Companies Say They Won't Buy Microsoft's Windows 7

Back when Windows Vista first came out, I was so excited to get a new computer. Many of you can empathize with my disappointment when I turned the computer on. Nothing was where it was supposed to be, everything seemed worse than my old Windows XP. To this day, I can't find many of the functions in Microsoft Vista's Word program.

One would have thought companies would jump at the opportunity to upgrade to a new Windows and rid themselves of the unwieldy Vista. But the irony is that many will be stuck with Vista after Microsoft releases its newest computer operating system, Windows 7, on October 22.

According to a survey by ScriptLogic Corp, six out of 10 companies said they lacked the resources to update to Microsoft's newest system. It seems that with the financial downturn, many companies are cutting back, and software updates are one of the first places to prune.

It's an unfortunate timing for Windows 7: while many people would be happy to move on from Vista, the down economy means many won't have the money to.

The surveys were sent to 20,000 companies, with more than 1,000 replies. Sixty percent of respondents said that they had no plans to switch to Windows 7, with 42 percent citing their main reason as a "lack of time and resources."

However, there are other reasons as well for why some companies are choosing to pass on Windows 7. In the survey, 39 percent of respondents, said they were concerned about Windows 7's compatibility with their existing applications.

This is a big concern for companies. It would be much better to stick with a system that works than to switch to a new one, then find out a necessary application is not compatible with the new system.

As for me personally, I must confess that I have no plans either to try out Windows 7. Last year, I bought a Macbook and have become a Mac convert. While I had always hated Mac snobs before, I've gotten so used to the conveniences that my Mac affords me, that I can't see myself going back to Windows anytime soon.

But for Windows Vista users with the means to update to Windows 7, there doesn't seem to be too many downsides. Vista was such an ungainly computer operating system that Windows 7 could only be a huge improvement. At least, that's what we all hope.

Sources:

Reuters, personal experience with computers