Tech Central: Would you trust Microsoft with your digital life?

Microsoft today unveiled Windows 7 and announced ambitious plans to have it on the shelves in little more than a year. The new software will replace the unloved Vista operating system, which was launched just two years ago and has endured fierce criticism from casual users and technology experts alike.

Microsoft said at a conference in Los Angeles that it will make Windows 7 available immediately to a select group of developers who will test and improve the product, and that it should be ready be used on most computers by January 2010.

The company said the software would revolutionise the way we use computers, paving the way for touchscreen monitors and letting people use their computers to control other electronic devices, such as TVs and stereos.

Microsoft patents web moderator robots

The technology would automatically detect and remove posts containing 'undesired words or phrases'

Related Links

• Microsoft patents web moderator robots

• Microsoft unveils touchscreen Windows

But the move to rush out the new software was seen by many as a tacit acceptance that the Vista is a failure. Glitches with the operating system plagued its launch in November 2006 and Vista has continued to suffer problems with privacy, security, and performance. Many businesses have continued to use XP, the previous version of the operating system, which is considered more stable.

Microsoft said that it had not turned its back on Vista, insisting that Windows 7 was a natural development of its software that was based on Vista's “core archeticture.”

“Vista is in great shape," John Curran, UK head of Windows, said. "It has been the fastest-adopted operating system of all time. If you look at people who are using Vista today, 90 per cent are satisfied with that experience and would recommend it to friends and family.”

Windows 7 will be tested and developed over the next few years, Microsoft said, but users can expect the launch version to include a “touch” feature that will work with compatible touchscreen monitors. People will be able to do simple tasks such as selecting a folder without using a mouse, and write on the screen with a stylus or finger. Software will convert the handwriting into text.

The program will also work with other electronic devices, allowing users to transmit digital music from a PC to a stereo, or relay digital video to a nearby TV.

Some Vista applications, including Calender, Windows Mail, Movie Maker, Contacts and Photo Gallery, will be cut from Windows 7. Instead, those applications will be available for download from the Microsoft website.

Microsoft denied that calling the new software “Windows 7” rather than sticking with the “Vista” tag was a rebranding exercise, saying that the company has historically referred to operating systems by their version numbers.

Sceptics pointed out that Microsoft has recently launched a $300 million advertising campaign to improve the brand’s image and counter Apple’s “Get a Mac” campaign, which characterises PCs as slow and uncool. Industry insiders have said that problems with Vista were the primary reason the company felt the new advertising campaign was needed in the first place.

Explore Tech & Web

• Personal Tech

• The Web

• Gadgets & Gaming