“Windows 7 is here and it’s not going to have any of the problems that Vista had.” That’s the quote from “PC” in the newest series of Apple commercials aimed at cutting Microsoft and Windows off at the knees. Starting yesterday, at least 3 new commercials started running regularly over the airwaves. These new spots are witty, clever and dead on when it comes to calling out the issues that consumers have (or will have) had with upgrading their PC to the latest version of Windows. I am a PC fan, but I still love these commercials and laugh every time they nail another Windows issue.
In one of the other commercials that began airing yesterday (available here), a group of consumers are interviewed and they hit on a serious pain point for PC enthusiasts. The first person says “I’m real excited. We are finally switching to a Mac” and the second one says “If we have to move all of our stuff, why not move to the computer that’s number 1 in customer satisfaction.” This might not seem all that funny or painful to the average computer user, but let’s look at why this is such a thorn in the side of Microsoft’s new operating system Windows 7.
As a Windows user, you can do a simple, “in-place” upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 IF you are upgrading to the exact same “version” of Windows 7. Long story short, you can go from Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Home Premium, Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate, etc. If you are one of the majority (people that don’t fall into the “in-place” upgrade category) you will have to do a “custom install.” Meaning, if you want to go from XP to Windows 7 or any version of Vista to a different version of Windows 7, you are in trouble. You will have to back up all of your data, format your PC and start from scratch with a Windows 7 install. Here is a chart to confuse assist you further:
Windows 7 Upgrade Chart
Now, if I have scared you away from Windows 7 I am sorry. My goal is to make you aware of the humor in these ads and the point that they prove. The average consumer (you and I) doesn’t want to go through a huge ordeal to get the improved feature set of Windows 7. Luckily, JumpstartMyPC.com is here to help you with your upgrade, should you decide you want to go to Windows 7. In addition to offering local service (in the Houston area), we will be posting information about our upgrade experiences and what you can do, or where you can turn, to make the transition easier.
I will be upgrading my laptop the moment I get my Windows 7 disk and we are already prepared to help you do the same. We have the tools and experience to make this a painless transition for all of you “PCs” out there.
Tags: Apple, Mac, Upgrades, Windows 7, Windows Vista
