Windows 7 needs to be RIGHT the first time.

Microsoft created a lot of ill-will with Vista. It is slow. It consumes insane quantities of resources. It promised much and delivered little over XP SP2, aside from better security. It has too many different partially-crippled, way-overpriced, versions. The most popular version is 32 bit and yet it isn’t very compatible with existing hardware or software. Overall, despite steady OEM sales, where Vista is literally pushed out the door on new machines, most customers view Vista as a failure. Everyone, including Microsoft, is already looking toward Windows 7 with high hopes.

The question is: What can Microsoft do differently next time around to make their customers happier with Windows 7? Well, I have a few thoughts on that.

First, take a hard look at how Apple sells OSX. There is one version. It includes the entire operating system on the DVD for one low price, $129. There are no upgrade versions. There are no partially-crippled versions sold at varying price points. When people buy OSX, they know they are getting a complete operating system. There is no confusion. There is no feeling of being nickle & dimed to death by a bunch of rip-off artists. They even have a 5 computer license for home users with multiple boxes. Customers love this approach. It feels fair and up front.

Second, ditch the 32 bit OS forever. This is the 21st Century. The most popular OS on the planet tells me I have 3.2 GB usable out of the 8 GB of RAM I have installed. That is just wrong. I ran OSX on a system with 8 GB and guess what? It reported, and used all 8 GB.

Third, include Windows XP SP3 free as a pre-configured virtual machine. Don’t bother with Vista. This should take care of any backward compatibility issues that arise. I know this will go against Microsoft’s overwhelming urge to suck every dollar they can out of their customers, but I predict it will pay off in both volume of immediate purchases, as well as speeding the recovery from the ill-will they generated with Vista.

Fourth, modularize the OS. Remove code dependencies as much as possible. This will increase security, stability, and maintainability. It will also reduce memory footprint and processor load. Right now, many of the dozens of processes that are loaded at any given moment are there simply due to code dependencies. Being able to remove a lot of those will slim Windows down immensely.

Now let’s look at what Microsoft should avoid doing:

First, DO NOT turn the OS into yet another subscription-based service. People believe buying an OS is a one time expense that is usually folded into their computer purchase. Forcing them pay for it over and over, will make folks more and more disgruntled.  Haven’t we seen enough of that already?

Second, DO NOT create separate upgrade and regular versions of the OS. This is a strange old practice whose day has come. It creates nothing but confusion for the customer and irritation for folks who do fresh installs frequently. To loosely paraphrase Lord of the Rings, create “one box to rule them all.”

Third, DO NOT create separate 32 bit and 64 bit versions. This is yet another way to cause customer confusion. The current Windows OS has become so large and so resource-intensive that it would not run on old hardware anyway. So why develop and release a version for that older hardware? Cut the cord boys. It’s time to move on.

Fourth, DO NOT repeat the multi-tiered screw-fest that was created with Vista’s numerous crippled versions. Developers hated it. Customers hated it. I strongly suggest creating ONE version, like Apple does with OSX. Put everything on the DVD and let the customer decide what options to install. To make the feature selection less intimidating, perhaps it could run through a wizard asking what tasks the user will be doing. Or perhaps offer toggles for groups of features geared toward specific functionality. For example, some of the functional groups might be labeled “Remote Office Login,”  “Playing Music,” “Playing Games,” “Network Access,” “Internet Access,” “Live Services,” and “Playing Video.” Click one and get all of the software associated with that particular activity.

If Microsoft can stick to the guidelines I’ve offered here, I’ll be the first in line to buy Windows 7. Otherwise, I’ll be one of the first to abandon their platform entirely. In fact, if they decide to completely ignore the growing displeasure of their customers, we could be looking at the beginning of the “Golden Age of OSX.” As more details are released on the next Windows, it will become increasingly clear whether we should all rush out and buy Apple stock. I guess I better start saving my pennies.