmond, who gained a bad rap when they pushed Windows Vista-unfinished and unwelcome-onto the IT marketplace.

But Microsoft is reaching for something that GM still dreams about: a true shot at redemption. The Windows 7 operating system was released to manufacturing last month, and with it Microsoft hopes to finally move past the ill will generated by its troubled client OS. By all accounts, Windows 7 has the look of a winner. Stable, streamlined and even a little bit sexy, the OS casts a come-hither look to developers with its native support for multi-touch user interface and enhanced Task bar integration.


Will developers be compelled to build applications that tap into Windows 7's talents? Not right away, but that hardly matters. With .NET Framework, Microsoft long ago up-leveled its conversation with developers. The shiny stuff in Windows 7 has been banging around beta and release versions of .NET, Visual Studio and sundry tooling for some time. The fact that this stuff has surfaced in Microsoft's flagship consumer and business OS means that IT decision makers will start looking at, and wanting, these things.

For developers, the message of Windows 7 is clear. Microsoft has finally put the ghost of Vista firmly behind it. If you're developing rich client apps, it's time to consider shifting your focus from Windows XP to the enriched features set of Windows 7.

Is your dev shop setting its sights on 7, or are you among those in a holding pattern? We plan to take a closer look at Windows 7-based development in our October issue and welcome your comments. E-mail me at mdesmond@1105media.com.


About the Author

Michael Desmond is editor in chief of Visual Studio Magazine and former editor in chief of Redmond Developer News. He has served as senior editor of news at PC World and executive editor at Multimedia World magazine, and has written for dozens of publications and Web sites. Desmond has also written four computing books, including Microsoft Office 2003 in 10 Simple Steps or Less.

Reader Comments:

Fri, Sep 4, 2009 optional optional town, optional

The options are: 1) Linux: Still a nerd's OS. Some distributions have made great strides though (like Ubuntu) 2) Apple: Easy to use but is too proprietary to be widely accepted. 3) Windows: Easy to use and widely accepted but unnecessary upgrades forces users to get "latest" version. Put your money down and take your chances

Fri, Sep 4, 2009 operator 77

You guys dont get it. Even though apple has a far more superior system and os, its too expensive for the average joe computer user. Linux is great for comp gurus and for others that get it and dont mind entering lines of commands to install a driver, not for the avg comp user. Microsoft is not concerned about corp enviroments switching to w7, they have a ton of products the corp enviroment can use. Win7 is for the 80-90% of the population who just needs to get online who is not worried about servers and databases. In a month or so, I will be able to go to walmart and buy a brand new desktop with win7 for about 400-500 bucks, probably cheaper. I can get an xp machine brand new for around 300. Cant do that with a mac. Linux had their 5 mins and blew it with the dell netbook returns.Think volume people!!!This is a business which means profit!

Sat, Aug 29, 2009 Alex

Yeah.. go linux and type 25 line of commands to change ur drivers! I really want that!

Sat, Aug 29, 2009 Jandler NY

@jeff mac os x is the fresh start you claim that Apple didn't take. Educate yourself http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X

Sat, Aug 29, 2009 jeff ca

How can a company that reinvents it's products ever hope to make something work. Had development continued on XP, it could have evolved into Vista and everyone would use it. However, it was 'new' and 'different', one of which, customers fear. Personally, I think Apple has it right. Continue working on your product and refine it instead of starting 'fresh'. Then, charge a small amount for that newer version of what they already know. Watch, OSX uses will be running 10.6 in a very high percentage. Vista uptake was what...26% and that was mostly due to forced upgrades when purchasing a new computer (no choice but run vista). my $.02.

Sat, Aug 29, 2009 microsucks

they will always lie to you and rip you off. fuck Microshit. Go linux. No virus, no registry, no DRM, no frill, get use to it, you will love it.

Windoz7 sucks as much as Vista. It is just a re-vamp. XP sucks as much as Win 2000, etc. this is marketing. Cash, cash, cash, my dear beloved cash cow.

Windows is the whore of the corporate world, no wonder why at the top of it, there is Linux to do the real job.

Sat, Aug 29, 2009 esb

Win7 is definitely an improvement, but Vista was never as bad as the media made it out to be. The problem was that Microsoft and PC-makers misled the public into thinking that it could work on hardware that couldn't really handle it. So, in the end, I guess it was just poetic justice that Vista got smeared.

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