The Word of Bowers You don't have to agree with me, just accept I'm probably right.

Microsoft: Better late than never?

In case you've been hiding under a rock, you know that Windows 7 launched last week.

Yes, Windows 7, the latest operating system from software giant Microsoft, has been released to the general public.  This release comes after only a few years of PC users suffering through the trainwreck that was Vista.  The big question was obvious: after releasing an OS with so many problems, how would Microsoft, PC manufacturers, and the general public respond for the next go-around?

Based on most of most of the early reviews, it appears Windows 7 is a pretty good piece of software.  Some say it is what Vista should have been.  What really caught my attention was a recent article on CNet that spoke about how Vista was basically a reality check from Microsoft.  They realized they screwed up pretty bad, and they needed to make right.

And by the looks of things, it appears they're headed in the right direction.  According to the article:

This time around, though, Microsoft shared its earliest plans, sought input, and held regular meetings with the PC makers. In addition, it dedicated engineering teams to work with each of the biggest computer makers to help them work through any issues specific to their designs.

Imagine that.  They actually worked with the PC manuacturers to get input and to make sure their software worked well on their systems.  Should it be any surprise that Windows 7 is an improvement?

Microsoft shouldn't necessarily get credit for finally doing the things they should have been doing from the start when making their software.  They should, however, get credit for realizing what they were doing wasn't working and they needed to change something.  Change isn't always bad.