1. Windows is destined to lose more market share:
Windows is not going to gain any ground over Linux. The OS from Redmond simply has too high of a market share. In addition, the new Windows fails to offer any incentive for the Linux user to make the switch to Microsoft. Even if Windows 7 were to be the absolute best Windows the world had ever seen, in the end it would still be Closed Source.

The quality of Windows has no inpact on the fact, that users are switching from Windows to Linux and free software. The quality has only influence on the speed of the switching. With Windows 7, the biggest impact will occur among the various Windows versions, while the overall Windows market share is expected to sink further.

2. Hardly a new feature:
Linux hackers were once said to be notorious for stealing a variety of ideas from Microsoft. In contrast to this day and age, a peek at the Microsoft's description of Windows 7 reveals that there is little material to interest anyone hungry for innovation. Most of the new desktop features are hardly impressive: for example, larger desktop icons grace this new Windows product. Also, the Explorer integrated disc burning program now works with ISO copy data, but this is more of a clear indication that Windows 7 users could have an easier time of it with an Ubuntu CD. Another point is that the new version sacrifices a whole slew of accessories that were standard fare in Vista.

3. The world doesn’t need Tablet PCs:
Among the most celebrated features of the new Windows version are the touchscreen and the touch support in the vein of iPhone. Ten years ago, Microsoft attempted to introduce Tablet PCs (earlier under the name of Windows for Pen Computers) and had yet to differentiate between a computer with which the user worked, wrote emails, and chatted, and a Smart Phone. The Netbooks with touchscreen and touchscreen desktops are destined to disappear just as quickly from the market as the Tablet PCs because the pen and finger are two tools that work quite well for some uses, but considerably less for others.

4. Hardware requirements – still too high:
Although the new Windows is officially compatible with Netbooks, the hardware requirements are still considerably too high. Even when the standard new computer has 1 GB available, many notebooks function with 512 MB over 786. Windows 7 needs at least 1 GB to run, and the 64 bit version requires at least 2 GB RAM. Also, in matters of disk space, a partition for the installation of Windows 7 takes at least 16 GB. In this case, Linux installation clearly takes less pork to get going.

5. Starter Edition for Dummies:
The most obvious difference between an Open Source and a Closed Source operating system is at its most noticeable when the features (although in reality still remaining) are eliminated via semi-user-defined criteria. The most affordable variation of the new Windows should allow three applications at most to be used at once. A slightly more careful look reveals that many of Windows’ own programs are exceptions, including the file manger, the control panel, and most smaller tools. Amusingly, the Starter Edition is supposed to leave the background image unaltered. Every Microsoft-for-Dummies customer is a potential future Linux user.

6. The more Windows versions the better:
In the best case scenario, Windows 7 would get everyone’s attention and within six months Microsoft will have succeeded in replacing all existing Vista and XP computers with Windows 7 machines. Microsoft shouldn’t even dare to believe in such a far-fetched notion. The new Windows version (if it is actually good) will doubtless cause some customers to change over to Windows 7 and the computers sold already installed with Windows 7 will likely cause the Microsoft market share to increase to 10 percent. Whether Windows can jump the 50 percent hurdle is a matter for second consideration. In the worst case scenario (from Microsoft’s point of view), in 2011 we will see one third of all Microsoft users still on XP, one third using Vista, and one third using Windows 7 systems. This would cause customer support costs to rise and would complicate driver unit development. In the matter of browser competition between Firefox and MSIE, the situation was similar. Today, Firefox is close to pushing all versions of Internet Explorer to under 50 percent, if this hasn’t already been accomplished.

In addition, Windows 7 comes with a compatibility mode for Windows XP. This should cause a fair share of confusion, as this mode is only available for the Professional and Ultimate versions. The actual compatibility is only achieved when Windows XP hardware acceleration runs in a virtual machine (Windows Virtual PC).

7. Microsoft no longer sets the standard:
When Windows XP was introduced onto the market, Microsoft could pretty much do whatever they wanted in terms of what was left alone and what was altered. If a program failed to work with Windows XP, the system was modified only until the desired compatibility was achieved. Much too often, hardware manufacturer standards were compromised or ignored. The times in which Microsoft set the standard are (thankfully) over. Even when the company with the ISO certificiation from Office Open XML aims for one last success, the software world is still heading in the direction of open standards and does without DRM more and more, the favorite plaything of Microsoft (and Apple). The standards today are set by the Community and the Web – two things that with which Microsoft is long since out of touch.