Gartner Windows 7 Advice Not as Good as Yours
You may have noticed a recurring theme in this newsletter: Most of what I think about Microsoft's products and strategies comes from interactions with real customers -- that's you, the Redmond Report reader.
In my last item, I explained how most of you are having a good experience with the final release of IE 8, with a handful of exceptions. I also learned enough about Windows 7 from you that I wrote a two-part series, the first appearing on the cover of the March issue of Redmond magazine with part two running in April.
Here's what I heard: Windows 7 is 10 times better than Vista, and many shops will move ASAP to the new OS based on current test results. Now Gartner is jumping on the Windows 7 bandwagon with a somewhat confusing report. First, the analyst group argues that IT need not wait until the first service pack to move to Windows 7. That's because Windows 7 is really just a small upgrade to Vista, the opposite of what most of what you told me.
Then Gartner argues that it will take a year or more for ISVs to have their apps prepped for Windows 7. Here again, your views were different; nearly everything you had seems to run fine on Windows 7.
Finally, Gartner advises waiting about a year-and-a-half before migrating -- which is precisely when the service pack should be out!
Rather than buying an expensive Gartner subscription, I'll just keep getting my insights from you! Do you use and trust IT research firms? Send me the skinny at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on March 25, 2009