Sleeping Cobra1
01-09-2009, 09:05 PM
LAS VEGAS -- Microsoft's servers were overloaded Friday as thousands tried to download the beta version of Microsoft's highly anticipated forthcoming operating system, Windows 7.
In an interview, Mike Nash, the corporate vice president for Windows product management said, "The fact we're seeing such enthusiasm, that's just wow."
During his keynote speech Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show, Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said the beta version of Windows 7 would be released to the public Friday. And for a short while Friday, it was available.
But by Friday afternoon, Microsoft's Windows team said the beta would not be available until it had added more infrastructure.
"Due to very heavy traffic, we're seeing as a result of interest in the Windows 7 Beta, we are adding some additional infrastructure support to the Microsoft.com properties before we post the public beta," the team wrote.
"Stay tuned! We are excited that you are excited!"
Microsoft has promoted the new operating system as a return to the fundamentals, with faster boot-up and shutdown, as well as a series of new features designed to simplify tasks that often irk computer users.
Nash said the company's progress with Windows 7 was remarkable.
Microsoft had initially said the beta version would be available during the first quarter of the year.
"Here we are saying Q1, and we're done on the 7th in January," he said. "That's fantastic for us."
A pre-beta version of Windows 7 was released in October, and Nash said feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
"People were surprised in a good way about the stability. Surprised that it ran well in the PCs they had," he said.
PCs that run Windows Vista should be able to run Windows 7, avoiding some of the compatibility issues that plagued the introduction of that operating system.
Microsoft said that, unlike with Vista, the company expects to release only one beta version of Windows 7.
With Vista, Nash said, "No one was quite sure which (beta) was right to go."
He said the approach with Windows 7 has been "so different."
"We were planning before we were working, and once we were working, we weren't changing the plan."
Nash said most of Microsoft's work between now and the release of Windows 7 would be on fixing any bugs in the operating system.
"Usually, it's adding features, coming up with new ideas," he said.
It is unclear when Microsoft will release Windows 7.
The company has said its goal is to make Windows 7 generally available in January 2010 -- three years after the release of Vista -- although there is speculation that a release could come before the holidays.
"We can't be more specific than we are," Nash said.
"There will come a time when we get more specific."
With the beta version, he said, Microsoft was taking Windows 7 from thousands of users to millions.
Microsoft will allow 2.5 million downloads of the beta version of Windows 7, which will expire in August, officials said.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/395519_ceswrap10.html
In an interview, Mike Nash, the corporate vice president for Windows product management said, "The fact we're seeing such enthusiasm, that's just wow."
During his keynote speech Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show, Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said the beta version of Windows 7 would be released to the public Friday. And for a short while Friday, it was available.
But by Friday afternoon, Microsoft's Windows team said the beta would not be available until it had added more infrastructure.
"Due to very heavy traffic, we're seeing as a result of interest in the Windows 7 Beta, we are adding some additional infrastructure support to the Microsoft.com properties before we post the public beta," the team wrote.
"Stay tuned! We are excited that you are excited!"
Microsoft has promoted the new operating system as a return to the fundamentals, with faster boot-up and shutdown, as well as a series of new features designed to simplify tasks that often irk computer users.
Nash said the company's progress with Windows 7 was remarkable.
Microsoft had initially said the beta version would be available during the first quarter of the year.
"Here we are saying Q1, and we're done on the 7th in January," he said. "That's fantastic for us."
A pre-beta version of Windows 7 was released in October, and Nash said feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
"People were surprised in a good way about the stability. Surprised that it ran well in the PCs they had," he said.
PCs that run Windows Vista should be able to run Windows 7, avoiding some of the compatibility issues that plagued the introduction of that operating system.
Microsoft said that, unlike with Vista, the company expects to release only one beta version of Windows 7.
With Vista, Nash said, "No one was quite sure which (beta) was right to go."
He said the approach with Windows 7 has been "so different."
"We were planning before we were working, and once we were working, we weren't changing the plan."
Nash said most of Microsoft's work between now and the release of Windows 7 would be on fixing any bugs in the operating system.
"Usually, it's adding features, coming up with new ideas," he said.
It is unclear when Microsoft will release Windows 7.
The company has said its goal is to make Windows 7 generally available in January 2010 -- three years after the release of Vista -- although there is speculation that a release could come before the holidays.
"We can't be more specific than we are," Nash said.
"There will come a time when we get more specific."
With the beta version, he said, Microsoft was taking Windows 7 from thousands of users to millions.
Microsoft will allow 2.5 million downloads of the beta version of Windows 7, which will expire in August, officials said.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/395519_ceswrap10.html