Microsoft sings Happy Birthday to Windows 7

Comment Today marks the first anniversary of Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system. Meanwhile, the OS that refuses to die – Windows XP – turns nine on Monday, 25 October.

Unsurprisingly, Redmond wonks have been making lots of noise about Windows 7’s first birthday.

In a celebratory email to the press yesterday, Microsoft declared that Windows 7 was “the fastest selling operating system ever”. The vendor said it had flogged 240 million licences in the first year.

Redmond claimed that 89 per cent of big businesses were planning to migrate to Windows 7 within the next two years, based on a Forrester survey.

Customers are apparently dreadfully satisfied with the OS, too.

On cash savings, Microsoft reckoned there was a return on investment of 131 per cent, or $140 per PC per year for those punters already running Windows 7.

Characteristically, the firm didn’t make any comparisons with a Linux-flavoured machine, but then, why would it?

Microsoft – publicly at least – is terribly pleased with itself on the operating system front, after having had a tumultuous few years with its unwanted ugly child, Windows Vista.

These days, the software vendor has erased all mention of Vista from its corporate speak. Instead, it accentuates the positives, as this tweeting nugget from Microsoft’s EMEA division showed just yesterday.

“You told us what you loved about Windows XP and how to make it even better. We designed Windows 7 to simplify the things you do every day,” it said.

See: Vista, which turns four in January next year, was just a bad dream. Steve Ballmer simply had to click his heels three times to wake up from the nightmare.

I very much doubt Microsoft will be reminding anyone about Vista’s retail release anniversary come 30 January, 2011.

But it should perhaps spare a thought for Windows XP this coming Monday, when the aged workhorse turns nine.

That operating system's birthday offers the company a timely reminder about its once resolute dominance in the world of tech.

And while Ballmer and his brood may be patting each other on the back about the clear success of Windows 7, privately Microsoft will also be reminiscing about the golden age that lost its shine long ago. ®