Should Microsoft make Windows 7 the next Windows 2000?

[jmarcus789]

Lately, I've been re-purposing some old computers lying around my house. My objective has been to build a server system for both VPN and Dial-Up access to my network. For this old hardware, I chose a combo of Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 server due to their abundant configuration options, and light use of system resources. As I was doing the install work, I got to thinking. With business skeptical of the new Metro interface of Windows 8, why doesn't Microsoft keep selling Windows 7 as business/enterprise alternative to the consumer oriented Windows 8? This would seem like the obvious choice to me. Windows 7 has already had a service pack released and is now a very reliable and secure product. The interface is fairly familiar to anyone who has used windows since Windows 95, cutting down on training costs and time wasted on training. Windows 7 already has a high level of hardware and software support and a is much more convenient to use with a mouse and keyboard. I recently upgraded my HP Pavilion DV7 laptop to Windows 8 from Windows 7, and while Windows 8 has maintained the stability responsiveness of Windows 7, I find the metro interface to be rather unintuitive with a track pad. I think it may well be beneficial to Microsoft to take this approach. After all, it made them dominant in the computing industry in good ol' days of Windows 98 SE and Windows 2000. (noticed how I left Windows ME off)

 

[clifford_cooley]

Should Microsoft make Windows 7 the next Windows 2000?

No, not in my opinion.

That is Windows Server 2008 territory. Windows 7 is not designed to be used as a server OS.

 

[Digerati]

Windows 7 is not designed to be used as a server OS

Right. While it can serve fine in a home or small office environment, it is not an optimal solution.

I think too much fuss is being made about the metro UI. Sure, it is different and has a bit of a learning curve, but it is not a hard learning curve (if approached with an open mind). And the fact remains, users don't typically spend much time at the desktop. They tend to immediately call up their browser, word processor, or other applications.

why doesn't Microsoft keep selling Windows 7 as business/enterprise alternative to the consumer oriented Windows 8?

Ummm, they do.

While I agree Windows 7 is a superb and very secure OS, Windows 8 is even more secure, faster in most cases, and is current - and works just fine with a keyboard, mouse, and non-touch screen monitors.