Jevans Nyabiage
28 October 2009
Nairobi — Technology firm, Microsoft's much-touted Windows 7 operating system made its debut in Kenya on Wednesday.
The launch of the Windows 7 operating system (OS) came three years after its predecessor, Windows Vista, failed to excite the market because of the high-end hardware specifications required and complicated features that were not what people wanted.
During the launch of the OS, Windows 7's server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 R2, was also released.
Unlike its predecessor, that introduced a large number of new features, Windows 7 is intended to be a more focused, incremental upgrade to the Windows line, with the goal of being fully compatible with applications and hardware with which Windows Vista is already compatible.
Louis Otieno, General Manager, Microsoft East and Southern Africa said that technology is about learning from mistakes in earlier version of its operating systems.
"The new system has been developed after taking hardware vendors into confidence," Mr Otieno said.
He said a new generation of business solutions is transforming IT into a strategic asset that enables firms to cut costs without crippling customer service or constraining the creativity and effectiveness of the workforce.
"The complexity of these systems forces IT departments to focus too much of their time and resources on providing basic services and protecting security. The new system addresses those issues as well," he added.
He said despite the challenges posed by the global economic crisis, Microsoft is optimistic about long-term opportunities.
There are six editions available for Windows, with two standard versions Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional for SMEs.
A stripped down version Windows 7 Home Basic is also available in emerging markets.
Other three editions are Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Enterprise and Windows 7 Ultimate.
The software will retail from Sh3,500 and Sh12,500 depending on the version bought.
Those still using windows XP will continue to receive support until 2014 when it will be discontinued although the firm stopped its sale a year ago and Windows Vista will still remain on sale for a year.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
