You have no idea how excited I am to be able to say this: Windows 7 is now available worldwide!
Windows 7 reflects the input from millions of customers from around the world. Many of you helped us by testing and providing feedback on Windows 7 since its initial introduction about a year ago. Thanks to all of you for your input along the way. Windows 7 is the PC, simplified.
Today, Windows 7 is available in more than 45,000 retailers worldwide on new PCs and packaged product in 14 different languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Chinese (Hong Kong). Some of the many retailers offering Windows 7 include Best Buy, Staples, and Wal-Mart. It is also available at online retailers such as Amazon and our own Microsoft Store. The remaining languages will be available starting October 31st.
Speaking of retail stores - today we are also officially opening Microsoft’s first retail store in Scottsdale, Arizona. And the online Microsoft Store also got a refresh too!
Today, PC manufacturers will be offering a range of new sleek and stylish new Windows 7 PCs. I’ll be taking a look at a number of these cool PCs shortly. Also, yesterday we announced several very cool new offers for Windows 7 too. Click here for the “7 Days of Windows 7” offers on Windows.com.
One question I get quite a bit is from people is about how they can move to Windows 7 without a DVD drive. Some PCs including most netbooks don’t come with one. We have a solution we think will work great for more technical users who want to upgrade their Windows XP machines. When people purchase Windows 7 through our online Microsoft Store, they are given 2 options:
- Have the copy of Windows 7 packaged retail product (boxed product) shipped to them.
- Download a digital copy as an ISO image.
The Microsoft Store will be providing a tool called the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (rolls right off the tongue doesn’t it?) – or WUDT for short. For netbook users without DVD drives, the WUDT will take an ISO image and create a bootable USB device that can be used to install Windows 7. The WUDT can also create a Windows 7 installation DVD from the ISO file as well.
Please note that in order to boot off of a USB device (or external DVD player), you will need to configure your BIOS to boot off of that device. If you are not comfortable making this type of BIOS change I recommend you seek some assistance from your favorite “tech geek”. WUDT will run on Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. We’re working with partners now to deliver similar tools through their sites and hope to have more news to share in this regard soon.
Whether you are upgrading existing PCs or buying hot new PCs – there are lots of awesome deals, offers and options for you. Go get Windows 7 today!
The latest evolution in the Windows brand campaign also kicks off today, and stays true to our core theme of spotlighting customers in a fun and light-hearted manner. “My Idea” captures the spirit of the development of Windows 7 and celebrates the millions of people who tested Windows 7 and gave input which ultimately shaped the product. See the ads for yourself at here!
Want to check out many of Windows 7’s newest features and see for yourself how simple they are to use? No Problem. Click here to see a series of online videos showcasing some of the newest features in Windows 7.
Windows 7 is also now available and ready for businesses large and small. You can read more about how Window 7 meets the needs of companies of all sizes through the customer case studies located here. The PressPass folks put the case studies on a worldwide map using Bing Maps based on customer location.
For the latest Windows 7 launch videos, photos, new ads and more check out the Windows 7 Virtual Presskit!