Grading Windows 7 three months later: The Bottom Line
Windows 7 has been out for about 3 months now, and has already gained 10% market share for operating systems. Has it washed out the bad taste of Windows Vista and has it been as successful as we expected? We talk to Chris Spera from JustAnotherMobileMonday and Eric Sandine, contributor here at TechVi about this on today's edition of the Bottom Line.
Guests:
- Eric Sandine , TechVi
- Chris Spera , JustAnotherMobileMonday
What will Apple unveil on January 27th?
All signs are pointing to Apple releasing a tablet during their next press event. We talk to Dana Wollman of Laptop Magazine and Chris Spera of JustAnotherMobileMonday.com to find out what Apple's next creation may be.
PS3 sales mean big problems for Sony, plus when will consumers care about WiMax?
We heard earlier today the PS2 continues to outsell the PS3, and the gap continues to widen. What's the hold up for consumers, and what does it mean for Sony? We talk to CNET TV's Molly Wood, as well as Gear Diary's Chris Spera about the situation. Molly sums it up nicely: If Sony wants the PS3 to stick around as a platform like the PS2 has done, they need to listen to customers instead of dictating to them. That means, for one, the system needs to see a price drop, and fast. Chris agrees, representing the "non gamer" set, saying he picked up the Wii, but he doesn't actually see any benefit to owning a PS3. He doesn't care about Blu-ray, he doesn't see the "Wii sports" equivalent hit game, instead he simply sees the price tag. Sony has always been a company to decide what's best for its customers, much to its detriment, but maybe CEO Howard Stringer's admission of lack of foresight means the company will be more responsive in the future... then again, it is Sony we're talking about.
Also, Verizon announced its planning for the rollout of its 4G LTE network relatively soon, but has 3G even caught on fully enough for consumers to care about 4G? Chris doesn't think so. He's given up hopes for a wireless data future for "regular folks" after his iPhone continuously dropped calls due to spotty coverage. Molly too, has much contempt for the iPhone, and the subject has even caused her to go on an infamous "Molly rant" regarding AT&T's lackluster service in the bay area. The message out of all of this? If wireless networks want to repay their investments faster, and have people be excited about the future, they could actually, y'know, do things the right way instead of barely scraping by.
Windows 7 for free, plus is the Palm Eos a phony?
Everyone likes free software, and most of the time piracy is the only answer. Microsoft, awknowledging the "tester" mentality of many early-adopter types, says it's going to provide the release candidate of Windows 7 for free, starting this Tuesday, May 5th, all the way till June 1st of 2010. What's the impact of this move? We ask Chris Spera from Gear Diary and Iyaz Akhtar from Gadgetell about exactly how they see the move playing out. Chris thinks it's great for Microsoft, and great for consumers, especially given the current economic climate. Iyaz concurs, expecting the response in social media alone to play a big role in marketing Windows 7. Microsoft had better be sure they've got a winner on their hands, because large bugs in the operating system could be catastrophic if given on such a large base, but I'm sure Microsoft thinks this won't be Vista 2.0.
Also, we've had about a day to start to digest the Palm Eos, and taking a look at the leaked specs has our two panelists pausing for concern. Chris actually drew a representation of the device, and thought it seemed a little small, especially for his taste. Iyaz thinks the whole Eos mess might just be a viral focus group gone right for Palm, and that if the device didn't exist before, it, or a variant of it, will definitely exist now.
Whats your take on the Eos? Does the BlackBerry-esque form factor have you licking your chops? Or do you prefer the sliding keyboard of the Pre? Also, don't forget Windows 7, will you be the first in the download line on Tuesday? Have to nabbed a copy off of BitTorrent already? Do you think Microsoft might actually have a shot at getting it right?