Sean Alexander

Watching the rollout of Windows 7 Beta, I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of friends and colleagues (outside Microsoft) that have asked if they should try it.  Generally they’re a mix of XP and Vista users and new to the “beta craze” seen during the Windows 95 days.  It this Win95 redux?  No, I don’t think so (it was a different time) but as consumers are looking to get more value out of their existing purchases – from buying tracks for Rock Band and Lips, to keeping that car going a little longer – Windows 7 is seen as having the promise of doing the same for your PC. That said, Windows 7 will also present a great opportunity to upgrade for many after trying out the beta on an older machine laying around.  If it performs well, just imagine what it can do on a new PC.

So, my guidance is this:  If you have an older PC sitting around that you don’t mind turning into a weeknight/weekend project – go ahead and download the beta.  Here are a few resources to get you started:

• How to Get, Install and Play with Windows 7 (Gizmodo) 
• 10 Really cool Windows 7 Media Center features (Gizmodo) 
• Using Touch with Windows Media Center 7 (The Digital Lifestyle)
• Windows Live Essentials – must have download for Win7 (Live.com)

My prediction – touch interfaces are here to stay, and will be most impactful on a PC.  Just looking at the buzz Microsoft Surface generated a few years ago, followed by the iPhone/iPod Touch ushering a new generation of gestural interfaces.  Windows 7 will be able to support touch as well as a mouse and keyboard.  Just keep those fingers clean ;).