Part X: Windows 7 Desktop and Mobile: Platforms Rising
Early 2009 saw Windows 7’s consumer beta continuing to receive refinements and tweaks. Windows Vista adoption, on the other hand, remained sluggish at best, and Microsoft wanted to move away from the tainted Vista branding as soon as it possibly could.
After several months, the Windows 7 beta ended, and by July 2009, Windows 7 was released to manufacturing. In short, OEMs could start installing it on computers that they would sell to consumers, but consumers couldn’t go out and buy a copy of it at that moment. Consumers would have to wait until October 22, 2009, when Windows 7 was officially released to the public.
On that date, copies of Windows 7 were made available on Microsoft’s website and at technology stores across the country. Microsoft engaged in a massive publicity campaign for Windows 7, and consumers began to adopt Windows 7
en masse. By the summer of 2010, it had already surpassed Windows Vista’s market share, and its usage share had become the largest of any desktop operating system. Microsoft's desktop operating system was on the rebound.
This was helped by the fact that Windows 7 was made available in six different versions: Windows 7 Starter, for cheap and low-powered computers like netbooks (which were popular at the time), Windows 7 Home Basic, which was more powerful than Starter but not as full-featured for emerging markets, Windows 7 Home Premium, with the full subset of features of Windows 7 for consumer usage, Windows 7 Professional for small businesses, Windows 7 Enterprise for large corporations, and Windows 7 Ultimate for tinkerers and enthusiasts.
Windows 7 version packaging
Along with Windows 7, Windows Phone 7 was also doing incredibly well. By January 2010, it had surpassed iPhone OS in market share, and managed to capture a third of the market.
Developers clamored to develop for the platform, and as Windows Phone 7 continued to increase in market share, Microsoft announced that they would stop releasing new versions of the Windows Mobile operating system. Windows Mobile OEMs had by this point largely switched to Windows Phone 7, which was a far more popular, successful, and profitable platform. To get rid of inventory, carriers and OEMs slashed prices on Windows Mobile phones. Along with these reductions in price, Microsoft and its OEM partners released a wide range of new Windows Phone 7 phones. Microsoft unveiled the Kin 2, and other manufacturers released devices of their own. There was one manufacturer, however, who departed from the Windows Phone 7 platform—Samsung.
This was a Windows Mobile phone released by HTC on the AT&T network. Notice the difference between it and a Windows Phone 7 phone.
However, while the desktop became more firmly enveloped in Microsoft’s embrace, mobile remained a battlefield.