[BC] Windows 7

[WPIO 89.3 FM]

In all the articles about Windows 7 this is perhaps some useful 
observations by ZDNet's Gartner:

# Windows 7 is not a major architectural release; it’s a polishing of 
Windows Vista. Still, for businesses, there are “good things to be had” 
in Windows 7, including AppLocker, BitLocker to Go, BrancheCache, better 
User Account Control settings, an updated user interface and support for 
HomeGroups.
# Business users should be cognizant of the downgrade/upgrade gotchas 
around Windows 7. For users who don’t have Software Assurance (SA) 
contracts, Microsoft’s limits on downgrades to XP (18 months from 
Windows 7’s release or until the time Windows 7 Service Pack (SP) 1 is 
released — whichever is earlier) could be problematic. If you don’t have 
SA and don’t purchase new PCs with a Windows 7 license within this 
window, you could end up paying $120 to $200 per PC for an upgrade 
license if you aren’t ready to deploy Windows 7 right off the bat.
# While Windows XP’s extended support phase doesn’t end until 2014, 
third-party application support for a new operating system typically 
begins to wane two years after the end of mainstream support. This means 
the XP “danger zone” is 2013 and beyond.